Glass Hearts

Chapter 41: Intrusive Thoughts

Kevin Kim POV

Samantha Campbell.  The intriguing woman I have come to know and respect over the last few months continues to surprise me. The moment she unveiled the ragged but sweetly decorated box, dread greeted me like an old friend. My countenance fell.  I was whisked back to that infamous birthday party and those same terrible feelings of inadequacy and abandonment came rushing back.  It took every fiber of my being not to show my obvious aversion. I am not one for dramatics, but I prolonged the unboxing as long as I could. Taking time to unravel the bow and pulling apart the paper at such a sluggish pace, I hoped Samantha would grow tired and leave. I didn't want to hurt her feelings or dampen her mood but the last thing I wanted was to be reminded of my parents. Instead of giving up as I'd hoped, she turned the full force of those big brown eyes on me and I eventually caved. Teasing her did little to dissuade those determined pouty lips so I complied with a sigh. Without truly processing, I found myself holding my grandfather's compass, or at least one that greatly resembled it.

My mind spun a chaotic web of memories and nightmares that I was ill-equipped to handle, and like an unsuspecting insect, I couldn't escape. The past and present were wrapped into contradictory sentiments and I couldn't sort out the tangled mess of loneliness, gratitude, resentment, and longing that ensnared my logic. I hate to admit it but I became misty-eyed. The intoxicating combination made it almost impossible to exercise self-control, and before I knew it, I wanted Samantha in my arms. I wanted to pull her close and revel in her warmth.  Unbeknownst to her, the bittersweet token that I'd gripped tightly to my chest, resonated with the broken boy I'd worked so hard to erase. It stirred the heart of the love-starved man that I'd replaced him with. 

I couldn't fathom why she would go out of her way for me. I only recently told her the backstory of the compass, but she got the details so perfectly that I was tempted to reward her effort. I kissed her dainty hand and caressed her arm. My affection was the only prize that I could muster at the moment, but it was a resource I was willing to give freely. Before I could act further on those notions her innocent face extinguished the fiery impulse, and I settled for holding her hand. I was overwhelmed but based on how strongly she squeezed my hand back, so was she.

Donna entered the room at the most inopportune time and interrupted the dangerous longing that seized my faculties. Donna fumbled her words and nervously darted around before revealing Shanelle's whereabouts. Samantha admitted she didn't want Shanelle anywhere near Darwin and though I wasn't completely sure why this news called her to action. Samantha shook her head as if forcing herself to wake from a dream and turned her full attention to Donna. I ignored how the depth of feeling seemed to fade with the space she created and listened to Donna's explanation as attentively as I could manage. When Donna left the two of us alone again, I had to busy my hands by shutting down my computer and unplugging my phone from the charging port. I resigned to pretending nothing had happened. I shouldn't want to reach out and touch Samantha, no matter how sweet or thoughtful a gift she gives.

"We should head over there," Samantha states, and I agree.

We hasten to the conference room to start the meeting that Shanelle has already begun. Samantha's whole body stiffens at the doorway. Shanelle is sitting beside an animated Darwin with eager eyes and a broad smile. An image of the venue is pulled up on Darwin's tablet while copies of the event material are spread before them. Despite our presence, Shanelle continues to punch notes into her phone and chat about something I can't quite make out. Darwin points at a sentence on one of the documents and Shanelle agrees so passionately at whatever he said, that she resembles an enthusiastic bobblehead. Samantha squares her and seems to brace herself as if we've stumbled across a mortal enemy. I've never seen her give anyone such a harsh look. It's strange but this isn't the time to engage in 21 questions. I file it away for later and take a seat across from Darwin. Instead of joining me, Samantha continues to stand at the doorway. 

"I apologize for the delay, Darwin. I hope we didn't keep you waiting."

Darwin smiles. "I can't complain. Your receptionist gave a warm welcome and Shanelle has been keeping me company."

Shanelle touches Darwin's shoulder. "You're too kind. I was just doing my job. I couldn't leave a VIP like you unattended."

Samantha sits down next to me. "Now that we're all here, let's allow Shanelle to get back to her work."

Samantha's tone is neutral, but something is wrong. I don't know when I became so attuned to her temperament, but the subtle shifts in her usual pleasant demeanor are obvious to me. There must be a history between them that I am unaware of.

"Darwin was filling me in on the event. I could be a notetaker and record the decisions."Shanelle beams at me. 

The magnitude of her enthusiasm is unsettling for someone whose never attended one of our meetings before but I attribute that to being in Darwin's presence. She seems to be a fan of his work. I brush her sorry attempt at seduction to the side and consider whether there is any merit to having her here. She is a capable worker. Despite her over-the-top theatrics she does well on her metrics and reports. We could have her do the grunt work that Samantha and I can't get to right away. 

"If you're eager to assist, I don't see the harm in having you sit in and observe," I say.

"That's not necessary." Samantha interrupts without hesitation.

Shanelle rolls her eyes at Samantha but then quickly fixes her face. She delicately sweeps her long straight hair over her shoulder and brings attention to her exposed neck and shoulders.

"I'm sure Mr. Kim can see the merit of having another set of eyes and ears on this," Shanelle assures in a sugar-coated voice.

Samantha's mouth sets in a rigid line at Shanelle's not-so-subtle display. "The two of us have a handle on the project, but I appreciate your..." 

Samantha pauses and lets the end of the sentence hang as she looks Shanelle up and down in contempt. 

"Initiative." She finishes as if it were a dirty word. 

I can tell this is something she feels strongly about and will not budge on. Shanelle glares at Samantha with such ferocity that I don't know whether to intervene or to let them hash out whatever this is. 

Shanelle smirks and folds her arms across her chest. "I don't know Sammy. Some men appreciate a little initiative." 

Samantha's expression darkens. "This isn't one of those times. Now if you'll excuse us, this is a meeting for executives."

Shanelle swipes her belongings into her arm and rises from the table.

"Let me know if you need anything." She says to Darwin before slinking out of the room.

The tension dies down without Shanelle and things return to normal. Darwin shows us his plans for the venue and goes into great detail about his vision. He presents mock-ups of design layouts and everything he suggests looks amazing. Samantha presents her tentative schedule and I give Darwin the budget the marketing team and I decided on. Despite wanting to focus on the meeting, I can't move passed Samantha and Shanelle's odd relationship. The whole interaction was off and I can't figure out what I'm missing. Was there some huge disagreement between the two of them while I was away or have they always been like this and I was too oblivious to notice? There has to be more to the story to make Samantha frown like that. The rest of the meeting goes on without a hitch but passes by in a fast-paced blur.  After an hour of discussion, Darwin excuses himself to go to his next appointment, leaving the two of us alone. Taking a breath, I decide to ask the burning questions I've been holding back. I need to get to the bottom of this.

Author Note: Sorry this is such a shorter chapter but I'm trying to get back into the flow of the story after my long hiatus. I promise the next one will be longer. Thank you for all the comments and I appreciate the support.