“Miss Karina. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she glanced around my office before walking to a low bookshelf in the corner.
Today she wore a lilac-colored floral wrap dress and sandals that tied around her calves. Somehow they seemed to make her legs pop more, and for some strange reason, my gaze was drawn to her toes.
The same soft yellow as the flowers on her dress painted Karina’s toenails. Her feet were beautiful. I’m not a foot man or anything, but the lady did have gorgeous feet. Her soft voice pulled my eyes away from her feet back to her eyes.
“I appreciated your kind gesture the other day. But there’s no way that I could let you get away with me not showing my gratitude. So, I prepared these beignets and fruit tray for you and your staff,” she said, uncovering two large silver platters, stacked one on top of the other.
The aroma was heavenly and so irresistible that I couldn’t ignore it. But what the hell? Was she trying to poison me? Because the woman did nothing from the kindness of her heart. She was mean, as hell, so I couldn’t imagine what prompted this random act of kindness.
“Are you sure there’s no poison in here?” I asked, eyeing the pastries and lifting a suspicious eyebrow.
“Ex...excuse me?” she sputtered, her eyes wide.
She had almost choked off my comment.
“Well, I’m just saying. A few days ago, you seemed to wish the world was void of my existence and my “d’s” and “r’s.” But now...”
“Not the entire world, just our neighborhood,” she said with a slight tilt of her head.
I couldn’t tell if she were serious or just playing.
“Jamir! Eat the damn pastry already, will you!” she snapped.
Laughing, I said, “That’s the neighbor I’m used to.”
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her midsection, which I couldn’t help but notice pushed her breasts up higher. I struggled to pull my gaze away, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“You did not have to do this, Miss Karina,” I said even as I lifted one of the flaky pastries and took a bite.
My eyes closed briefly as I enjoyed the light, buttery, flaky taste with a subtle sweetness coming through from the dough. The piles of powdered sugar on the top left a light coating on my shirt as I bit into it. I reached down and dusted the sugar off and licked my lips, before taking one of the napkins Karina was offering me.
“This is delicious! I’m not sure if I want to share them with my staff,” I said.
She laughed. “You cannot possibly eat that entire platter of pastries plus the fruit.”
“Oh, I didn’t say I would eat the fruit, Miss Karina. Just the pastries,” I said, taking another bite.
She lifted an eyebrow and said, “I think I’d better alert the rest of your staff before there are none left.”
I chuckled and licked my lips. “Seriously, why the change of heart?”
She inhaled deeply and then lowered her eyes on an exhale.
“Well, I was honestly floored by your generosity. You didn’t have to do that, Jamir, because you owe me nothing. And I can afford whatever you charge. I know...I know...” she said, pressing her hands in a downward motion with her palms down.
“I know that I was complaining about the rates the other mechanics were charging. But that had nothing to do with my inability to afford the rates. I’m an educated woman, Jamir, and I’m not a fool. I knew that they were trying to take advantage of me,” Karina said.
“Because you’re a woman,” I said rather than asked. I was used to seeing mechanics do that.
“Er...yeah,” she muttered. “Anyway, I appreciate what you’ve done, and I don’t want you thinking that I can’t afford to pay the bill. So, if you still want to change your mind and charge me, I can’t say I’d agree at this point, but it’s not going to hurt me financially.”
“I won’t charge you, Miss Karina. It had nothing to do with doubting your ability to pay. Or the fact that you refuse to call me Zymir.”
She smiled sheepishly. “I like Jamir better,” she said.
Shaking my head, I laughed. “Okay, whatever.”
“I have a question for you.”
“Okay,” I said with an encouraging nod.
“Why did you allow me to think you were just some random run-of-the-mill neighborhood mechanic?”
I smiled and lowered my head. I had seen her flipping through the magazines the other day, but I had chosen not to say anything about it. I was wondering if she would ever broach the subject or what her view was of me now.
“There was nothing for me to tell. You chose to believe what you wanted. Now that you know differently, has your view of me changed?” I challenged.
She tilted her head sideways. “No, not really. You’re still wearing those funky things in your hair, and you’ve still got those tattoos. Not to mention that horrible music that you play so loudly and that big hunk of metal you consider a vehicle.”
I laughed. “Good to know how you really feel.”
“Well, you asked.”
“I did. But Miss Karina, it should not matter whether I’m a neighborhood garage mechanic or a businessman with a multimillionaire company. You should treat me the same regardless,” I explained.
“Oh, trust me. I will. The only difference was the comfort and ease at which I would have decided to trust my precious baby in your hands.”
“And yet, you did, and I did not disappoint, did I?”
“No, you didn’t. So, what is it that you all do here and in your other shops?”
“Everything from repairs to painting jobs to crafting and modifications. Here in my office is where I draw the designs that I’ve conceptualized. My staff weld and fit the parts together, and I do certain jobs myself depending on who the client is.”
“Wow. That’s impressive, Jamir.”
“Do you think you will ever call me by my given name?” I asked.
