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MIKA HATED THE ANNUAL New Year’s Eve Gala that she had to parade herself to. That didn’t stop her from liking the charity it helped. S.A.Y Detroit was a foundation of major programs to improve the lives of Detroit’s neediest citizens. From cradle to career, and beyond. With its educational, medical, housing and career programs. A worthy cause her mother and father had started championing four years ago. Not long after her mother became a board member and attendance had become mandatory.
If nothing else she’d been taught the old-fashioned rule of never publicly embarrassing one’s mother. So each year she came, even allowing her mother to pick out her dress—and the man whose arm she was supposed to dangle on. This year’s date was Stanley MacKenzie. He was a president in the making for some company. She hadn’t bothered to remember since meeting him casually last year at a different event.
Mika’s mother was always setting her up. This is where being an only child really sucked. No other sibling for a meddling parent to turn their attention to. Her mother had that old-school mentality that “respectable” women needed to be married with kids. Even those with careers were expected to squeeze in a husband and a kid or two.
Mika wouldn’t have minded the “setting up” part so much if all the men her mother picked weren’t so cookie cutter, which meant boring and conceited. The men barely asked her anything about herself, and usually found her a little too colorful and modern for their wishes. They wanted their woman to be mostly seen and not heard. Oh they believed a woman could be successful in this day and age, just not too successful. Can’t outshine their man at the end of the day.
To bad for them, as she had no intention of dulling her shine for anyone. She thought any woman could get behind that type of thinking. Not so when it came to her cousins, who were currently looking at her as if she’d lost her mind. They were circled together off to the side talking. They all wore light-colored dresses as being extra bright would be considered gaudy. Forget that this was supposed to be a party. Her cousins Michaelle, Misha, and Milissa thought she was making much ado about nothing. Sometimes with all their names being so similar it was hard to have a conversation with them all at once. When they were kids if one of their parents messed up their name they would just say, “You know who I’m talking to!” To make it slightly easier she had started going by Mika and Milissa was often called Lissa. They all had names that started with “Mi” in memory of their grandmother Millicent. Who had died before any of her grandchildren were born.
“Honestly Mikala, what is your problem? Stanley is a good catch,” Michaelle said sipping her wine, and looking as if she was about to hear a story she’d heard many times before.
“Agreed,” Lissa added, her eyes scanning the room. “But I’m sure she’ll tell us momentarily what defect he has.”
“Get over it already. Give the man a test drive before you write him off completely,” Misha her favorite cousin interjected, before discreetly eating the olive off the martini she had just demolished.
“Mother tried pushing him at me last spring, but I wiggled out of the few attempts he made to connect,” Mika replied.
“Well maybe you should try him out tonight.”
“Misha I doubt he’ll think I’m wifey material if we sleep together on a first date.”
The cousin in question just grinned. “I slept with my husband on our first date. You got to know how to put it on them little cousin. Besides, thought you weren’t looking to be anyone's wife? So what do you care what he thinks?”
Lissa interrupted before the two got into one of their squabbles. “I’m still waiting to hear the defect. What's wrong with him to your mind?”
“You mean besides his blandness, and the fact he’s a presumptuous prick? He thinks the night is going to end the way Misha is talking. Just because mother set this up he’s been treating me like it’s a sure thing.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve, and you’re at a party at a hotel. I think most of the men here are hoping their night will end with a bed partner.” Michaelle waved away Mika’s excuse. “The man has money, comes from good family and is almost at the top of his career. Plus, he’s not yet forty. You should seriously consider him. You’re running out of options in the Metro Detroit area with the way you keep tossing them aside.”
“So I should just saddle myself to the first successful black man with a little money and status that looks my way? Even if they’re boring and annoying?”
“Of course not,” Misha spoke seriously. “We’re looking for a man with a lot of money and status. Also don’t forget one who is good in bed. We may as well get an extra perk for our trouble.”
As the cousins shared a laugh at her expense, Mika shook her head. “I can’t with any of you. I want more than a good fuck. I can get that anywhere. I want a man who keeps my interest, looks at me with passion and care. Not like I’m another asset he’s acquired on his ‘black and successful’ checklist.”
When they all just looked at her oddly, she’d had enough. “Forget it, I need a drink. And if Stanley asks you where I went, be kind for once and point him in the opposite direction.”
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ROBERT LABELED ATTENDING these types of fancy parties under “work”. Oh it wasn’t mandated by the job in any way, wasn’t even hinted at. However if you were smart you went where the money was. Sure, it was a tame versus the New Year’s parties he had gone to a few years back. But what better time to talk rich people up, than when they were drunk and happy? He got to spend his time telling jokes and getting a few high-end clients and leads. While in this case helping a good cause and eating and drinking expensive food.
He’d been here a little over an hour, and it was now a quarter after eleven. Robert figured he might stay until twelve-thirty or so, depending on how the night was going. On average he preferred leaving early to beat the real drunks to the road. As he extracted himself out of a loose group conversation, he figured he’d head to the bar and get his last drink of the night. He was halfway to his destination when he stopped dead in his tracks. He saw a backside across the room that he recognized. He had palmed it, slapped it, caressed and squeezed it. Hell it had been the first view he’d ever had of her. But the rest of what he saw wasn’t computing for his brain.
She was standing in a small group of women, who even from this distance he figured had to be related. Super straight hair in various shades of brown fell to the small of her back. Not a curl or kink in sight. He had always liked the highlights and lowlights that played in her hair. Her dress was silver and beaded in various patterns around her body. When she turned to address a member of the group, he was able to tell the dress had a split that came up to her knee on one side. Knowing Mika the front probably dipped enough to show a bit of her breasts. He had never seen her in anything so colorless, though he found no fault in the fit of the gown. It was a true shock that she was here tonight. He watched her turn abruptly from the conversation and walk away. Before he knew it his feet were moving to intercept her.
