by Siren Allen
“She didn’t. After reading that she loved me, I didn’t care about her reasons for not being able to have me. I went to my mother and told her of my intentions for Willow. However, I didn’t tell her about the diary. My mom seemed happier than me. She told me she’d loved to have Willow as a daughter in law. But that I shouldn’t start with that. That I should ask her to be my girlfriend first.”
“You mean, you were ready to propose?”
Kang nodded. “She was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. Still is. I didn’t need to date her to know that. I’d been with her my whole life. I knew everything about her. I was ready to get down on one knee and ask for her hand in marriage. If my mom hadn’t calmed me down, I would’ve done it. Instead, I simply took Willow out to dinner and told her that I was in love with her.”
“How did she respond?”
“She was in shock. Before I could ask her to be my girlfriend, she started shaking her head and saying no. She told me I couldn’t be in love with her. That I was her big brother. I had to stay her big brother forever. Before I could mention what I’d seen in her diary, she stood up quickly, causing her glass of sweet tea to fall over. With tears racing down her cheeks, she slapped me and told me I’d ruined everything. Then she stormed from the diner. I followed after her, but she wouldn’t talk to me. For days I tried calling. She wouldn’t answer. I tried to get my mom to talk to her. I tried to get her mom to talk to her. They both told me she needed time. But time didn’t help. I finally came face to face with her outside a fast food joint. She was with another guy. A new guy. While holding his arm, she told me she didn’t like me and that if I couldn’t stop loving her then we would have to stop being friends. As you can see, I couldn’t stop loving her.”
“So, you ended the friendship.”
“I didn’t just end the friendship. I destroyed it and any chance of it ever being repaired. Or, at least that was what I’d thought. Today proved that there’s still a chance for me and Willow. She wouldn’t have let me hold her like that if she didn’t have feelings for me.”
Lee rubbed his hand over his face. “That’s a lot to take in. I do not envy you right now. I’ve never been in love. But, I do know that love isn’t supposed to bring pain. If you love her, no matter what she does, don’t hurt her.”
Kang nodded. “That’s where I went wrong in the past. Because I was hurting, I wanted her to hurt too. I won’t do that this time. If she rejects me again....” Kang sighed. “I don’t know...”
“Give it some time. Give her some time. Think it over before you make your next move.”
That was sound advice. “I will. But first, I just want to check on her to see if she’s okay.”
Lee nodded. “Okay. I’ll go to my office and look over her Summer Lovin proposal some more and jot down some of my ideas.”
“Thanks Lee. For helping with the campaign and for talking to me just now.”
“We’re brothers. You don’t have to thank me.” That said, Lee left the office.
Alone with his thoughts, Kang reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He then pulled out an old folded picture of him and Willow. He carried it with him at all times. He unfolded the photo and stared down at their image.
Prom. She looked adorable in her black dress. She’d told him he looked dashing in his white tux. This was the day she’d fallen in love with him. Yet, she still rejected him. Before he could move forward, he needed to know why she’d rejected him.
Why couldn’t they be together back then. And was that reason still a factor now. Whether it was or not, Kang was done leaving Willow behind. He was done hiding his true feelings and treating her like an enemy. He wanted Willow Thompson. And she wanted him too.
This time around, he wasn’t leaving Atlanta without her.
***
WHERE WAS SHE?
Kang scanned the marketing area. She wasn’t at her desk. Neither was she at Dez or Kizzy’s desk. But they were. Their glares didn’t bother him one bit. He strode over to Kizzy. She sighed and stared down at her computer screen.
“Where is she?”
“Who?” She replied, not bothering to look up.
“Your roommate?”
“Dez is sitting across from me.”
“Present,” Dez said, raising her hand.
Kang didn’t let his frustration show. “Where is your other roommate? Where’s Willow?”
“Did you check the bathroom?”
Right. The bathroom. The place Willow hid out at when she was nervous or needed to think. Some things really never changed. Without another word, Kang turned away from Kizzy and strode to the bathroom.
It would look weird if he stood outside the ladies’ room. He took a few steps left and stood outside of the men’s room, propped up against the wall. He straightened his tie and tried to look nonchalant.
A guy exited the men’s room. “Hey, GM, there’s no one in there. You can go in.”
Shit. “Okay.” Kang remained where he was.
The guy shrugged then walked away. Kang waited outside the bathroom for ten minutes. Three women entered and exited the ladies’ room, all giving him weird looks on their way out. Okay, now he really did feel like a pervert. When the fourth woman entered and exited, he stopped her.
“Hey, is Willow Thompson in there? She’s late for a meeting and I wanted to make sure she was alright.”
“Hi, I’m Stephanie.” The female pushed her hair behind her ear. “I work in marketing with Willow.”
I didn’t ask you all that. “I know. I saw you in the meeting.”
“You saw me?” A huge smile bloomed on her face.
Kang gritted his teeth. “I did. Is Willow in the bathroom?”
