“I’ll handle it,” I replied sternly.
“Is everything okay, sir?” Mariah asked in a kittenish tone.
“Yes Mimi, thank you,” I said, calling her by the pet name I’d given her, knowing that would calm her down. It always did.
“Yes, sir. Let me know if you need anything else. Anything…” she let the last word linger.
“That will be all,” I said, disconnecting the call.
Next, I dialed M&M to set an appointment with Mira. I was pleased when her personal assistant gave me an available slot for the next morning.
My lips curved into a smile as I imagined the look Mira would have on her face when she realized I was her ten o’clock appointment. The image of her luscious lips I’d kissed crossed my mind. The thought of her brown sugar toned legs crossing and uncrossing behind her desk made me gulp for air. Her legs seemed to scream for a good caressing, and I could still see them coming out of the hem of her tight skirt. Her shirt fit snugly against her body and molded to her curves. She was in control and yet so feminine.
The intercom went off again. This time, the caller was my uncle. I let it go to voicemail and did my best to put Mira out of my mind so I could focus on other deals that were pressing.
***
The M&M Construction building looked beautiful on the outside. It was built in the shape of a crescent moon with a huge fountain in front of it. The inside was elegantly designed with several unique glasses. The richly decorated reception area had a lovely display of miniature building models in the center of the room. The receptionist, a dark-skinned woman with big, brown eyes and a lovely face, rang Mira’s assistant, Georgiana, for her to come over to meet me. I easily charmed Georgiana as she walked me back to Mira’s office for my appointment. We were chatting like old friends until a door flung open and Mira stepped out.
Something remarkable happened at that moment. The entire office quieted immediately. Not one voice could be heard. Everyone grabbed a file or faced a computer and resumed work. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of Mira’s stiletto heels clicking on the marble floors. She stopped at the receptionist’s desk, and the poor girl looked so nervous that I felt sorry for her. Mira’s lips tightened when she followed the receptionist’s finger pointing in my direction. I turned and leisurely strolled back over to stand in front of the desk where Mira was.
“Morning, Miss McBride,” I said, pushing away the thoughts of how fierce her glare was toward me.
“Good morning to you, too,” she replied with a kindness that didn’t reach her facial expression. “Is there a reason you are here?” she added, her heels tapdancing with the floor as she sped walked back toward her office with me following behind her.
“I have an appointment to discuss a project,” I said quickly.
“Miss McBride, he is your eleven o’clock.” Georgiana had caught up to us and was stating my case. “You had an opening on your schedule, so I squeezed him in and sent you an email.”
“Oh, that’s you…” Mira said flippantly then looked at me as if I were a ragged piece of half crumpled paper she wasn’t sure was still good enough to write a memo. “Come on in, Levine.”
As I walked behind her into her office, one thing was for sure, her shapely derriere was nice and plump. The above-knee black pencil skirt she wore showed just enough to get an eyeful but hid too much. She quickly took a seat behind her big mahogany desk, denying me access to her beautiful assets, and I looked around her office to get a feel for the mysterious, strong-willed woman. The room seemed to have been designed for a man, but at the same time, it reeked of taste, wealth, and class.
“The one and only, Ward Levine,” she began the meeting with a mock compliment of my name. “Please have a seat, Levine, and tell me what I can do for you.”
“Thank you for inviting me in to speak to you.” I grinned at her, and a frown creased her forehead.
"I have a full schedule today. How may I help you?" she asked.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-nine, why?" she replied.
"I’m thirty-five," I said.
“And just how may I help you today?” she asked, sounding more agitated than before. “Did you set up a fake business meeting to find out my age, or do you want to apologize for your crass behavior yesterday? Oh, maybe you’re here to steal another kiss,” she added.
Another kiss would be great.
“Girl, if you want me to kiss you again, all you have to do is ask,” I said and flashed a big smile.
She frowned. “Levine, I just told you my age, so you know I’m not a little girl. And, no, I don’t want you to kiss me ever again.”
"That was a joke," I said. "You are the first woman who hasn't found any of my jokes funny." She was going to be a tough cookie to crumble, but they all crumbled.
“Some of us don’t have enough time on our hands to placate men’s ego by laughing at things that aren’t funny. For the hundredth time, please get straight to the point,” she said, glaring at me with all-business, albeit sexy, brown orbs that chipped away at my sanity every time they bore into mine.
Her desk looked as if she had stacks of work to do, and I was in the way of her meeting her goals. I’d never felt so small in my life. But I was determined to flip this on her.