Kenna put on a spring skirt and polo shirt. She spun around the room. Today was her last break. She had studied all morning and now Mo was sending a limo to pick her up for their lunch date. Will wasn't thrilled when she told him about her lunch, but she swore it was strictly friendly. He trusted her, so he didn't even try to stop her. Maybe he knew if he had tried, their relationship would be damaged. Working in a male-dominated field made it real easy to have male friends, and Will was trying to accept it. McKenna knew the reason wasn't because Mo was male. It was because Mo was Mo. And Will thought he was responsible for the accidents on the farm. What Will didn't know was that she was going to this lunch primarily to find out if Mo was really behind all of the damage to Will's farm.
Kenna applied her pale pink lip gloss and then looked out the window. She liked watching the gentle breeze over the daffodils and the new leaves trying to make their way to the light. She took in a deep breath of country air, smelling some horse feed from the seed store and the fresh-cut grass from the house next door. A slight tingle of worry washed over her, but she pushed it back. If Danielle needed her, she'd contact her. She had written Danielle a couple of quick emails to check in but hadn't heard back yet. Just as she started to pull in her lower lip to nibble on it over what horrible possibilities were occurring to Danielle, a huge black limo stopped in front of the house. A uniformed man she recognized as Mo's assistant got out of the passenger side door and confidently walked up to the house. She grabbed her purse and gave herself one last look in the mirror before heading downstairs to have lunch with royalty.
"Madam, I am Ahmed. I'll escort you to lunch today," he said with a slight bow of his head. He stood only about three or four inches taller than she, but she was pretty sure his uniform hid a cache of weapons that he knew how to use. He was friendly, but there was alertness in his eyes to everything around them.
"It's so nice to meet you. I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce myself the other week at the sales," Kenna said.
Apparently not used to such attention, Ahmed blushed slightly. "I am used to staying in the background. Most people don't notice me. Madam is very attentive." He opened the back door and held it open for her. When he went to close it, she stopped him.
"Please, no need for me to sit back here by myself. Please join me. I'd love to talk to you some more. And please, call me McKenna or Kenna. Either works for me!" Surprising to her, he looked unsure of himself momentarily before he decided it would be okay to join her. "Ahmed, what do you do for the sheik?"
"Oh, this and that. Mostly I head security because that puts me in the most contact with the sheik. I also act as an assistant when needed."
"Sounds very exciting. I bet you've traveled all over the world and seen amazing sights. It was very nice of you, as head of security, to pick me up today. I'm sure you have more important things to do, what with all those accidents at the Ashton Farm. I'm sure you have to work really hard to make sure the vandals don't start tampering with things on your property." As subtlety went, it was a poor effort. But she hoped she pulled off the innocent face well enough to disguise her interrogation.
Her hopes were squashed when Ahmed let out a sharp bark of laughter. "McKenna, you are very direct for a woman. I know all about your relationship with the Ashton family, and I am very aware of their belief the accidents are being ordered by my boss. You are very brave to attempt interrogation on an interrogation expert. Of course, my interrogations usually involve certain… tools, shall we say." He shook his head as if fully amused by her thought of interrogating him.
"Well, we could go back to Miss Lily's. She has a wonderful watering can for her flowers that would be perfect for waterboarding if you're feeling my form of interrogation is inadequate," she deadpanned. That ought to shut him up, she thought, when she saw his mouth momentarily drop.
But then he grabbed his side and doubled over in his seat with big belly laughs. Well, there goes being the tough chick. Ahh, now she knew what to do... Kenna slipped her sunglasses on and turned away from Ahmed, shaking her shoulders as if racked with tears. She threw in a couple of sniffles and a repressed sob or two.
Ahmed immediately stopped his laughter. "Madam, I am so sorry I insulted you. Women are too kind-hearted and innocent for such talk. I offer you my humblest apologies."
Kenna turned her head, letting out a little sob. With a slight lip tremble she said, "I was just trying to look out for my boyfriend, you know?" Hiccup. "It's been very stressful on him and his poor father with his heart condition. You know, I lost both my parents." Hiccup. With her lip trembling again, she added, "and Betsy and William are like surrogate parents to me." Full-on sobs began. Kenna turned her head and gave more body-shaking sobs.