Black Diamond by Ja'Nese Dixon

Camille Carmichael.
     
    She recalled the look that Ashanta and Harold shared and she didn’t blame Ashanta for being attracted to him. Employment issues aside, he was good looking. His gray-streaked hair added to his appeal. He had it all – the looks, the money and he seemed to be in love with Ashanta. Who would have ever thought?
     
    She reached for a coffee mug, ready to clear her mind of the remnants of the happy hour and Marc. Pouring her coffee, she began to wonder about the source of the little spat between Harold and Saul? Camille watched the powdered creamer lighten the hue of her coffee as she considered whether Ashanta knew more than she realized.
     
    She grabbed her cup and made her way to the living room to read her notes. She had another two weeks before her monthly meeting with her boss at the bureau, Derek Lewis, to report on her findings. Between now and then she hoped her promotion would give her access to the contacts they needed to end this case.
     
    Camille lowered her body to the couch, placing her cup and files on the table. She liked Harold. In their interactions, he was fair and gave credit where it was due. Her personal feeling aside, Camille knew she could have a long road ahead.
     
    * * *
     
    Sandy wild curls, streaked with blonde highlights and a perfect nose covered with little freckles. He would classify her as adorable if her petite body didn’t send blood rushing to the very organ that made him male. Cute.
     
    Marc lay in bed recollecting their dance. When it ended, he watched her walk away until the crowd absorbed her. He returned to his table with Jarvis and Darlene and the three of them stayed for another couple of hours shooting the breeze. He danced a few more times, but the other women didn’t hold his attention like Camille had.
     
    Jarvis’ marriage to Darlene made him think about Ebony. They had not shared the same love and respect for one another. But he couldn’t call it a mistake because life was full of choices. However, he knew their relationship was doomed. Sooner or later, it would have ended in divorce. It turned out that it was the former.
     
    His parents tried to warn him about marrying at twenty-one. His bride-to-be was a year younger. Their friends thought they planned to marry because Ebony was pregnant, but that wasn’t the case. They learned she was pregnant after their engagement.
     
    He was excited, although the thought of becoming a father at twenty-one was terrifying. However, Marc planned to stand up to his responsibility and take care of his family. Shortly after marrying, Ebony lost the baby. That difficult time shattered any chance they had for staying together because things went downhill, fast. Time healed his pain, but he still remembered the lies and deceitfulness. Let it go.
     
    Marc stretched and jumped out of bed. He would call his mother and hang out with her around the house. Camille’s face flashed before his eyes and he considered calling her and asking her to lunch. He stopped before the large window with her on his mind. He liked the thought of having dinner with her, alone.
     
    He could see the sun rising. It was going to be a beautiful day. He walked toward the bathroom and stopped at the small desk to get his phone. He recalled her surprise when he didn’t write her number down. He’d always been good with numbers. In his line of work, it was best not to write too much down since things changed rapidly.
     
    He dialed her number anticipating the sound of her voice. He wondered what she would sound like early in the morning. Imagining her voice laced with sleep caused his mind to envision her asleep in his bed, her ringlets surrounding her head.
     
    Slow down buddy…dinner first and then, who knows . The pleasure of that thought made a smile dance across his face, but it quickly faded when he heard the recording.
     
    The number you’ve dialed is not in service or is temporarily out of service.
     
    “What the hell?” He