Beautiful Surrender Page 5

  “Sure, that would work. I hope to have a few more people solidified by the first meeting too,” she replied as she glanced at the bag of food she’d placed on the conference table. “How about we take a break to eat.”

  “Sounds good,” Malik replied with a smirk. “My office manager stored some paper plates, plastic utensils and cold water in the kitchenette. I’ll get those and be right back.”

  “Okay,” she said as Malik got up and left the conference room. She reached for the brown paper bag and began taking out the containers of food. Although she had originally thought that the time leading up to the auction would fly by, there was no doubt in her mind that it couldn’t come soon enough now.

  * * *

  Mya connected her iPhone to her Bluetooth speaker and placed both devices on the countertop of her white marble sink. As a soft and slow melody from Jill Scott filled the bathroom with sweet sounds of relaxation, she slipped out of her plush white robe and twirled her wavy brown hair atop her head before securing it with a clip.

  Seeing Malik a couple days ago and finding out that she would be seeing a lot more of him had been something completely unexpected. Mya could usually handle pressure very well, but over the past few months, it seemed that someone in the universe was playing a cruel joke on her.

  She’d been so excited to land a great venue for the date auction right after she had discussed the idea with her partners. But a call she’d received earlier today had been full of disappointing news. Not only had the venue been accidently double booked, but her second option wasn’t available either. Between trade shows, bridal shows, job fairs and people in town for summer events, marathons and festivals, the best venues in Chicago and Chicagoland were booked solid the day of the date auction. It was too late to change the date, so she had to find another solution, and quickly since the event was in three weeks. It would be difficult enough just to change the location but now she would also have to find a hotel close to the new venue for out-of-town attendees.

  Mya turned off the water of her stand-alone wrought-iron tub and dipped her toes in the water to test the heat level. Deciding it was the perfect temperature for a relaxing bath, she slowly eased her body into the hot water and leaned her head against a soft white pillow.

  “Much better,” she said aloud to herself as she softly closed her eyes. This had been the most relaxing thing she’d done in the past few days and her eucalyptus bath oil with a hint of sweet jasmine was the perfect aroma to calm her nerves.

  She’d also received a voicemail once she left her meeting with Malik from one of the business professionals saying that she could no longer participate due to family obligations, but still planned on donating. Mya had been extremely disappointed because the natural-hair icon was very well known and respected in the Chicago community—especially in the beauty industry. Her presence would have gotten the attention of a lot of beauty professionals and she hoped she was able to find a replacement that would draw the same type of crowd.

  The light ding of her phone caused her to open her eyes. “What is it now?” she said to herself, expecting some more bad news regarding the auction. She lifted a wet manicured hand out of the tub and gently patted away some of the moisture with a towel before reaching for her phone. She was surprised to see that it wasn’t additional bad news about the auction, but instead, a reminder that she’d set for herself last month.

  “Time is ticking. You need to decide how to handle the call,” she read aloud. “Hmm.” She knew exactly what call she had been referring to. Mya put her phone back down and slid even deeper into the tub.

  She was never the type to prolong decisions that had to be made and had always been a decisive person. Except when it came to this call or dealing with any decisions that she had to make about her past. When it came to those types of choices, she could procrastinate for an extremely long amount of time.

  But procrastinating never solved anything. The person who had called her a few months ago had claimed to know about her birth mother. A mother who Mya had never gotten the chance to know and who, according to hints from the caller, had passed away.

  “Why now?” she yelled into the air as she tilted her head to the ceiling. Growing up, Mya had always dreamed that her mother would one day show up to whatever foster home she was at, claim she never meant to give her up and take her to her home. But that had only been foolish thinking on Mya’s part. When she became a teenager, she realized that she was given up for a reason, so the odds of her mother suddenly deciding that she wanted to have her in her life were slim to none.

  But still, it was important to know where you came from and who you came from. Mya knew that any contact from someone who might know about her past was something she needed to consider researching further.

  Her eyes drifted closed again as her thoughts wandered to Malik. She was an extremely private person and her partners knew not to push her to discuss anything about her past that she didn’t freely want to discuss. Malik didn’t know anything about her beyond Mya, the successful event planner who was passionate about after-school programs. He had only seen her in business settings or friendly gatherings with people who had known her long enough in her adulthood not to question her life as an adolescent. But he didn’t know the other side of her. The side she often kept concealed from the outside world. The Mya who didn’t have a family of her own to visit on the holidays. The Mya who had worked four jobs at age sixteen to save up for a better life when other girls were going out on dates and getting a weekly allowance from their parents.

  But Malik is a private investigator, a little voice inside her head echoed. If you let him, he could probably help you. Her eyes quickly opened when she thought about what confiding in Malik would mean. She had never relied on anyone for help and it didn’t matter if it was his job or not, trusting Malik was completely out of the question.

