CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BLADE
As always, I was filled with joy when our eyes had met in Penny’s office before Kira had taken off. I had prepared myself already for her rejection because I knew it was going to come. What I’d put Kira through was horrible, and I understood why she was treating me that way.
I was not going to give her up that easily, contrary to what Starburst had advised. I had decided to go ahead and fight for her. What was the point of waiting? The point of giving her more time?
You see, my greatest fear was her going further apart from me. I feared she could find herself another man, a better man who would fulfill her heart’s desires. I was not ready to give Kira to another man; I loved her too much to share. In fact, the very thought of her with another made me jealous.
After Essie had given me details about Kira’s workplace, I had come up with a plan that would make her keep her job and draw us closer. It was the perfect plan, and if Kira participated, everyone was going back home happy.
I loved Kira. I appreciated her more after our breakup. When I got sober and finally took a decision to stay off booze and drugs, I realized how my days passed quickly, empty and meaningless. I felt like a total wreck. I felt my whole world had crashed, but whenever I took a look at her pretty face, I convinced myself that this was just a phase and I could work through it.
“Um, I don’t know what came over Kira. I think she is just overwhelmed to see someone like you. I apologize for her strange behavior,” Penny said to me.
I’d noticed a glimpse of fear in Kira’s eyes. I realized it would take some time for her to trust me again. I wanted to tell Penny to stay calm but decided to stay out of it. I needed Kira badly, so if Penny could pressure her to work with me, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
I know I sounded selfish right now, but once I’d lost my heart to Kira, I found myself willing to do anything to keep her in my life. I would move the world for the woman my heart had chosen.
“You’ll excuse me, Mr. Benefield, I need to go speak to Kira.” Penny rushed towards the door.
I released the breath I held and stopped her. “Wait…please.”
Penny paused and looked at me.
“I will go. I will talk to Kira myself,” I said to her.
Penny stared at me. She seemed like she was bewildered at my offer. I knew Kira was not a complicated person, I just needed to convince her to work with me first…then we’d talk about the rest later.
“Um, are you sure that is a good idea?” Penny asked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this business matter,” I assured her.
“Okay.” Penny returned my smile. “One more thing, Mr. Benefield. You have to be careful. Kira hasn’t been herself lately. I’m sure the ladies can quickly become enamored by your superstar status.” She batted her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Her gaze raked slowly over my body.
“Thanks, Penny. I will take your advice into consideration, but Kira has nothing to fear from me.” I wondered: was Penny talking about herself or other women in general?
I walked briskly, as fast as my long legs could carry me. I saw the shock on the faces of people as I strolled out of Penny’s office.
“Are you fucking kidding me? It’s Blade Benefield!” a voice screamed, and before I could tell what was happening, people were rushing in my direction.
“God.” I rolled my eyes. I’d forgotten to put on my shades and now I had gotten myself in a fix. I needed to escape more than fifty people all running towards me at the same time.
My thoughts were no longer on Kira. I thought of saving my ass before I became bombarded with requests for autographs. There would be time for that later.
“For fuck’s sake,” I swore under my breath as they got closer to where I stood.
People were already taking pictures of me.
I took a deep breath and stood my ground, but a miracle happened just like a flash of lightning.
“Hey! Blade, come over here. I know a secret door that could lead us to a safe room,” someone called to me.
The voice belonged to a woman who had a thick German accent. She was casually dressed in a blue skirt and a polka dot blouse. She was cute and seemed friendly. I felt I could trust her.
“Good looking out.” I nodded my thanks and hurried her way.
She grabbed my hand immediately and led me down a corridor which was just below Penny’s office.
People screamed and jeered at me, but I didn’t pay them any attention. I was happy to get away from them.
“Get back to work!” Penny screamed at the workers.
That was the last thing I had heard before the unfamiliar lady led me into a room filled with several computers, tables, and chairs.
“This is our conference room where we brainstorm and stuff, you’ll be all right here,” she said to me.
I released the breath I had been holding, “Um, thank you… And you are?”
“Edel, Edel’s the name.” She smiled.
“Thanks, I am Blade.”
“Are you for real? I know who you are. Who doesn’t know the hottest Trash Monkey alive?”
Okay, I was tired of hearing that. “Come on, I think Trisha would think different. I think some of the other members would, too,” I teased Edel.
“The other band members are indeed cute, but you, Blade Benefield, are on another level, I mean it.” She smiled then took out her cell phone. “Excuse me for a minute,” she said just before turning her back on me. “Get your ass in the conference room, ASAP!” she muttered then ended the call.
While she was on the call, I decided to alert security about the security problem. I sent them a message then took pictures of the room so they could locate me easily. The label had recently added a security team for the band members since our latest album went platinum.
“Why did you do that?” Edel asked.
“‘Um, sorry, I just wanted to tell my security team that I’m safe,” I replied.
“Okay, don’t be offended, Blade. I want to ask you a personal question.” She licked her lips.
“Yeah, go ahead.” I nodded.
“How do you know my friend Kira Martin?”
