Page 47 of Drunk In Love
Bree and Harlowe were leaving the office together, chatting like they’d known each other for years instead of moments. That was Bree for you. She could befriend anyone. Brandon returned to his office, and I went in to update him on Franco.
“I’ll be right back,” I say to Kam.
She nods, now at her laptop screen, deep into whatever she’s viewing. All of her work was like another language, and I really wouldn’t be useful until much later, so I leave her alone to work.
“Got a second?” I ask Brandon in the open doorway.
“Sure,” he says. “What’s going on?”
I proceed to tell him about the phone call from Franco to Kam and advise him about my apprehension regarding the situation. I’m suspicious about why Franco isn’t interested in speaking with me as well and his sudden forthcoming attitude.
Brandon leans back and steeples his hands, thinking about what I told him.
“Maybe Harry’s arrest has something to do with this Franco’s change of heart.”
“Yeah, maybe. He wanted to meet with just Kam, but I told her it could be a potentially dangerous situation, and I will be going with her.”
“Smart move,” Brandon answers. “When I’m not here all the time, you’ll have to make decisions like these with the rest of the team. Our number one priority is to keep everyone safe. Even if that means making the unfavorable decision.”
Brandon was right. Being the responsible one in charge would also mean having to take on the role of bad guy or going against what others wanted me to decide. It would take some adjustment, but I was up to the challenge. This assignment with Kamaya felt like the first test.
“Well, Franco can’t meet us until much later in the evening, so Kam and I will be around here the rest of the day. No sense in going all the way back home to Jersey City.”
Brandon nods. “I’ll be around until late as well. I’ve been back and forth with leasing agents in London about the new office space. So, for the next few weeks, that will be preoccupying my time. Let me know if you and Kam will need backup later.”
“Thanks, Brandon, for everything.”
“Don’t mention it. I can usually depend on you, Max, not to get sentimental on me,” Brandon says.
For the next few hours, Kam and I pass the time by grabbing dinner at a local take-out-only pizza place near the office which is not too busy on a Monday. It’s the first moment to ourselves without our coworkers nearby today.
The small space is standing room only, but we stay after I suggest we needed a break from the cold office.
Kamaya sprinkles red pepper flakes on her slice of pepperoni before speaking. “Now that you’re officially promoted, what happens with us going forward?”
I take my time before answering. With the events of the past few hours, I wasn’t thinking about how we’d broach the topic of our relationship at work. With Brandon due to leave in a few months, soon I’d be Kam’s boss.
“We don’t have to say anything until we’re ready.”
“I don’t want either of us to have to leave,” she says. “Although, with you now being promoted, if anything were to happen between us, I’d most likely have to go.”
I place my slice back down and clean up the grease from my hands before reaching for hers. “Kamaya Blake, as God is my witness, I will do everything in my power to stay together. If anything were to happen between us, then we’ll just deal with it if that time were to come. I love my job, and I know how much you love yours. I will make sure that nothing happens where either of us has to leave.”
Kamaya gives me an apprehensive smile like she wants to believe what I’m saying but is not sure if she does. “I will hold you to that, Max.”
I lean forward for a kiss. PDA is not something I am usually comfortable doing, but with Kamaya it was a compulsion. I needed to do it.
After our dinner outing, we kill the final two hours in the office. I wasn’t much help to Kamaya, but I did my best to keep up with her.
“This is something I’ve used with Brandon before. You’ll be able to hear everything I’m saying to Franco. If things sound like they are going south, you’ll be able to?—”
“Come to your rescue?” I say.
Kam smiles. “Yeah, knight in shining armor and all that.”
Kamaya shows me a small device that looks like an AirPod but even a little smaller that she’ll have pinned inside the small pocket square of her button-down shirt. The app she downloaded on my phone will be getting live feed of her conversation with Franco, and I’ll be able to hear everything going on.
“Okay, we need to leave now,” she says, glancing at the time. No subway transit this time. I was going to take one of the TSS vehicles from the parking garage and hideout in it while Kamaya went to speak to Franco.