  You’re just scared you’ll find out more than you bargained for. She shot upright and braced both hands on either side of the tub, expecting to see a face belonging to the voice inside her head. Sometimes, her thoughts were so powerful that they caught her off guard. Mya had never been afraid of anything. She couldn’t afford to be. And if she had been, she had deliberately hid her fears, even to herself sometimes. But as she stared out into the empty space in the bathroom, she knew the voice inside her head was speaking the words she wouldn’t dare say out loud. Words that continued to float through her mind as she slipped back into the tub and tried her best to relax.

  Chapter 5

  “Is everything okay with her?” Winter Dupree, Malik’s cousin and the owner of Bare Sophistication lingerie boutique asked.

  Malik glanced over at Mya who was sporting a chic pantsuit and discussing a few of the date auction details with one of the business professionals. He hadn’t seen her since last week and had traveled to Detroit over the weekend. He hoped she wasn’t still upset about the contract.

  “I’m not sure,” he said to his cousin as he observed the strained smile Mya wore. After she’d called him a couple days ago and informed him that one of their prospects for the auction could no longer participate, he’d quickly called his cousin and asked if she wanted to be a part of the charity date auction. It had only taken a little coaxing to get her to agree since she had only been residing in Chicago for a year and never passed on an opportunity to represent Bare Sophistication and network.

  “Well, I suggest you find out,” Winter said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know Mya well, but I have a feeling her bark is worse than her bite. Find out what’s going on in that head of hers.” She gave him a soft smile before walking over to Mya to bid her goodbye. Once they were alone, the silence in the Elite Events conference room was deafening.

  “Do you want to talk about anything?” he asked as he helped her straighten up.

  “I’m fine,” she stated as she picked up her f
older and notes from the meeting without making eye contact. “I’d say that meeting went well, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, it went extremely well. Any news on finding another venue for the event?”

  “I’m working on it,” she said finally looking at him and giving him a half smile. “We may have to settle for a mediocre venue since all the great places have been taken, but I’m sure we could transform whatever place we choose into something great. As of now, we are telling the public that the location is secret and will be disclosed closer to the event to add suspense. It’s actually working and our social media followers are increasing by the day.”

  “That’s good news,” Malik said with a smile. “Great plan.”

  “Thanks.” Mya pushed in the final office chair. “Well, I guess that’s all for tonight. And I wanted to apologize for not thanking you last week. I really appreciate the donation.”

  “You’re welcome,” he replied as he leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m happy to donate to the cause and I’m confident that everything will work out and the auction will be a success.”

  He was fishing for a sign that her mood had to do with the auction since it didn’t appear that she was going to willingly tell him what was wrong.

  “Oh, I’m confident everything will turn out great with the auction,” she stated as she clutched the folder and notepad to her chest. He studied the worry lines etched across her face and the droop of her mouth. Something else is bothering her. And from the looks of it, he suspected that whatever was bothering her had been bothering her for a while, although he couldn’t be sure.

  He expected her to eventually look away from him, but instead, she kept her eyes locked on his. She shuffled her feet, bringing his attention to her body language. By the way she was standing, she appeared standoffish and unapproachable. Though her eyes didn’t mirror her mannerisms. Her eyes seemed to plea for something, but he wasn’t quite sure what that something was. Help? Advice?

  “Are you busy tonight?” he asked, breaking the silence.

  “No,” she answered as she nodded her head.

  Malik moved away from the doorjamb and stepped closer to her. “I was going to take a walk along the lake to watch the fireworks at Navy Pier. Would you like to join me?”

  Her facial expression hadn’t changed, but he took note that the rise and fall of her chest had quickened. “Sure,” she replied. “Let me just put this stuff in my office and get my things.”

  “Okay,” Malik said as he followed her to her office, careful not to seem too surprised that she’d accepted his offer.

  After Mya had locked up the office and Malik had signed out of the visitor log for the building, they both stepped out into the crisp spring air.

  “Are we driving or walking?” she asked.

  Malik looked up at the night sky before checking the weather app on his phone to make sure it wasn’t going to rain. “Let’s walk and I’ll walk you back to your car after the fireworks.”

  She nodded her head in agreement and they began walking in comfortable silence towards the lake. The temperature had dropped, but he welcomed the night breeze. He looked over at Mya who was looking straight ahead, her face void of emotion. He figured she was thinking about whatever had been on her mind earlier in her office.

  “I hear this is a great spot to sit,” he said as he pointed to a wooden bench.

  Mya glanced around the area. “Usually all the good places to view the fireworks are swarming with people. How did you find one of the few secluded places when you don’t even permanently live here?”

  “My brother told me,” he said with a chuckle. “I guess he figured I needed something to do tonight and he knows I don’t like crowds of people.”

  “Ahh,” Mya said, finally giving him a smile.

  “There it is,” he said as they reached the bench and sat beside one another.

  “There what is?” Mya asked.

