by Hattie Black
Melaine is surprised by, the usually mild mannered, young woman's bravado. "You are not a charity case Renee!" Melaine insists. "You are a remarkable talent who brings a freshness to this place." Melaine softens her tone. "Renee, this is not special treatment. You've earned the accolades, and every opportunity you've been given." Melaine tells her. "Now, finish breaking down this room, and meet me back in my office with the rest of our team in exactly two hours." Melaine commands, and walks out of the large conference room with Marina trailing behind her.
CHAPTER 6
"Explain that to me...one more time. I'm not the creative type, you know." Colin says cunningly, with a smirk on his perfectly chiseled face. Renee is beyond jittery. She can't believe that Melaine agreed to Colin's request for her to explain the developments of the "Caspian Lampros project" alone in his office. This is ridiculous! Renee thinks.
"Um...I'm sure that Melaine, can...um, explain it much better." Renee suggests.
"Oh, not at all." Colin says, rising from his black, authentic leather, and very expensive high back chair. "You explain things best." One foot in front the other, Colin inches closer to Renee who in turn skates backward toward the door. What the heck is he doing? Was this Melaine's plan all along? Ugh! Renee can't help but wonder.
"Um, Mr. Winston. I am late for a meeting with Renee. I have to go." Renee says hurriedly, turns, and runs out of Colin's office, into his assistant, Margie's office, and then out into the hallway to the elevator. When the elevator door doesn't open quickly enough, she decides to run down the stairs from the eight floor to the fifth.
A breathless Renee bursts into Melaine's office, disrupting her discussion with Marina.
"I do not want...um, I don't think that I am best suited for sharing updates with Mr. Winston." Renee manages to say through intermittent breaths, while the two women stare at her.
"Marina, leave us." Melaine orders. Marina stomps out the room. She does not understand the unorthodox relationship Renee has developed with Renee. "What's going on Renee?" Melaine asks.
"Again, I am the most junior of the designers. Please let someone else give him the updates." Renee pleads with her. Melaine chuckles a bit before transforming into "coach-mode".
"I know that Colin can be intimidating, but what did I teach you about standing up to him during our weeks of training?" Melaine asks. Renee looks at Melaine curiously.
"Did you send me up there on purpose? Is this some sort of test?" Renee inquires.
"Look Renee. This is just how things are right now. You're going to have to represent me well, and handle it. You are the only one who truly understands this design." Melaine delineates.
Renee pauses to think. "He makes me feel uncomfortable. I know that he is a playboy but.." Renee eventually manages to say.
"Stop right there! You can do this Renee. Colin is not the only "playboy" you will encounter if you want to grow with BYWINSTON. So if you can't remain professional under pressure, then you may as well just quit today." Melaine informs her.
So it is a test. Alas! Renee realizes.
***
"Stop asking me all these questions about my staff Colin! It is ridiculous!" Melaine barks at Colin in her office. After two more follow up private meetings with Renee in his office, he is unable to "break her". She remained professional, drawing on her expertise, and her passion for design, and being creative. Feeling defeated, he resorts to pestering Melaine for details about Renee, so that he can devise a new plan to charm her.
"You are not going to corrupt Renee, the way you've corrupted the other weak women who wanted a piece of you, or your empire Colin! She is different!" Melaine lectures him.
"That's just the thing. I know she's different. That's why I am drawn to her." Colin explains.
"Whatever Colin! You didn't even know that she was the same newbie from the Designer Pit during the Caspian Lampros presentation...the one you spoke to as though she was nothing..." Melaine continues.
"I know...I know but what a transformation..." Colin interjects.
"No Colin! Leave her alone! The only reason I agreed to let her come to your office alone is because I know she is not into you, and I figured it'd be good training for her. The transformation is not for you. It is for her!"
"She's not into me? Why do you think that?" Colin asks "Is it because she's not into white men?"
Melaine rolls her eyes, forgetting she's talking to her boss but to her cousin instead. "She's much deeper than that idiot! She thinks deeply, and feels deeply. She is committed to her creativity, and sees things from a global perspective - not shut off in a tiny corner." Melaine explains.
"Well, I am globally minded too, and I think she's gorgeous!" Colin responds "If you're not going to give me details about her, I can get them on my own." Colin states, and exits his cousin's office.
Determined to seduce Renee, Colin set out to find out everything about her. He possesses the wealth, and the influence to acquire whatever information he wants. She intrigues me. Not sure why, but I can't get her out of my head. I must learn more. Colin thinks during the first meeting he arranged with a private investigator.
"So you've got everything you need, right?" Colin anxiously says to P.I. Maurice.
"Got it, Mr. Winston! I should be able to wrap this up in a week. Talk to you then." The private investigator says, gives Colin a firm handshake, and heads off to do what he does best.
Colin sits again, and leans back into his chair. His thoughts wonder off to Renee again. She is different...not just because she's Black...I mean, I've been with Black women before...That's not it. She possesses an intelligence, and a beauty...I can't help myself.
Colin has been banned from visiting Renee, or calling her up to his office - well sort of.
