Chapter 10
Chapter
Ten
Burkeley
I stood in my office taping pictures to the whiteboard I had to help me keep track of this case I was working on.
It was complex and should’ve had all my attention since there were a lot of people involved, but all I could think about was McKay.
It had been a couple of days since that night she’d practically thrown me out of her condo.
My simple plan blew the fuck up in my face.
First off, I made up some bullshit invoice, putting an amount that didn’t even cover the gas I used to run down to Austin Peaks.
But I wasn’t looking for her to pay me for real.
I just wanted another opportunity to be in her presence and check on her.
I didn’t like how I’d left her the day I dropped off the information about that fuck ass lame.
When McKay brought up her dilemma, in my mind I took another chance at offering up my services. To me, it was a win-win. I would get the chance to make Anna happy and keep whoever she had planned to set me up with at bay while spending time with the woman who hadn’t left my mind since I saw her.
I chuckled at the memory of McKay calling me insane.
I mean, in all fairness, it was random as hell for me to just throw out the idea the way I did when she was venting about her personal issues.
She didn’t know me, and yet there I was, telling her to play my girlfriend while I pretended to be her child’s father.
I pressed my lips together while a smug grin began to form.
“It’s still a solid ass idea, BK. She just wasn’t ready to hear about it,” I told myself while I went through the next stack of pictures to add the important ones to the board.
Of course, my moment of stillness would be interrupted by Art who came barging into my office.
“Fool, why the hell you ain’t answering the phone?” I looked from him toward the board, making it clear why my personal phone was not in the same room.
“Oh shit, my bad. But, um… you got a visitor. I told her to come in with me, but she insisted on waiting for you outside.” I frowned as my brain tried to imagine what woman would be at my house unannounced. Panic set in my chest as an uneasy feeling hit my stomach.
“Oh damn, do you think your mama would send a woman to my doorstep?” I hurriedly moved to lean out the doorframe as if I could truly see my front door from here. That simple act had me thinking about McKay though.
“Fool, Mama ain’t sent nobody, and if she did, you hiding from women now? You got something to tell me?” he said as he smirked, placing his hand on my shoulder. I forcefully nudged him off me, causing Art to burst into laughter.
“What? No! And get off me. I’m just trying to figure out who could be here.” Now I was heading out of the room to get my phone but made the greatest mistake of walking past the front window to see McKay standing on the porch. My eyes grew wide with surprise as my feet headed in her direction.
I opened the door to let her in.
“Hey, Burkeley, I apologize for just dropping by, but in my defense, I texted and called.” She chuckled nervously.
“I feel like we keep going in circles at this point. You forgot your money that night, and as I’ve told you, I don’t like owing people.
” She extended the money with the invoice but it was much more than the fifty dollars I had typed.
I ignored the money as I stepped aside, creating space to let her in.
“No need to apologize, please come in. I hope you weren’t out here long. I was in my office working.” She stepped in cautiously and I hated that, especially since before my ass spooked her she had moved so naturally around me.
She then looked around as if she was searching for something, no… someone.
“Not long. I pulled up with that guy.” My mouth opened and shut as I realized she was looking for Art.
“Oh yeah, that’s my brother, Art.”
“Oh, okay. Um… I was wondering if—” The loud muthafucka came busting out of the back talking, cutting McKay off, pissing me off.
“BK man, are you cool? Oh snap, my bad. I take it this ain’t a shorty Mama sent to your doorstep.” He chuckled while I scowled at him and his not funny joke.
“Bye, Art,” I said, making him kiss his teeth.
“I swear your lack of social interaction has you forgetting manners. How you doing? I’m Art and you are?” He addressed McKay, holding his hand out waiting for a shake that I blocked.
“McKay, this is my brother, you can ignore him. He was just leaving. Can you give me a minute to see him out?” I asked. McKay gave me her eyes as she nodded. By now, I was pushing Art toward the kitchen so he would go out the back door.
“Damn, I can understand why you ain’t want Mama help. Is she who you’re bringing to the functions this year? Wait until I tell—
“Fool, will you please shut the hell up and get out? We haven’t gotten that far yet, so don’t go telling nobody shit.”
Which was a lie. We had and McKay shut me down.
True, but she came to you this time.
