CHAPTER NINETEEN
KIRA
Three weeks had passed since my breakup with Blade. He still didn’t give up on me, but I ignored him and his angry texts which I was quite sure he sent whenever he was drunk because of the misspelled words. I was over him, and everything related to him, that was why I was heading to my boss’s office this morning.
After I dressed up, I opened the document that I had written about Blade Benefield, the one that would give me my big break and propel Daybreak Journal back into the limelight. It was so real because I had backed everything up with evidence, from his fast-and-furious lifestyle, the considerable liquor bar to the pills I’d found in his bathroom and the envelope I had recovered from his car the last day we were together.
I took a gulp of air into my lungs and told myself I was doing the right thing by submitting this story. What we’d had was not real, so there was no need to attach my emotions to work-related stuff. I decided to be very professional.
You can do this, I said to myself.
I clicked on the document to have a final read-through before submitting it to Penny. I had written the article chronicling the time I’d spent with Blade, but I used my journalistic privilege to leave out my own participation of a sexual sort, and I signed it in my pen name: Danielle Lewis.
“The Secret Life of Blade Benefield: The Downfall of the Trash Monkeys,” I murmured.
THE SECRET LIFE OF BLADE BENEFIELD: THE DOWNFALL OF THE
TRASH MONKEYS
BY DANIELLE LEWIS
Only those who live inside a castle know the secret of the king. There is a favorite saying that all that glitters is not gold. I totally agree with that. Every man has a weakness, every man has an Achilles’ heel. Everyone owns a secret, but some secrets are dirtier than others.
I took an interest in Rainbow City’s own, the Trash Monkeys, after listening to their hit track, Illicit, which brought them to the limelight. I was awed by their release, their strong bond and connectivity, and how much they had each other’s back.
The leader of the rock band caught my interest after I attended one of the concerts in New York City, and I decided to go an extra mile in getting to know him better.
First, Blade Benefield is not as perfect as a lot of women make him out to be. He is a broken man who needs a high level of fixing and rehab. His inspiration comes from drugs and alcohol, and I feel this should be handled before he loses himself or destroys his career.
If the leader of the band is an addict, what would happen to the rest of the band members?
I dropped the file on my bed and clutched my head in my hands. Am I ready to do this? Once I walked into Penny’s office, there was no going back.
I raised my phone and stared at the text messages from Blade for the last time. I would delete them soon but not right now.
Lately, Blade sounded angry and desperate in his voicemail messages; he made me feel like I was one of his addictions.
“What the…?” My eyes grew wide as I spotted a text message from a strange number.
Hey, Kira. Blade has told me all about you two, and I really feel horrible for what happened. You are the first person to have affected him this way. You made him really happy and fulfilled. I don’t know what happened between you two and I am not willing to take sides. I hope you know that he truly loves you. I wish you two could work things out because Blade hasn’t been the same. Good luck in all your endeavors. Starburst from the TRASH MONKEYS.
A tear dropped from my eyes as I read the message over and over again.
“I’m sorry.” I grabbed the article and my car keys. I was going straight to Penny’s office. There was no peace to be had with my decision.
***
I arrived at the office thirty minutes later, thanks to traffic. I walked past Edel and Tom without casting a second glance at them.
“Is Penny in?” I asked her secretary when I exited the elevator.
“Yes.” She nodded.
I drew one last breath before walking into my boss’s office.
“Who do we have here?” Penny, who’d been working on some files, took off her horn-rimmed glasses and stared at me.
“I am sorry, Penny,” I muttered.
“What?” She raised her brows.
“I…” My mouth felt dry; words fled me.
“Come on, Kira, I’ve got a lot to do.” She pointed at the pile of files on her desk.
“I am sorry I don’t have a big story. The one I was working on was a bust and hit a dead end. I just couldn’t take it anywhere.”
At the last moment, I didn’t have the courage to submit the article. I didn’t want to be the reason for Blade’s untimely downfall. I knew a part of me still had strong love for him, but this decision I had made was to forget him, to let everything related to him get swept under the rug.
“I gave you enough time, Kira; two full months is enough time to get a hit story.”
“I tried, Penny…I really did try.” I was not in the mood to explain myself but I had to put on my game face.
“Well I am sorry, too…” She slid her glasses up on her pointy nose and resumed her work.
“I…I don’t understand. Am I fired?” I felt scared as I recalled the dream.
“No, not today, but you are just going to leave your office, and I will assign you to desk duty for the next month. You will now be sharing the floor with the other newbie's.” She smirked and pointed at the door.
That was my cue to get out of her office.
I was supposed to feel bad that I had been demoted but I didn’t. I felt overwhelmed with peace…I was in a better place.
“I like your brows.” Edel smiled at me as I walked past her desk.
“Thank you.” I smiled at her. “I had them plucked yesterday,” I added.
My phone buzzed soon after. It was another text message.
I am across the street from your building. Come out now. Please let me see your lovely face. If you refuse to come out, I’ll come in and announce to the whole world that I am in love with you. Blade.
“Are you okay?” Edel had been watching my face.
I nodded my head up and down because I found it difficult to speak. What was I going to do now? How did he even know where to find me?