Chapter 4

Narrative: Kiara Washington

At work, I was poring over financial records for an ongoing case when my phone buzzed sharply against the desk. I glanced down to see a message from Derek flashing on the screen: “Dinner tonight? Found this incredible Jamaican spot—amazing food.” My stomach tightened instantly at the thought.

It had been days since Derek and I slept together—a decision that left me unsettled. I’d hoped the intimacy might bridge the gap between us, but instead it coiled inside me like a burden. I recalled how, the following morning, I went to work consumed by regret—regret for my actions and for misleading him. And now? Now he seems convinced we’re actually together.

Trying to keep Derek at arm’s length had become increasingly challenging. Just yesterday, we met up at the bar after work, and he practically glowed with excitement. Though I nodded politely as he talked, inside I wrestled with turmoil.

Picking up my phone about to respond to his message, then Warren came beside my desk, “Kiara” he said as I put my phone down, I would message Derek later.

“Can you send me the finance documents regarding the Kelly Dorm case?” he asked as I raised my eyebrows. “I’m not familiar with that one,” I replied, puzzled. His bewilderment became apparent as he continued, “It’s the current case Nathan’s handling—I assumed you were collaborating on it.” My eyes widened at his words.

I had deliberately maintained space from Nathan whenever possible, but that deliberate separation now revealed its consequences in my neglected responsibilities. “I’ll get right on it, Warren,” I assured him, determined to correct the oversight. “I promise, I’ll have those documents to you first thing tomorrow morning.”

His displeasure and irritation were unmistakable, and their intensity sent a ripple of unease through me. “This is urgent—we simply can’t afford to fall behind,” he stated firmly. I acknowledged his concern with a nod and gave him my word that I would take care of it immediately.

The moment Warren turned his back, I marched into the adjoining room where Nathan sat at his desk. My palms slammed down on his cluttered workspace, causing papers to flutter. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Kelly Dorm case?” I demanded sharply, my voice trembling with anger. “Warren is expecting those finance documents and I’m completely in the dark.”

“I sent you an email about it the other day,” he explained calmly, his tone measured yet defensive. “When you didn’t reply, I assumed you’d found another source for the information.”

“Well I didn’t, I needed that from you” I snapped, my composure cracking, “Are you trying to sabotage me here? Get me fired?” I said with pure anger.

He shook his head vehemently, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Absolutely not,” he insisted, his voice laced with hurt. “I would never do that to you.” I exhaled slowly, my frustration momentarily tempered by his earnest reaction. “Fine,” I relented, still irritated but willing to move forward. “The file is right here—I’ll review it with you.”

Narrative: Nathan Ellis

As her gaze bore into me, my heart hammered against my ribs. I berated myself silently, knowing I should have been more insistent—should have ensured she was fully briefed on the Kelly Dorm case. A wave of guilt washed over me; I’d committed a serious misstep, and now my priority shifted to restoring her confidence in her position.

I watched her struggle to contain her fury and the glimmer of desperate tears, every muscle in her body taut with tension. Determined to mend my mistake, I offered, “Let’s sit down and go through this together, Kiara. I’ll stay as long as you need me.”

She straightened up, visibly fighting to regain control, and gave a quick, urgent nod. “Let’s do this,” she declared before stepping out briefly and returning with her laptop. She settled in beside me.

As the minutes stretched into hours, I meticulously detailed every facet of the client’s situation. Kiara listened intently, jotting down notes as I laid out each critical point. When we reached the end of my summary, she paused and muttered under her breath, “This case is a shit storm.” I couldn’t disagree. “Absolutely,” I confirmed gravely, “it’s definitely a challenging one.”

As the hours slipped away and the clock crept far past a reasonable time to return home, my phone finally chimed with a notification. I realized with a pang of guilt that I had neglected to tell Lyra I would be delayed. Quickly, I typed out an apologetic message, promising that I would head back as soon as possible.

Narrative: Kiara Washington

I noticed the initial line of Nathan’s message when his phone vibrated on the table—a name, Lyra, flashed briefly before he quickly typed a response. My gaze drifted toward him as he focused intently on replying.

I suddenly remembered I hadn’t messaged Derek back. My eyes darted open as I hastily typed out a reply. He’d sent another message I hadn’t noticed: “What do you think? Shall I book a place or what?” Hours later, I finally responded, “I’m really sorry, I got caught up with an urgent task which I need to finish tonight, let’s get together tomorrow.” And then I hit send.

At last, I had gathered all the necessary documents to finalize the finances. As I methodically reviewed each paper, Nathan rose from his chair and stretched. “Shit!” he exclaimed, rubbing his lower back. “My back is killing me.” Meanwhile, I continued working on my laptop, putting the finishing touches on a few remaining items.

