“Come on, you know how this business works. The real conversations happen off the clock.” His hand reached to caress her arm. “Let me walk you to your room. Just to talk.”
“I’m good, thanks.” She shifted away, but he moved with her.
The elevator dinged. Doors slid open.
Kennedi stepped inside quickly, but David’s hand shot out, stopping the doors from closing.
His smile had turned into an ugly sneer. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you all night.”
“And I’ve declined all night.” Her hand reached into her purse for the mace. “So I’m going to ask you nicely one time, let go of the elevator.”
“Or what?” He stepped halfway in, blocking the doors. “You gonna make a scene? Ruin your professional reputation over a misunderstanding? I know what y’all want. A man with money and access.”
“David, you may have the money for the cat, but I don’t have any cat for the money. Enjoy your night,” she said firmly, but he wasn’t taking the hint. She knew what talk in the room meant, and she was a lot of things, but she wasn’t desperate or stupid.
“Come on, beautiful. Don’t be shy.” His grip tightened on her waist, pulling her closer. “I could do a lot for your career. A lot. Make you my wife, give you some babies.”
“I said no, and who the hell do you think you are to assume I’d give you some babies? Tuh.” Her voice was sharp now, loud enough that he stepped back, but the look on his face told her he wasn’t used to hearing that word. This wasn’t like Rolani’s confident persistence; this was entitlement mixed with desperation, and it made her skin crawl and her hands grow clammy as fear crept up her neck. This was the part of being single she hated, having to navigate men who couldn’t take no for an answer.
“Don’t play hard to get. I can change your life.” He reached for her face.
The elevator doors started to close, then opened again.
Rolani stepped in.
He hit the emergency stop.
In one fluid motion, he grabbed David by the collar and slammed him back against the wall. The elevator rattled from the force. The gun appeared so fast Kennedi almost missed it. One second, his hand was empty; the next, the barrel rested against David’s temple.
Rolani’s voice did not rise as he removed the safety.
“That’s three strikes, my nigga.”
David froze. Whatever confidence he’d been borrowing all night drained from his face.
The gun came across David’s nose with a sharp crack. Blood bloomed instantly.
“Rolani,” Kennedi called out, cupping his face with trembling hands. “Rolani. It’s okay. I’m okay.”
His eyes were cold when they found hers. Then they weren’t.
“You sure?” he asked, voice only soft for her.
She nodded. She knew she should have been shaken. A gun had been inches from her face. Someone had bled right before her eyes. Instead of panicking, a more complex feeling spread through her chest. She had been grabbed, cornered, and threatened, yet the thing making her heart race wasn’t any of those.
“Get the fuck out of here.”
David stumbled out when the doors opened again, one hand clamped over his face.
“Consider this a warning and your lucky night,” Rolani said calmly, safety clicking back on.
The doors shut as he tucked the gun into his waistband and turned to her. When he started backing her gently against the wall, she swallowed the nerves down.
“You sure you straight?”
“You didn’t have to do all that, Rolani,” she said, but her voice didn't have the conviction it needed to mean anything. She rolled her eyes and turned toward the door.
He stepped in front of her. Close. Too close. His eyes moved over her face the way they had all night, checking, settling.