“No. Willow left a little while ago. I heard her tell Olivia that her stomach ached. It must’ve been something she ate. You know what, she must’ve eaten at the food truck down the street again. That place gave me a stomach ache last week. I don’t think its real meat they’re selling. I think...”
“Okay, Stephanie. Thank you.”
“Any time,” she yelled as he walked away.
Willow had gone home. Before coming here, he’d gone over her attendance record. She’d never missed a day or called in sick. Now, because of him, she was leaving work early. Kang swiped his hand over his face.
Was his friends right? Was he hoping for an outcome that wasn’t to be? Did she leave because she didn’t want to face him? Was what happened in the stairwell a mistake that she just couldn’t face? Fuck.
“GM Kang, can I have a word with you?”
Kang stopped near the elevator. It was Olivia, the marketing director. He needed to talk to her anyway.
“Sure. I need to talk to you also.”
Olivia smiled. “Really? Meeting this way seems to benefit us both. Will you please join me in my office?”
Kang nodded and followed her to her office. He didn’t miss the eyerolls directed his way by Dez and Kizzy. Ignoring them, he stepped into Olivia’s office and sat down in the seat across from her.
“You first,” she told him, after sitting down behind her desk.
“That’s okay. I’m interested in hearing why you wanted to meet with me.”
“Okay. I’ll go first. I wanted to know if you were going to go with Willow team’s proposal or not? If so, I’d like to ask the other teams to help her out. If not, I need for the other teams to come up with more ideas.”
“During the meeting, I told them all to come up with more ideas. That’s what they should be doing right now.”
“They are...”
“Good. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?”
“I.. uh....” Flustered, Olivia stared down at her desk. She picked up a folder and flipped through the pages. “Um. Well...” She looked to him. “We’re a little behind schedule on this campaign, so I wanted to know if Willow’s idea was going to get chosen.”
“I’m leaving that up to Lee. He’s currently going over the proposal.”
“Oh, okay. May I ask, why you’re leaving it up to Mr. Lee? In the meeting, you clearly seemed to dislike the idea.”
He hadn’t truly disliked it. It had angered him that Willow’s proposal was better than the others. He couldn’t fire her if she came up with quality material. Now, he realized how petty he’d been. His mother was right. He was a bully to Willow. But, he wouldn’t let Olivia know that, not yet. He needed to find out what she had against Willow and her team.
“I don’t like the proposal,” Kang lied. “However, I’m no marketing expert. Lee is. And he believes hers was the better choice out of the options presented.”
“Ohhh.”
“But...” Kang leaned forward a bit. “Between me and you, the final decision is up to me. And I have no confidence in Willow’s team. I don’t think they have what it takes to get the job done.”
Olivia’s smile brightened. She leaned closer to her side of the desk. “I agree, GM.”
“I’ve gone over her other proposals. They lack creativity.”
“I said the same thing.”
“They also lack originality.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Olivia exclaimed. “I tried telling this to our last GM. He blew me off like it was nothing. Can I speak freely?”
“Please do.”
“I think he and Willow had something going on. And if it wasn’t with him, it was with another higher up. She was hired with no previous experience.”
“But, didn’t she major in business and minor in marketing?”
“She did. But she had no experience. This isn’t an entry level department. We only take the best. Granted, her team members, Dezzah and Kizzy aren’t the best. But they both interned at beauty stores before applying here. Willow didn’t.”
Kang massaged his chin. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yes. And when she arrived, there was a bouquet of flowers waiting for her on her desk. The note just read, I’m proud of you. Chairman. But it didn’t state which Chairman sent her the flowers.”
His mother must’ve sent those. Kang held in his smile. “Interesting.”
“Right. I think she was hired not because of her marketing abilities, but because she fuck... sorry GM. I mean, because she’s involved with someone on the Board.”
First it was the previous GM. Now it was someone on the Board. Olivia was on a roll.
“How long have you known Willow?” Kang asked. “Can you speak on her character outside of work?”
“Honestly, I didn’t meet her until she came to work here. But...”
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“I don’t mean to gossip.”
Sure, you do.
“But I’ve known Willow longer than she’s known me.”
“Really? How so?”
“Willow used to date my cousin.”
Kang’s anger rose three notches upon hearing that. “Do tell.”
“My cousin’s name is Lucas White. He owns a night club. One of the most upscale clubs in Atlanta. Celebrities frequent it all the time. He and Willow dated for six months before she dumped him.”
“Why did she dump him?”
“She claims she caught him cheating. But, my cousin said it was because she wanted to get married and he didn’t.”
Kang almost chocked on air. He cleared his throat. “Married?”
“Yes. After only six months of dating. After my cousin refused her proposal, she dumped him, like the spoiled brat she is.”
Impossible. Willow would never ask a man to marry her. She was old fashion, like him. She’d want to be proposed to. Not the other way around.
“When she doesn’t get her way,” Olivia continued. “She has a fit.”
Another lie. Willow didn’t throw tantrums. She hated crying in front of others. She hated looking weak in front of others.