I was dumbfounded. I had not expected that question. I had a feeling she’d known about my relationship with Kira, but I wasn’t sure, so I feigned ignorance.
“I don’t understand,” I replied.
Edel laughed. “I know you may feel reluctant to talk to a stranger, but…I am Kira’s friend, we’ve been friends for years, and you can trust me. Here.” She offered me her phone.
I didn’t want to take it.
“Come on, Blade, there’s the evidence that you need.” She pushed the phone closer to my face.
I saw a picture of her and Kira at the beach. They must have gone swimming because both were in swimming suits. I got hard looking at Kira. Her bathing suit wasn’t all that revealing, but her curves made me crave her. I missed having her in my arms. Shit, it had been too fucking long.
“I believe you, Edel, but—” I just didn’t know the appropriate answer to give to her.
Edel was a journalist; in fact, most people in this building would kill for a big story. I just didn’t want to give them something to talk about. This was not about me as a rock star, it was about my love for Kira, and that was personal.
“I saw Kira speaking to a man a couple of days ago and I knew there was something oddly familiar about that stranger. But I had refused to confront her. I noticed you had on shades to shield your eyes, but anyone with a keen eye can always spot that Blade Benefield look, no matter how much you try to hide it.” She said this so confidently, that if I wasn’t careful, I would spill the truth.
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about, Edel.” I maintained my stand.
“Kira is hurting. I knew she was keeping something from me. I never knew you were the guy who broke her heart.” She was taking another angle now, and this made me feel guilty.
A surge of power filled me. I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to tell Edel that I was a better man and I was changed but I clipped my tongue. I needed her to lead me into Kira’s pain so I could gain some insight on the next step to take.
“You’re drawing straws, Edel. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I insisted.
“I bet you do. I am not stupid, Blade.”
“Good journalists like you are rarely stupid,” I chipped in.
She laughed, but the fire in her eyes immediately died as she spoke again. “I knew Kira was in a relationship long before the heartbreak. She was always missing from work and using Penny’s request for a big story to ask for time away from the office.” Edel gestured with her hands.
“I don’t see what that has to do with me,” I responded. I needed to catch up to Kira. I didn’t have time to stand around chewing the fat.
“Listen up, Mr. Rock Star, you may learn something. As I was saying…” She huffed. “The Kira I know is now a shadow of the young, energetic, assured woman she used to be. She metamorphosed into this woman with uncertainty. Sometimes, she would look happy, and other times, she appeared to be sad. I knew something was going on with her but I never pried. I wanted her to come to me first. Then, that fateful night, she called me really late. Her voice was broken, and I could tell she had been crying. I rushed over there as soon as I could, and we spent the night watching movies on Netflix, overeating ice cream, and eating popcorn. She didn’t open up but she shared a bit of the pain. It was the pain of the heart, and I knew somehow that there was a man in her life. I just didn’t know she had found you at the concert all those weeks ago.” Edel gave me a hard look.
I tore my eyes away from her piercing gaze. She seemed to reach into the depths of my soul; she seemed to find the walls of my thoughts—she’d breached them, and I let her in.
I felt terrible knowing that I had caused such a beautiful angel like Kira to experience such sorrow.
“I know you are a star. I am exercising a tremendous amount of self-control here but I am not afraid to tell you that you did wrong to Kira. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I know Kira. She is a beautiful soul and would never hurt someone deliberately, and don’t even try to deny this. Why would you just walk into Daybreak Journal with a plan to buy it from Penny if you don’t have a hidden agenda?”
Her false accusation made me laugh. “Okay, enough, Edel. You found me out. I am buying Daybreak Journal. I only want to be part of this place for the sake of Kira.” I released a long breath.
I just wished I could see Kira now. I wanted to rake my fingers through her thick hair, feel her heart beat against my chest, and tell her how sorry I am. I want her to know without an inkling of a doubt that I love her and I’ll love her even after my last breath on this earth. Would she believe me if I bared my heart?
“I just knew it!” Edel sounded excited.
I laughed, the sound of it uneasy. “Come on, Edel, I think the coast is clear. I need to get going.”
“Wait…” Edel started to say something else when the door pushed open, and my breath stopped as Kira marched in.
“You again? Is this why you called me, Edel?” She attempted to walk away.
“Wait…please don’t leave, just hear me out, sweetheart,” I pleaded.
“Hear you out? Seriously?” Kira rolled her eyes and made a move away from the door, but Edel came to my rescue.
“I don’t know what the problem is with you two, but you should settle it.” She marched towards the door and pushed Kira into the room. “Neither one of you will leave this room until you make peace,” she muttered, walking out and slamming the door behind her.
Kira reached for the doorknob but found it locked from the outside. There is no escaping me now, Kira. We were stuck with each other, and my heart rejoiced.
“Kira…just give me fifteen minutes. Just hear me out.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Blade. You ruined what we had with your lies. I am no longer interested in you, and if you stay far from me, I would much appreciate that.”
She moved away from me as I sauntered closer to her.
