up at the building. Koran was right. It was a nice hotel. The Marriot hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee was on a hilltop overlooking the Tennessee River. Dammit , McKinley thought. She had to find a way out of this somehow. In a last ditch effort to change Koran’s mind she said, “I really feel uneasy about this. Something in my spirit is just sayin’ this ain’t right.”
“ Chill out. Everything’s going to be fine. From the looks of it this has to be at least a four-star hotel. Now come on.” Koran got out of the car and popped the trunk.
With only one more option left McKinley grabbed her purse from the back seat of the car and got out as well. As Koran strolled into the hotel McKinley lagged behind him slowly. At the service desk Koran paid for his room.
“ Have a wonderful night, sir.” The front desk clerk smiled.
“ You, too.” Koran smiled back, taking his key.
“ You know what?” McKinley slapped her hand against her forehead. “I think I left something in the car. Let me get the keys, so I can run back and go get it.”
“ Here.” Koran tossed her the keys. “You want me to wait on you?”
“ No, go ahead up to your room. I’ll be fine,” she assured as the elevator doors opened.
“ A’ight.” Koran turned and hopped inside.
As the doors to the elevator closed McKinley let out a sigh of relief. Swiftly, she walked back to the car, got in and locked the doors. For the first time that day she’d dodged a bullet successfully. She could’ve come out and told him the truth, but the truth was that McKinley was ashamed. She was ashamed that she’d allowed herself to be put in this position. For the last three years of her life she’d enjoyed the perks of dating a rich man, only to be left with nothing but designer tags.
The only sort of achievement she’d made in life thus far was mastering the art of a sample sale. Her pride was just too strong to let Koran know that she was penniless. She respected him and wanted him to respect her, too. Her life was already in shambles. The last thing she needed was Koran looking down at her.
“ McKinley!” Koran tapped on the passenger side window, causing her to jump.
“ Huh?” She stared up at him.
“ What are you doing?”
“ Umm,” she tried to think of a lie. “I was lookin’ for my lipstick.” She smiled.
“ Open the door,” Koran insisted.
McKinley unlocked the door, knowing she’d been caught.
“ Now are you gon’ tell me the truth or do I have to pry it out of you?”
McKinley gazed off to the side. She felt like a little kid who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
“ I don’t have any money,” she finally said.
“ You’re broke?” Koran asked, surprised.
“ Yeah, like broke, broke. After Jamil died the Feds froze all of my accounts. All I have is the money in my pocket, which is nothing but twenty dollars. My mother and best friend had to pay for my airline ticket home.” Her lips trembled.
“ Who are you?” Koran eyed her suspiciously. “I mean, is your name even McKinley?”
“ See, this is why I didn’t wanna tell you.” McKinley tried to close the door, but Koran stopped her by pulling it back open.
“ What?” she whined.
“ What do you really think you’re doing?”
“ I don’t know.”
“ Look, even though you’re a walkin’, talkin’ Lifetime movie, you can sleep in my room.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“ I know I don’t.” He winked his eye.
After riding the elevator up to the third floor, Koran and McKinley entered room 315. McKinley was pleasantly surprised at how clean and chic the room was. On the bed there was a brand-new down comforter and fluffy white pillows. Instead of using hotel bath soaps, they used Bath and Body Works products. Worn out from the day, McKinley kicked off her heels. Her feet were
“ Chill out. Everything’s going to be fine. From the looks of it this has to be at least a four-star hotel. Now come on.” Koran got out of the car and popped the trunk.
With only one more option left McKinley grabbed her purse from the back seat of the car and got out as well. As Koran strolled into the hotel McKinley lagged behind him slowly. At the service desk Koran paid for his room.
“ Have a wonderful night, sir.” The front desk clerk smiled.
“ You, too.” Koran smiled back, taking his key.
“ You know what?” McKinley slapped her hand against her forehead. “I think I left something in the car. Let me get the keys, so I can run back and go get it.”
“ Here.” Koran tossed her the keys. “You want me to wait on you?”
“ No, go ahead up to your room. I’ll be fine,” she assured as the elevator doors opened.
“ A’ight.” Koran turned and hopped inside.
As the doors to the elevator closed McKinley let out a sigh of relief. Swiftly, she walked back to the car, got in and locked the doors. For the first time that day she’d dodged a bullet successfully. She could’ve come out and told him the truth, but the truth was that McKinley was ashamed. She was ashamed that she’d allowed herself to be put in this position. For the last three years of her life she’d enjoyed the perks of dating a rich man, only to be left with nothing but designer tags.
The only sort of achievement she’d made in life thus far was mastering the art of a sample sale. Her pride was just too strong to let Koran know that she was penniless. She respected him and wanted him to respect her, too. Her life was already in shambles. The last thing she needed was Koran looking down at her.
“ McKinley!” Koran tapped on the passenger side window, causing her to jump.
“ Huh?” She stared up at him.
“ What are you doing?”
“ Umm,” she tried to think of a lie. “I was lookin’ for my lipstick.” She smiled.
“ Open the door,” Koran insisted.
McKinley unlocked the door, knowing she’d been caught.
“ Now are you gon’ tell me the truth or do I have to pry it out of you?”
McKinley gazed off to the side. She felt like a little kid who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
“ I don’t have any money,” she finally said.
“ You’re broke?” Koran asked, surprised.
“ Yeah, like broke, broke. After Jamil died the Feds froze all of my accounts. All I have is the money in my pocket, which is nothing but twenty dollars. My mother and best friend had to pay for my airline ticket home.” Her lips trembled.
“ Who are you?” Koran eyed her suspiciously. “I mean, is your name even McKinley?”
“ See, this is why I didn’t wanna tell you.” McKinley tried to close the door, but Koran stopped her by pulling it back open.
“ What?” she whined.
“ What do you really think you’re doing?”
“ I don’t know.”
“ Look, even though you’re a walkin’, talkin’ Lifetime movie, you can sleep in my room.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“ I know I don’t.” He winked his eye.
After riding the elevator up to the third floor, Koran and McKinley entered room 315. McKinley was pleasantly surprised at how clean and chic the room was. On the bed there was a brand-new down comforter and fluffy white pillows. Instead of using hotel bath soaps, they used Bath and Body Works products. Worn out from the day, McKinley kicked off her heels. Her feet were
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