Tailani's
“Ms. Kahananui, you have your lunch meeting with Mr. Washington in 20 minutes,” my secretary reminded me over my intercom. I had spent the entire morning trying to forget about that lunch, so I threw myself into my work, and it worked until she reminded me.
“Can’t we reschedule for next November or something?” I asked, sounding less like a CEO and more like a whining teen.
“Tailani get your ass out of that seat and go to that meeting,” she ordered. My secretary was the only one who ever talked to me like that and got away with it. Mostly because she was my big cousin and I could never win an argument with her.
Sighing, I stood to my feet, grabbed my purse and headed out my office door, cursing under my breath as I walked passed her desk. I could feel her brown eyes glaring at me with satisfaction as she said, “Have a good meeting Ms. Kahananui.”
“Hold my calls Kona,” I said with an emotionless smile as I passed her desk. My head was held high but only because I knew never to show my true feelings in front of my employees. My father taught me that at an early age.
“Oh Taili, on your way to meet Mr. Washington,” I heard my older brother Akamu say from the side of me. My brother was my father's favorite. I knew it, he knew it, the whole company knew it; however, my father pretended otherwise. I never understood the reason. I graduated with honors in undergrad, and grad. I was scouted by multiple companies out in LA and around the world, and in my two years as CEO, I grew this company by 300%. Yes my brother was a genius in his field, but I was better. I guess that’s what happens when you're a woman in a man’s company
“Yes, unless you want to go instead,” I asked, only to hear his response
“No can do little sis, Alana and I have a meeting with our wedding planner. You'll understand someday,” he said, through his annoying conceited smile. In high school, and through college, he was a hoe. A new girl every week with none of them making it passed the second date. Alana was someone we grew up with. She had always been a good friend to us and never tried to be anything more. Akamu had been in love with her ever since middle school and declared he'd marry her. Well almost 20 years later he got his wish and I couldn’t be happier, I just wished they'd stop throwing it in my face.
“Of course. Well I have to go don't want to keep Mr. Washington waiting,” I said trying not to roll my eyes.
Akamu only laughed. “He's not that bad. I'm sure once you get to know him…”
“Not interested. I'll see you later,” I said, hurrying down the hall as fast as possible. I didn’t want to get to know him. I tried to get to know him and he turned out to be a tool. He can get to know himself. I thought as I got in my car and pulled off the lot. The last thing I needed was another person telling me how great of a guy DeAndre Washington was when I knew for a fact it was a lie. It was obvious that my father and my brother were trying to push us together, but for what? How would this union benefit Thorton? If anything Fase would benefit and we would lose.
“I'll take your keys ma'am,” I heard the valet say from the side of my window, I was so distracted that I didn’t even realize I was at the restaurant. Sighing, I got out the car, handed the valet my keys, then walked inside already ready for this to be over.
“Ms. Kahananui?” I heard a voice from the past say. Suddenly my heart began to race, and my palms began to shake as images of that night flashed in my head. It was no way this was him. Yes, the voice was the same but he was in Miami why would he come to New Mexico. I glanced towards the voice expecting to see DeAndre staring at me with those lustful eyes, but instead I saw beautiful gray eyes. The same eyes I had seen ten years earlier on the face of the sexiest man I've ever seen. He looked so much better than I imaged with skin the color of milk chocolate and looking like he had just stepped out of a Calvin Klein commercial. I couldn't speak. My words had escaped me and my mind had gone completely blank. I had prayed I’d see him again. Even planned what I would say; however, as I stood there in front of the man I had lost my virginity to, I couldn't say anything. “You are Ms. Kahananui right,” he asked again sounding a bit conceited.
“Yes, and you are?” I finally managed to say in my neutral voice.
“I'm Jeremih Davis, Mr. Washington assistant,” he explained.
So he's an assistant, I wonder if he would assist me out of these clothes. I thought but said, “Where is Mr. Washington?”
“He's running late, but he asked me to keep you company and go over any questions you may have about your account,” he explained.
