“That’s not pleasing to the ears.”
“Or to my feet. I just want to prop it up on something and sleep.”
“Or someone…”
Keisha groaned, kicked off her flip flops and threw herself on the bed.
“Can we have a conversation without you doing that?”
“Doing what?” Jordyn sounded as innocent as a child caught with crumbs of cookies on her mouth and hands.
Keisha told her that, and they ended up laughing.
“But for real though, I’m sure you’ll be spending the night alone in your hotel suite, and I am certain he is too. Imagine wasting all that space when you could just be together.”
“Nothing is ever going to happen between Kane and me, J.D, you know this. I’m not his type and well… he’s not my type.”
“Bullshit. You are every man’s type. Have you seen yourself, girl? Beauty and brains. And do not even get me started on that crush you’ve been nursing for three years now. Some patience you've got, I’d have let it slip like three years ago.”
“We want different things and work relationships are not allowed.”
“Blah blah blah blah blah. Rules are meant to be broken. Anyway, I didn’t call to talk you into hitting on your boss. I called to check up on you. How’re you doing?”
“I’m fine, just exhausted.”
“As you should be. Alright, I’ll let you go to sleep now. Sweet dreams and my prayers are with you.”
“Thank you, Jordyn. I love you.”
“And I love you. Justin and I, both. Kisses, bye! Mwah!”
When the call ended, Keisha had a small smile on her lips. How couldn’t she love Jordyn? It was impossible. Her best friend was all shades of good and goofy. A beautiful soul with a big heart.
Sometimes, when life got lonely, she remembered her parents, Jordyn and Justin, and she counted herself well blessed.
And that night, she went to sleep, feeling just so.
Chapter 4
Kane thought it really funny, how quickly one’s life could change from a hundred to zero in split seconds. Even though it had been almost two weeks since he had been in Miami, trying to get to the root of the theft, it felt as though they had barely scratched the surface.
It was getting to him, badly. The board had advised against stopping production, and the month ended a week ago – they could not afford to pay staff their wages, because he had siphoned all the money they could, and out it into production.
He was beginning to lose his patience, calm and courage. A part of him feared that they would not be able to recover from this, and it would be too late to salvage anything by the time they accepted this.
He was beyond tired. He was exhausted and at the moment, he was very hungry. They had returned from the company a little over two hours ago.
Now, it was 8p.m, and he had just gotten out of his suit, and away from his work desk. He walked over to where the mirror stood as he entered the bathroom and took a good look at himself.
The toll was beginning to show on him. He had bags under his eyes, a four-day-old stubble, and tired creases all over his face. He might just as well start getting wrinkles at the pace he was going.
What was even more frustrating was the fact that so far, they had no leads. At every turn, there was this large wall standing before them to hinder any further movement. The attempt to follow the money trail was keeping them on what was proving to be a wild goose chase by the day.
The thought that the culprits were in the company, still going on with their job as though they had done nothing atrocious, was enough to make his blood boil. No one had resigned so far or just disappeared. Whoever was behind this was good at what they did – very good.
A vein in his temple pulled, and he knew it was time to stop over-thinking. That only brought him terrible headaches these days and zero solution. So, shutting down his mind, he stepped under the cold shower and welcomed its chilling effect.
By the time he stepped out half an hour later, his stomach was protesting and he knew it was time to eat. Settling at the edge of his bed, he picked up the line and began to dial room service.
As he punched the numbers, a certain girl with nerd glasses flashed through his mind.
They had rarely had any time to themselves since their arrival in Miami. They left the hotel early and came back late most times. Since the weekend was starting tomorrow, perhaps, it would be nice to have dinner with her.
They could just relax and talk about everything and nothing. He truly liked her company and at a time like this, it wouldn’t hurt.
So, he stopped calling room service and dialed her number instead. He waited as the phone rang. His heart squirmed when she picked up on the third ring and her voice came on, but he thought nothing of it.
“Hello, is there any problem?”
“Hi, Keisha. No, there is none at all. I was about to call for dinner and you came to mind, so I wondered if we could share one, that’s if you haven’t had anything to eat, of course.”
There was a pause and he could swear that he felt her smile. The thought of it, caused him to smile too.
“I was just thinking of getting something too. I’ve been held up by work since we returned and my stomach is starting to protest. I’d love to share dinner with you.”
There was something about the way she said the last part that made his own stomach buzz – it almost felt fluttery.
“Alright then, just tell me what you would like to have and I’ll have it ready by the time you get here.”
“Pizza is fine. I find that I cannot hold anything heavy, tonight.”
“Seeing as I am ravenous. I’ll order two large boxes. Should I be expecting you soon?”
“I might take a bit. I want to shower, first.”
“Alright. I’ll be waiting.”
He ended the call then, then proceeded to call room service. He ordered two large chicken pepperoni, which he knew was her favorite, and proceeded to change into something casual.
A quick look through his wardrobe and he settled for a t-shirt and shorts. Just as he finished pulling the shirt on, the doorbell rang.