“Nope,” she said, pressing her lips primly together. “Anyway, I think I should alert the rest of your staff about these goodies. I have a feeling they won’t be around for too long.”
I watched her back up to the doorway. “Seriously, Miss Karina. You did not have to do this. It was my pleasure to offer the services to you that we did. I hope in doing that; you will trust next time that I am more than capable of handling any needs that you may have.”
Her light brown skin turned a deep shade of red as she scratched the back of her neck and turned away.
“Um, I think I’d better go get your staff now,” she said, backing quickly out of the door.
I chuckled after she’d left. I planned to break down all of this woman’s defenses with kindness. I suspected there was so much more to her than she was willing to show, and I wasn’t certain why I was so intrigued by her.
As crazy as it was, the meaner she was to me, the more I found myself attracted to her. Not that I wanted her to be nasty to me, but I felt the need to get to the heart of her brokenness. I wanted to know why she had such a wall of defense around her, especially when it came to me.
Wiping my hands of the remaining powdered sugar, I pulled a drawer open in my desk and removed a plastic plate and fork. I had just finished filling my plate with two more beignets and a small selection of fruit when I heard voices.
“The lady meant business, huh?” I said when I saw Isaiah and Roberto in my doorway with a few other staff members.
“Yeah, Bossman. She said she brought a treat for everyone, but we’d better get in here before you ate them all,” Isaiah said, laughing.
They already had plates in their hands.
“Aren’t you guys supposed to be working?”
“We are working,” Roberto said. “Working on filling up our bellies. It smells like a restaurant up in here.”
“Desaparece!” I mumbled.
“Get lost? Get lost?” Roberto repeated. “Bossman, come on. She invited us to share her goodies.”
My head jerked
up instantly. “Is that what she said?”
“Yeah, she told us that she brought goodies for everyone,” Roberto said.
I rolled my eyes. Why did that comment get underneath my skin the way that it did? And why was my mind conjuring other goodies besides the beignets?
I turned away from my staff as they piled their plates with food. I’d lost my appetite.
“You good, Bossman?” Isaiah asked.
“Yeah,” I said, returning to my computer.
I was as good as I could be considering the realization that had just dawned on me. I was attracted to the woman from hell!
CHAPTER 10 – KARINA
My ringing phone pulled my attention away from the video that I was editing from YouTube.
“Russ, hi, honey.”
“Karina, you know why I’m calling.”
“I do, and you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve finished the table of contents, outlined each chapter, and finished writing the first page.”
“Okay, so why isn’t it sitting in my inbox?” he asked.
Russell Brown was my agent and an old friend of Luis. He had contacted me about writing a cookbook a few months earlier, and I had promised to consider it. A couple of months ago, I’d finally capitulated to his requests to write the damned book already.
And while I had no idea what I wanted to put in a cookbook, the idea excited me. Unfortunately, I had stalled on pulling it together until a few nights earlier. And I’d worked feverishly through the last few days and evenings to pull it together. I was inspired when I’d come across one of my mother’s handwritten recipes scribbled on a sheet of notebook paper.
That had led me to the idea of creating a notebook cookbook. I wanted each page to look like a worn sheet of notebook paper with someone’s hastily written words detailing the ingredients and instructions of the recipe.
Each recipe would have a link to a video where they could watch me make it. I’d discussed with Russell having the cookbook in an online video, as well, that customers could purchase for a slightly higher fee than the normal cookbook. They would receive a link where they could download it, and the link would expire after so many hours. The video cookbook would include images and recordings captured in the last few years of my mother cooking in her kitchen with Lori and me.
“Well, I was busy editing a video that I’m behind on. I should have uploaded it a few hours ago, but...I’ve been a very busy lady.”
“Oh, yeah, doing what?” Russ asked.
“That, my friend, is none of your business.”
He sighed. “Okay, when can I expect it, Karina?”
I frowned as I clipped a scene from my video. “Um, give me a couple of hours.”
“A couple of hours? Karina, it’s already six-thirty. I planned on getting home on time tonight to Sabrina. The last thing I need is to hear her complaining about my late office hours again.”
“Then I’d suggest that you get your ass home and not keep Sabrina waiting. It will be in your inbox first thing in the morning when you return to work,” I promised.
“You just said you’d have it in a couple of hours, Karina,” he said in an exasperated tone.
“I did. But you, sir, have to leave and go home. So, go home.”
“I can check it from home, you know. My inbox that is.”
“No! You need to focus on your wife before you don’t have a wife to go home to, Russ. Now, if you keep it up, I won’t send it until in the morning,” I warned.
“You’re right. Look, speaking of, Sabrina’s been bugging me again about setting up a dinner date at my house with—”
“No, Russ! I don’t want Sabrina setting me up with her cousin, Chris. I know that she means well, but when I’m ready to date again, I can pick a man of my own,” I said.
“I know, Karina. I know. I’m just the messenger. Don’t shoot me.”
“I won’t as long as you promise to stay in your lane.”
“Duly noted...but if I may be allowed to swerve just a little.”
“No, sir!”
“Come on, Karina. You know Luis wouldn’t have wanted you alone for so long,” Russell said.
