by Angel Vane
Was she supposed to do that?
See marriage in a new way. Redefine the challenges and embrace a way to overcome her reservations with holy matrimony?
Her cell phone buzzed in her hand. Swiping the screen, she saw a number she never expected to see. Accessing the text, she read the message.
Need to see you …
Mena took a deep breath, trying to contain her anger. He hadn’t been a figment of her imagination looming in the back of the exhibit hall. What the hell was he doing here? And why did he think she would ever agree to see him?
Chapter Five
Pushing through the growing crowd of tourists milling about inside the octagonal-shaped main lobby, Julian side-stepped a family with triplets as they excitedly approached a massive Massai warrior mask near the middle of the room. He glanced down at the pamphlet in his hand: Transforming Simple to Complex: A Lecture on the Sculptures of El Anatsui presented by Mena Nix, Conservator and Fellow of the Tribal Museum.
Flipping the paper over in his hand, he stared at the glossy professional photograph of Mena above her bio, which was impressive, to say the least.
Nothing would have been better than watching her, thoughtfully moving between the massive sculptures hanging from the walls, explaining the nature and concepts that made the acclaimed work of El Anatsui unique. He would have watched the crowd hanging on her every word, responding as if on cue to her quips and dramatic pauses.
If he had been there.
“The lecture ended ten minutes ago. If you have a ticket to the VIP luncheon, I can escort you to where it is located,” explained a woman with a short afro and kind eyes.
Folding the pamphlet, Julian stuffed it into his back pocket and headed toward the exhibit hall where the lecture had occurred.
Julian inhaled sharply. Knowing that Mena would be pissed that he hadn’t made it in time to see her lecture. The last thing he needed was to cause more tension between them. His unexpected questions about marriage had already introduced uneasiness into their relationship.
Zigzagging through the crowd of museum patrons flooding the wide expanse of the museum lobby, he darted toward the entrance to the lecture hall. Hordes of guests dressed in expensive business suits roamed outside the room, the buzz of excited discussions filling the air. He searched the crowd for her face. Awkwardness settled within him as several minutes passed. He couldn’t stand here all day, but he was reluctant to leave. Perhaps she’d already left, and he’d missed the opportunity to see her.
Taking a wide arc around the crowd, Julian slipped along the wall and stepped into the exhibit hall.
“You missed it,” Mena said, a frown etched into her forehead as she jerked her purse open and stuffed her cell phone inside.
Julian tensed. He’d expected her anger. But, he still wasn’t prepared for the ire wafting from her. “I’m sorry. Traffic was bad, but I got the mask. It looks good on the wall behind the couch.”
“Wait a minute.” Mena’s dark eyes bored holes through him. “Instead of dropping the mask off and getting over here as fast as you could, you took the time to hang it on the wall?”
Julian’s mind went blank. Words eluded him as a sliver of panic danced across his skin. He’d been in tight spots before. He’d been cornered behind enemy lines, talking his way out of danger with terrorists. He’d been interrogated about rogue actions by the best naval lawyers, maneuvering through their questions without a hint of worry. But Mena’s question stopped him in his tracks. What the fuck had he been thinking? He didn’t know. Maybe he’d hoped having the mask hanging on the wall when she got home would make up for him missing her lecture?
“You thought that was more important to me than being here as I gave the most important presentation of my career. Julian … for a smart guy, you missed it this time,” Mena said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I know,” Julian said, stepping toward her. “But you didn’t need me here. You knew that presentation inside and out. I know you knocked it out the park.”
“You’re right. I did. Maybe I didn’t need you here, but damn it, I wanted to look in the crowd and see your face. Your face was the only one I kept searching for, and you weren’t here,” Mena said, pressing a finger into his chest.
The touch sent a jolt of desire through him, and he had to stifle the smile that would push her over the edge. As mad as she was, with that one touch, he felt every ounce of her love for him. Enough to give him confidence that this was just a speed bump on their relationship road. They were finally getting a chance to argue and have conflicts like a normal couple, without the threat of danger looming around every corner.
