The air at the Atlanta Chamber Networking Mixer was thick with perfume, ambition, and the sound of people pretending they cared about each other's business cards. Keisha wasn't even supposed to be there - her coworker had an "emergency" (translation: a date), so she went in her place.
She had on a fitted black dress that made people look twice and pretend they weren't staring. Her hair was laid, her lip gloss was "Gloss Bomb" - the one that made her lips look like sin dipped in honey.
She was halfway through a conversation with a mortgage broker she didn't care about when she saw him.
Derrick.
Tall. Broad shoulders filling out a tailored suit like it was custom-sewn on him. Beard lined up so sharp it could cut glass. And Lord… that cologne. Not the drugstore kind - the kind you smell once and it follows you home in your dreams.
Keisha froze mid-sentence. The mortgage broker was still talking, but she'd already tuned him out. Derrick was laughing at something across the room, showing perfect teeth like God handed him a whitening kit personally.
He caught her staring. Instead of looking away, Keisha held his gaze - a slow, confident smile spreading across her face like she already knew how this story would end.
A minute later, he was standing in front of her.
"Hi. I'm Derrick."
"Keisha." She extended her hand, palm soft, grip just enough to let him know she wasn't the type to be forgotten.
"You here alone?" he asked.
"Depends who's asking," she said.
He laughed - that low, warm laugh that made her knees betray her just a little.
By the end of the night, she had his number, and he had her leaving the event like she was walking on clouds.
---
Two Weeks Later - Sunday Brunch
Keisha strutted into "The Garden Room" with Derrick on her arm like she was debuting a new limited-edition handbag. He was in a crisp button-up, smiling like he *knew* he looked good. Monique was already at their table, sipping her mimosa and wearing a sundress that screamed, "I'm casual, but I still came to compete."
Keisha slid into the seat across from her, introducing Derrick like she was presenting a trophy. "Monique, this is Derrick. Derrick, my best friend in the whole world."
Monique smiled sweetly. "Ohhh, so "you're" the Derrick I've been hearing about." She extended her hand, her eyes locking on his just a *touch* too long. "Nice to meet you."
Derrick shook it, chuckling. "Nice to meet you too."
Keisha noticed the way Monique's smile lingered, but brushed it off. "She's just being friendly," she told herself.
But under the table, Monique's toes curled in her sandals. And in her mind, she wasn't just meeting Derrick… she was marking her target.