“Room Service”, the person on the other end called.
As though his stomach now had the ability to hear things, it grumbled at the thought of food. Heaving a deep sigh, he walked over to the door and opened it. The Pizza smelled like heaven and he only hoped Keisha wouldn’t take much longer because he wasn’t certain he could wait.
He had just finished setting the cozy dining table on the patio when the bell rang – For some reason, he knew without a doubt that it was Keisha. His thoughts were confirmed when he opened the door and found her smiling right at him.
Mindlessly, his eyes swept over her, licking up every inch. From the flip flops she had on her feet, to her bare legs, which he had never actually realized were this long and toned, to the little, simple black sundress she wore. Her face was bare of any make-up, as it often was, and her hair was frizzy from her shower, so she had it in a fro bun.
She looked beautiful, fresh, and he could not remember the last time he had seen her this innocent, yet striking. With the spaghetti straps and mid-thigh dress, this was probably the most skin Kane had ever seen her show. Yet, there was something else that was different about her. Her eyes – she had hazelnut eyes, with golden flecks around them.
Damn! So gorgeous. How come he had never noticed such beautiful eyes?
It clicked then.
“You’re not wearing your glasses. Are those contacts?”
“No, they’re my actual eyes. I decided to ditch the glasses. You said no business talk, right? So I assume I wouldn’t have to stare at any screens or read any documents.”
His lips, all on their own accord, spread into a silly grin. “No, you wouldn’t have to. I always assumed you were blind as a bat without them.”
“I can get around, easily enough. It’s the reading that’s a problem. I need them to see letters and numbers – those can b
e so tiny.”
“Oh, yeah. You should lose the glasses more often. Your eyes are so beautiful.”
As if on cue, those eyes twinkled as she grinned at him. Then, they darted past his shoulder into the room.
“The pizza smells heavenly.”
The strong urge to smack himself in the head overwhelmed him as he suddenly remembered himself. Stepping aside, he held the door open for her.
“Forgive me. I obviously forgot myself.” He cleared his throat as she walked past him and when his eyes strayed to her backside, he swallowed. Hard.
Locking the door behind her, he turned around. It was a miracle he didn’t stutter when he spoke.
“I set out dinner on the patio. I thought the fresh air would do us some good.”
“Thank you, Kane. That was really thoughtful of you.”
He simply smiled like a silly teenage boy who had just been noticed by his crush for the first time, and he followed quietly behind her until they stepped out on the patio.
“Champagne and Pizza… hmmmm,” she said as she saw the arrangements he had made.
He shrugged, suddenly unsure of himself. What was with her tonight that was making him feel all out of sorts? What was this? He had known Keisha for three years and this was just dinner.
“I figured since it’s Saturday tomorrow, we could indulge in a little drinking. Besides, we deserve it for all the hard work we have been putting in.”
She smiled as she plopped down on one of the soft, big, cushions.
“You’ll be getting no complaints from me. I love champagne. A luxury I like to indulge in.”
He knew that. And that was why he had chosen it over red wine. He joined her on the floor, taking his own cushion, and busied himself with uncorking the bottle while she opened the boxes.
“Know what? It’s a good thing you ordered two boxes. I suddenly feel ravenous. I wasn’t this hungry when you called. I might just end up finishing a whole box.”
He chuckled, unable to get over how beautiful she looked tonight. Especially with the patio light and the skylights spilling onto her face, making the twinkle in her eyes dazzle all the more.
“That’s fine. But we get to eat one box after the other, four slices each. There’s love in sharing.” He grabbed one of the boxes from her, closed it up and dropped it by his side.
Then, he looked up into those eyes and held her mean gaze. As he waited patiently for her protest, he resisted the urge to give into the laughter that was rumbling in his belly. It almost proved impossible.
She stared at him still, and he knew she was contemplating her next action with her false anger. Obviously deciding to let it pass, she gave up the contest and picked a slice of pizza.
“Aww. Would you look at that? A good girl.”
She gave him the stink eye and a giggle broke free.
“Don’t push it, Kane.” As soon as those words left her lips, she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as if to stop more words from coming out.
Kane’s confusion cleared as she said…
“I can say that, right?”
“What, ‘Don’t push it, Kane’? Of course, you can. I imagine friends say that to each other all the time. And to be honest, you’ve said worse.”
She gasped again, unbelievably. “I have?”
“Yes. Whenever I manage to get on your nerves, you spit fire, Keisha. You just don’t know it coz it’s usually said in the heat of the moment.”
She flushed, and he found himself absolutely enjoying her reaction. Good to know he could get her all flustered.
“How come I’ve never gotten a query?”
“Because I enjoy having you work for me. I like seeing your face every morning and most importantly, you always say the truth whenever you berate me that way. Your words make me have a rethink and it’s always been for the best. I try to be a good boss, but even I make mistakes. I like the fact that you do not mind putting me in my place whenever I overstep.”
A small chuckle broke from her lips, ending in a smile, as she shook her head.
