by Lisa Jackson
Their closeness sent Kaycee’s senses spiraling so that she had to lean against the counter to steady herself lest she sink to the floor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kaycee noticed Paul’s stunned expression. But she didn’t care.
Sidra cleared her throat and tapped Kaycee on the arm. “Did you say Kendrick? As in your neighbor?”
Kaycee just nodded.
Sidra gave him the once-over. “You’re the neighbor?” she exclaimed.
Kendrick took Sidra’s hand in his “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You sure clean up well.”
Kendrick chuckled and remarked to the group, “If you all will excuse us, I need to meet with Ms. Jordan briefly.” He placed his palm at the small of her back and had begun to lead her away when Paul stepped between them.
“Excuse me, pops, but the lady and I were having a conversation.”
He stood tall with his chest puffed out like a rooster readying himself for an attack.
“I’m sorry, son,” Kendrick retorted, emphasizing the word as Paul had. He looked down at Kaycee. “Ms. Jordan, did I interrupt anything? I can always meet with you later.”
Kaycee’s eyes locked with his and her stomach fluttered. The last place she wanted to be was left with Paul. Kendrick was more potent than any drink. “No, we can meet now,” she softly replied.
“Good,” Kendrick repositioned his hand around her waist. He looked back at Paul. “Now, if you would excuse us.”
Paul glowered but stepped out of their way without another word.
Kaycee just shrugged as Kendrick guided her through the throngs of people. As they made their way toward the back office, Kendrick heard his name being called. He turned around to find Wallace and Lynn Dennis, owners of a popular community newspaper. The pair were obviously covering the event for their next issue, as they were ready with camera and pen and pad in hand.
“Ken, can we get a photo and an interview for the paper?” Wallace asked, stopping Kendrick with a hand on his shoulder.
Although he was eager to get Kaycee alone, Kendrick graciously complied. He guided Kaycee by the elbow to his side, hoping that she got the idea that he didn’t want her to leave. The knowing look she gave him let him know that she didn’t intend to.
With a confident smile, he replied, “Sure.”
Lynn began running off a slew of questions about the purpose of the event and what business had been like since the grand opening.
Kaycee stood by and listened as Kendrick responded with poise and confidence. She felt proud standing by his side during his celebrity moment.
The questioning ended, Wallace asked for a photo opportunity. Kaycee had started to move away when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She glanced back to find Kendrick signaling her to return to his side.
“I shouldn’t be in the photo,” she informed him.
“Yes, you should,” he replied. “It will make the picture look more lively.”
Kaycee returned to her spot beside him and stood smiling awkwardly. She didn’t know where to put her hands or how close to stand to Kendrick.
As Wallace and Lynn departed, Kaycee felt Kendrick’s arm move from her lower back to completely encircle her waist. This time he led her straight to his office.
The back area consisted of Kendrick’s office, a second smaller office, a restroom and a common room that served as both the staff break room and a boardroom. Kendrick headed for his office.
Kaycee was surprised to see that the room was sterile and lacked the personality and vibe of the rest of the building. The light gray office contained an oversized desk with matching credenza, two chairs and a bookshelf. There were no pictures, no plaques, nothing.
Kendrick walked around to the other side of the desk and sat in the leather executive chair.
“Ms. Jordan…” he began.
“Ms. Jordan?” Kaycee repeated. “Are we back to formalities again? Just a minute ago, I was Kaycee.”
He sighed in admission to her response. “Kaycee, why are you here tonight?”
She was stumped by his question. “Should I not have come?”
“I’m not saying that,” he said, rubbing his temples to relieve the building tension. “I just didn’t expect you here tonight.”
Kaycee felt like a child about to face punishment in the principal’s office. She shifted her stance. “I came to support you,” she replied. “Is that a crime?”
Kendrick looked up and fell into the amber warmth of her eyes. “No it’s not. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied with a dimpled smile and wink.
“Since you’re here I may as well ask how you think the place looks,” he said.
“I think it looks nice. I really haven’t seen much because you came and snatched me out of the crowd.”
His eyes dropped to take in her full form down to her perfectly painted toes, and he nodded in appreciation. “You look nice this evening.”
“Thank you,” she politely replied. His inspection was seducing. “So do you.”
“Did you hear your friend’s comment?” he asked, speaking of Sidra. “I guess I can clean up real nice.”
Kaycee snickered. “You’ll have to excuse Sidra, she can be a little forward sometimes.”
“I guess the fruit doesn’t fall too far—” A sharp voice pierced through the room.
Their conversation broke as they both turned to the doorway to find a heated Martinique. The look on her face and black slinky outfit put Kaycee in mind of Morticia, the mother of the Addams Family.
Kendrick stood from his chair. “Martinique—”
“Kendrick, don’t bother,” she said slithering into the room. “I came here to help you pull this evening off and you embarrass me by entertaining this—” she scanned Kaycee with a look of disgust. “—this tart.”
“Wait a minute—” Kaycee began.
“Martinique!” Kendrick boomed. “This is neither the time nor the place.”