“You have no idea what he would have wanted! You don’t know the things we shared and promised one another in our marriage. You have no right to insinuate that you do, Russell Brown!”
He sighed, and there was complete silence on the line for several seconds. Finally, he cleared his throat.
“You’re right. I’ve overstepped my bounds. I just care about you and your wellbeing. You’re like a sister to me, and I just want to see you happy, and I’m sure he would as well.”
“I am happy.”
“Good. Then you’ll have that table of contents, chapter by chapter outline, and the first chapter to me in a couple of hours. And I’ll be waiting, Karina,” Russell said in a firm tone.
I cleared my throat over the emotion that consumed me. I knew that was Russell’s way of getting us back on track and ensuring I remained strong. I wasn’t an emotional person, and I gave anybody hell who had it coming. He knew that this was a rare instance of weakness for me, and it wouldn’t be spoken of again.
“I know, and it’ll be there at eight-thirty-six on the dot, Russ. Now get off the phone and quit holding me up and get home to Sabrina.”
He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”
I clicked off the phone and stared at it for a few moments. My husband loved Russell like the brother he’d never had. They were frat brothers and had been close since college. Russell had taken to me like a sister since I’d come into Luis’ life, and I felt the same about him and Sabrina, who was also a good friend of mine.
But I hadn’t interacted with her as much as I used to in the last year. It was hard to go around the two of them without my husband. I’d made so many excuses for why I couldn’t attend a dinner party, have lunch with her, or go shopping with her that she’d finally given up recently.
I felt bad about it, but not enough to pick up the phone and schedule something. We talked every now and then, but Sabrina was only checking on me, not calling to push me into anything. No, she reserved that job for Russell. Her personality was mild and much less aggressive than my own. I had to be careful where Sabrina was concerned because her feelings became easily hurt, and I never wanted to be the one to do that.
But I had an even bigger dilemma on my hands at the moment. How in the hell was I going to deal with my growing intrigue of Mr. Espinola?
Somehow, I wasn’t satisfied with the tray that I had taken to his shop. That had been for the hard work the men had done on my car without payment. Now, I wanted to do something special for him that had little to do with anyone else.
No matter how many recipes I rifled through in my brain to prepare as a “thank you” meal to him, they weren’t good enough. Maybe I would have to create something new, something I hadn’t done before to express my gratitude for what he did for me.
I was glad that I was alone in my home. My cheeks flushed with shame as I thought about his light-colored eyes, gingery skin, and his muscles. There was no denying the fact that he was an attractive man.
Guilt soared through me like an eagle through the sky. How could I be thinking about this man in that manner when I had just gotten off the phone with my husband’s best friend? How could I be sitting in Luis’ bed right now with his picture on the dresser staring back at me, while I thought about another man’s physique?
I blew out a loud breath and turned my attention back to the laptop on my lap. Focusing my concentration on the video I was editing before Russell’s call; I forced thoughts of Zymir out of my mind.
CHAPTER 11 – ZYMIR
I’m an astute man, if nothing else. It is the one thing that’s made me successful at what I do. My keen observation skills and ability to be able to perceive what others do not, always give me the heads up.
The thing that had not gone unnoticed by me a few days earlier was the house repairs that needed completing. When I picked Kar
ina up to take her to my shop, I could detect the gutters, soffit, and fascia required repair.
I figured she hadn’t had the time to take care of it, or she simply hadn’t paid attention to it. Many homeowners didn’t, but their maintenance man did. I wasn’t sure if she had one or not; the only people I’d seen around her home was her landscaping company who visited weekly.
Taking matters into my own hands, I had contacted a friend of mine, Greg Friedman, and asked if he wouldn’t mind taking care of it. He gave me an estimate for what the work could potentially cost but noted the bill might increase depending on his findings.
I’d given him the go-ahead to go over to her house and to contact me if there were any issues. I knew there would be. Karina Kendricks came with problems, so I could imagine if a random work crew showed up at her house to do work, she would get heated.
Somehow the woman just couldn’t help herself. And when she did, Greg would send her in my direction. I should have made my apologies in advance to my friend. He didn’t deserve to be thrown in the line of fire like I had done, but if I told him, I wasn’t sure he would go through with it.
I guess you could say that I was a glutton for punishment because I knew she would get riled up. It didn’t matter to me; I could handle her.
“Hello,” I replied, answering my phone.
I had opted to work from home today because I knew they would be coming out to do the work.
“Hey, Zymir. We’re here and no one’s answering the bell,” Greg said.
“That’s cool, man. Go ahead and do your thing. I’m paying the bill, and the work needs to be done,” I said.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, you’re all good to start.”
“A’ight. I’ll let you know what we’re working with when we get further into the job,” Greg said.
“Okay,” I replied, peering out my downstairs office window.
I could see Greg walking down the stairs toward his truck, where two men stood waiting.
After hanging up the phone, I turned back to my best friend, Bishop Lexington. He was the first friend I met when my family relocated from Rio to the States during my junior year of high school. We’d been good friends ever since.
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