Despite himself, Julian was enjoying this argument.
“I’m here now,” Julian said, reducing the space between them to mere inches. Mena didn’t step away. Her eyes never left his, locked in a defiant stare as she kept up her steely resolve.
Julian leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek, then turned to kiss her other cheek before pressing his mouth against hers. Mena didn’t pull away, allowing him to part her lips with his tongue and taste the sweetness of her. The kiss lingered, growing more passionate. Their bodies remained separated by a gap that radiated magnetic attraction and desire. The small chasm between them fueled the intensity of the kiss. A feverish crescendo welled within him, sending his body temperature through the roof as his lips blazed across hers.
Julian fought the urge to pull her into his arms, knowing she’d resist him. Her anger was as evident in that kiss as her love. Stepping back, Julian adopted a sheepish smile. “You forgive me?”
Mena closed her eyes, her chest heaving from the exertion of resisting him. He could feel the inner tug-of-war she must be going through—the disappointment of his absence clashing with the excitement of having him here … finally.
Opening her eyes, she unfolded her arms.
“No,” Mena said, then stepped around him and walked out of the room.
No?
Julian looked through the glass ceiling at the angry thunderheads swirling in the charcoal sky. Dragging a hand down his face, he turned to watch Mena addressing a group of VIP guests. Her demeanor changed as she wowed them, then led them down the hallway without a backward glance at him.
Julian slumped down into one of the empty chairs and grabbed his cell phone from his pocket.
Dialing the number, he placed the phone to his ear.
“How’d you know I’d still be up? Do you realize it’s 3 a.m. here?” Kendrick asked, sounding wide awake.
“Whatever, didn’t you just call me an hour ago?” Julian asked.
“Two hours. What’s up?” Kendrick asked.
“I blew it. Mena’s pissed,” Julian said.
“So you listened to my pity party earlier, and now I have to listen to yours? I’m not crying for you, man. Whatever it is, you and Mena will get past it,” Kendrick said.
“I missed her big lecture this morning,” Julian started.
“That’s the straw, but not what broke the camel’s back. What’s going on?”
“Weird ass conversation where we kind of talked around the idea of marriage. I feel like we’ve been out of sync since then,” Julian admitted.
“Aren’t you glad I talked you out of buying that engagement ring?” Kendrick asked.
“Yeah, I am. I got her a charm bracelet instead. She loved it, but I could tell she was relieved it wasn’t anything more serious,” Julian said.
“And you don’t like that, do you?”
“No. So what do I do now?” Julian asked, leaning back in the chair.
“How about get a job,” Kendrick said.
“What? How is that even related?” Julian asked.
“You have too much time on your hands. You need something else to focus on other than Mena, so you don’t drive that woman straight out of your life. Sure, that IT gig she tried to set you up with wasn’t a good fit, but there’s got to be something you could do,” Kendrick said.
J
ulian reached into his pocket and pulled out the card. Flipping it in his hand, he saw Sunny’s name and number.
“Maybe you’re right,” Julian said, tucking the card back into his pocket.
“About you? I’m always right.”
Chapter Six
Julian clutched the glass door, pausing to read the name in stark white sticker letters on the grimy surface: Tactical and Intelligence Defense Executive Services. The offices were in a warehouse district, toward the end of a long row of businesses in a strip center, tucked away from prying eyes. Julian pulled the door open. The tinkling chimes of bells slapping against the door filled the air as he walked into the waiting room. A small coffee table sat to the left in front of two worn and ragged leather couches. Magazines littered the surface, topped by a TIDES coffee mug with brown stains around the rim.
Two days had passed since Mena’s lecture and things still weren’t back to normal. Mena was tense and distracted, which she blamed on her work. Wangari had given Mena a new time sensitive assignment and she’d been working long hours at the museum. She was anxious to prove her laser techniques would work on the piece of art where other conservation techniques had failed.
