Chapter 5
"Explain what? Don't worry, I'm used to people leaving me. My father left me, my mother died and left me, and you—you left me!" She fumed, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "God, what was I thinkin', lettin' you back in my life?"
"Look, Belair," Kai said, cupping her face gently, "I only got engaged 'cause I had to. My mother's last wish was that I marry the woman of her choice. I did it for her… Simone and I have been engaged two years now, but trust me, I don't feel a damn thing for her."
She pushed him away and turned to the glass window, watching the rain fall.
"Why didn't you tell me before you slept with me? This wasn't just sex for me… it was the hope that I still had you. But I guess I was too quick to believe."
She got dressed and went downstairs, leaving him alone in the bedroom. The sting of betrayal and use hit her hard. Brenda knew Kai was never really coming back to her—not fully. He belonged to someone else now.
She poured herself a glass of wine. Then another. She was halfway through her third when Kai came downstairs, dressed.
She looked up, her eyes still swollen. He walked toward her, reaching for the glass—but she shoved him hard.
"Leave." Her voice was cold, fury blazing in her eyes.
Kai knew there was nothing he could say to fix this now. He paused at the door, then said quietly, "I love you, Belair. And if you think I came this far just to lose you again…" He chuckled softly and left.
The fact that she'd slept with an engaged man made her feel cheap, disgusted with herself. Her phone rang, but she ignored it.
After drinking more wine, she got up and went to her personal gym on the balcony outside her room. She put on music—Red by Everyone Loves An Outlaw—and hummed softly, lost in the rhythm. She ran on the treadmill for three hours, so absorbed in the song she didn't hear Nella enter.
"Brenda Belair!" Nella called out.
Brenda took off her headphones and glanced at her.
"Oh, it's you," she said, putting the headphones aside but kept running.
"Yeah, it's me! Who else would it be?"
Silence.
"Yesterday, you left me alone at the club! Do you know how worried I was? I searched that place high and low. You were nowhere! Even worse—I had to call Paul to come get me!" Nella ranted.
Brenda stopped the treadmill, took a sip of water, then walked over and apologized.
"Sorry, Nella… but you won't believe who I saw there." She sat down.
Nella's eyes widened with curiosity. She raised her eyebrows, silently urging Brenda to continue.
"Kai."
"No! You're messin' with me, right?"
Brenda shook her head and told her everything that happened that morning.
"Wait, so you guys fucked?"
"We did." Brenda buried her face in her hands, ashamed.
"And you didn't know he was engaged?" Nella's disbelief was loud in every word.
"I only noticed after he'd collapsed my cheeks!" Brenda defended herself.
"Was the dick that good that you lost your damn vision? Tell me!"
"That ain't the point!" Brenda said firmly.
Nella threw her hands up.
"I give up! I just came to check on you 'cause you weren't answering your phone. Also, I'm headin' to New Orleans for some quality time with my hubby!"
She hugged Brenda and left.
All day, Brenda kept replaying everything. She hadn't felt that alive since college—the way Kai touched her, dominated her, and how loud she was with him.
The next day at work, Brenda was sitting in her office talking to Greg.
"Do you have pets, madam?" he asked, as if it were the most important question in the world.
"No, I don't. I'd have one if I wasn't this busy."
"You should totally get one! I have a corgi—his name's Chunkz!" He smiled, clearly proud of the name he'd chosen.
"Chunkz? Why Chunkz?" Brenda asked curiously, putting her pen down.
"Do you watch podcasts?" Greg inquired.
"Oh! I get it. You named him after Chunkz from the Chunkz and Filly podcast?"
He nodded proudly.
"But why that name?" Brenda pressed, intrigued.
"Because I love him… he's funny!"
"Word!" Brenda nodded, amused.
Their conversation drifted to other topics until Greg suddenly yelped like he'd remembered something crucial.
"Oh! I forgot to tell you—Chunkz can smell out diabetes and cancer!"
Brenda couldn't help but laugh. A dog that could smell cancer and diabetes? How? she wondered, still chuckling.
"How old are you, Greg?" she asked, laughing so hard her cheeks and stomach hurt.
"Twenty-three!"
Now it made sense. He was white—only white people could pull off miracles like that, allegedly.
They went out for lunch, and after the break, Brenda had a meeting.
"He's here!" Greg informed her of the client scheduled for the meeting.
"Send him in!"
Through the door, Kai walked in. Brenda couldn't believe it—this man had followed her to her office.
They stared at each other in silence.
"Ms. Belair? May I sit down?" he finally broke the silence.
"Pardon me, sure… make yourself comfortable." She tried to sound formal, especially with Greg, Halle, and three other employees present.
"Thank you, Ms. Belair."
"Madam will do!" she corrected, shaking his hand. She could feel his grip tighten. She broke the handshake, and they got down to business.
Halle escorted Kai through everything he needed to know to become a regular customer.
"Impressive. But I'd prefer Madam to convince me—give me reasons why I should do business with you," he said, pointing at Brenda.
She knew he was trying to get under her skin. Brenda never joked about her company. She never let her personal life interfere with business. Use your mind, not your heart was her mantra.
"With pleasure," she said. "Belair Distillery is known for producing the finest Scotch. Our Scotch is made with generational knowledge passed down through history. It carries an old man's wisdom, a happy child's excessiveness, and a woman's whisper. I'm sure you were recommended to us because of how exceptional our product is. Doing business with us will be beneficial for both parties."