I hope everyone is enjoying these characters. This chapter continues the drama between Ben and Nadia. Enjoy!
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"Shit shit shit! Where the hell is that shoe!" Nadia exclaimed to herself while rapidly digging through her closet.
Sometimes having a thousand pairs of shoes in a very small closet drove her crazy. There was only one pair of silver strappy heels that could perfectly accessorize her long, flowing red evening gown. The strapless dress was custom made and fit every curve on her body perfectly without being overly sexy. She loved it simply because red with her simple diamond and gold necklace and earring set made her perfect complexion look flawless.
"Yes!" she shrieked as she clutched the shoe like she had just found she had the winning lottery ticket.
Nadia was running late for one the most important events of her life. The Atlanta University Consortium gala was tonight, and she had been asked to be a representative of her college. Everyone who was anyone would be at the event, and it was the perfect opportunity to network for a good starting position for work after college. Her adviser had told her that there was someone very influential she wanted her to meet who would be a big help for her career.
Putting on her shoes, she sprinted for the door grabbing her purse, keys, and shawl along the way. She got to her car and checked the time realizing that she would probably just barely make it before the ceremony started. It was times like these that she was glad she drove a sports car. She hopped on I-85 and swiftly made her way to the Ritz-Carlton hotel downtown. Stopping in front of the valet station, she checked her hair and makeup in the mirror before handing off her keys. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the event and noticed people were still mingling.
"Thank God," she thought.
"Nadia! I am so pleased to see that you made it. There are a couple of people I want to introduce you to. O and darling you look stunning," Mrs. Reed excitedly said as soon as she spotted Nadia coming through the door.
Her adviser was also like her second mother. She spent a lot of time in her office, because she knew that Mrs. Reed could open up many doors for her.
"Mrs. Reed, you look amazing," Nadia replied while hugging her. "I am looking forward to some great networking tonight."
"O you're always all about your work. You can relax a little tonight. These people know how qualified our students are, and they are just waiting for you to say you are interested in their company," Mrs. Reed said while still smiling happily at her.
They proceeded to go around the room shaking hands and making small talk. Nadia was sure to grab business cards from everyone who offered, and used her dazzling smile to impress all prospective employers.
"There is one person who I have been dying for you to meet who just arrived. Now as some background he is the owner and founder of BGM the fastest growing marketing and advertising firm in the city. This is the perfect place to get your career started so I need you to really make a good impression," Mrs. Reed ran through while keeping her eyes on where the CEO who had just walked in was going.
She didn't even allow time for Nadia to reply as she went to grab the one man in the room that everyone wanted to talk to. Nadia just stood there mentally practicing her 30 second speech. This was the big break she had been waiting for. In this economy many places weren't hiring, and it seemed that competition for the best internships and jobs was intense. Any leg up she could get on them was huge.
"Nadia, I would like to introduce Ben Morrison. I am sure you know who he is. Nadia VanZant is one of our top scholars at Spelman. I know that she would be a great addition to your company," Mrs. Reed said while Nadia stood staring.
She knew that she should at least feign politeness by shaking his hand, but standing in front of her was the man she had random sex with last night. How could she not have recognized him! Her mind was racing a mile a minute trying to figure out what to do or say. Mrs. Reed cleared her throat and snapped her back into reality.
"Nice to meet you Ms. VanZant. Your adviser has had only wonderful things to say about you," Ben coolly said as if he had never met her.
Now she was livid! How could he not remember her? She had been in his bed literally less than 24 hours ago, and he had no idea who she was. That asshole! However, this was a formal function so she checked her emotions, and decided to play it just as cool.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Morrison. As my adviser said, my name is Nadia VanZant and I am a senior at Spelman College with a major in Economics. I have been watching your company, and the work you are doing with it is extraordinary. I would love to chat with you sometime about how you achieved it, and how I might be a good fit for your firm." Nadia said while shaking his hand and attempting to act as if everything were normal.
"You were right Mrs. Reed she is impressive. I would love to meet with you sometime. Here is my card. Feel free to have my secretary arrange a meeting for us," Ben said while handing Nadia his card.
With that Ben walked away just as casually as he had come over. Never once did he show any glimmer that he remembered her in the slightest. She felt sick at the thought that she had slept with him, and he had so quickly forgotten. She felt used and stupid. She barely made it out of the room to the bathroom before tears started falling.
"How could I have been such a stupid whore last night? And what did I think he would do if I ever saw him again? God, I am such an idiot!" Nadia thought to herself while sitting in the bathroom stall crying and trying to regain her composure.
She hoped Mrs. Reed hadn't noticed her shift in attitude as she excused herself from the room, but she needed to get away before she made a fool of herself in front of the entire room. She really wanted to walk over and slap him in the face, but this was not the time or place. She found his business card in her purse and ripped it into tiny pieces before flushing it down the toilet. That small act of aggression made her feel a little better, and she was finally able to emerge from the bathroom stall. She looked in the mirror and realized there was no way to salvage her makeup.
"Great," she sarcastically said. It seemed that her night at the gala was officially over.
She put her head down as she power walked toward the exit. She needed to get out of there before anyone saw her like this.
"I'm so sorry sir. I didn't see you," she said after she head butted into someone's back on her way out the door.
She looked up only to see that it was him.
"No problem. We are all clumsy occasionally," Ben replied still showing no sign that he actually remembered her.