Melaine has devised a plan to keep her out of Colin's way. Any training involving Colin is completely over. Marina has been instructed to inform Melaine, the millisecond that Colin steps on the creatives' floor. Renee has also been paired with Amanda Chen, and another talented video editor, Nicholas Holland. They are either, huddled around one of their computers, or spread out in the smaller meeting room, next to Melaine's office working diligently. Melaine is resolute in her decision to keep Colin away from Renee.
Colin becomes devious as a result. One Friday afternoon, he instructs his executive assistant, Margie to enlist the help of Rick in IT to compose, and forward an email to Renee, that appears to be from Melaine. The email informs Renee to meet Melaine at Bouche Délicieux, a French restaurant 4 blocks from the office building, further downtown, at 6:00 pm. Renee reads the email from her desktop computer. Oh boy! Another mentorship lesson. Just when I thought they were over. Immediately enters her mind. Here we go. Renee looks at the time on the computer. It is 5:00 pm. Melaine had been out since about 2:30 pm. She had a 3:00 pm on-site meeting. Renee hurries to pull all her refined project samples, and other updates onto her work tablet, to show to Melaine during their meeting. She wraps this process at about 5:40 pm, and rushes off to the bathroom to freshen up. Although she is not a fan of all the attention, her new look has brought her, Renee respects Melaine too much to let her money go to waste. She stands in front of the bathroom mirror, touching up her makeup, and using her fingers, gently detangles, and defines the curls of her hair. She straightens her pleated faux leather skirt, which reaches just above her knees, and white satin short sleeved blouse. At approximately 5:46 pm Renee hastens out of the BYWINSTON building, and to the restaurant.
Renee arrives at Bouche Délicieux, at 6:01 pm, breathing heavily. She rushes up to the one-way-view glass front door which automatically opens, before she could open it. Renee looks up at the large man who opened the door.
"I'm having a reservation...well, Melaine Nordstrom..." Renee says nervously.
"Follow me Miss." The tall, huge, and bald, brown man says. Renee follows obediently. She knows that Melaine does well for herself, and knows quite a number of people, but this was quite some service she's receiving. As she walks furth
er into the restaurant, she notices a line of service staff waiting outside double doors leading into a back room. The private room didn't raise any suspicion, but the host of servers waiting outside is strange, Renee ponders. She gazes at each serving staff member as she nears the doors. They're all smiling, and nodding. Did Melaine invite me to a party? She wonders
Melaine's escort opens the right door, to let her in. She steps forward, and watches the door closing behind her. She looks into the room, which isn't very well lit, and does not see Melaine. All of a sudden she hears footsteps, and sees Colin emerging from a dark corner.
"Hello Renee...Welcome to Bouche Délicieux. It is one of my favorite restaurants." Colin says walking slowly toward Renee, like a bride down an aisle.
"Um, where...where is Melaine?" Renee says frightfully nervous.
"She is not coming Renee. I...I'm sorry. I wanted to be alone with you." Colin confesses.
Renee is afraid. She is also curious about why this Billionaire playboy would take such lengths to get her - simple bookworm, computer nerd - her alone. "Why?..Why did you want to get me alone?" Renee finally asks. Colin inhales, and exhales.
"I want to get to know you better Renee...Not as my employee, but as something more." Colin admits.
Renee is so tired of men playing with her head. After what she's experienced with Ronald, she is unwilling to tolerate anything that she perceives to be mind games, and deception.
"I have to go Mr. Winston. I need to touch base with Melaine immediately." Renee says adamantly. She turns to walk toward the door. Colin races to reach the door before Renee does, and stands in front of her.
"Wait, Renee. I just want to..." Colin begins to say. However, Renee's experiences including her coaching from Melaine has elevated her into a new woman.
"Look Mr. Winston, I am grateful for the opportunity to work at your company but I do not desire - in any form or fashion - to be one of your 'toys' at the office. I am not that sort of girl. I will submit my resignation to Melaine, first thing Monday. Now please excuse me." Renee says with authority. Colin is surprised by her boldness, but he begins to feel guilty for the way he's lured Renee away.
"Renee, I'm sorry. Can we just sit and talk. Please." Colin softens, and asks.
"I am leaving!" She responds forcibly, and steps forward to try to get around the tall, and athletically built gentleman. Colin leans forward and places his large hands at the top of Renee's arms, near her shoulders. Renee squirms to loosen his grip, and looks up at Colin angrily. Colin looks back at Renee longingly, with smiling eyes. Renee's body heat begins to rise, from within. As she continues to look at Colin, all her memories of how Ronald deceived her, mixed with rumors about Colin's frequent and scandalous affairs floods her mind. She pushes him off of her.
"You can't have me!" Renee says, yanks the large doors open with both hands, and runs like an olympian out of the restaurant in her two inch heels.
Colin shoulders drop, he waves away the staff looking in, and closes the doors. Looking into the empty room, he takes a deep breath, and dials his cousin.
"Melaine, I need to talk to you."
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6