by La Jill Hunt
“We know you used to model. Miss Asha said you don’t like to talk about it. But did you have a signature walk?”
When she made her official decision to coach, one of the things she insisted on with Asha was that none of her past modeling experience was to be disclosed or discussed. She’d put that part of her life behind her and had no desire to revisit it. However, she was slowly discovering that some things were necessary for her to be an effective instructor. It’s not like you haven’t demonstrated a walk for them already. Just show ’em what you got and act like it’s no big deal.
“I did,” she finally said.
“Oh, really?” Dionne elbowed Journi. “We wanna see.”
“You’ve seen me walk.” Devyn shrugged. “Now, come on, let’s get finished. We’ve only got about ten minutes left before we gotta get outta here.”
“But we haven’t seen your signature walk,” Journi said. “So, go ahead, Miss Devyn.”
“Like you said, we only got ten minutes. Unless it was so long ago that you forgot . . .” Dionne taunted. “Maybe that’s why she doesn’t like talking about it, J, because she doesn’t remember. She is kinda old.”
“I know what y’all are trying to do, and it’s not gonna work.” Devyn shook her head.
“All we’re trying to do is see what you were working with back in the day. If you were working with it, that is,” Journi smirked.
Devyn exhaled. “Fine. If you’d like to use the remainder of your coaching session to watch me walk instead of working on your own, that’s on you. It’s your dime.”
“We definitely do,” Dionne nodded. “And I know the perfect song.”
“Gimme those.” Devyn pointed to the three-inch heels on Journi’s feet that she’d been practicing in as she slipped off the Uggs she wore. Journi quickly complied and kicked them off for Devyn to put on. They were a little snug, but nothing she couldn’t stand. One thing seasoned models knew was even if the shoe doesn’t fit, you still had to wear it.
Music began playing on Dionne’s phone. Devyn strutted to the front of the room like she was in a designer show during Fashion Week in Milan. Her body was fluid, her steps purposeful yet graceful. Eyes forward, hips swayed, shoulders squared, and then she hit it, the thing that made her walk unique and distinctively hers: the pivot move at the end of the runway. She had perfected it after weeks of practice when she first started modeling. Devyn posed briefly, turned, and strutted back in the direction she’d walked from. The girls were screaming and clapping as she approached. She also noticed Journi’s phone pointed directly at her, breaking another one of her cardinal rules: no unauthorized photos or videos.
“Uh-uh, put it down. You know the rules,” Devyn sternly warned.
“I know, I know,” Journi whined as she quickly put the phone away.
Devyn returned her shoes and told them, “That’s it for today. I’ll see you guys next week. Work on those intros. Oh, and Miss Journi?”
“I know. Less Marcus Garvey and more Michelle Obama,” Journi said, matter-of-factly.
They exited the library, hugged, and said their goodbyes. Devyn got into her car and took her phone from her purse to call Asha and update her on how the session went. That’s when she noticed she had a missed call and voicemail from an unknown number. As always, she opted to read the transcription before listening, but after seeing the first few lines, she hit the play button to hear what was being said.
“Hello, Devyn. This is Ben Maxwell. Asha said you gave the green light for me to call, so I’m reaching out. Feel free to give me a call back at this number when your schedule permits. I look forward to talking to you,” Ben’s voice stated.
Devyn recalled the conditions of the agreement she and her bestie made regarding Ben being given her information. Clearly, he now had her number, but Asha still hadn’t even asked Sully to divulge any more details. Someone wasn’t keeping up their end of the bargain . . . If Asha expected her to entertain the idea of Ben Maxwell, she was going to have to find some kind of incentive to trade or offer in return.
“Oh, I’m gonna lay her out for this one,” Devyn said as she hit the call button and started the car. “She didn’t even give me a heads-up. She’s about to owe me big time.”
“Hello?”
Devyn was caught off guard by the voice that answered the phone, which was much deeper than the one she expected to hear. “Uh, hello?”
“Devyn?”
Devyn looked at her phone and saw that it wasn’t Asha’s number she dialed. She’d accidentally called someone else. “Yes, uh, hi, uh, Ben.”
“Hi. How are you?” he asked.
Devyn grimaced. “I’m good.”
“I guess you got my message. I almost didn’t leave a voicemail because most people don’t check them these days. Guess I was wrong.”
Devyn didn’t know how to respond, so she simply said, “I guess so.”
“Well, I was wondering if you weren’t busy this Saturday night, would you like to hang out?”
“Together?” Devyn asked.
“Yeah, we didn’t get to enjoy the cooking demo at Culture, and there’s another one this weekend. I figured we’d check it out. It would give us a chance to get to know one another,” Ben told her.
“I, uh . . .” Devyn stammered, caught off guard by his sudden invitation. She’d expected a simple phone conversation or two before having to decide if she wanted to go out on an actual date. He wasn’t wasting any time, though, and she needed to think about it. “Can I get back to you?”
“Sure, no problem,” he said.
“Okay, cool. I will let you know.” Devyn told him, then for good measure, added, “We’ll chat later tonight. Is that okay?”
“I look forward to it,” he told her.
