After I hung up the phone, I went to the front desk and told Sharon that I’d be back after one p.m. but in enough time for my next patient. I went to Barnes & Noble and then to the local market. At eleven forty p.m., I was at Azmir’s office waiting to see him, sitting across from his receptionist who was acting like a damn watchdog. She was an older Caucasian woman with the palest skin tone who wore a knitted cape, an aged up-do, white framed butterfly glasses, and red lipstick as pale as she was. She was so cold and her venom was exclusive. I knew this because when others either walked in for assistance or called to set an appointment with Azmir she was a little more pleasant than she was with me.
The waiting area was nicely laid out. Just like the facility, the décor was well thought through with warm colors and artistic design. It was comfortable yet professional. The smooth music on the P.A. was either R&B or jazz. I know because I observed and made a note of every last song.
This was taking too long. I couldn’t take another minute, sharing the same air as Mrs. Freeze. I looked down to check my watch for the time. It read eleven forty-eight. I looked up to check it against the clock on the office, that’s when the door to the hall opened and Azmir walked in to the reception area checking the time on his gold pocket watch. Of course, he wasn’t alone. He always had an entourage with him. He was in the middle of a conversation with the group. Once again, he was another person. In this moment he was the mogul. His tone, the substance of his conversation, even his posture was different. He was still sexy, though, causing me to hold my breath. He walked over to his receptionist without noticing me. He exchanged a few words with her about his schedule, which led her to mention my presence.
“Okay Mr. Jacobs, but your eleven forty-five is here. She’s from one of the units next door and said you asked her to set up an appointment with you right away. It seemed "urgent" so I put her in this time slot. I apologize for booking just before your luncheon engagement but again, she came across exigent.”
All eyes turned to me. It seemed to have happened in slow motion. Azmir asked, “Who?” as if he meant whoever it was had told a lie. I could have melted in my seat. She was trying to play me and in my face.
Once his adoring eyes fell upon me, he slowly flashed that coochie creaming smile. My heart fluttered. It was as if only the two of us were in the room. I squirmed in my seat conjuring inappropriate thoughts of this man.
He said, “Peggy, I apologize for this, Ms. Brimm is from Smith, Katz & Adams Sports Medicine next door.”
“So she said,” Old Peg remarked.
Everyone snickered except for me. Okay, I’m sure that’s a stretch, but it seemed as though the whole world was laughing at me. Even Azmir had to take a minute so that he wouldn’t add fuel to the fire by laughing. I shot her the coldest gaze. She seemed unfazed by it as she looked at me over her glasses.
“Tom and Katherine, we’ll continue this conversation tomorrow before we go into that conference room. If we don’t have it together on our end they’ll see right through us and god only knows the next time we’d have an opportunity to work with them again. Okay?” Azmir ordered dismissing the handlers and then he threw a cursory glance Peggy’s way and said, “Hold all calls, please.”
His eyes landed over at me and visibly softened, “After you,” motioning me into his office with a knowing smile.
As I walked past him and got a waft of his cologne, I tripped over my feet from being that quickly caught up. Such a klutz, adding to my discomfiture. His scent mesmerized me and sent me on an erotic trip making my nipples sting. Whatever he was wearing was working well with his natural body oils.
After he walked in behind me and closed the door, he bellied over laughing. I grew embarrassed. Azmir never laughed!
“What are you laughing at?” My tone was clipped.
He took a moment before saying, “I’m sorry, Rayna. It’s just that Ms. Peggy was coming for you. She was all over you out there.” He continued to laugh and I had to admit it was infectious. It was good to see him relaxed in formal business attire.
“It took everything out of me not to break loose on that Rottweiler out there! What was up with her?” I cried, resolved to my defeat with Old Lady Peg.
“She knows,” he said trying to come down from his mirth. Minus the cause, I was enjoying the view. Azmir was absolutely beautiful, I wondered if he knew.
“Knows? Knows what?” I asked still feeling the sting.