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MIKA DIDN’T KNOW WHY she had expected her cousins to have any sympathy for her. They mostly thought like her mother and aunt, feeling that she should find a good prospect, pick one and settle down already. Marching across the room with no clear destination in mind but to get away from them and avoid her date, she suddenly felt the tiny hairs on her arms stand up. Stopping mid-stride she did a graceful pivot on her heels and saw him bearing down on her.
Her jaw wanted to drop, whether from surprise or how good he looked, she didn’t know. He was decked out in his expensive, cobalt blue Tribeca tuxedo with black lapels. His beautiful dark chocolate skin showing to advantage against the color. There was nothing like a black man in a suit or evening wear! But this was almost too much to handle. What was he doing here? When he got close enough, she asked around the knot in her throat.
“You taking this stalking thing too far Mr. Lorde.” She chided. “What’s your middle name, so I can file my PPO in the morning?”
Robert gave a slow grin. He’d been wrong, while the dress did in fact bare her shoulders, every tempting inch of her breasts were sadly covered.
“Not everything is about you princess. I came here to milk some rich men and women out of their money, and of course to help our citizens in need. What are you doing here? I barely recognized you.” He ran his eyes from her head to her toes. The outfit on her was ultra conservative in his opinion. Even her jewelry was sedate.
Mika frowned a little. Why’d he’d have to look at her as if she was odd? She fit in and looked just as presentable as all the other women. Her mother had made sure of that.
“My mother is on the board, so I came to support. And so she can make sure I’m seen by all the rich men you want to take money from.”
“Ahh, she’s trying to pawn you off on some unsuspecting Daddy Warbucks.”
“Something like that. The only requirement being he’s rich. Being successful is optional. I’m pretty sure she’d take old family money,” Mika said dryly.
“Smart woman, at the end of the day money is money. It’s not so much how you get it, but what you do with it once you have it.”
“I’m greatly disturbed that you have something in common with my mother.”
Robert only chuckled, stepping closer. “Anyway, you look good.” She looked beautiful, elegant, classy...almost untouchable. “The hair is unexpected but nice.”
“Thank you. You’re doing that tuxedo justice as well.” If he looked any better in it, women might start fainting.
“This gentleman certainly is. It’s an excellent cut on him.”
Mika actually cringed, stiffening as the voice continued. “Mikala, won’t you introduce us?”
She saw his brows rise in amusement at her given name. Suppressing a sigh, she slanted her body to allow her mother into the conversation. “This is my mother, Beverly Harrison. As I mentioned she’s a board member of this wonderful organization. Mother, this is Robert Lorde. Andrea’s husband best friend, and my new financial advisor.”
Shaking Beverly’s hand Robert said, “I no longer have to wonder where Mikala...gets her beauty from.”
Beverly almost let a full smile come to her face before catching herself. “I thank you on behalf of us both for the compliment, and for attending our event tonight. The money raised will help a lot of people.”
“Indeed it will,” Mika’s father said as he came upon the group, putting his arm around his wife.
Mika watched as the two men introduced themselves. Most men might find Reginald Harrison III a little intimidating. He stood 6’3” feet tall and had wide shoulders. His caramel face was often serious if he was focused on business. Right now it was relaxed and open. She was sure the drinks he’d had throughout the night helped. Plus, as her father neared retirement age he became less stern, while the opposite seemed to be true for her mother. Regardless she needed to figure out a way to move this little party along. Before she could do that, she was alerted to someone coming up behind her by the stiffening of Robert’s shoulders.
She turned to see who it was, and went right into the arms of her stale date Stanley. “Oh!”
“I apologize for my neglect. A few people started talking in-depth business and it was hard for me to get away.” Stanley said giving her waist a squeeze. Behind her Robert’s eyes tracked the movement.
Mika had nothing to say as she wasn’t particularly happy to see him. As the two younger men gave each other curious stares, her mother clearly gave her a look that said she should be introducing Stanley. Mika pretended not to see it and after a beat or two of extended silence, her mother did it for her. Mika let the conversation float over her head. She simply wanted to be home, celebrating the New Year in her bed away from all annoying people.
When Robert caught her eye she ignored the question in them, but also finally untangled herself from Stanley’s arm. Her mind registered the conversation only when she heard her mother say, “Robert we’ll have to have you, Cam, and Andrea over for dinner sometime.”
Before Mika could protest that idea, a striking, tall woman appeared at Robert’s side.
“There you are. I see you ran into another conversation as I was dying of thirst.”
Mika’s eyes snapped to Robert’s before appraising the woman fully. She was a lovely shade of dark cocoa powder and was slim in all the places Mika was not. Which helped make the dazzling red dress she had on hang beautifully on her model-like frame.
Robert acknowledge the woman's presence but made no move to introduce her. In fact, he made his excuses to the others quickly and turned his date away. With a nod over his shoulder in her direction he said, “Mika.”
“Robert,” she replied, and watched him walk off with the woman, as her mother watched her.
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AS THE CLOCK CREPT closer to twelve Robert tried to focus on the conversations around him. He’d finally gotten the drinks for himself and Evonne, and they had made their way around the room to mingle some more. Five minutes to midnight he found his eyes on Mika and her date. They were standing in a cluster with the same women he’d noticed before.
When the countdown started he ignored the shouting crowd and the many flat-screens around the room. No, he wasn’t paying attention to the D-Drop in the city. His eyes were focused solely across the room as he watched Mika enthusiastically join in. When midnight struck the cheers got louder, and people toasted and kissed all around the ball room. He watched she hopped up and down a little before Stanley caught her face for a kiss. Robert also watched as she didn’t pull away. Empting his glass of champagne in one gulp, he turned away from the sight.
