Page 69 of I Love to Hate You
“Sure,” I answer. “I forgive you. Just don’t let it happen again.”
“Never,” Chad says, breathing hard and loud as sweat quickly beads on his forehead.
Kendrick finally stands up straight and pats Chad on the shoulder once before walking back to his seat. Before he sits down, he leans over and kisses me on the cheek without saying anything. I’m dying to know what he whispered, and apparently so is everyone else in the room, because all eyes are on Kendrick, waiting for an explanation that never comes.
With the room still completely silent, the door finally opens, and this time it’s Denver sticking his head in.
“Maya and Kendrick, can I see you both out here, please?” he says.
Shit. Did he just witness that through the glass door?
Kendrick and I look at each other as we get up like students being called to the principal’s office over the loudspeaker. Everyone watches us go, except for Chad, who keeps his eyes glued to a blank spot on the table in front of him.
When we get into the hallway, Denver pulls us to the side so we’re not blocking the aisle, and leans in so he can’t be heard.
“So, I just had a very interesting conversation with my supervisor,” he says. “As it turns out, a meeting was set up over the weekend with Nasir Booker’s team, and I’ve been given the green light to pitch your marketing strategy to them tomorrow morning.”
First, I exhale and let out the breath I was holding, then I clamp my hand over my mouth so the excitement doesn’t come spilling out. My heart pounds and Kendrick’s face finally turns from bristling to joyful as he looks at me with a massive smile on his face.
“I know, it’s very exciting,” Denver says. “However, it also means we have to call an audible today, because now I need you two to prep me for the pitch. I explained to them that the idea is one hundred percent yours, but they didn’t like the idea of interns pitching it directly to the client, so they asked me to do it. I intend to knock it out of the park exactly the same way you guys did, and I need your help to do that. So you and I are going to spend the entire day going over your setup, while everyone else teams up with the marketing and social media assistants for the day. This is a huge deal, and if it goes well, it could mean somethingmajor. Sound good?”
Both of us nod enthusiastically.
“Absolutely,” Kendrick says.
“Good. I’ll go inform the rest of the interns about what they’re doing today, and I’ll meet the two of you in my office,” Denver says, before leaving us to go back into the conference room.
As soon as he’s gone, Kendrick and I embrace and laugh as we finally let our excitement out. While our relationship is brand new, it’s safe to say we’re off to an amazing start.
“Can you believe this?” I ask, smiling uncontrollably.
“Yes and no,” he says. “No, because we haven't even been here a full week and things are already looking way up, and yes, because me and you just have a way of killing it when we’re together. We’re pretty incredible if you ask me.”
“I think we are, too,” I agree. I step forward until he and I are chest to chest. “And I guess we don't have to worry about any of the other interns saying anything about us after what you did to Chad.”
“I told you I got us,” he says.
“What’d you say to him to have him so shook?”
Kendrick chuckles with a devilish smirk. “Ah, nothing.”
“Oh, come on. You have to tell me.”
Kendrick wraps his arms around my shoulder, pulling me into a bear hug as he kisses my forehead. “How about this? We’ll tag team this pitch with Denver today, and then you come over tonight and let me cook for you. Then, I’ll tell you exactly what I said to Chad. Deal?”
“You make it sound like you're bribing me when I would've agreed to dinner no matter what,” I say. I plant a small kiss on his lips and step back just as Denver comes out of the conference room. “But you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Forty-Two
~ MAYA~
When I pull up to Kendrick’s house, he’s already standing in the open doorway, leaning against the frame in loose jeans and a white T-shirt, with a white towel draped over his shoulder. He has a smile on his face as I park, and it lingers as I get out and make my way toward him holding a bottle of port wine.
“Oh, so you’re really trying to celebrate and get faded tonight?” he asks once I’m close enough for him to read the label on the bottle. “That port is serious.”
“Yes, it is,” I reply as I climb the steps and stand in front of him, looking into his beautiful eyes and fighting the urge to attack his lips with mine. “But you don’t have to worry, I’ll hold your hand if you’re scared to drink it.”
“Oh, okay. Always with the jokes,” he says. He smiles as his arm whips out and wraps around my waist, pulling me until we’re nose to nose. “We need to focus more on me taking care of you.”
