Something About You. Bridget Anderson

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      “She’s scared,” came a loud voice from behind them.

      Kyla turned around to see Tracee with her full head of natural curls bouncing as she walked toward them. Her free-flowing mane epitomized why Kyla nicknamed her Good Time Girl. Tracee roamed freely through the world, pursuing things that made her happy. She brought the party wherever she went. Her motto had always been, “What’s done is done.”

      She greeted Gavin with a big hug. Kyla knew there was some truth to what Tracee had just said, but she would never admit it.

      Rollin slapped Gavin on the shoulder. “I’m going to let you guys talk. Gavin, you know where to find me when you finish with your sisters.” He walked back into the barn.

      Kyla turned to Gavin. “Is everything okay at home?”

      He glanced from her to Tracee before nodding. “Everything’s cool, why?”

      “Because I don’t think you’ve shown up here this early since I’ve been working here. Mom and Dad are okay?”

      “They’re fine.”

      “And the wife and kids?” she continued.

      Gavin chuckled. “Donna and the kids are cool. You should come out and see them. They’re getting big.”

      More guilt from her little brother. Kyla nodded. “I will, and soon, I promise. But if it wasn’t anything important, I need to run. I’ll call you later.”

      “Naw, go ahead. I’ll talk to Tracee. You go kill ’em dead today.”

      “Good luck girl. I wish I could be there to cheer you on.” Tracee leaned over and gave Kyla a hug.

      Gavin waved as Kyla hurried back up to the house. She had two hours to get changed and drive to Lexington. She could not be late for her presentation. Besides, Professor Abraham had said he had a surprise for her, and she was eager to see what that was.

      * * *

      After her shower, Kyla dressed in a business suit and heels. She pulled her straight hair back into a French bun. She hadn’t allowed herself much time for makeup, so foundation and lip gloss would have to do. She jumped on US 150 and arrived at the conference in time to find Professor Abraham and thank him for the opportunity before grabbing a bottle of water and finding her session. She was the only PhD candidate invited to sit on the panel. The other panelists were business owners or writers who covered the subject of organic farming.

      Minutes later, butterflies danced in her stomach as the moderator took the stage, a thin scholarly looking man with thick-framed glasses. He motioned for her group to join him onstage. Kyla made her way to the podium and introduced herself to everyone. Her jittery stomach began bouncing around in overdrive as she glanced around and noticed the room filling up. By the time everyone on the panel was seated across the stage, the room was at capacity.

      “Looks like we’ve drawn a good crowd today,” the gentleman next to her said.

      Trying to hold the butterflies at bay, she replied, “I just hope I don’t forget what I’d planned to say.”

      “Oh, you’ll do fine. The moderator’s about to spout off some statistics about the millions of hungry people in America, and then we’ll tell everyone what we’re doing to reduce that number. It’s that simple.”

      Simple for you. Kyla took a deep breath and looked down at her notes. If she walked out of this room having convinced one or two of the business owners in the crowd to give her nonprofit a try, she would count herself successful.

      As predicted, the moderator kicked off the discussion by quoting statistics on world hunger before introducing all five panel members. When Kyla’s time came, she went on automatic pilot. She had rehearsed her presentation so much she didn’t need to look down at her notes. The more she spoke, the more her confidence grew.

      Before she finished her presentation, Kyla noticed quite a few heads turn when two men entered and stood at the back of the room. They were tall, athletic looking and black—and stood out from everyone else here. She tried not to let them distract her as she broke down the specifics of her program and rattled off her accomplishments to date.

      “Currently, I’m conducting workshops throughout the Glynn County school system. My goal is to first spread my program throughout the whole state of Kentucky. Then conquer the world.” She garnered a little laughter from the crowd. “I’m available after this meeting to speak with anyone about how your church, business or organization can help eradicate hunger right here at home. Or, if you’d be interested in attending one of my workshops at the Coleman Farm to learn more about the food you eat and how we benefit from organically grown foods, I’d be happy to sign you up.”

      Applause rippled through the room. From her vantage point she could see everything and everyone. People were whispering and turning to look at the men. Kyla figured they were former University of Kentucky athletes, but what were they doing at a World Hunger Day discussion? Someone had brought in folding chairs for them, but they refused to sit down, offering the seats to women standing at the back, instead.

      One of the men locked eyes with Kyla, and she tried to place him, but one thing Kyla wasn’t was a sports fan. Although she’d been told several times she had the height of a female basketball player, she knew nothing about the sport.

      Before she turned away, she had to admit the guy was extremely handsome, and the sight of him almost took her breath away.

      “That question was for you, Ms. Coleman,” the moderator said into his microphone.

      Startled, Kyla sat up straight and looked at the moderator with pleading eyes.

      “Would you like me to repeat the question?” he asked.

      “Yes, please.” She turned her gaze to the back of the room again, where Mr. Athlete was still staring at her.

      Oh my God! She quickly averted her gaze and focused on answering the question. A fluttery feeling engulfed her stomach before she realized everyone was staring and waiting on her response.

       Chapter 2

      “She certainly knows her stuff,” Miles Parker whispered to his little brother, Brandon, as they stood in the back of the room at the University of Kentucky’s World Hunger Day conference.

      “Yeah, but it sounds like a small program,” Brandon replied. Brandon had come to spend his summer break with Miles and to learn about running a business. Miles was determined to give his little brother a real-world education before he went back to Georgia State at the end of the summer.

      Miles nodded as he continued to listen to the graceful young lady on the panel explain how she’d introduced her nonprofit program, Rooted Beginnings, into the local school system. He crossed his arms, intrigued not only by what she was saying, but also by her. He’d missed the beginning of her presentation and squinted as he tried unsuccessfully to read the name on her badge. She looked like an elegant ballerina sitting on that stage. He had to find out who she was.

      The door to the conference room opened with a creak. Miles turned, along with several other people, to see his college mentor, Professor Abraham, СКАЧАТЬ