by Lisa Jackson
“Can I help you?” Kaycee offered.
“Yes, good morning, I’m Hector Reyes. I’m the instructor for the class this morning.” He said in perfect English.
Two female customers who were on their way out did a U-turn at hearing that and joined the others in the dining room.
“Hi, Mr. Reyes,” Kaycee welcomed him and held out her hand. “I’m Kaycee Jordan. I’m the one who set up the class with your assistant.”
Hector’s eyes lowered as he took inventory of Kaycee with admiration before resting them back on her face.
“Ms. Jordan, what a pleasure it is to meet you,” he replied and raised her hand to his mouth to plant a kiss on the back.
Kaycee was surprised by his action. Maybe hand-kissing was the latest trend.
Apparently, Kendrick thought so, as well. During the exchange, Kaycee hadn’t seen him enter the building. The look on his face was a mixture of shock and anger. She could tell by the clenching of his jaw and the muscles flexing beneath his ears.
Neither of them said a word.
Kaycee eased her hand from Hector’s grasp. “Mr. Reyes, the class is waiting for you.”
Hector could obviously feel the tension between Kaycee and the man with the piercing frown standing stiffly beside them.
“Will you join us?” he asked, stepping into her personal space as if trying to establish territory.
Kaycee smiled and flushed with embarrassment under Kendrick’s penetrating gaze.
“No, I have a lot of work to do.”
“Please, I think you would be an excellent partner.” Quick as a wink, he took her hands and proceeded to do a little move with a gyration of his hips.
Kaycee’s brows raised and she looked over at Kendrick who was fuming to the point of blowing his top.
“Mr. Reyes, really,” she firmly stated, moving outside of his embrace. “I can’t. I have a lot of work, and besides, the group has been waiting for some time. They’re eager to get started.” She nudged her head toward the people waiting in the dining room. All eyes seemed to be on the three of them, making her flush with embarrassment.
“Okay, chica. We will meet again.” Hector strolled off with more confidence than Kaycee could bear, leaving her standing face-to-face with Kendrick.
With a frustrated sigh, she turned to look at him. “Good morning, Kendrick.”
His face softened at the sweet sound of his name on her tongue.
“You must have the best taste in all of Atlanta,” he grunted. “Every time I walk through this door, it seems like someone is kissing you.”
“Hello to you, too,” she retorted.
He just stood there, shaking his head in disbelief.
“How have you been?” she asked, wanting to step into his arms and bring to reality the embrace that she had been dreaming about since their night in the cabin.
“Apparently, not as good as you.”
“Come on, Kendrick,” she groaned, growing tired of his jealousy. She wanted to hear him tell her how much he missed her or show her by giving her a kiss, but she knew it wouldn’t happen. He remained stock-still with his hands in the pockets of his slacks.
“So this is how you want it to be?” she asked.
Charlotte looked up at the sound of Kaycee’s voice rising. Kendrick noticed his employee’s attention was on the two of them and cleared his throat.
“May I see you in my office, Ms. Jordan?” he asked, motioning with his head that they had a spectator.
She flashed an irritated frown at him, but in a sweet voice for Charlotte’s benefit replied. “Yes, you may.”
Kendrick held out his hand, allowing her to go first. Kaycee decided that she was going to make him pay for it. Her asymmetrical black-and-beige, knee-length skirt complemented those womanly assets that she knew Kendrick appreciated so much. Today he would only be allowed to look and not touch!
He said hello to the kitchen staff before going into his office. Kaycee waited for him in the doorway.
“Kendrick, why does this seem like déjà vu?” she asked.
“Why are strange men touching you all of the time?” he shot back, taking a seat.
“It was nothing but a kiss on the hand. He was just flirting.”
“That’s it? He was just flirting?” He threw his hands in the air. “What if Martinique was back here giving me a neck massage, would that be okay?”
The sound of the woman’s name made her flesh curl.
“Please, Kendrick, that’s different and you know it. I never had a relationship with either Grant or Hector. You had an outright affair with that woman!”
“It’s the same, Kaycee.”
“No, it’s not,” she replied.
“To me, it is.”
Kaycee stood silently. While she wished there was something she could do to take back both incidents, she could not.
“Kendrick, I care about you, a lot,” she began. “But—”
“Have you planned the dance for this evening?” he cut her off. He didn’t know if he could bear hearing anything contrary to the two of them being together.
“I have.”
“Will you be here?”
She slowly nodded while wondering why he was behaving in such a manner. “I’m going to run home for a couple of hours, but I’ll be back before people arrive.”
“Good, I’ll see you then,” he answered and turned his chair to face the computer screen, virtually shutting down further communication.
When she left the office, Kendrick exhaled, pressing his face into his hands.
After taking care of a few things, Kaycee decided to catch a quick nap before the evening festivities. About an hour into her slumber, the telephone rang. With a stretch she reached over and picked up the telephone. “Kaycee, this is Kendrick.”
Kaycee thought she was dreaming. Was he really calling her after another one of their strange altercations?
“Kaycee?”