“I guess she thought my cousin would come running back to her after a few days. She was wrong. My cousin is a hot shot and he’s handsome. He moved on the next week.”
Probably because he already had someone in the first place.
“I’d seen a picture of Willow in his phone. So, when she was hired here, I immediately knew who she was.”
And you’ve been making it hard for her to succeed ever since. Kang had heard enough.
“Olivia, now that I know why you hate Willow, let’s talk about why you guys are so behind with your work load?”
The sneaky grin she’d been wearing a moment ago disappeared.
“Excuse me?”
“Our other branches came up with their summer campaigns in January. They had them ready for set up by March. Here it is, May, and you don’t have your July campaign ready?”
“Um... I thought we were talking about Willow’s character?”
“You were talking about Willow’s character. I was listening to you gossip about a co-worker, which is clearly against the rules. Now, let’s talk about work. Why isn’t your July campaign ready?”
Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. If Kang could fire her right this minute, he would. And once he found her cousin, Lucas White, he would make him pay for lying on Willow.
And for being with her in the first place.
Chapter Seven
“Why is your campaign late?”
He hated repeating himself. Olivia didn’t seem to have an answer for him.
“Um...” She fiddled with her pen. “We’ve been working on it...”
“That seems to be a trend here. You’re always working on something, but you never have anything to show for all the hours your department puts in. Are you guys stealing time?”
“No sir. We really are working.”
“Where are the results of these hours of labor?”
“We...”
“Not only is your department stealing time, but you as a director of the department, don’t seem to have the skills to manage your teams.”
“I do. I...”
“I’ve gone over the past campaign proposals, all of which, have failed to yield the results we wanted them to.”
“There are always slow seasons.”
“But a whole year of slow seasons? Do you really expect me to believe that? On top of that, the proposals you selected weren’t the best ones. In fact, they weren’t good at all. Yet, the ones Willow’s team presented were great.”
“I thought you didn’t like Willow and...”
“Unlike you, I keep my work life and my personal feelings separate.”
A lie. She didn’t need to know that. Truth was, he was just as petty as her. Which shamed him. He owed Willow a thousand apologies. Probably more.
“Because of your personal feelings toward Willow, you refused to select any of her proposals. And your personal vendetta cost this company money.”
“I didn’t....”
“Whether you admit to it or not, doesn’t matter. This will be investigated. Along with all the other issues we’ve found in your department.”
“GM, please...”
“I’ll leave first.”
Kang stood and headed toward the door. Olivia followed him. Ignoring her pleas, he left her office, leaving her standing in her office doorway, staring after him. When Kang reached his office, he slammed the door shut and locked it.
He didn’t feel like dealing with his friends right now. Part of him wanted to go after Willow. Though he’d never been to her apartment, he knew where she lived. If he showed up unannounced right now, she wouldn’t be happy with him.
He’d give her some time to cool off, then he’d show up unannounced. Though it was hard to focus, Kang spent the rest of his day reading over files he had on the marketing department.
Members of that department were really stealing time and wasting the company’s money. Within the week, he planned to take action against those who’d been doing those bad deeds. Starting with the leader of the department. Olivia Brauns.
By five PM, Kang was ready to head home. Unfortunately, his friends rode with him to work.
The entire ride home, he had to listen to them talk about Willow. Willow this. Willow that.
Are you sure you want to be with Willow? Are you sure she wants to be with you? Don’t you think it’s strange that she went home early to avoid you? What do you think your mother is going to say about this?
By the time Kang reached his Atlanta house, he was ready for a glass of whiskey. Unfortunately, his friends followed him into the kitchen. Kang shrugged out of his suit jacket and tossed it over a barstool. Nahm chose that stool to sit on. Bastard.
“I still find it weird that you have this big ass house in Atlanta,” Nahm said the same thing he’d been saying since they moved into his home.
“You can always go stay at a hotel.” Kang poured himself a glass of whiskey.
“That’s okay. I’d rather stay here for free.”
Kang took a sip of his drink. “Then stop complaining.”
“I’m not complaining. Hey. Where are you going? Aren’t you going to pour us a drink?”
“No. Whatever you mess up, clean up. I don’t have a maid.”
“What? The mighty Kang doesn’t have a maid?”
Kang kept walking. No, he didn’t have a maid. That hadn’t been part of Willow’s dream for her six-bedroom home in Atlanta. She said whoever stayed there, would clean up after themselves.
Yeah, it was in his name, but this house was for her. This was the first house he’d ever purchased. Year after year, it sat here, lonely. His mother came and dusted every now and then. Not because Kang asked her too.
She said it was because she was bored and needed something to do. He knew the truth. Despite his actions, his mom always secretly hoped he and Willow would become friends again.
They would become more than that. Kang planned to make all of Willow’s dreams come true. Soon. Very soon. He sat down on the couch in the living room. He could hear his friends moving around in the kitchen.
Kang sat his glass down on a coaster on the end table then loosened his tie. Sighing, he relaxed against the cushion and closed his eyes. His first day on the job hadn’t gone the way he’d expected.