“You are really something else, Kane. I haven’t worked with many CEO’s – scratch that, you are the only CEO I have worked with, but I do not assume the others are always so chill.”
He cocked his brow in amusement. He had never been described with such a word before.
“Chill? That would mean I’m a cool boss, then.”
She rolled her eyes as she finished the third slice and downed it with champagne.
“Don’t let it get to your head, Kane.”
“You know, I’m finding that I rather like having you call me by my name. You rarely do. It’s either Mr. Wells or Sir.”
“As is appropriate. I can count the number of times you’ve called me Keisha, yourself.”
“Ah… true. Guilty as charged. And we’ve been working together for three years. Feels just like yesterday when you walked into my office for that interview.”
He could still remember every detail of the day. From her silk straight hair to her tailored suit and confident smile. He had known even before the interview had began, that he would hire her.
“It does, doesn’t it? I cannot deny that working for you has been really good. I love my job and you are a great boss.”
“Great, eh? Would you say the best?”
She gave him the stink eye again and he laughed at himself.
“I know. Don’t push it, Kane,” He mimicked with an exaggerated falsetto.
“I don’t sound that way!”
“Yes, you do.”
“Urr… I don’t. I have a really solid voice. I know, because I was made fun of in high school because I couldn’t sound as girly as the other girls. Who wanted to, anyway? Their damned screeches always grated my ears.”
The laughter that had been rumbling in his belly finally broke free. How easily the picture had formed in his head didn’t surprise him. He had had a fair of screechers in his lifetime and he was not grateful for any of them.
As he recovered from his laughter, he could see hers playing on her lips. He could see that she was trying to hold back, but the smile on her cheeks could not widen any further.
“Let it go, Keisha. I don’t bite, and besides, you have a very beautiful laugh.”
She did let it go. Although it came out as a giggle, it was more than enough for him.
The air shifted at that moment and their gazes held. Everything else seemed to fall away in Kane’s mind. The food, the surroundings. In that moment, it was just him and her. And he felt it all the way to his sizzling nerves.
Luckily for him, he got over it quickly enough – or did he?
“You know, apart from the fact that you are an only child, your parents who are both judges, adore you, your best friend is the good kind of handful, and your godson is absolutely adorable, I don’t know anything else about you. And we’ve known each other for three years.”
“Sounds like that’s more than enough, and that’s a lie. You definitely know my favorite kind of pizza, how I like my coffee, my preference for champagne and the fact that I need my glasses to read.”
As soon as she finished off her last slice, she put the empty box away and gestured for the second. He obliged.
“Okay, fair enough. But I still feel as though I should know more.”
“More like?”
“Like what do you do when you’re not busy with work?”
“I sleep – mostly. I eat a lot too. I hang out with Jordyn and Justin. And I visit my parents. Also, I have those nice lunches with your sweet mother.”
The last part warmed his heart even more, especially the hint of endearment that snuck into her voice.
“Okay… I guessed as much. Nothing more?”
“Well, sometimes I read books. I love reading novels, you see. I used to be obsessed at one point. I also love traveling but the job doesn’t give me much time to do so.”
“Yet, you haven’t taken a vacation in all three years.”
She grinned up
at him, her eyes filled with mischief.
“I’m saving all of them up until I can catch them all at once and go away for a year.”
“Oh, I see. And who’s gonna take your place when you’re away?”
“Leave that to me. I’ll find a great temporary replacement.”
“Temporary, huh?”
“Of course. I expect my job to be there waiting for me when I get back.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I’m afraid I can’t promise that.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits and he held back a smile. “Oh, we’ll see. We’ll see.”
“But can you, though? Be away from work for a whole year?” He knew she was a workaholic. Just like him.
She seemed to think about it for a while. “Frankly? No. I’ll probably just take three months at most.”
Listening to impulse, his hands reached across and covered hers.
“After all of this is over and we get back on our feet. I’d like you to catch up on all those checks. Take the break. Travel. Just, relax.”
She nodded slowly, her happiness obvious. “You know what? I think I just might.”
Satisfied with her agreement, he drew his hand back and continued with dinner. He had been ready to convince her if she had proved stubborn. Perhaps, when that time came, they’d go away together. Perhaps. He was beginning to like Ms. Young. He was beginning to like her too much. And the best part? It didn’t bother him as much as he had thought admitting to that would.
“So, what about you? What do you do when you’re not staring at your computer or your iPad?”
“Swimming… it helps me to relax. I also read. But non-fictional books. I prefer things that are real, not bamboozling myself with made-up happy ever afters. I know life isn’t a fairy-tale.” It had taken two lessons for him to learn the hard way.
“Fictions aren’t always about love. There are also crime, mystery, suspense, horror and sci-fi.”
“All with an extra spice of romance where the good guys win and the lovers end up together.”
“True… But, sometimes, those made-up happy ever afters can prove to be a good distraction from the stress of the real world.”
He couldn’t argue with such reasoning now, could he?”
“True. Very true. Have you ever believed in fairy-tales, Keisha?”
Have My Baby Page 4