Changing Gene – Ch. 6.1

“Good morning, Kylisha,” Gene said, pausing from his coffee as she entered the break room. His eyes feasted upon her loveliness. Desire bubbled in his veins.

Kylisha smiled. “Good morning…” She paused and looked around to make sure they were alone before adding, “Gene.”

Ardor stirred in his heart the second she spoke his name. Gene had to force himself to remember to breathe. No woman had ever affected him so deeply before. That knowledge both thrilled and frightened him.

Gene cleared his throat and took another sip of coffee as he struggled to rein in his wayward emotions. To give himself more time to recover, he placed the second cup of coffee he’d purchased on the window sill. It was either do that or put his hands on Kylisha.

“You’re here earlier than usual,” Gene said when he was calmer. As he spoke, he looked at his watch to verify just how early she was today. It was 8:30am. Kylisha usually got to work by 8:50am every morning. “What happened? Have trouble sleeping last night?”

Kylisha instantly blushed. “Yes,” she replied honestly, making her way over to the time clock area.

Gene smiled, pleased that they’d shared the same kind of insomnia after their special encounter. “I had trouble sleeping last night, too,” he said, standing to his feet. He followed her over to the time clock.

Kylisha blushed even deeper. Her hands grew unsteady on the time card, causing it to go into the slot crooked instead of straight.

“In fact, I came to work early today hoping to see you alone before our workday started,” Gene continued, now standing behind her. His warm breath caressed the back of her neck. “As you know, I’m going to be out of the office all day with clients. I thought another one of those little twirly things might help get me through the day.”

Kylisha turned to face him, leaving her time card un-punched in the slot. “Gene, I don’t…know about this.” Even now she looked around nervously.

“Nobody else is here yet,” Gene said reassuringly. He briefly looked at his watch again. “Even my stepfather won’t be in for another ten minutes or so. That’s plenty of time for a quick kiss.” Gene cupped her face in his hands. “Don’t you want to kiss me again, Kylisha?”

She nodded, unable to lie, unable to speak in this heated moment.

At Kylisha’s nod of consent, Gene took things from there by lowering his mouth to hers. He pulled her close to him at the same time. His heart soared with untold joy when Kylisha readily went into his arms and willingly opened her lips to receive him. She even draped her arms about his neck.

Slow and tender, they kissed. Deep and oh so deliciously long, they kissed. In fact, that kiss lasted for almost five minutes straight. If Arnaz and another driver named Luther Halstead hadn’t entered the building at minute four and forty-five seconds, Gene and Kylisha might have tried to set a world record.

Reluctantly parting, Gene planted a final smack on Kylisha’s lips before releasing her altogether. “I’ll see you when I get back, okay, baby?” he whispered.

“Okay.” Kylisha blinked rapidly to refocus.

“Good.” Gene gave her a tender smile. “By the way, that cup of coffee on the window sill is yours. And it’s full of cream just the way you like it,” he added as he started towards the exit.

“Thanks,” Kylisha replied, issuing a shaky smile. She still hadn’t gotten her bearings back yet. Yet she definitely needed to since she had less than two minutes to recover before her coworkers came into the break room.

Taking a deep breath, Kylisha gathered all the tranquility she could. Then she punched her time card correctly and hurried to sit down before her shaky legs gave completely out on her.

* * *

Wiping as much of Kylisha’s lipstick off as he could before he went into the hallway, Gene said a cheerful good morning to Arnaz and Luther. Then he engaged them in brief banter about today’s routes in order to give Kylisha even more time to recover. She’d been trembling like a leaf in his arms. Though Gene enjoyed affecting her so deeply, he didn’t want to cause her any unnecessary embarrassment.

When he deemed enough time had passed, Gene bid the two drivers a good day and then proceeded to his office. It was time for him to start the beginning of what would be a very long day.

“Is it me? Or is he wearing red lipstick this morning?” Luther whispered to Arnaz when Gene was out of hearing distance.

“It’s not you,” Arnaz replied with a frown. He’d seen the lipstick remnants below Gene’s bottom lip, as well. His gut told him that Kylisha was probably wearing that exact shade today. After all, her car and Gene’s were the only ones in the parking lot outside. Who else could the man have been kissing so early in the morning?

Praying that Gene hadn’t violated Kylisha, Arnaz quickened his pace. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed when he saw the look of euphoria on her face as she stared out the window and sipped her morning coffee.

Deciding to be both, Arnaz went over to the time clock, punched in, and left the room without so much as a good morning to Kylisha. Sadly, she wouldn’t have heard him anyway. Kylisha’s head was too far up in the clouds, which is why she barely responded when Luther spoke to her.

* * *

Kylisha’s head didn’t stay in the clouds for very long. So many women called for Gene today that she actually got a headache. By noon Kylisha’s temples were throbbing and she was starting to feel tormented by the memories of those kisses they shared.

I must have been out of my mind to ever put my lips on a man like him. Not once, but several times, Kylisha mused, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were squinting with pain. She could barely stand the overhead light.

As Kylisha slid an aspirin between her lips, images of Gene’s lips touching hers replayed in her mind yet again. Aaugh! Will they ever go away? She promptly washed the pill down with a glass of water.

Kylisha might have able to forget those kisses sooner if they hadn’t been so darn good. Even now her stubborn mind wanted to dwell on how Gene reacted to that twirly thing she’d done with her tongue. Truth be told, that trick was something Kylisha thought of in the heat of the moment. She’d never used her tongue that way before yesterday. Or rather she’d never used it in her adult life.

As a child, Kylisha used to charge her elementary school peers a dime each just to see her twirling, flipping, waving tongue show. Back then it had all been for entertainment purposes. Last night and this morning it had been for personal enjoyment.

If only I could take it all back, Kylisha lamented, full of regrets now.

But she couldn’t take it all back. Now all she could do was thank God for keeping Gene away from the office long enough for her to get her head back on straight.

Kylisha had learned a hard lesson from this situation. From this point on, she would do everything she could to fight her attraction to Gene Waldenhall.

© 2006 by Suprina Frazier

Photo credit and links:

http://www.dreamstime.com/colortwirl-image1330174

http://www.dreamstime.com/youngmancaughtapplyinglipstick-image2061369

http://www.dreamstime.com/aspirinparacetamolandaglassofwater-image1094182