“Yes?”
“I need you,” he said in a thick voice.
Her heart raced. Was she hearing correctly?
“Excuse me?” she asked, wanting to make sure that they were on the same page.
“I need you to come to Jireh,” he continued. “There’s been an incident.”
She sat up in bed. “An incident?”
“Otis fell and sprained his ankle and I got a call that we could expect a group of thirty to come in tonight,” he rattled off. “This is in addition to the folks who signed up already. I know you said you were coming, but I really need all hands on deck tonight.”
Her first thought was to tell him to call Martinique. After all, she was the “go-to girl”, that is, until she saw Kendrick talking to other women. But the urgency in his voice prevented her from making a comment.
“I’ll be right there,” she heard herself say before she could really think about it.
“Thanks, baby,” he murmured. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Baby? Kaycee wasn’t sure if she’d heard him correctly, but when she opened her mouth to ask, the line was dead.
As she placed the phone on the hook, she glanced over at the clock. It was almost three o’clock. She didn’t plan on going back until six when the crowds would begin pouring in for the authentic Latin cuisine they were preparing.
With a soft sigh, she jumped from the bed and began to get ready.
The staff were buzzing around the kitchen and dining room in preparation for the evening’s festivities when Kaycee arrived. After giving her customary greeting to Jaylen, La Jetta and Charlotte, who were managing the front end, she headed straight for the back in search of Kendrick.
The back kitchen staff, with the exception of Otis, were all on point. Food was laid out everywhere. Right in the middle of the room, barking out orders with his elbows deep in ground beef was Kendrick.
Kaycee noticed the stress lining his face the second she entered the room. However, when he turned and his eyes landed on her it melted away.
“Kaycee.” He sighed.
“What can I do?” she asked, reaching for a white button-front jacket. She quickly slipped it over her black shirt and black pants, an outfit similar to those worn by the rest of the kitchen staff.
“I’m mixing meat for the empanadas, so if you can whip up the pastry shells, that would be great.”
She saluted him and turned on her heels to gather the things she needed.
Everyone worked with concentration and limited conversation. After Kaycee finished the crust for the empanadas, she went right to work on a torte. She later learned that the special guests were from the Black Business Network. She said a silent prayer that Grant would not be one of them because she didn’t know if she could take Kendrick, Grant and Hector in the same night.
A few times while she worked with relentless focus on preparing her dish, she would catch Kendrick watching her. Had she not been so busy, she’d probably wonder what was going on, but she had no time to entertain those thoughts. Not when they had a deadline to meet.
As she cracked the last egg from the clutch in the stainless-steel bowl, she carefully wiped her hands on a towel and headed for the walk-in refrigerator to retrieve some more.
She shivered as the cool air enveloped her, drawing goose bumps. She vigorously rubbed her arms and headed for the area where the eggs were located when she heard the swish of the refrigerator door. She turned around to find Kendrick standing there. They stood there for a few awkward seconds before Kaycee spoke up.
“I’m getting eggs,” she announced.
He stepped in closer. “I never thanked you—”
“It’s okay,” she said with a wave of her hand.
He edged even closer. “I know that I’ve been acting like a jackass. The last week has been draining. And I, well, I’m sorry, okay?”
Kaycee closed her eyes and nodded slightly, calling a truce. She was getting tired of the emotional roller-coaster ride, as well. She longed for them to spend time just hanging out again.
She opened her eyes to find Kendrick grinning.
“What?” she asked.
“Is it me or is it a little chilly in here for you?” he asked.
“What?”
His eyes lowered seductively to the front of her blouse. Kaycee’s eyes dropped in sync to find her nipples poking against the thin material.
With a naughty glint in her eye, she strolled closer to him so that they were mere inches from each other, chest to chest.
“Actually, Kendrick, I’m hot,” she purred, her eyes lowered seductively. “Very hot.” With that she turned and exited the refrigerator, leaving him wondering what to do next.
Chapter 16
Another successful event at Jireh had brought great reviews in the Living section of the newspaper that Kendrick was reading on his front porch.
The place had been packed, and, as reported, everyone had had a great time. The bookings for special events seemed to increase each day, and Kendrick had Kaycee to thank for it.
It had been her idea to host the Salsa lessons followed by a dance, and he was glad that he had relented and allowed her to broaden his vision to take the café to another level.
The thought of her drew his mind immediately to their exchange in the refrigerator. Kaycee didn’t know it but she was going to have to make a decision soon.
As if he had summoned her, Kaycee appeared on her front walk dressed in a pair of running pants with a matching shirt and sneakers.
Kendrick leaned forward in his seat as he watched her walk to the edge of her driveway swinging her arms.
She stopped and bent over to touch her toes. Holding the stretch for a few seconds, she extended her arms into the air while she leaned her torso to one side and then to the other. She jogged in place for a few seconds and stooped down to tie her shoelace.
Kendrick stood up on his porch, wondering what to say. He really wanted, needed to talk to her. She had been on his mind since last night, and he had to release himself from the feelings swelling inside, but he didn’t know how to do it.
