morning, the day of the gala, and the day before she was set to leave for Charleston. Her life was a mess.
The only good news she had was that her boss, Dr. Ross, hadn’t pressured her to reveal the name of the generous anonymous donor. Eight weeks without the clinic was going to be difficult. Other than occasional dinners with Angela, all her free time revolved around the patients.
Kaya had planned to show up for her last day of work, to keep her mind off the gala. But Dr. Ross adamantly declined the offer, stating she needed to give the new nurse the opportunity to prove her chops. Secretly, she knew it was a reward of sorts, for orchestrating the entire donor gift. If only she knew the real truth.
Kaya curled up on the couch with a tinge of resentment pumping through her veins, knowing someone else had successfully filled her shoes. Yeah, it was a going to be a real bad day.
The sound of the doorbell startled her. Her head began to spin, causing each of the tiny little men with hammers in her head to pound at her temple harder.
“Ouch.”
She tossed on her favorite tattered robe and slowly opened the door. A nicely dressed woman stood in front of her with several boxes stacked high, each one appearing larger than the one before it. She was trying to remain polite but her throbbing headache was testing her usually excellent manners.
“Hi, I think you have the wrong address,” Kaya said while looking at the young woman puzzled.
“Are you Kaya Hanson?”
“Yes, how can I help you?”
“These are for you. Where would you like them?” she asked while pushing herself inside the apartment. The boxes wobbled and tilted a bit, then settled. Finally, the petite framed woman placed them on Kaya’s coffee table and moved towards the door.
“I don’t understand. There must be some mistake. I didn’t order anything.”
“No mistake. These are from Mr. King, Mr. Max King.” The woman stated politely before exiting.
Confusion flashed over her face. This couldn’t be happening. Kaya was pissed. She tossed her robe off then allowed her nimble fingers to tear into the first box.
“Ah, stunning,” the words fell helplessly from her lips.
The black, strapless Versace cocktail dress was simple yet striking. The delicate, rich fabric felt like pure silk against her skin. The color wasn’t just black, it had sparkles of blue, which shimmered when she held it up to the light. Kaya carefully examined the cut, hem and the exquisite lines of the masterpiece. It was breathtaking. The size was perfect. The length was short, but not distasteful. It was just above the knee and its plunging neckline appeared to have the right dip, just low enough to accentuate her full breasts. Max’s taste was impeccable. Box number two lured her in with the same enthusiasm as the first had. A pair of Anouk-studded pointy black leather Jimmy Choo’s nearly leapt into her hands. The rich aroma of 100% Italian leather tickled her nose. Tucked underneath the stylish pumps was a small, alligator, designer clutch. The final box was tiny, her sprightly fingers opened it delicately. Kaya’s eyes widened as she drank in a pair of round cut diamond studs that danced in her midnight eyes. She carefully examined the earring box and noticed a small note attached to back of the package. She opened, unfolded then read its contents.
Dear Kaya,
I know this wasn’t a part of the original proposition but please accept this small gift.
Max
Shit, the hammer was back, this time pounding her temples harder. Kaya was visibly angry, this wasn’t a part of their deal and she wasn’t for sale. She searched frantically for her wallet and finally retrieved his business card that was tucked away in the inner pocket.
She dialed. He answered. She launched in.
“Hello.”
“What is all of this? This was not a part of our arrangement. I don’t need your charity.”
“Good morning to you too Kaya.” He grunted on the line.
“Max, I can’t
Justine Dare Justine Davis