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After she had the sweater secured on the coat rack, Harmony turned to face him. “We keep the front really cold, so I love being back here with my space heater because it’s cozy. If the heat bothers you, let me know and I can cut it off.”
Saint noticed the cool temperature but didn’t think too much about it. He preferred the cold, which was why he hadn’t bothered to grab a coat himself. For some reason, Saint’s mind had him thinking about how they’d rectify their difference in body temperature when she stayed at his place, how he’d have the fan on while she used her little heater. Trying to shake those thoughts from his head, Saint slumped down further in his seat. His eyes lowered to the deep v-cut of her black sweater.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t prepared to have this kind of reaction to you,” he admitted.
“What do you mean?”
The innocence of her voice… her slightly opened lips. Every time he looked at them, Saint wondered if they were as soft as they appeared.
“You’re really pretty.” Harmony smiled, dropping her head bashfully for a brief second. “I mean fucking beautiful. I’m trying to be professional, but I can’t stop staring at you.” As she chuckled softly and met his eyes, Saint added, “I’m sure you hear that all the time.”
“I do, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again.”
Their eyes remained locked for seconds on end before she cleared her throat, smiled, and looked down at the papers on her desk. He didn’t really have a resume to submit, but he’d sent Kahlil some basic facts to share with her before their meeting. The drug dealer turned mega star hadn’t worked a regular job a day in his life, but Saint was no stranger to hard work.
“I guess my first question is what the hell are you doing here?” Harmony laughed softly, but her expression grew serious. “You’re an award-winning rapper. Musician. It’s clearly not for the money because you requested not to be paid. Are you in need of volunteer hours for community service or something?”
“No,” he answered casually and with finality.
When seconds passed and Saint didn’t elaborate, Harmony said, “Can I have a few details about what this is about then?”
“I divorced my wife and moved back home to Memphis to try and start a new life. Music is my world, but I can’t record and perform right now, so I need something to distract myself. I haven’t always been into reading, but when I did start in my early twenties I fell in love. Not just with reading but learning in general. When Kahlil mentioned a position being open here, it seemed like the perfect thing for me to do while I figured out my next move.”
Harmony nodded as she set the papers down. “First, I’m sorry about the divorce, unless your life is better because of it.”
“I’m sitting here in front of you, so that’s a damn good start.”
Her eyes softened as she held his gaze, giving him a slow smile that lit up her entire face. “Are you this flirtatious with all women, or am I special?”
“You’re special. I swore off women for the next year, but when I saw you…” Saint’s head shook before it tilted as he eyed her. “I accepted that I’d lied to myself.”
Harmony sat back in her seat with a relaxed smile. “Our attraction to each other will fade after a few days, I’m sure.”
With a nod, Saint sat upright in his seat. “Are you trying to convince yourself of that, or me?”
Ignoring his question, Harmony’s head shook softly as she deflected with, “Tell me a little about your demeanor and personality. I know what I see on your social media and on TV, but tell me about who you are outside of that role.”
“I’m more laidback than a lot of people would believe. I have had issues with anger and aggression in the past, but that’s typical for someone who grew up like I did. In my maturing, I’ve turned to spirituality and meditation in search of peace and calm. Having the money and security that I do has provided protection and stability that not only got me out the hood but gave me the courage to release the toxic masculinity I relied on to keep me safe back in the day. I’m caring and loyal to those I receive it from, but I’m not very trusting of new people at all—especially women. I’m open and can get along with anyone as long as they are respectful. I can’t say how long I’ll be here but at least six months to a year. It’s important to me that I create a new identity for myself outside of music, but I want to take my time and become more self-aware.”
“So you’re done, done with music?”
He swallowed hard, lungs constricted, making it a little harder to breathe. “For the time being, yes. After doing something for so long, I don’t know how I will fully exist without it.”
“Which is why you want this to be your distraction.”
Saint smiled as he swallowed back the relief that filled him from her understanding. “Exactly.”
“Okay. Well, I would love to have you on board. We do need help in-house, however, I’ve also added a delivery and pickup option. So I’ll need a delivery driver to drop off books and a pickup driver to bring people here who don’t have cars or access to public transportation.”
His head shook as he declared, “I wanna be here… with you.”
“Okay,” she agreed softly. “My only concern would be how your presence here will affect the atmosphere. I don’t want large crowds of your fans coming here disturbing the peace.”
“I doubt that will happen. I come home often enough to where I’m not really considered that kind of celebrity here. People talk to me and shit, but they don’t yell and scream and go crazy like someone that isn’t from our city. And you don’t have to worry about protection. I know you have a few guards here because of the value of some of the books, but you’ll be safer as long as I’m here too.”
“So you don’t have bodyguards of your own that will be looming around?”
Saint chuckled with a shake of his head. “Nah. I only have security for shows or large crowds. I’m licensed to carry, so I’m good.” She released a vocal breath, and her brows furrowed as she looked him over. “If you’re looking for a reason to send me away, be honest and say it’s because you’re afraid of your attraction to me.”