“I know, I accept all my faults. I stand guilty before you, but what happened to giving a fallen man another chance?”
Kira scoffed and glared at me. “You really take me for granted, don’t you? I gave you a second chance, I let you back into my life, but what did you do? You showed me how valueless I was to you. Let me tell you something you don’t know about me, Blade. I am not the type of woman who gets devalued and dumped. I gave you a second chance. What makes you think you’d get a third?”
I choked up on my words and fell silent after as I didn’t find any suitable words for the next moment.
“I can’t believe you’d come up with something this cheap, Blade. I never knew you had a stalker tendency. My ‘no’ should be enough. You think just because you live in a glass castle, get to drive the best cars, get to throw money around just the way you like, that I am one of those things? You feel like some Messiah because you walked in here and managed to get Penny on your side, you think you can buy my love? You just insulted me all the more.” She scoffed.
I knew she would not give in easily, I knew she would take offense. I realized Kira was proud of her job and held her dignity high. The way she carried herself made me love her even more. She was a puzzle I couldn’t understand; she had layers that were still unfolding before my eyes.
Most women would have put up with my crap just to get the money or be in the spotlight, but Kira didn’t do any of those things. She’d never asked me for anything—that’s why I would give her anything in my ability to do so.
“I know I was wrong, and you are right, but I just wanted to save you from losing your job. We both know what’s going down here, and I figured you are happy with your responsibilities at Daybreak Journal. I wanted you to be satisfied, that’s why I came up with this plan. I know you may never love me the same, but just don’t throw away this opportunity because of me.” I had to convince her somehow to consider the offer.
“I don’t need you saving my job, Blade. Nothing good comes from being around you,” she replied.
“Hey, don’t you think I know that by now?” I went closer to her, then grabbed her shoulders. I thought she would flinch, push me away or punch me in the face, but she stayed calm.
“I am glad you know that. If you really love me, walk back to Penny’s office and tell her you are no longer interested and that you will make a deal with another media house.”
Her eyes were unusually cold, and her voice, though near, was distant.
“You don’t mean that, Kira, you are a good person. You are not like me, you are not selfish.” I had to remind her of what was at stake.
“How does my personality relate to this?” she asked.
“Don’t throw away an opportunity that could grant other people financial freedom. You always wanted me to be a better man, and this is my way of proving to you that I am working towards that. It’s my way of helping,” I explained.
She remained silent. I knew she was pondering on the words.
“Why can’t you demand another journalist? Must I be the one to anchor this show?” she asked.
The question was tricky. “Um, your former boss really believes in you, and coupled with our relationship before now, I felt it would be better working with someone who knew me more than anyone has in a long while,” I replied.
Kira pulled away from me. She turned her back on me and buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know, Blade, but if I walk into this, I need you to promise that it would be a hundred percent professional. Can you do that?” She twirled around.
I knew what she was asking was difficult. I didn’t know for sure if I could do that. How could I be professional with my love beside me?
“I won’t make promises that I won’t keep. A promise is sacred, it is holy, and I don’t want to break it. I won’t give up on you.” I reiterated what I had said earlier.
“Then you are not serious about making this situation work. You know what? I am walking into Penny’s office and I am going to tell her about our relationship and the shabby way it ended. That way, she will understand the reason I am not eager to work with the hottest Trash Monkey.” She bit her bottom lip and touched the doorknob.
Determination, will, and power flashed through her eyes. She meant every word she had spoken. I had to stop her somehow, anyhow.
“Wait!” I called to her.
She paused and listened.
“We just have three days for the interviews. If I cannot win your love within those three days, I swear, I will never trouble you again.” I knew this was hard for me, but this was the only way out.
A semi-smile curled on her lips the minute after I had said that. She seemed to like the idea.
“Very well then. We both know there’s no chance of you changing my heart.”
The confidence with which she said that made me quiver. She rapped on the door until Edel opened it up and peered inside. Edel had a hopeful smile on her face, but the look fell when Kira yanked on the door with all her might.
“You are in trouble, Edel!” Kira warned her as she swept past.
My heart jolted the moment she’d opened the door and walked out like I was not there. I realized I had lost Kira Martin entirely.
I watched her go but I knew we would be together soon. “I am going to get you back, baby.”
I closed my eyes and hummed the song I had composed for her. In the end, everything was going to be all right. Now I had to worry about getting back to my home where I had to cook up a concrete plan to win her love. I took out my phone and dialed Starburst immediately.
“Pick up, pick up.” I needed to seek his advice. What was next?
“Hey, bro, I’ve been looking for you. So, I found something really nice.”
“What did you find, Starburst?” I wondered.
“A sheet of paper and some words scribbled on it,” he answered.
I laughed. I knew he had found the song I had written about Kira.
“It’s awesome, I would love to hear the beats. Where are you anyway?”
“I’m at the Daybreak Journal. Kira’s workplace. I came up with a plan to get her back. One of the reasons I am calling you now.” I paused.
“Oh, sounds like a plan,” he said.
“So, tell me, how do you get a woman to love you within three days?”