“It sure isn’t,” she scoffed. “I’m leaving!” She turned on her heel and marched out of the room like a two-year-old having a temper tantrum.
Kendrick ran behind her. “Martinique!”
It had happened so fast that Kaycee didn’t know what to think, let alone do. She took a seat and hoped that Kendrick could resolve things and bring Martinique back, but when he returned alone fifteen minutes later, she knew that things had not gone well.
“Kendrick, what happened?” she exclaimed jumping up from her chair.
He shook his head. “Martinique walked out on me and we haven’t even started serving dinner. I don’t know why she was tripping, it’s not like you and I were doing anything.”
She eased down on the corner of his desk.
“Are you seeing Martinique?” she whispered, wanting to know the level of their relationship while hoping not to hear the word yes.
“No,” he replied.
Kaycee exhaled with relief.
“A few years back, we used to date, but now it’s strictly a business relationship.”
Kaycee licked her lips. “She acts like she’s still in love with you.”
“I don’t know why,” he grumbled. The only woman he was finding himself drawn to was the one standing in front of him. “We haven’t seen each other for more than a year.”
“Why did you break up?”
“She just wasn’t the one. I think you know the one when you meet her.”
The room was silent for a few moments as both pondered Kendrick’s last words. It was Kaycee who broke the silence. She stood up and smoothed out her dress.
“Where do you need me to start?”
Kendrick’s brow raised. “Excuse me?”
“Martinique is gone and, like you said, you have folks to feed.”
“Kaycee, you don’t have to—” he began.
“I know I don’t have to,” she replied, then softly added. “I want to.”
Her words caused his insides to leap, and he
thought he could easily have cleared off his desktop and made her his right then. The thought made the blood rush from his brain to his lower regions, and he stumbled on his response.
“Uh…uh, to the kitchen I guess,” he said and rushed from the room. The gentleman in him would have allowed her to exit the room first, but he didn’t want to catch another glimpse of her backside or he would be totally at her mercy.
The whole evening went off without a hitch. Kaycee proved herself to be invaluable as she aided Kendrick in pulling off a great event.
She informed Sidra that she would be catching a ride with Kendrick since she would be working. Sidra was happy because that meant she could follow Hampton to check out another party without having to worry about getting Kaycee home. To her relief, Kaycee didn’t see Paul again the rest of the night. She wanted to put on her best face to prove to Kendrick that they could work together. She played hostess by engaging in conversations with community leaders and political figures, all of which she enjoyed immensely.
A little after one o’clock, the crowd began to thin along with Kaycee’s patience with the discomfort she was feeling from her aching feet.
The band began to wind down their last set with a saxophone rendition of Etta James’s song “At Last.” Her sentiments in line with the song, Kaycee crawled into a booth and kicked off her sandals. She yawned as she massaged her stiff toes and the numb balls of her feet. The shoes were cute, but not to work in.
Kendrick was standing by the door talking to three other men. The four could easily have been discussing anything from politics to coffee as far as Kaycee could tell. All of them were “seasoned” with age and were equally handsome, but it was Kendrick who stood out. She knew he was an older man, but compared to the others he looked more virile.
His back was strong and broad and looked as though it could withstand heavy weights. His defined arms promised to pick her up and hold her closely with ease. She was sure the rest of him wasn’t small-time, either.
As if Kendrick knew she was checking him out, he glanced over his shoulder with a smile. From the look on his face, she thought he had read her mind, like Mel Gibson in the movie What A Woman Wants. She blushed, turning away quickly.
He shook the other men’s hands and headed over to the booth.
“Ms. Jordan, I owe you big-time,” he said, sliding in the booth beside her.
“Yes, you do, and you can start by rubbing my feet,” she said playfully lifting her leg.
Kendrick surprised her by taking her foot and placing it in his lap where he proceeded to massage the pain away.
His hands worked miracles and she found herself succumbing to his touch. She leaned back in the booth and closed her eyes, moaning with pleasure.
“You like that?” Kendrick whispered, watching her face.
“Ye-e-es,” she purred with a delicious smile.
“How much?”
“A lot.”
“Tell me then. Tell me you like it,” he coaxed as his fingertips began to knead deeper into the center of her foot.
“I like it,” she murmured. “I definitely like it.”
“Tell me again.”
“I like it,” she repeated not thinking about how her confession might sound to the few people still milling about.
Although Kendrick was well aware of where he was taking her, he stopped stroking her immediately.
Kaycee’s eyes popped open. “Why did you stop? It felt good.”
“Listen to us,” he replied. “It’s a good thing no one is in earshot or they might think we’re doing something else under this table.” He gently replaced her foot on the floor. “Ms. Jordan, if you’re ready, I think I’d better get you home.”
Kaycee couldn’t agree more and quickly gathered her sandals and purse in hand. After Kendrick gave the final directives to his staff, they headed out to his car.
It wasn’t until they stepped out onto the front sidewalk that Kendrick spotted Kaycee’s shoes dangling by their straps from her fingers.