A tiny smile spread across my lips, as I realized my predicament. I didn’t want to see DeAndre and he wasn’t there; instead, the one guy that I had been dreaming about since we first met ten years ago was and I finally got a name: Jeremih. The name suits him, “Well if he's not here, there's no reason for me to be,” I said, not meaning any of it, but still pretending to leave just so he could stop me, and to my delight, he did.
“Five minutes, if you don't like what I have to say, you can leave,” He said, sounding both professional and nervous.
I sighed, then gently brushed back an escaped strand of hair behind my ear and said, “Five minutes and if I don’t like what I hear I will have you fired for wasting my time,” I warned, not meaning any of it. I just wanted to sound professional and like a hard ass, given how wild my thoughts were going.
Surprisingly, the only thing he did was smile, that cocky smile that had got me to walk into a dark room with him and forget the promise I made to myself, then held out his arm to the side and said, “Please,” as he escorted me to the table. He made sure to pull out my seat before I sat down then smooth down his tie, as he took a seat across from me. I smiled inwardly my dream had finally come true or at least in a way it did. It wasn’t really a date, but it was nice to pretend.
“Hello, my name is Jenifer I will be your waiter can I start you folks off with something to drink?” A red head asked, with the brightest smile I’d ever seen. Her question was for the table, but her smile I knew was for Jeremih and that pissed me off.
“Water,” I said, trying to sound as professional as possible, but somehow coming off as a jealous girlfriend or in my case, baby momma.
Jeremih smiled up at the woman, then said, “I’ll take a blue raspberry tea,” he said, sounding a lot more professional than me, but considering that his role was the assistant and I was the client his company was trying to keep, our behaviors made sense. After the waiter left, Jeremih wasted no time explaining the account information. I wasn't really paying attention I was too busy staring at his hands. Those big strong hands that had explored every inch of my body. Those hands I wanted so much to slide into my now soaked panties and pleasure me the way they hand done in the past.
If I kissed him right here, would he accept it or push me away? It would be the former considering my position, but what if he pushes me away. God, I hope he isn’t married, or engaged. If he has a girlfriend, that’s not a problem those are easy to get rid of. I thought as he continued his presentation about something accounting related. I then picked up my water that the waitress had brought over and sipped it, while trying to fight the urge to stare at his lips or say anything stupid.
“So, what do you think?” He asked, drawing me back into the conversation and away from my dangerous thoughts.
I lifted my gaze from my water to his eyes, then slowly lowered it back to my water, making sure to keep a stern look on my face then sat there quietly drinking my water. To him and everyone around, it was supposed to be a power move, but in reality, it was my way of fighting back the urge to jump over the table and stick my tongue down his throat.
“Ms. Kahananui?” He asked, sounding a little nervous, but still holding onto that cockiness that I missed about him.
After calming my nerves I glanced from my water and looked him in his eyes, then said, “I think that you are the one who's actually working on my account and DeAndre is the front man,” I had intended for it to be a joke; however, the way he looked at me told me I was right.
“Um… no, no these are Mr. Washington’s ideas, I'm just explaining them,” He stuttered, finally losing that cool demeanor of his as he reached for his tea and sipped it.
Despite myself, I laughed, then quickly recovered, “Sorry,” I said, clearing my throat then again reaching for my water that was almost gone. “That was meant to be a joke but judging by your reaction I guess I was right,” I said, looking back up at him.
Surprisingly, he smiled, then shook his head, “What gave it away?” He asked, as he stared at me with those vibrant gray eyes that I swore could see through my clothes. Just thinking about it made me clinch my legs together.
“You were too enthusiastic about the account for it to be your boss’s,” I explained, trying again to sound as professional as possible.
He shook his head and smiled, then said, “I could have just helped him and felt pride in the work he put into it.”
“Definitely not, you were too excited when you talked about it,” I said, as if I knew what the proposal was about. All I heard since he began speaking was my own heart and libido screaming at me to sit on the table and ask him to come play with me—still I had to pretend like I knew what I was talking about, that was my job after all.