An hour later Keisha stepped off the hotel elevator, sighing as she did so. She had expected to find Tanya waiting for her in the lobby but instead discovered it to be deserted. The only people who seemed to be lingering were the few who were milling near the hotel bar.
Keisha reached into her purse to pull out her BlackBerry to see if a message from Tanya waited for her. There was one.
“Runnin late,” the text message read. “Meet U at bar”
Keisha rolled her eyes and chuckled before tucking the BlackBerry back into her purse. She then shrugged out of her wool jacket and tossed it over her forearm. Might as well get comfortable, Keisha thought while walking across the lobby. She had rushed to get ready, looking for anything that looked remotely “clubbish” that she could wear tonight. After checking and rechecking her suitcase, she had finally settled on a pair of hip-hugger jeans she had planned to wear on her way back home tomorrow and a tight, white tank top she had planned to sleep in that night. She accented the outfit by wrapping around her waist a gold threaded scarf her mother had given her last Christmas. Instead of the simple chignon she usually wore, Keisha let her thick, glossy mane fall around her shoulders to the center of her back. After touching up her makeup, she had given herself one final examination in the bathroom mirror.
Not bad, she had thought.
The look was somewhat Bohemian. In fact, with her honey-colored skin, flowing, thick, dark hair, and dark eyes, she kind of looked like a modern-day gypsy.
Keisha had managed to do her transformation from drab to fab in less than thirty minutes, but it seemed that Tanya was still working on her transformation.
“Hopefully, she won’t be too late,” Keisha thought as she glanced down at her wristwatch and headed toward the bar. A basketball game replay blared on the flat screen TV overhead, putting several of the men who leaned against the bar’s granite counter top into a near trance that was broken periodically when they raised their beer bottles to their lips. But when Keisha walked into the room, something in the atmosphere changed. Many of the men who turned to casually glance at her over their shoulders did a double take. She tried her best to ignore their admiring stares, not having anticipated that she would draw this much attention. One man in particular—a freckled redhead with a handlebar mustache—even leapt up from his bar stool. He pointed to the stool, motioning for her to sit down. Keisha scanned the bar. She would have to accept his offer. It was the only stool open.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“No problem.” He licked his lips and smiled as she sat down. He then openly leered as he let his gaze wander over her. His eyes rested for several seconds on her chest. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“No thanks,” she said dismissively as he leaned toward her. She didn’t want to be rude, but she was really in no mood to talk. She raised her hand to get the bartender’s attention. “Can I have an apple martini, please?”
The bartender nodded.
“You’re very exotic looking,” the redhead muttered.
Keisha fought the urge to roll her eyes. Like I haven’t heard that one before, she thought.
“I would guess Puerto Rican, right? Dominican, maybe?” a Hispanic guy with ruddy brown skin asked, obviously seeing the other man striking out as an opportunity to step up to the plate. “I’m from out of town—Colorado,” he said as he tipped his Budweiser to his lips. “I’m here on business.”
“Both of us are from Colorado,” the redhead interjected. “Where’re you from?”
Keisha sighed. Great. I’m surrounded, she thought. Where the hell was Tanya? She should be suffering through this with her.
“I’m local,” Keisha answered succinctly, feeling the space around her become even more constricted as the men drew closer.
“Really?” the Latino guy continued, his gaze getting warmer. “You know, I’m here for another day or two. And I’ve been looking for someone to show me the sights.” His voice dropped several octaves. “Maybe you could.”
Keisha smiled tightly, knowing instinctively what “sights” this guy wanted to see. Chances were that they weren’t tourist attractions. “Oh, I doubt I’d be much of a tour guide,” she mumbled.
“I bet you’d do just fine,” he said, now almost on top of her.
“Sorry I’m late,” a baritone voice suddenly boomed from over her shoulder. “I hope you didn’t have to wait too long.”
Keisha frowned and turned. Her eyes widened in surprise as the mystery man from earlier that evening smiled down at her. He gave her a barely discernable wink.
“Uh, no,” she said, finally catching on that he was trying to save her from the clutches of bad come-ons. “No, I-I just…got here.”
Keisha fought the urge to giggle as the shoulders of the two men standing beside her slumped simultaneously.
“That’s good,” mystery man said. He pointed over her shoulder. “Is that your drink? I’ll take care of that for you. Excuse me, fellas,” he said as he pushed passed the redhead, who was narrowing his eyes angrily. Keisha watched as mystery man reached into his leather wallet before tossing $15 onto the bar. He then took her coat and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, making her pulse quicken again. “You want to sit at the table in the corner, honey?”