  Malik adjusted his suit jacket and glanced to his side at Mya. “There’s that smile I’ve been waiting to see all evening.”

  “Oh, boy,” she said with a laugh as she lightly punched him in his shoulder. “That was so corny.”

  He flashed her his pearly whites. “But it made you laugh so I’d say I’m two for two tonight.”

  She laughed again as she pushed aside dark brown tendrils of hair that had blown in her face. “Whatever you say, Malik.”

  They both leaned back on the bench and turned to face the lake. Malik was glad that the area where they were seated didn’t have any bright lights. It was lit just enough for them to see one another and their surroundings. He could hear the light hum of passing conversations from other spectators who also knew about his secluded area and awaited the fireworks presentation.

  “Sometimes, at the end of the day, I walk to the lake and watch the sunset,” Mya said.

  “Seems really relaxing.”

  “It is. I do some of my best thinking during those times.”

  “I bet,” he responded as he stretched out his legs and crossed one ankle over the other. “I’ve always preferred being alone with my thoughts instead of surrounded by people asking me what I think.”

  “I’m quite the opposite,” Mya replied. “Sort of.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, everyone needs that alone time to think,” she stated as she crossed one leg over the other. “But I don’t mind being surrounded by people and having someone to talk to or bounce ideas off of. Unfortunately, I don’t like answering questions about my thoughts, so that’s why I sort of agree with you and at the same time, I kinda don’t.”

  Okay, so she’s really sociable, yet private at the same time. Me too. “Then I guess it’s best that I don’t ask you what types of things you think about when you watch the sunset,” he said jokingly. She laughed along with him.

  “I enjoy bouncing ideas off of others too, but growing up with five brothers meant there was never any private time, so I learned to cherish the alone time I had.”

  “That’s understandable,” Mya said. Malik waited for her to expand, but she didn’t appear to have anything else to add.

  “Did you ever wish you had more alone time when you were growing up?” Malik asked. She didn’t answer right away.

  “I was always surrounded by kids, but I often felt alone,” she said a little quieter than before. “I did make a couple friends in foster care at a couple homes, but I bounced around so much that it was often hard to forge lasting relationships.”

  Foster care? “I had no idea you grew up in foster care,” he responded, surprised that he hadn’t heard anything about it from his brother.

  “Hmm, I bet it changes your image of me now, doesn’t it?” she said, turning her head in his direction. He didn’t miss the negative tone in her voice as she spoke.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Well, I’m sure you didn’t think this amazingly well-rounded and educated woman grew up in foster care.”

  Ah, I see. “You assume that’s what I think?” Malik asked. “Did I miss the memo that growing up in foster care somehow meant you were less likely to be well-rounded and educated?”

  “It’s not about your upbringing, but rather the person you decide you want to be,” she huffed.

  “I agree with that statement,” Malik said as he pointed to himself. “But evidently you think differently based off the fact that you assume your upbringing matters to me,” he continued as he pointed to her.

  “I don’t expect you to understand the type of person I am.”

  “I really won’t understand if you choose to hide the type of person you are and pretend to be someone you’re not.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, her voice raising a notch. “I’ve always been real with peo
ple and if they don’t accept me, that’s their problem, not mine.”

  “That may be the case,” Malik said, keeping his voice in the same octave. “I know a little about the woman you are now and she seems amazing, but opening up about the person you used to be or the life you used to have isn’t a bad thing. People pass judgment about things they don’t understand. You’ve never bothered to ask me anything about myself, so you really don’t know what type of person I am or what I understand. Yet you’ve passed judgment on me, questioned my character and now you’ve accused me of being judgmental.”

  “Oh great,” she said sarcastically. “I guess now is the time we share childhood sob stories while we hold hands and sing ‘Kumbaya.’” Malik blinked a few times and gave her a blank stare. Micah wasn’t lying...her tongue is lethal. And despite the way she was using that tongue to give him a verbal lashing, he was still curious to know how it would feel to put her tongue to better use. Preferably something that required little speaking and more mouth-to-mouth action.

  “I’m not sure how this conversation escalated, but it wasn’t my plan to force you to talk to me when I invited you to watch the fireworks,” Malik stated. “Back in the office, I thought you needed a break. That’s all.”

  She held his stare for a few seconds before rubbing her neck with the palm of her hand and looking back to the lake. He’d hoped to cheer her up, but it seemed his presence was having the opposite affect.

  When she looked at him again, he expected her to make up an excuse to return to her car and call it a night. Instead, she said three words he didn’t expect to hear.

  “Maybe you’re right,” she said faintly. “As I said before, I don’t really share much about myself with people, but tonight, I knew I needed to talk to you.”

  Malik scooted closer to her on the bench so that he could hear her better. “What do you need to talk to me about?” he asked.

  She bit her bottom lip and fumbled with her fingers, the act appearing vulnerable and endearing to Malik.