Fragments of our reflection

The sun was unusually hot today. Natalie had just returned from her early morning jog. She made her way to the kitchen and quickly reached for the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water.

"You're back already?" Prima asked.

"Yeah, the weather is terrible. I couldn't keep up, so I had to come back earlier."

"Alright, I'm off to work. I have a morning shift."

"Bye, Prima," Natalie said, waving from the doorway.

Natalie and Prima were sisters, though they were completely different. They had a stable relationship, even if they didn't always get along. Natalie, the older of the two, was an extrovert who loved parties, clubs, and the nightlife. She had a knack for making bad decisions-especially when it came to men. Still, she had an undeniable charm that drew men to her, which wasn't surprising-she was drop-dead gorgeous.

Her flawless brown skin, seductive almond-shaped eyes, and enchanting brown gaze made her strikingly beautiful. Standing at about 5'10", she carried herself with confidence. And as a true African woman, her curves didn't lie. With a perfect pear-shaped figure, a stunning body, and a radiant smile, she had a presence that was hard to ignore.

---

Prima arrived at work late-something that almost never happened. But somehow, today was different.

"You're late," her manager said.

"I'm sorry about that, sir," she replied apologetically.

"You should be. Your salary is going to be deducted; I'm sure you know that."

Although Prima hated her job, she hated the thought of staying home doing nothing even more. Besides, the bills weren't going to pay themselves.

She had been managing Henry's boutique for three years now, but he was a grumpy old man. Still, she understood him sometimes. His wife had cheated on him with his lawyer, and together, they had taken everything he had.

Henry had worked his way back up and opened a boutique. Though the business was doing well, it was nothing compared to what he once had.

Pushing aside her thoughts, Prima quickly went to check the inventory.

---

"Where is it? Where did I keep it?" Natalie asked herself as she searched around the house, looking for her car keys.

She had a delivery to make-she sold handmade interior decorations.

"You're looking for this?"

"Oh my God! You startled me. I didn't hear you come in."

"Well baby, seeing you all sweaty... I found it sexy," Justin said with a smirk on his face.

"You got jokes," Natalie chuckled.

Justin was Natalie's boyfriend-probably the longest relationship she'd ever had. She loved him, though she couldn't even say why. He was a junkie and a loser-at least that's what everyone said. And hell yeah, she agreed with them. She was just terrible at picking them. Or maybe she just enjoyed toxic relationships.

"I see you're out to deliver an order?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Jonas' house. I'll be back in 30 minutes, I guess. Would you like to wait for me?" Natalie asked as she held Justin's T-shirt and pulled him close. She bent her head slightly to his ear and whispered, "I'll have you for lunch when I get back."

Justin smiled sheepishly as he ran his fingers through his dreads and kissed her on the lips.

---

"I'd like a vintage tie."

"In what color, sir?" Prima asked as she raised her head to respond to the customer.

"Blue," he replied with a smile on his face.

Prima's face turned pale as she stood there, frozen.

He wasn't like anything she had ever seen before. She stared into his eyes as if they held some kind of magic charm.

His eyes were hazel, his brows dark and thick. His hair was shoulder-length, pulled back into a sleek, low ponytail. His cheekbones looked sculpted, his lips were succulent-he was true perfection.

He stood about 6'3", perfectly dressed in a black tuxedo and Italian leather shoes. He smelled expensive-and he was.

"Hello, miss, are you there?" he asked.

"Ye... ye... yes," Natalie replied as she came back to reality.

"We have a couple of blue ties you might like," she said, her voice shaky.

She stood to show him around, and his physique towered over her. He looked even taller than she had imagined.

---

As Prima-still slightly flustered-led him to the tie section, she tried to steady her breath. Her hands, usually so confident when handling customers, now felt clumsy. She picked out a few blue vintage ties and laid them carefully on the velvet display counter.

"This one is silk," she said, brushing her fingers over the fabric. "Navy blue with subtle paisley patterns... classy and understated."

He stepped closer to examine the ties, but his gaze lingered on her instead.

"You have a good eye for style," he said. His voice was deep but smooth-like warm honey in the cold.

"Thanks," she replied, avoiding his eyes but smiling slightly.

He picked up the silk tie, held it to his neck, and turned toward a nearby mirror.

Prima watched him-watched the way he moved: slow, precise, deliberate. She was captivated. This man was nothing like anyone she'd ever dated. He was polished, composed... dangerous in a completely different way.

At least to her mental health, she thought to herself.

"This one will do," he said finally.

"Excellent choice," she replied. "Would you like it wrapped?"

"Yes, please. It's for an event."