Only to pay a debt.
That was what I told myself, but hopefully there was another reason for her being here.
“Oh damn. Okay, well let me head out so you can handle your thing. We’re weeks from the pumpkin patch and I’m looking forward to you bringing your new lady friend. Remember, spending money goes a long way.” He was talking while I was pushing his ass out the door, praying McKay hadn’t heard him.
By the time I made it back to the living room, McKay had ventured over to the front room where my plants were, touching the leaves on the spider plant.
“It’s called a spider plant that I named Lou,” I called out to her, causing her to jump slightly. I quickly apologized for my action.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” She turned toward me, giving me her beautiful face, causing me to smile at her natural glow. McKay truly was breathtaking.
“No, it’s okay. I hope you don’t mind me snooping in your space. I couldn’t really look the last time I was here. You have quite a few beauties in here.”
I closed the space between us, getting closer to her.
“Not at all. My babies are on display for a reason. Would you like something to drink? I have water, orange juice, milk?” She snickered, granting me a view of her smile.
“Burkeley, who offers someone milk?”
I shrugged.
“Me right now. I won’t pretend to be an expert on entertaining company. Outside of my clients, the only people who come over on a personal tip are family and friends and they tend to help themselves.”
“Water is fine.” I reached for her hand to lead her to the kitchen.
I would be a lie if I said I didn’t feel the spark of electricity that surged through my hand and down my body from just the simple gesture between us.
The small gasp McKay delivered let me know she felt it too.
So much that just as quickly as I had her hand in mine, it was gone.
Once we made it to the kitchen, I went for the bottle of water while McKay took a seat at the island. I slid the bottle of water over as I watched her open it and take a long drink before she finally spoke. She let out a deep sigh.
“Burkeley, first, I want to apologize for my behavior the other night. You caught me off guard with your suggestion. Secondly, you have to stop refusing my money. I don’t like the feeling of you doing something for me and not paying for your services. It makes this thing between us uneven.”
“McKay, no need to apologize. I did come out of nowhere, and like you said, you don’t know me. I saw a problem and figured I had a solution that could help us both. And second, with me presenting the offer, I didn’t feel comfortable taking the money, especially not after.”
We got quiet for a moment, but it wasn’t weird. I could tell McKay was battling with her words right now so I took the initiative to try to help her.
“Was there something else, McKay?” I asked. Jumping the gun and talking too fast the last time McKay and I were together had me choosing my words out cautiously this go around.
“Yes. Um… this is going to sound silly, considering that I called you crazy for presenting the idea to me almost a week ago, but does your offer still stand? Ya know, for you to meet my parents and well… me to spend the holidays with you in return?”
I licked my lips as I looked her over, gauging her nervousness. It was cute to me, especially since she was right. Last week she had just called me crazy—
“And kicked me out.”
She released an exasperated sigh as she playfully rolled her eyes.
“Yes, which I just apologized for, Burkeley.”
“True but that doesn’t mean my feelings aren’t still hurt, McKay. And now here you are, asking this… Ah, what is it that you called me?” I tapped my chin as I moved my head to the side, feigning complete confusion. I remembered.
“Burkeley,” McKay called out.
“No, that wasn’t it. It started with an s, I think. Damn, what was it?”
“A stranger, which you still are, but we can fix that.”
“Can we? How are we going to do that? I want to hear this plan of yours.” I was fucking with McKay hard right now, only because she wouldn’t even hear me out. I was sure her plan was similar to mine for us.
She kissed her teeth and began to get up. “Yeah, never mind this was—” She was moving, but I rushed her, grabbing her hand to stop her.
“Hold up. Okay, I’ll quit playing. Yes, the offer still stands, McKay.
And no, I don’t blame you for how you reacted.
Hell roles reversed, I would’ve thought your pretty ass was crazy too.
Shit, the verdict is still out.” I tossed her a smirk with her pressing her lips together, giving me her best glare.
Another cute tick of hers. I was enjoying learning the many different sides to McKay.
“Okay, I’ll stop for real this time. But seriously, I am curious, what’s your plan to fix this minor problem of us not knowing each other?” I ushered her back toward her stool at the island, but this time, removed her jacket, draping it on the other barstool next to her so she could be comfortable.