Page 15 of Mr. Blackwood
“Jabari.”
“Okay, I don’t play games, Jabari. I’m a woman of my word. If you can prove that you’re not what I perceive you to be, I’ll date you.”
I loved the way that she spoke my name, Jabari. I preferred that she call me by my first name so that it didn’t seem professional; I wanted us to be more personal. I wanted her to call me Mr. Blackwood, but under different circumstances.
Although her background check had come back clean, I still kept David on her. I wanted to know if anything changed at all, or if there was anything that I should become aware of as my pursuit of her progressed.
We made small talk as we rode from her house to another one of my buildings that had a helipad.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as we exited the car to head inside of the building.
“I’m creating an experience. Can you promise me that you’ll relax and enjoy the evening?” I asked.
“Yes, I can.” She wore a sensual look in her eyes as I held the door open for her. We held each other’s stare for several seconds before she passed through the door.
“Good evening, Mr. Blackwood,” the security team at the front desk of my building greeted me.
“Good evening.” I nodded and headed for the private elevator that would take us up to the rooftop.
I linked my hand in Camilla’s, and she smiled at me shyly. I knew that I was taking a risk becoming involved with this woman when I knew she had an investigative background. Her magazine focused on local businesses and industries, and I knew that I could be a major feather in her cap. I didn’t want to be that. I sincerely hoped her interest in me was pure and genuine.
“A helicopter?” she shouted over the loud noise as we exited the stairwell onto the rooftop.
“The experience.” I didn’t want to say anything more to ruin the mood. I wanted her to anticipate what we were doing without her mind going into overdrive.
After I introduced her to Chauncy Gaines, my pilot, he instructed us on what we could expect, and then he gave us headphones. Once we had placed our noise-canceling headphones on, we climbed onto the helicopter and took the seats we were advised to take.
Camilla turned my way and smiled and mouthed the words “thank you.”
The helicopter flew us over downtown Atlanta, and the skyline sparkled with the building lights as the day waned into evening.
“This is so beautiful,” she stated in a breathless tone as we passed over the State Farm Arena. There was an event happening at the arena, and traffic was packed bumper to bumper down below. The red headlights and all the traffic lights only added to the beautiful evening scenery.
“Oooh look!” she exclaimed as she bounced in her seat. We had just flown over Centennial Olympic Park with its interlocking Olympic ring splash pad fountain, and she had pulled her phone out. I chuckled lightly as she held it up to take pictures of the gorgeous twenty-story Ferris wheel that was brilliantly lit and spinning.
“Have you ridden on there before?” I asked.
“Yes. I loved it. What about you?”
“I don’t have time for those kinds of things.”
She jerked her head sharply in my direction. “But you have time to fly me over it to see it.”
“That’s different. We’re going somewhere.”
“Maybe we’ll have to take a ride together one day—if you prove yourself worthy,” she teased, laughing.
Our flight path took us over the King and Queen Towers. Camilla snapped pictures of those as well as the curved façade of the Sovereign building and the Paramount tower before we flew over the governor’s mansion.
Camilla tried to remain cool, but I could tell the way that she kept peering out of the windows, biting her lip, and taking pictures that she was impressed with the tour. In time, she stopped pretending that she wasn’t impressed and got deeply into the tour.
She peppered Chauncy with dozens of questions, and he answered every one of them with patience.
“Those pictures would look amazing in your magazine,” I pointed out.
“Maybe, but I think I’d like for my professional photographer to go up with Chauncy and take pictures for the magazine.”
“I can arrange that.”