"Must be really important, I guess?"

"Yeah, it is," he replied with a smile.

She took the tie and began wrapping it neatly. As she tied the ribbon, he leaned forward on the counter, eyes fixed on her as she wrapped the package with such expertise.

"I don't think I've seen you here before," she said, more to break the tension than out of curiosity.

I'm quite new in the neighborhood.

"I just completed the building of my firm," he answered. " My Name's Christopher. Christopher Sandler."

"Oh my goodness! The Christopher Sandler of ChrizTech???"

"Yeah, I suppose so," he replied with a smirk.

Prima couldn't believe she had just met the Christopher Sandler-her mentor in the field of tech. She didn't quite know how she felt, but she knew that whatever the feeling was, it was a good one.

"Prima St. James is my name," she said, handing him the package, feeling a swirl of tension and excitement within her.

"Nice meeting you. I hope we'll be seeing you more often in our store."

He flashed a smile that made her stomach flutter. Then he turned and walked out the door, leaving behind the scent of his cologne-and a head full of questions and excitement she still couldn't understand.

The bell above the shop door chimed softly behind him. Prima stood still for a moment, staring at the empty space he had left behind. Her thoughts were a mess of intrigue and an electric-surge kind of feeling.

It had been one hell of a day.

---

Scene 2: Natalie and Justin

"Justin, baby, are you home?" Natalie called out as she dropped her car keys on the table. "Justin, where are you? Justin..."

"I'm here, Natty."

"Oh my goodness, you're high," she exclaimed, placing her hands on his cheeks and turning his head side to side.

"I'm fine. Just took a little coke. See?" he said, standing up. "I can walk just fine on my own."

"Oh, Justin, you gotta stop using. We've talked about this before, Jay."

"I'm fine. You worry too much. And you still look pretty when you're worried."

"Oh, come on, Jay. I'm being serious. It's no time for jokes."

Justin chuckled as he moved closer to Natalie.

"Oh, Natty," he whispered, pulling her close and kissing her neck, her ears, her cheeks. Then he looked her in the eyes.

Jay wasn't good at a lot of things, but in bed... nobody came close.

"You're absolutely beautiful, Natty," he said, gazing into her eyes.

She let out a little smile and kissed him on the lips, slowly adjusting her mouth to his so it fit perfectly into his. When it did, she intensified the kiss, ravaging every corner of his mouth with hers. Justin was completely turned on. He reached for the back of her dress and unzipped it, gently sliding her arms out of the sleeves. The dress fell to the floor, revealing her bare body in just a thong.

Justin had seen this body countless times, but every time felt like the first. She was completely mesmerizing-nothing short of a goddess. He knew he had nothing to offer her. And he knew he didn't deserve her.

He ran his index and middle fingers over her nipples as his other hand slid down, tugging off her thong and slipping two fingers inside her. His hand felt warm within her, and she savored every bit of the sensation.

She let out a small moan, biting her lower lip, her pupils dilated as she lost herself in every rhythmic thrust.

Her hands searched for the hem of his shirt as she took it off his body, running her hands over his chest and down to the lower part of his belly. She unzipped his pants, pulled them down, and gently took hold of his penis, giving him a hand job.

Justin carried her to the bed, spread her legs apart, and found his way into her, making love with such intensity that Natalie let out a loud scream as they both reached climax.

---

"Hey Natty, how did your delivery go today?" Prima asked.

"It went well. How was your day?"

"A lot," Prima replied. "Mr. Henry was grumpy as usual," she added, rolling her eyes and shaking her head slightly. "And then I met this customer-so handsome, dreamy, and just... Urrrgh," she said with a dramatic sigh.

"He was just so perfect! And guess what?"

"I'm listening," Natalie said with a wide smile. She was happy to see her sister so excited-especially about a guy. It was rare for Prima to act like this because of a man.

"He is none other than Christopher Sandler!" Prima said excitedly, her palms covering her face like a shy little girl.

"The Christopher Sandler?!" Natalie asked, her expression shifting to one of shock and surprise rather than excitement.

"What is it, Natty?" Prima asked, noticing the change in her sister's expression.

"It's... it's..."

"It's what, Natty?" Prima pressed, growing more curious about what her sister wanted to say.

"It's just that..."

---

"Babe, can I get a hundred bucks? I need to get a cab."

"Hi, Prima," Justin said with a smile as he greeted her.

Prima looked disgusted. She just couldn't understand why Natty was with this guy-he gave her the icks.

"Thank you, baby," Justin said, placing a kiss on Natalie's forehead as she handed him the money.

---