Page 10 of Caught off Guard

“Thank you all for attending today’s luncheon. I believe in being honest about the state of affairs at our university, so I request your grace as I share today’s news.” I took a deep breath and readjusted the microphone so it was closer to my mouth.

“As you may know, the government has cracked down on scholarships for marginalized groups. Many universities that fund our students are being called ‘woke.’ Unfortunately, because of the narrow definitions of excellence from people who have no clue about the work that we do, some of our funding will be cut. The reduction will affect hundreds of Liberation students. That means that we will have fewer scholarships in upcoming years, and some of our students will no longer be supported on their education journey.”

As a collective gasp filled the room, I took a deep breath and paused. Disappointed eyes dropped to catered tables of grilled chicken breasts, green beans, and mashed potatoes. A smattering of “oh no’s,” “I can’t believe it,” and a loud “I didn’t vote for that idiot for president” met my ears.

The noise in the room increased as I searched for small pockets of comfort through sympathetic eyes. Most people either whispered among themselves or scowled at me as if I was the one cutting funds. I wished I had more time to gather myself.

My eyes landed on the round table closest to me. Geoff gave me a confident nod with slightly pursed lips that I knew was his form of encouragement. Behind that look was an unspoken plea for me to hurry, finish my speech, and sit down.

Instead of resting my eyes on Geoff, I looked to his immediate left, where a tall, debonair Cairo Kinney slowly entered the room with a bodyguard close behind him. A hush fell over the room as heads followed the two men zigzagging through tables toward the front of the room. Mr. Kinney eventuallypaused behind a seat where his name was written on a place card. The man accompanying Mr. Kinney continued to the wall as everyone’s eyes, or at least mine, fell on Mr. Kinney’s neat braids and perfect posture.

I used the time that people gawked at him to gather myself as electricity radiated from Mr. Kinney. He took me in silently, meeting my eyes and raising his eyebrow as if asking me what was going on. As his face relaxed, I saw empathy and encouragement that soothed my spirit and somehow assured me that I had an anchor in the room.

He raked his fingers over the single button of his designer suit coat, briefly drawing my attention to his chocolate, moisturized handsand an oversized championship ring on his right ring finger. The room remained as quiet as a church mouse as he stood tall and cleared his throat like a king preparing to address his subjects.

“May I say something?” His booming voice filled the room as he pointed toward the stage next to me.

I nodded and gestured him toward me with my hand. As he walked around the table and up the steps of the stage, I held my breath, releasing control to a man who commanded the room much better than I did at the moment. Although I didn’t know Mr. Kinney, I instinctively trusted how he moved. I couldn’t explain it, but I welcomed his presence.

Several long, deliberate steps later, he approached me, enveloping me in his fullness without touching me. Although he didn’t seem to have issues with my standing so close to him, I stepped aside for him to take center stage.

Mr. Kinney’s aquatic scent met my nose and, surprisingly, calmed my nerves when he was mere feet from me. Did he wear essential oils with special powers? Although I wanted to pull on his lapel and press my nose into his suit jacket for a longer sniff of the goodness that rested on him like a cloak, I exhaled andthen held my breath to focus. He continued to transfix me with his steady arm movements as he readjusted the too-short mic for his height, then spoke directly into it.

“Thank you, President Langston.” He gave me a sudden yet subtle side wink that had me blushing and fidgeting before I could gather myself.

His deep voice was sexy and tempting as sin, and his diction was more polished than I expected—controlled as he slowly enunciated every syllable.

“Although I wanted to wait for the paperwork to be finalized, I’d like to share some news with you all. Since this announcement will be positive, I’m sure President Langston won’t mind.” He turned his upper body my way again and gave me unexpected puppy dog eyes and a lip bite as if asking for permission to share whatever news he wanted to boast about.

I frowned.Sir, you already brought your tall behind up here, so am I supposed to stop you?When I finally gave him a weak nod of approval, he faced the attendees and continued.

“I entered the league before I finished college, but I cherished the college experience that prepared me for my basketball career. My late wife, Cecelia, valued higher education and how it transformed the lives of promising students like the ones in this room.” He took several moments to scan the room as everyone hung onto his words. “For that reason, I am committing seven million dollars to an endowed scholarship fund from the Cairo and Cecelia Kinney Foundation. This money will be given to Liberation University students displaced by anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in our nation. No student should be denied access to an education because they are labeled different in a country that was built on the backs of diverse groups of people.”

I wanted to scream and fall out in shock from the announcement, but I refused to show too much emotion infront of all these people. Everyone in the room either broke out in applause or jumped to their feet and cheered, hooting and hollering as if Mr. Kinney shot the winning basket in a championship game. With his announcement, Cairo Kinney became the undeniable hero for the day—heck, make that the decade.

Like rats in a sewer, my media team ran toward the front of the room and perched themselves in front of us. A flood of light bulbs went off, practically blinding me as I shielded my eyes from the light.

While I tried to gather myself, Mr. Kinney reached behind me and circled my waist loosely, drawing me to his warm smell and hard body with no time for me to put up a wall of resistance. I licked my bottom lip as my senses came alive again from the sudden overstimulation his closeness brought.

Without my permission, Cairo Kinney’s presence assaulted my womanly parts head-on too. I tried to stand as stiff as a board so I would not touch the visibly hard muscles that framed his upper body, but his essence was too strong. I wanted to collapse into his arms and climb him like a tree. When I reached forward to steady myself and accidentally rubbed my fingers over his taut abs, he lowered his voice before chuckling into my ear.

“Whoa, doc. We just met.”

Embarrassed beyond belief, my breath caught as he held my arm in place.

“Thank you.” I could only muster a half-smile, fully aware that all eyes were on us.

As if sensing my discomfort and unexpected arousal, Mr. Kinney offered a reassuring smile that embarrassed me more. Since he didn’t release my arm, I squirmed as the object of his attention. Genuine panic rose in me, as his eyes landed on my lips. I stared at his nice, thick ones, which were undeniablykissable. I wanted to turn away, but this emotional train was already out of control.

Don’t faint.

I somehow composed myself enough for my breathing to return to normal. We concluded our time on the stage and ended the luncheon with little fanfare.

Before leaving the building, I made my rounds with attendees and took several photos with Mr. Kinney and the students in attendance. At least I finally had my head back on straight and remembered my role and manners.

Once we were out of earshot of the final people who lingered in the facility, I asked Mr. Kinney and his bodyguard, Luther, to follow me to my campus office. As we made the trek across campus and entered the university’s central lawn, faculty, students, and staff who had congregated to enjoy the warm weather gawked at our celebrity guest. Many of them boldly walked up to us, giving me a polite greeting but approaching Mr. Kinney for his autograph or picture. I stood back at an appropriate distance, taking in the excitement of the community as Mr. Kinney oozed charm I hadn’t seen in quite a while. I bet he was adorable when he was younger.

As his serious bodyguard hovered nearby, I plastered my presidential face on, secretly admiring Cairo’s shy grin as he smiled at the women who gushed at him like he was the last man on earth.

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