Milla

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In the life of Milla Kerr.

“...Successful. Badass. Strong. Independent. These were but a few things to describe the new and upcoming mega-hotel chain owner and CEO, Milla Kerr...”

I shut the TV off and sighed. I watched the interview to assure them they were true to their word on publicizing what we had discussed. And they had.

I pondered on everything in the interview. While a good three-quarters of it was true, there was that last quarter of it I had to tip-toe with exposing the truth. Maybe not exposing, but allowing others to know.

I am not a shy person. Total opposite. Those who know me, professionally, know I am a hard bargain. I am outspoken to say it mildly, and everyone has found that ninety-nine percent of the time, it all works out in my favor. Why? Because I was tough. I took no bullshit from anyone and if you slipped up, I’d mop you where you lay.

Those who know me on a personal level, which consists of just a few, know how broken I am.

That’s why I’ve exuded confidence, strength, and fight in the public eye. Because I will not have both parts of life broken. I can just bear the broken pieces of my personal life; I’ll die before I allow it to break my professional life.

****

“Mam, your nine a.m. is here?” My assistant called over the intercom. “Send’em in.” She does and leaves. I don’t raise my head to greet the appointment. I keep tending to an urgent email, when a deep voice, sounded, “Ms. Kerr?”

I raise my hand to tell him to wait, and he does. I hit the send button and raise my head, “how may I help you?” I sucked in a short gasp. He smiles upon hearing it and I collect myself professionally. “I’m Connor.”

He reaches to shake my hand and I stand, shaking it. “Hello, I’m Milla Kerr. What is it that you wanted to meet with me so urgently that you had to call my father?” He chuckled, and shook his head, “I’m sorry about that. Truly. I’ve been calling to set an appointment with you for months, and never even got a callback. So, I took my chances.”

I raised an eyebrow, “ballsy. Alright then, what did you want to meet about?” His eyes raked over me, a smirk playing at the corner of his lip, “you seriously don’t know who I am?” I screw my eyebrows together, “Nope. Should I?” I go back to my emails, finding this meeting a complete waste of time.

“Wow, we only spent every summer together for fifteen years.” My eyes raised from my screen. Then I saw it. “Connor?” My breath hitched audibly this time. I had nothing in me. No comment, no retort.

“Yup.” He popped the ‘P’ and I swallowed. “Um-yeah, uh-what-what can I help you with?” His smirk didn’t go unnoticed by my fluster. “Well, I wanted to see if we could catch up for one.”

I eyed him, seeing everything I dreamed of and hated for the last eleven years. “Then I was hoping maybe we can talk mergers.” I chucked a single chuckle. “Seriously? Kerr Hotels? With?” He smiled his fucking insanely cute smile, “Chrystal Hotels.”

I scrunched my eyebrows, “Chrystal Hotels? That’s you?” He smiled, “yup.” Again popping the damn P. Then it hit me, Chrystal. What the fuck? His eyes saw the realization as it hit me. “Don’t you think the namesake should at least take a peak at it?”

I didn’t know how to respond. He named his hotel chain after me. Well, my middle name. I didn’t know how to respond to that.

But I had to be professional, even though my loins begged for his. Missing and hating him just like I had the past eleven years.

“Did you draft up a proposal or did you just expect me to jump at it, how did you put it? Oh, it’s my namesake.” He giggled, “of course I have. But I was hoping maybe we can have dinner first before getting to that.”

I sigh, leaning back in my chair, “why did you come back?” I huff out irritably. His eyes didn’t show anything, so I kept going, “did you not enjoy breaking me eleven years ago, you had to come back for one more go?”

It was then his eyes cast away, “Milla, I-“ I raised my hand, not wanting to hear his side, I knew his side. And I didn’t want any fucking excuses. “The answer is no to dinner. As for merger-“ I scoff, “I’ll take a peak at the proposal. You can show yourself out.”

I spin my chair back to my computer screen and blank him out. I didn’t even hear him leave, but when I looked up five minutes later, he had dispersed. Then my eyes spotted a little red and gold box.

Reaching over, I grab it, open it and immediately gasp as tears burst at the seams. In it lay a beautiful gold tennis bracelet. Adorned with a single pendant, a little cherub.

I canceled the next two hours of appointments and sat in my office broken all over again. He had no right to come back and upset my life. He’s done enough upsetting eleven years ago, I’ve moved on as best as I could, and he comes back, with this?

“I fucking hate you,” I whisper, throwing the tennis bracelet in the trash.

Lunch had come fast and my assistant, Tenille, had come in holding my packages. “You didn’t reply to the email when we asked what to order, so I took the liberty to get you a Pho cold noodle and Bahn sandwich. Hope that’s okay.”

I smiled grateful, “thank you Tenille.” She eyed me, “everything okay?” I nodded, “peachy.”

Tenille was my closest friend. We went to college together, and she was there through all my lowest times.

“Wanna talk? We got food, so it should help.” I laugh and nodded, “yeah, pull a chair up.” She does and we dive in, talking in between.

“So, your nine o’clock meeting. You wanna talk about it?” I sigh, taking my last bite because I was beyond stuffed.