It seemed as if every chance he got to break down his feelings to her was foiled by some unexpected scenario.
Kaycee stood and began jogging in place as she waited for a car to pass by. Kendrick’s heart raced in his chest. His mouth was as dry as a cotton gin. Stepping off the porch, he started down the walk. It was now or never.
Kaycee was about to take off down the road when she heard someone call her name. She turned around and smiled when she saw that it was Kendrick. Her eyes glowed with appreciation of his thick build in the black Pittsburgh Steelers jersey and black sweats.
“Hello, neighbor,” she greeted.
“Hi, yourself.” He held up the paper. “Did you get a chance to read this?”
“Read what?” she asked.
Kendrick proceeded to read the positive review to her.
Kaycee jumped for joy. “Kendrick, I’m so happy for you.”
“Without you, it wouldn’t have happened,” he replied. “Thank you for your suggestions.”
“It wasn’t me. Jireh was doing well before I even came into the picture.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “You made a better impression than I ever could.”
The dubious look on Kaycee’s face led Kendrick to want to explain further.
“Can we take a walk?” he asked. He held out his hand for her to grasp.
Kaycee hesitated because she was unsure what the gesture meant.
“C’mon, I won’t bite,” he egged her on and held it out more directly so that she couldn’t mistake his offering for anything else but the fact that he wanted her near to him.
With a slight smile, she reached out and placed her hand in his. He smiled down at her and he began to lead them down the street.
A giddy feeling came over Kaycee. She didn’t know what to make of Kendrick’s sudden attentiveness, but she enjoyed it very much. It felt so natural, as though their hands were meant to be fitted in such a way.
They walked along silently, pondering their discovery of one another with anticipation and hope.
“So, what do you have planned for today?” he finally asked, breaking both of their private reveries.
“I don’t have to go into the restaurant today, do I?” she asked with a sidelong glance.
Kendrick chuckled slightly, realizing where she was headed with her comment. “No, you do not.”
“Then I guess I’ll do nothing.”
The blossoming crape myrtle trees lining the median down the center of the road created a picture of beauty and uniformity. The crape myrtle was one of Kaycee’s favorite trees. She already had planting a few on her list of things to have her yardman do before fall set in.
Kendrick noticed her admiration of the landscaping and announced, “They’re beautiful.”
“What are?”
He pointed to the trees with his free hand. “I love crape myrtles. I’m having some planted this week.”
Kaycee immediately stopped in her tracks, preventing them from going farther.
“What’s wrong?” Kendrick asked.
“Kendrick, what is this thing with you and me?” she blurted out in frustration.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your comment…the crape myrtles. My yardman is coming…you’re planting, too,” she blabbered. “It’s all making me crazy!”
Kendrick wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.
Kaycee closed her eyes and melted against his chest. His touch, his scent, all brought up the flood of feelings that she’d had since they’d first met.
“There, there, baby,” he whispered. “What’s wrong?”
His sweet sentiment caused her to draw back in fear.
“It’s that, Kendrick,” she replied, stepping out of his hold. “I want to know where we are going. I’m tired of playing these games.”
“What games, Kaycee?”
“For starters, you calling me baby and wanti
ng to hold my hand. Then when we get back to Jireh, I’ll be back to Ms. Jordan if I say or do something that you don’t agree with. I’m not a light switch, Kendrick. I do have feelings.”
Kendrick shook his head and slipped his hands into his pants pockets. “I’m sorry that you feel that I’m trying to play games. I’m not.”
“Then what do you call it?” she asked, stepping forward with a stern look. “I think I made myself clear on how I felt about you back at the cabin. If you don’t want me, then you need to let me know. I’ve been through this kind of thing already and I don’t need to go through it again!”
“What do you want from me, Kaycee?” Kendrick asked.
“What do I want from you?” she shrieked. “What do you want from me? It’s more than just me in this.”
“You are completely right. I’ve been doing some serious thinking lately—about us, in fact.”
Kaycee’s brow raised with apprehension, but she remained silent.
“I’ve been trying to make sense out of why you and I fight so much, yet we have so much in common.” He paused to search her face for confirmation and he could tell she was agreeing with him.
“And I’m tired of fighting. I think we—” before he could finish, a white Volkswagen Passat whipped around the curving street and came to a screeching halt beside them.
Both turned around to find Sidra sitting behind the wheel with a look of urgency on her face.
“Sid?” Kaycee said recognizing the car immediately.
“Kaycee, please get in the car!” Sidra cried.
Kaycee walked to the door. Her eyes widened when she noticed her friend’s red and tear-soaked eyes. “What’s wrong, Sid?”
Sidra shook her head. “Please get in the car,” she repeated. “I really need to talk to you.”
Kaycee turned back to Kendrick with an apologetic look.
Kendrick returned her stare as if he was willing her to remain with him. Looking back at Sidra, Kaycee couldn’t deny the obvious desperation in her friend’s eyes. She was in between a rock and a hard place and she didn’t know which way to go. Taking both instances into quick consideration, she made a quick decision.