“Uh, sure,” she said breathlessly as she retrieved her drink and purse and slowly climbed off the bar stool. Anywhere you want, she thought dreamily.
When they drew closer to the small bistro table in the dimly lit corner, he removed his arm from around her shoulders and she regained her ability to breathe.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” he said with a chuckle as he held out a chair for her. “You looked like you needed some rescuing.”
She watched as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat in the seat across from her. Everything about him, from his look to his movements, seemed so smooth, so striking. Who was this guy and how did he have the uncanny ability to pop up at the best possible moment?
“Your name isn’t Gabriel, is it?” she asked with a slight smile, gazing at him wide-eyed.
He leaned back in his chair and frowned. “No, it’s Will. Why? Do I look like someone you know named Gabriel?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, I was just…wondering.” She took a quick sip from her martini, too embarrassed to explain that she was referring to the Angel Gabriel. Too many years of inner city Catholic school messing with her brain, she supposed.
“What’s your name, by the way?” he asked. “We haven’t had proper introductions.”
She smiled and out of habit held out her hand for a shake. “It’s Keisha Reynolds.”
“Pleased to meet you, Keisha.” He tilted his head and took her hand in his own. Big mistake! Keisha suddenly felt goose bumps shoot up her arm. It was hard to believe that one guy could make her feel so much from a simple touch.
“Well, I’m glad I ran into you again,” he said as he shook her hand firmly. “I’m also glad to see that you seem a lot better than you did a few hours ago. I guess everything worked out, then?”
She breathed deeply, taking a few seconds to recover from his touch. “You’re right. I am a lot better. Everything worked out the way I hoped it would.”
“Good to hear,” he murmured, fixing her with an intense gaze.
After that, they sat in silence for so long that she began to fidget. “So…so,” Keisha said, trying desperately to think of something to say or to ask him. “So what brings you here today, W—”
“Will Blake!” Tanya suddenly exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Keisha watched as Tanya strode over to their table with narrowed eyes and hands on hips. Tanya was dressed to the nines in a short black slip dress and stiletto heels. But her dazzling appearance contrasted sharply with the ugly look of suspicion on her face.
Keisha frowned, now more than just a little confused. “You guys…know each other?”
Will stood and smiled. “Yes, we do.” He extended his hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Tanya. It’s been awhile.”
Oh, God, Keisha thought. Had Tanya once dated Will? If she had, this was going to be awkward.
Tanya gazed down at Will’s large, open palm for several seconds before she grudgingly shook it. “I’d think you’d be back at your own celebration tonight, Will,” she said with curled lips before crossing her arms over her chest. “Or did they already shut it down? I heard the Republicans do like to get to bed early. I guess destroying the world can take a lot out of you.”
He smirked at her jab. “No, I’m pretty sure the party’s still going on over there. But I was sent on a mission.”
Tanya’s eyes narrowed even further. “A mission to do what?”
“To learn more about the competition.” He shrugged. “Quite frankly, Parker wasn’t someone that we had pegged as a contender, let alone the primary winner, so we’re playing a game of catch-up.”
Keisha blinked. “You…you’re with Vincent Dupré’s campaign, Will?”
He opened his mouth to speak but Tanya cut him off.
“Not only is he ‘with’ the campaign but he was just appointed deputy campaign manager, the same as you, Keisha.” She returned her attention to Will. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell her who you were, Will.”
At that, Will narrowed his eyes. His thick brows lowered and knitted together. He gritted his teeth, causing a slight muscle tick along his chin. “I didn’t tell her because I didn’t think I needed to tell her, Tanya,” he said with an eerie calm. “I didn’t know that she worked for Parker, either. I’m just as surprised as she.”
Tanya nodded her head impatiently. “Yeah, well, now you know. We should get going, Keisha,” she said as she quickly patted her friend’s shoulder. “Sorry, Will, but I’m going to have to pull her away from you. We have places to be, things to do.”
Keisha wanted to ask Tanya why she was being so rude, but she could tell from the look of warning in Tanya’s eyes that she should probably save that question for a later time. Keisha uneasily rose from the table and gathered her purse and coat. “It was nice meeting you again, Will. Thank you for the drink…and the rescue,” she said quietly with a laugh.
“Don’t mention it,” he replied warmly. “It was my pleasure.”
