I could tell that he was reading the computer. “She’s in her twenties?”
“No. She’s in her mid-thirties, tall, with a short, curly afro, and she’s light-skinned.”
“Thank you.” I left the front desk after checking out and met up with Kennedi in the dining hall. She was talking with one of the dining attendants.
“Yes, she’s in her mid-fifties. She’s been serving us the entire time that we’ve been here. She comes out and chats with the guests at every meal,” I overheard her saying.
The woman she spoke with shook her head and frowned. “I’m sorry. Our only cooks are Toya and Yvette,” she explained, pointing at the two women who were replacing the serving trays.
They were clearly in their mid-thirties and looked nothing like the woman we had seen.
“Come on, baby.”
Kennedi’s mouth hung open in confusion as she turned to go with me. She held our trays in her hand and looked up at me.
“I think it’s time to go home and rest,” I declared.
Chapter 20
Kennedi
TUESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 14TH
“Are you sure that you’re okay?” Bryson asked over the phone when I called from the office the next morning. We had both woken up at five this morning and were gone by seven after a morning of leisurely lovemaking.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I guess it’s time to face the music. I wish they had told me before I left. I could have at least prepared something and spoken from a Zoom call. There was no way that I could have wowed them without a presentation.”
“Baby, you might doubt your skills, but I don’t. I know that you could have walked up in that boardroom and spoken from your heart and blown their minds. You have it all inside of you, Kenni.”
“I know. But I just wanted to enjoy those last few hours before it was time to face reality. If I didn’t get that promotion, I’m going to be very disappointed, Bryse. I don’t even have an idea of where I would want to go from here, but now that you’ve planted that idea in my head, I know that I can’t go back there.”
“And you don’t have to. We’ll figure something out together. Like I said before, even if we have to create your magazine.”
“I don’t have the knowledge or backing to do that, baby.”
“We’ll hire to your weaknesses.”
“I love you so much. How could I have ever been a fool to give up on you? You complete me, Bryson.”
“And I’m incomplete without you, girl.”
A knock sounded at my door, causing me to sigh into the phone. “Okay. It’s time. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“You’ve got this, girl. No matter what, I’m proud of you.”
“I love you, Bryse.”
“And I love you too, Kenni.”
I ended the call and set my cellphone on my desk. “Come in,” I called.
The door swung open, and Carolyn and Milicent walked in. Milicent wore her usual stern face, and Carolyn’s face was expressionless as normal. I wished that I could get a bead on them one way or the other, but I was uncertain if they were bringing bad news or good.
“How are you feeling today?” Milicent asked, taking a seat.
I laughed nervously. “I’m not sure. It could go either way depending on what you’re here to tell me.”
“We’re not going to beat around the bush,” Carolyn declared, sitting beside Milicent. “I was disappointed that you were not at the board meeting.”