“I think I’m ready to send this to Warren now,” I said. “Good,” he responded, “I’ll tell him it was my fault, that I had not mentioned it to you.” As he spoke those words, his willingness to cover for me struck me. I shook my head firmly. “It’s okay, I’m sure he will be okay with it; I’ll write something with the attachment,” I assured him.

I composed the email and attached the document to Warren, then released a deep breath before hitting send. I could only hope that my delay hadn’t undermined his trust in me.

I closed my laptop and released a weary sigh, Nathan still standing near the coat rack. “Finished?” he asked plainly as I gave a brief nod. He retrieved his jacket, preparing to depart. “Will you be alright? It’s rather late,” he remarked with concern.

I rose from the chair and moved into the adjacent room, where I collected my jacket and handbag from my desk.

As I turned, I saw him watching me. Quickly averting my gaze, I said simply, “Let’s go,” planning to leave together.

Narrative: Nathan Ellis

As we strolled along together yet keeping some space apart, she turned to me and murmured a soft “Thank you.” I met her gaze with a warm smile and simply replied, “You’re welcome.” We then parted ways to head home separately.

When I arrived home around eleven, Lyra had already retired for the night. I settled onto the couch and reached for my phone. My finger lingered over the podcast icon before tapping it open. After inserting my earbuds, I selected the next episode of Unfiltered Dialogues and pressed play.

“Hey y’all, welcome to my next episode of Unfiltered Dialogues with your host, the wonderful Kiara Washington, where I pull no punches especially toward white folks.” I heard her voice through my earbuds and let out a quiet chuckle.

I continued listening to several more episodes as the hours slipped away, well past midnight. I hung on her every word, my body stirring with need. The sound of her voice made my pulse quicken and my breath come faster.

“Moving on to listener feedback, I’ve got some thoughtful messages from many of you—and then there’s this gem from @WhiteAndProud13, ever so predictable. This one writes: ‘Kiara, you’re a fucking disgrace to the human race. You really think you’re making the world better? What happened to you—you’re so angry. Who hurt you?’” Kiara paused after reading the comment aloud, and I felt my pulse accelerate sharply in response.

Then I heard Kiara’s reply, her voice sharpening with defiance. “What makes you think I was hurt?” she retorted. “It’s not just me—it’s people like you that drives me to do what I do. Your ignorance is the reason why I’m mad.” Listening to her fierce rebuttal, I sensed she was taking this more personally than usual.

I paused the podcast, carefully removed the earbuds and took a slow, steadying breath. As I wiped my eyes, my fingers shook from the intensity of Kiara’s words.

I reluctantly acknowledged the late hour, the clock nearing three in the morning. Swearing under my breath, I scolded myself for losing track of time as I forced my tired body up from the couch and headed to bed.

Narrative: Kiara Washington

I arrived at work just in time; last night had been difficult, leaving me with only a few hours of restless sleep. My thoughts kept drifting to Nathan—we’d spent the previous day together as he assisted me with the Kelly Dorm case, doing all he could to support my efforts.

I had wrongly accused him of undermining my position at the firm—a thought I quickly chastised myself for, knowing deep down he would never resort to such deceit. As I scrolled through my emails, his messages appeared on screen, clearly outlining the case.

Warren approached my desk as I glanced up. “Nicely done, Kiara,” he remarked sincerely, adding, “Thanks for handling that on short notice, but try to be proactive moving forward.” “Of course, Warren—don’t worry, it won’t happen again,” I replied. He nodded with a faint smile before turning and heading back to his office.

My eyes welled with relief as I realized the crisis had been averted, thanks to Nathan and his late-night efforts on my behalf. Grateful for his support, I rose from my desk, determined to express my appreciation in person once more.

Arriving at Nathan’s desk, I discovered he wasn’t there. Puzzled, I noted that it was well past the time he should have been present.

I then saw him rush in breathing heavily as our eyes met. “Nathan!” his head snapped toward Warren who opened his office door, sharply beckoning him inside. “I’m coming,” he gasped, giving me a quick glance before hurrying into Warren’s office.

My brow furrowed as I watched him hurry into Warren’s office, concern weighing heavy in my mind. It was unlike Nathan to be late – had he overslept?

About an hour later I made my way to Nathan’s desk, where he seemed lost in contemplation. With genuine concern, I quietly asked, “Everything okay?” He glanced up at me and gave a reassuring nod. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” he said with a hint of nonchalance. “Warren just gave me a bit of a scolding, but it’s all good now.”

I offered Nathan a hesitant smile and murmured, “I hope our late night session didn’t make you late.” He quickly waved off my apology with a shake of his head. “Not at all,” he insisted softly. “Everything’s fine.”