They shook hands again and locked gazes. Several awkward seconds passed in silence with neither breaking their grasp. Keisha didn’t want to let go and she suspected he didn’t, either. A current that was almost electric seemed to pass between them, the voltage intensifying with each passing second. Her heart rate was speeding up again. She could feel her face flush.
“Come on, Keisha,” Tanya huffed, tugging the younger woman away, abruptly breaking the magic spell. Keisha blinked as if someone had just shaken her awake.
She caught a last glimpse of Will as she and Tanya quickly walked out of the bar and into the lobby. Keisha waved goodbye to him one last time as Tanya loudly sucked her teeth.
“I swear, that man could have been in the CIA with how damn sneaky he is!” Tanya spat. “I don’t believe for one damn second that he didn’t know you were on Parker’s staff!” She flashed her eyes toward Keisha. “He didn’t ask you anything about Parker or the campaign, did he? You didn’t tell him anything, did you, Keisha?”
She fired her questions as they pushed their way through the hotel’s revolving doors to the outside.
Keisha quickly shook her head as she shrugged into her coat. “No, he didn’t ask me anything. We didn’t talk about the election at all.” She shivered as they were hit by a sudden blast of air from the chilly February night. Funny, in Will’s presence everything felt a lot warmer. “Actually, I ran into him two times tonight, and each time he was very nice, Tanya. In fact, I thought he was…”
Amazing, handsome, riveting, Keisha thought.
She cleared her throat. “I thought he was…”
Debonair and downright the most beautiful man I have ever seen, her mind exclaimed.
“Umm…charming,” she finally uttered.
“Uh-huh, I bet you did,” Tanya said flatly, giving her a side glance as they walked across the parking lot.
Keisha sighed as they approached Tanya’s blue Saab. She paused near the passenger door and looked at Tanya over the roof of the car. She shook her head again. “I don’t think he’s as bad as you think he is, Tanya. Really, he seemed like a nice guy.”
“Girl,” Tanya said with a roll of her eyes, “don’t—and I mean don’t—let Will’s smooth talk and his fine ass fool you! He’s no Prince Valiant, that’s for sure!” she spat before swinging open the driver’s side door. Keisha quickly climbed in after her. “Will Blake has a reputation for playin’ rough when it comes to politics, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d do just about anything to help Vincent Dupré get a leg up over the competition. That includes makin’ goo-goo eyes at gullible women just to pump them for information.”
Keisha slumped into her seat and cringed. Gullible? Tanya thought she was gullible?
Tanya noticed the stricken look on Keisha’s face and sighed. She slowly shook her head. “I’m sorry, Keisha. That came out wrong. You know me: chronic foot-in-the mouth disease.”
Keisha waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, Tanya.”
“No, I really didn’t mean it that way, girl.” She sighed again. “Look, what I meant to say was that you’re beautiful, but I know Will is up to no good because you’re not his type. I heard Will doesn’t take his coffee with cream, if you know what I mean.” She shifted into reverse. “In fact, he prefers to skip the coffee and just stick with the cream. It’s typical for them—the black conservatives. Uncle Toms,” Tanya spat. “You can’t get anywhere over there without some white wife or girlfriend on your arm. So, no offense, but if he seemed like he was into you, I’d still keep my guard up on that one. Will knows the game, girl, and he knows how to play it! This is one of many maneuvers that you’ll have to deal with now that Parker won the primary, so be prepared.”
Keisha listened to Tanya’s venomous words, trying to reconcile the man Tanya was describing now with the same man that Keisha had sat with minutes earlier. She hadn’t seen any cunning in Will. He hadn’t asked her anything about herself that wasn’t outside of basic interest in her as a human being. And she thought she had felt a palpable attraction between them.
But maybe that was how he operated. Maybe he made you think that he cared. He made you think that he was interested only to weasel his way inside your confidence and find out what he wanted.
The thought that anyone could be that cold, calculating and deceitful sickened her. Her image of Will as the Angel Gabriel suddenly shifted to the fallen angel Lucifer.
“What is wrong with people?” Keisha murmured aloud, slowly shaking her head in bewilderment. “How can he live with himself?”
“Humph,” Tanya breathed through her nose. “You’d be surprised, girl.”
“I could never do anything like that!”
Tanya cocked an eyebrow as she pulled out of the parking space. “Well, now you’re playin’ with the big boys, and they do! So wear a cup!”