The Second Time Around- BWWM

Chapter 3

Isaac parked outside of the office complex that housed Monroe Publishing and Kiya got out of the car and headed toward the door the moment he put his Porsche Panamera into park. She refused to turn back to see whether Isaac was following her. Kiya kept her eyes fixated only on what was ahead of her, and he hated and admired the way she could dismiss him so easily.

He grunted when he got out of the car, and slammed his door hoping to get her attention, but loud thwack of the door did nothing to break her stride. Isaac was at a nearly full sprint in order to catch up with Kiya. She was almost at the double doors of the entrance when he caught up with her.

"You don't have to stay for my meeting Ike, I can just call a cab to pick me up," Kiya said finally acknowledging his presence with a slight glance that was over as quickly as it began.

"I'm not letting you take a cab home. You can't get rid of me that easily, sweetheart," Isaac said pulling the door open for her as they reached the building. She rolled her eyes at his act of chivalry crossing the threshold into the building without any further protest.

"How can I help you?" asked the receptionist, a pretty brunette that Kiya assumed to be another aspiring actress. In Los Angeles, every receptionist seemed to be was aspiring to something.

"I am here to see Gene Marcowitz. We have an appointment," Kiya said.

"Hmm, Let me see," the receptionist said, checking the list in front of her. Isaac kept some distance between himself and the reception desk. He tried his best to obscure his face when he was in a public place. His dark Ray-Ban sunglasses and his head tilted down was usually enough to help him avoid being recognized.

"Your name?" the woman asked looking over the list.

"Kiya," she answered, she felt herself growing impatient with the receptionist as she scoured the list. Kiya could feel Isaac's dark eyes boring a hole into her back behind those dark glasses.

"I don't have a Mrs. Kiya on the list, and ma'am," the receptionist said, looking over the list.

"Kiya is my first name. Not my last name. It's Kiya James," Kiya explained, growing more impatient with each passing moment. Her ex-husband never had this problem. He was on billboards and posters and she felt embarrassed having to explain her identity especially in her own publisher's office. She felt tongue-tied with his eyes on her.

"Try KJ Porter," Isaac said, not bothering to raise his eyes. He busied himself on his phone, but he knew the look on Kiya's face was not one of love and adoration as he inserted himself into the conversation.

"You're KJ Porter?" the woman seemed shocked and pleased at the news, "I love your books. Erica Fox is so awesome. In the next series, is she going to choose Clay Thomas or Reese Jones? Wait, don't tell me I want to be surprised! I totally relate to Erica. My best friend Bailey and I are just like Erica and Daisy," The receptionist went talking at a mile per minute, suddenly very interested in being polite to Kiya.

"I am glad you're a fan, of my girl here, but we have to get going," Isaac said, planting a hand on Kiya's lower back to escort her past the desk toward the elevators.

"Oh my god! And you're- Two celebrity sighting in one day! No one is going to believe this," the receptionist grabbed her cell phone and snapped a photo of the two of them before they could react.

"Glad you're a fan of me and my ex-husband," Kiya's emphasis on the word was more for Isaac than the receptionist.

"We really do have to get to that meeting. Have a good day," Isaac said, his hand firmly plantagainst his ex-wife as he escorted her into the elevators.