“That was Connor.” Her eyes widened, “you mean, the-he, what the fuck!?” I scoffed, “yup. That was him.” She sighed, coming around my desk to hug me. “I should’ve kicked his ass out! Dammit, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even put his name to that. I’m a terrible friend.”

I laughed, wiping the traitorous tears away, “no, it’s fine. I didn’t know it was him. He’s--“ I sigh, “much more fucking mouth-watering than before, and because of that I didn’t recognize him until I looked closely.”

She stood beside me rubbing my shoulders, “he’ll be put on the red list. He won’t make it in without us knowing.” I nodded, thanking her. “What did he want though?” Her question was careful, not wanting to push me too far.

“Dinner and go over a proposal to merge his chain of hotels, with Kerr Hotels.” She raised her eyebrows, “he has a chain of hotels? You gotta be fucking kidding me?” I nod, taking a sip of my Iced tea. “Chrystal Hotels.”

She threw her hands in the air, “the fucking nerve. Oh. My. God! Did he name his hotels after you? After he fucking broke you?! I’m gonna call him and give him a piece of my mind. The fucking nerve.” She went running out and do exactly what she had said, but I caught her wrist, “silly, don’t. I’m okay. Really. It just took me by surprise.”

I left out the part of the bracelet and pendant. The one I took out of the trash and now sits in my purse.

“You know, it is Friday.” I chuckle knowing where she was going with this. “No. Nope. Last time I don’t remember getting home.” She laughed, “but-“ I shook my head, “you go. Have fun. I’ll drink responsibly in the comfort of my home where I know how I got there because I started there.”

She laughed out loud and kissed my cheek, “love you. You know that right?” I nodded, “as I do you.”

The work day once again commenced and I was stuck in board meetings for the second half of it.

By the time I left the office, the sun had long set. Taking a quick look at my watch, eight p.m. I close up and Tenille waits for me, as she always does. “I gotta up your pay.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Shut up. I’d do it even if I wasn’t working for you. Us chicks need to stand by each other.” I wrap my arm around hers, and we make the forty flight of floors down in the elevator.

“Good evening Ms. Kerr.” I wave off Harold, the security, “Have a good evening Harry. Make sure you use the damn paid meal.” He laughed, “my wife would kill me mam if I ate out without her and did not eat the meal she prepared.”

I give him the thumbs up, exiting. It was the same every night. And I loved my employees.

“So you serious about not wanting to go out to get a drink?” I shook my head, “now-you go if you want. I’m tired. I’ll probably graduate to two glasses tonight.” She hugged me and we both jumped into our awaiting cars.

My driver, Malcolm tips his hat, “Mam, home?” I smile, “yes please.” He starts the Lincoln, and we set off through the city. “There’s an accident on tenth and second,” he calls out. “Crap. Alright. I’ll stay down at the loft.” He nods and takes the proper route to the loft.

“Sorry mam, the radio says it could be several hours. Seems a big wreck.” I smiled, “All good. I just was craving solitude and quietness this evening. But I’ll head that way tomorrow. Can you pick me up around ten?”

“Can do mam.” I shook my head, “Mack, why do you still call me Mam? You make me sound old.” He laughs, “I’m sorry mam, I don’t mean to make you feel that way. But it’s a show of my respect.” I sigh and nod, giving it to him.

He drops me off and stays until I am in the building. “Good evening Ms. Kerr. It’s nice to see you.”

I greet Sonny, and he helps me into the elevator. “A package arrived this afternoon. I took the liberty of taking it up. It’s on your foyer table.” I smile, “thank you.” And up I go.

“Penthouse. Welcome home, Milla.” The elevator chimes. I giggle, loving that I had that installed.

My loft was a whopping four-thousand square foot space. It bared four bedrooms and five baths. A media room, spa/sauna, and workout room. But the best part of it was the wrap-around deck, with the fifteen-foot by twenty-foot heated swimming pool up top.

I dropped my bags in the foyer, retrieving my phone only, and make my way to the kitchen.

I stayed here every other week or so. Depends on my mood. Other times I stayed at my house, a few miles outside the city.

I pour myself a glass of deep red and get comfortable on the couch, turning the TV on. “Remember to check out the Ford event happening this weekend. Connor Ford, CEO of Chrystal Hotels invites everyone for a free fun day. There’ll be rides, games and so much more. So come down, bring the family. Job fairs will be available to anyone looking, so bring those resumes. This is a paid advertisement.”

I turn the TV off and throw the remote, unsure how the hell did I go from not hearing about him or seeing him in eleven years, to now hearing and seeing him twice in less than twelve hours.

I down my glass and stand to pour another when the package caught my eye. I saunter over, deep red already taking effect.

I twist and turn it and scrunch my nose, seeing it was delivered by a ’paid currier.”

I take the package, bringing it with me so I could pour myself another glass, and soon tear at the paper wrapping. In it was a gift box, wrapped elegantly.

I lift it out and see a note, “for when you say yes.” I screw my eyes in confusion, ripping at the pretty wrapping. When the said gift was exposed I swallowed hard as I pulled the delicate fabric out.

A beautiful rose color, sheath column evening gown.

Like a modest woman, I search for a price tag, finding none.

In the box another note rest, “Call me when you’re ready to have dinner. Yours always, C.F.”