Julian wasn’t so sure that Mena’s sour mood was because of stress. The elephant in the room was their unfinished discussion about marriage. He should have told her how he felt, but now it was too late. Bringing it up again would only introduce more strain into their relationship. He knew where she stood on the topic, so why bother.
All of this had convinced Julian that Kendrick was right about him. He couldn’t sit around wallowing in thoughts about not being able to marry Mena. Tactically analyzing their relationship to formulate a strategy to weaken her defenses against marriage was futile. She wasn’t a mission to complete. She was the woman he loved.
He tried to tell himself that these ebbs and flows were normal in a relationship. Having differences of opinions was normal. He had to suck it up and get over it.
But to do that, he’d need a distraction.
One Sunny Tate could provide.
Julian walked to the counter and tapped the old fashioned bell. A round of sharp rings filled the air and Julian heard rustling and movement behind the cream colored wall in front of him. Leaning on the wood grained surface, he twirled Sunny Tate’s business card in his hand, hoping she would help him.
The door behind the counter flung open and an Italian with a lopsided grin emerged, arms crossed over his chest.
“What the fuck are you doing in Nairobi?”
Julian frowned, instantly recognizing Enzo Vinci. Enzo had bombed out of basic training, unable to keep up with the rigorous physical feats required to become a sailor. A scrawny kid from the Bronx, he’d joined the Navy to bulk up and stop the neighborhood bullies from punking him every chance they got. But he didn’t have the stamina or mental strength to make it back then. He’d gone home after four weeks and Julian hadn’t heard anything about him since. The man standing before Julian had come a long way from those days.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Walking around the corner, Julian shook Enzo’s hand.
“What? Are we acquaintances now? What’s with the fucking handshake? Come here!” Enzo said, wrapping his arms around Julian in a tight hug. “You looking good, Jules. Life been treating you well, I see.”
Julian shrugged. “You working for Sunny?”
Enzo nodded. “For the past two years. Best gig I’ve ever had and the money is fucking phenomenal!”
“Enzo Vinci as private security. Never would have believed it. When did you grow a pair of balls?” Julian asked, slapping Enzo on the shoulder.
“Trying to get into the Navy kicked my ass. I was embarrassed when I couldn’t cut it and decided to follow my old man’s advice and go to college. I bulked up, hooked up with the girls, got a degree in Kinesiology but never could get rid of that pesky desire to be a hero, you know. Can you believe I decided to try my hand at the military again? Glutton for punishment, I guess. Joined the marines, made it through basic, but it was rough. I pulled out of that after two years, but I was stationed in Africa and fell in love with this fucking place. Decided not to go back to the Bronx and bounced around. Spent some time in Johannesburg and Lagos before deciding to settle in Nairobi. What brings you here?” Enzo asked, beckoning for him to sit on the couch.
Julian followed Enzo into the waiting room and eased down onto the arm of the sofa. “My girlfriend.”
“Hot damn! You caught the same bug I did. What do they say? Once you go black, you never go back?” Enzo roared with laughter.
Julian cringed. The fact that he and Mena were an interracial couple had never registered as being important. They were so much more than their respective ethnicities.
“How long you been here?” Enzo asked.
“About six months,” Julian said, reflecting on his days running around taking care of various errands for Mena. When he finished his “honey do” list, he’d lounge on the couch and try to learn Swahili from watching television and news shows. A maid came to clean every week and the only real fun he had without Mena was haggling with the vendors at the local outdoor market during his weekly grocery runs.
Damn, who the fuck had he turned into?
Julian continued, “And I’ll be here for another eighteen months. Thought it was about time I got a job.”
“We’d be damn lucky to have you. This is a good operation and you already know Sunny. She’s tough, but she’s fair, spreading the work around so we all get paid well. She should be here—”
The chimes filled the air and Julian turned to look toward the door.
