Karina
“Good morning, Mr. Sheffield. I am so happy to be a part of history.”
I stuck my hand out as if Kareem were there to shake it. I had been practicing my lines all weekend, and still, nothing I said felt natural. Nothing about being thrust back into Kareem’s orbit was natural.
“Welcome to Vegas, Mr. Sheffield. I am happy to be a part of your stay.”
I sounded like a hotel desk clerk and looked completely out of my mind. I could admit that to myself as I stood in the mirror, still rehearsing my lines. Nothing I said could change the history between us. No amount of voice or outfit changes could hide how nervous I was right now.
It would be worse when I saw him in person. My voice would probably shake as it did when I was put in charge of briefing a proposal at the last minute. My palms would also sweat as they did when I sat across from him on Thanksgiving, but none ofthat changed the fact that I was supposed to be meeting him at his Vegas headquarters in less than thirty minutes.
What will I say if he asked why I never returned his phone call or showed up at the restaurant he invited me to? What will I do when his eyes searched my body as they did at my grandparents’ dinner table?The endless amount of “what ifs” was frightening.
I gave myself one more glance in the mirror before heading out the door. I had rehearsed enough. Whenever I saw Kareem Sheffield, the outcome would just be the outcome.
The drive to the address Rayla sent in her email was a blur. I didn’t remember merging onto the highway, which I usually avoided, or pulling into the large parking lot of the building Kareem’s company called home in Vegas. Yet, I was there, walking through the doors.
The wordsK&K Solutionswere printed boldly across the doors. I was in awe of how massive the building was when I walked inside. It looked exactly as I imagined a defense-tech empire would.
“Good morning, welcome to K&K Solutions,” the receptionist greeted me with a big smile.
She was a beautiful girl with glowing dark skin and big hair. Her curly fro almost covered her face, but I was able to see her almond-shaped eyes behind all of it.
“Good morning. I am here to meet with Mr. Kareem Sheffield. I’m Karina Stevens from LuxRay Magazine.”
I smiled and introduced myself, and she did the same before checking me in. Once I was checked in, she instructed me to take the elevator up to the sixteenth floor, and Kareem’s assistant would help me from there.
I admired everything about the building on my way up, but nothing took my mind off the impending meeting.
What would I say if he asked why I stood him up after agreeing to hang out? What if he wanted to know more about me, or if he wanted to spill the details of how my grandmother got him to that dinner table in the first place? Neither of those questions had answers I was prepared for.
I simply needed to make it through the day, and Kareem would be off to his next stop. According to Rayla’s email, I was only covering the one day he would spend in Vegas. Once Kareem left Vegas, he would no longer be my responsibility.
The way I saw it, I only had to endure for twenty-four hours. I could do anything for twenty-four hours. At least, that was what I told myself for the entire ride up the elevator to the floor where the man I’d been running from for years sat.
“Good morning. How can I help you?”
The assistant greeted me with a smile as soon as I walked off the elevator onto the sixteenth floor.
She was a gorgeous girl. She was petite with dark chocolate skin. She reminded me of Olandria fromLove Island, which made me wonder what she was doing working as an assistant instead of modeling.
I was always surprised to see really pretty girls working regular jobs. Not that I thought anyone was above a regular job. I simply thought their talents could be better used somewhere else. This girl in particular should have been on a runway.
“Good morning. I’m fromLuxRay Magazinehere to see Kareem Sheffield,” I stated, finally putting my focus back where it should have been.
The smile she’d just greeted me with dropped instantly and was quickly replaced with a frown. No, a mug. Her cheerful tone also changed to a disgruntled mumble.
“Right this way.” She turned on her heels and led the way.
The taps her heels made against the marble floor were obnoxious, but this wasn’t my place of business, so I kept mythoughts to myself. I didn’t know what caused her mood change, but I was glad it happened early on and that she didn’t waste my time by putting on a front for half the day.
I’d learned to believe people for who they showed me they were the first time. This assistant had just shown her hand, and although I remained silent, I would remember.
I followed her to Kareem’s office, and I braced myself as she opened the door. I was sure he heard us come in, but he didn’t bother to look up from whatever he was working on. It was almost as if she came to his office all the time and got the same nonchalant response.
“Mr. Sheffield, I have a Ms…”
She looked at me for an answer since she hadn’t bothered to ask my name. Her pause caused Kareem to look up from his desk. The way our eyes locked like they were always supposed to find each other had my heart about to beat out of my chest. It had been years since I’d been with Kareem Sheffield, but this moment made it clear my heart would always yearn for him.