He frowned. “Why aren’t you wearing your shoes?” he asked gruffly.
“My feet were about to declare war if I didn’t take them off.” She sighed.
His furrowed brow raised and he said, “I’m not going to say a word, but this is like déjà vu.”
Kaycee rolled her eyes at his reference to the night of their first meeting and his comment about her shoes. The image of him standing in his doorway without a shirt, his muscles flexing, made her warm. She was grateful for the gentle evening breeze ruffling the skirt of her dress. She closed her eyes and sighed, letting the wind cool her flushed skin.
Standing beside her, Kendrick watched in awe. While she was enjoying the fresh air, he could not help but be reminded of that night he’d seen her playing in the sprinklers from his bedroom window. And just like that night, his body responded instantly. He couldn’t understand it, but there was something about Kaycee that left him speechless.
A single raindrop splattering his forehead brought him back to the present. He reached up to wipe it away only to be hit by another and another. The drops quickly formed a design on his shirt. He looked up into the starless sky and frowned.
“It’s raining.”
“Oh, no,” she replied, huddling beside him. “I didn’t bring an umbrella.”
Lightning zigzagged across the sky, followed by a low rumble of thunder. The droplets increased and before Kendrick could reply, the wind picked up.
“We’re going to have to make a run for it,” he announced.
“Wait,” Kaycee replied, coming to a halt. “Let me put on my shoes.”
“We don’t have time for that!” he barked with authority and as quick as the lightning flickering across the sky, he scooped Kaycee up in his arms and made a break for his car.
By the time he reached his Jeep, the rain was pouring down in buckets. Somehow, he maneuvered the door open and practically tossed Kaycee inside before jumping in behind her. Breathless and drenched, the laughing pair fell against the seats before taking a good look at each other.
Kendrick’s shirt clung to his body almost like a second skin, while Kaycee looked like a contestant in a wet T-shirt contest with her dress molding against her breasts and thighs, revealing the outline of her feminine curves.
For a moment, it was as if they were suspended in time. Both were fighting the urge to look away but neither was doing so. Kendrick stared as Kaycee’s mouth parted unconsciously. Her soft, moist lips reminded him of ripe strawberries, making him want to lean over and taste their sweetness. For a moment he almost did that…until he came to his senses.
Clearing his throat, he turned away and started the engine.
“Clearly this night has spiraled well beyond both of our expectations,” he announced.
His comment came from nowhere and his change in demeanor made her uncomfortable. She crossed her arms protectively before her chest, hiding the tight buds that had formed from the cold rain. Without a word, she turned to look out the passenger window. She didn’t know what was going on or why.
All she knew was that she had grown quite fond of Kendrick Thompson. She knew that she liked being around him, and frankly, she wanted to know more. Kendrick had ignited flames that were getting harder to extinguish each day.
She sighed and inhaled the smell of his cologne clinging to her dress. She closed her eyes and leaned back, savoring the physical closeness they had just shared.
The ride home was silent. It wasn’t until Kendrick turned onto their block that Kaycee looked over at the profile of the man sitting beside her and she shivered from the attraction. He embodied everything that said strong black man.
“Kendrick, what did you mean about things spiraling beyond our expectations?”
Kendrick put the Jeep in Park but kept the engine running. He leaned back with a deep sigh and ran his hand over his head. He remained still for a moment, choosing his words carefully. In order for them to work successfully together their relationship ha
d to remain professional. Their obvious attraction to one another had to diminish.
“Kaycee, I appreciate the way you jumped in tonight after Martinique left.”
“No problem,” she coolly replied and reached for the door handle.
“No one has ever come through for me like that before. You really helped to make this evening successful and I want to thank you.”
“It’s okay, Kendrick, I would have done the same for anybody.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “But the point is that you didn’t have to, yet you did, and I would like to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Kaycee, would you like to work with me at Jireh?”
His words sound more like a marriage proposal than a job offer. And her response echoed an acceptance. “You know I’d love to.”
He hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. “Then it’s settled. I’ll see you at ten tomorrow.”
“That’s it?” she asked.
“That’s it, unless you have something to say.”
“Thank you for the opportunity, Kendrick,” she softly replied. “I promise I won’t let you down.”
He got out of the Jeep on his side and pulled out his umbrella from the back. Walking around to Kaycee’s side, he opened her door and, like a gentleman, escorted her up the walk.
Kaycee thought his actions were not necessary but appreciated the chivalrous treatment all the same. It really made her feel special.
He took her keys from her hands and opened her door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and placed the keys in her palm.
“Okay,” she replied, stepping inside.
As he went down the walk, he couldn’t help but think what he would give to be a fly on her bedroom wall when she took off those wet clothes. He waited until he saw lights come on before backing out of the driveway, all the while hoping that he wasn’t making a mistake.
Chapter 9
“Welcome to Café Jireh!” La Jetta greeted Kaycee as she always did when a customer entered. The minute she realized who it was, she shrieked for joy and scurried from behind the counter.