Sunny walked in wearing camouflage leggings, a black tank top and combat boots. Her hair was braided in rows, hanging down her back.
“I honestly didn’t expect to see you again,” Sunny said, wrapping an arm around his neck and hugging him tight. “Just in time for happy hour. Hope you brought your wallet. I need that vodka tonic right about now.”
Not exactly what Julian had in mind, but maybe a shot or four would make Sunny open to hiring him temporarily. “Is there a bar nearby?”
“Ten minute drive away,” Sunny said, grabbing Julian’s hand. She turned and looked back at Enzo. “Make yourself useful and pick up the equipment I ordered for the job you and Hakeem are doing Friday night. Where is Hakeem, anyway?”
“Probably somewhere getting laid,” Enzo laughed.
“Find him and tell him to get his ass over here tonight for the debrief or I’m taking him off this gig. This is a high profile dinner for the political elite in Kenya, protecting one of the richest families in the country. If either one of you messes this up for me, you could screw us out of future work and I’m not having that. Got it?” Sunny asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Enzo said, then saluted Sunny. “If I can’t find Hakeem though, maybe Julian wouldn’t mind stepping in and working the dinner with me. I bet he looks good in a monkey suit.”
“Montgomery?” Sunny asked, pushing Enzo toward the door. Squeezing Julian’s hand, she leaned against him. “Is that why you’re here. You want to work for me?”
“Depends. Would you hire me?” Julian asked.
Looping an arm in his, Sunny said, “No drinks for this discussion. Let’s go in my office.”
Julian followed her through the open door behind the counter and down a single hallway lined with smaller offices until they reached the end of the hall. Sunny swiped a card and opened the last door, stepping to the side to allow Julian space to enter.
Inside, the room was a tactical haven with live video feeds displayed across three monitors to the left of the desk, which was equipped with an oversized computer monitor and keyboard. A portable computer server sat in the corner of the room, next to a rack of AR-15 assault rifles and a bullet proof vest.
Sunny sat down, propped her feet up on the desk and leaned back in the chair.
“Not bad,” Julian said, dropping down in the modern, ergonomic chair across from Sunn
y. Her office was in stark contrast to the dilapidated furnishings of the front waiting room—modern and new, contemporary and trendy, with African violets planted in baskets placed around the room. Julian mimicked her move, leaning back in the chair and propping his feet on her desk.
He stared at her, the sensual smirk spreading across her face as she watched him, trying to read his thoughts like she’d always tried to do in the past. She hadn’t changed one bit—a sprinkle of southern charm, a dash of overt sexuality and an ego as big as the state of Georgia. For as much as he saw that reminded him of the past, there was a new confidence and refined exquisite nature that she possessed now, likely growing out of time and life experiences.
“Do you remember that weekend I flew home with you and Broman to Jacksonville? We drove over to Sarasota and hung out at that beautiful beach with gorgeous fine white sand. It was hot as hell outside, but that sand stayed cool to the touch,” Sunny said.
“Siesta Key,” Julian said, faint memories of the weekend emerging in his mind. It had been a difficult one for him, for many reasons, but he’d managed to stick it out and enjoy himself despite the circumstances.
“We had good times back then,” Sunny said, her smile fading into one more contemplative. “We were so close, like family.”
Julian laughed, “Not exactly like … family.”
“I didn’t mean like sister and brother or anything like that,” Sunny said. “But we trusted each other.”
“Until we didn’t,” Julian reminded her.
“Even still, we managed to work past all of that. At the end of the day, there was no doubt that we had each others’ backs,” Sunny said.
Julian didn’t want to relive that moment, but it was hard not to when he was sitting across from Sunny. The Navy had sent her, the best special ops pilot, to fly through enemy fire and pluck him and Broman from the field near their camp in Central Sulawesi. The rescue had been dangerous, with El Mago’s gang hot on his heels blasting gunfire at him and the helo. But Sunny had gotten the job done, like they all knew she would.