There really wasn’t a reason why Devyn couldn’t go out on a date with him. It wasn’t like she had a social calendar full of events to attend on Saturday night. She definitely didn’t have multiple suitors blowing up her phone or knocking down her door, although that was by choice. Ben Maxwell was the first guy to formally ask her out on a legitimate date since her ex. Come to think of it, she couldn’t recall Tremell ever asking her out. Their entire relationship had been a whirlwind from start to finish. They met one night at an after-hours club, sparks flew, and they became inseparable.
“What’s the issue?” Chase asked later that evening when she called and told her about Ben’s phone call. “You said he seemed nice the other night. And from what Asha told me, he’s not hard on the eyes either.”
“There’s no issue, not really. And he is nice and quite attractive. She ain’t lying about that. I just don’t know if I’m ready to go on a date with anyone. Being in a relationship isn’t—”
“Whoa whoa whoa, Grasshopper. Slow your ass down. Who said anything about being in a damn relationship, Devyn? This dude asked you on a date. He ain’t get on one knee, did he?” Chase yelped.
“No, Chase. You’re trying to be funny,” Devyn sighed.
“I’m not. The reason you’re freaking out is that you’re putting all this pressure on yourself. Just because you go on a date with a guy doesn’t mean you’re obligated to anything.”
“I get that.”
“Dev, you know what your problem is? You’ve only dated three guys in your entire life: one in high school, one in college, and the asshole you almost married. For some reason, some kind of way, you somehow ended up in long-term relationships with them. But that’s not how dating normally works, Devyn. Most people date to have fun. That’s it. Dating is about having a good time,” Chase said.
“I know what dates are, Chastity,” Devyn told her.
“Then go,” Chase said. “I know Asha has been building him up in your head like he’s the perfect guy and a great catch. I’m not saying that he’s not. But that shouldn’t even matter to you right now. She’s saying all of these amazing things, I believe, so you’ll be motivated to go out with him. She doesn’t mean to pressure you and probably doesn’t e
ven realize it. That’s just Asha. We all know she wants nothing but the best for her BFF Devyn. Hell, at this point, we are just glad you’ve gotten to a place where you’ll even consider dating anybody. We’re not tryin’a marry you off. We just tryin’a help you get some dick.”
Devyn laughed so hard that she almost choked. “Chase!”
“What? I’m serious. It’s been a long time since you’ve been manhandled, has it not? And, no, I’m not saying that’s why you should go out with him either. But you can’t get penis from someone you don’t know. Well, you can, but you know what I mean.” Chase giggled. “And for the record, even if you wanna get penis from him on the first date, that’s fine too. Go for it.”
“I thought talking to you would help me get some clarity. Now, I’m even more confused,” Devyn laughed.
“You’re scared, and that’s fine. Whether you go out with Ben, someone else, or no one at all, it’s up to you,” Chase said softly. “Take the pressure off yourself. As a matter of fact, you know what you should do?”
“What?” Devyn asked.
“Take a ‘sip’ and then decide,” Chase answered. “You know that always works.”
Devyn smiled. “You’re absolutely right. I swear, sometimes I wonder who’s the oldest because you are always the wiser one.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift. Now, the next issue at hand is this website for Pivot that Asha and I have been so diligently working on. What’s the holdup? I thought coaching was going well.”
“It is, and I am really enjoying it. I’m just not ready to pull the trigger yet. I’m getting there. I appreciate all your hard work. I owe you both,” Devyn said. “And not just for the business and logo stuff. But for always being there when I need you. It’s been a rough past couple of years, but y’all have stuck it out.”
“We’re family. Besides, it’s practice for when I do meet Mr. Right. I’ll have plenty of experience dealing with temperamental people,” Chase responded.
“Bye, Chase,” Devyn told her.
After the call ended, she took a long, hot bath, put on her robe, made a cup of tea, then went to sit on the deck. It was a lovely night with a dark sky, full moon, and a gentle breeze. She sipped her tea and closed her eyes. Stop. Inhale. Process. As she began to relax, she thought about how nice it would be if she had someone to share the intimate setting with her. A charming guy to talk to while I lay my head on his chest, and we stare at the stars, someone to laugh and joke with me. For a second, she had a flashback to the guy she’d bumped into the other night, the one who’d instantly made her smile. Then her thoughts turned to Ben Maxwell. There was no initial spark when they’d met, unlike all of her exes, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he was exactly what she needed to get her feet wet. She was definitely out of practice and needed to start somewhere. No reason why it shouldn’t be Ben, she thought. She made her decision.
* * *
Devyn’s anxiety level was on a thousand from the moment she called Ben to accept his invitation, up until he arrived to pick her up. She’d already let him know that although he owned a car service, she preferred not to be chauffeured to their destination. She even offered to drive and meet him, but he insisted on picking her up. Asha, who’d come over to give her a much-needed pep talk and approve her outfit choice of jeans, white blouse, and colorful pumps, had just pulled out of the driveway minutes before the doorbell rang. Right on time. Here goes nothing. Devyn took a deep breath and reminded herself to have fun.
“Wow, you look amazing.” Ben stood in the doorway, a smile on his face and a bouquet of roses in his hand. His outfit mirrored hers: jeans, button-down shirt, blazer, and casual shoes. He was just as handsome as she remembered.
“Thank you. You look nice too,” Devyn smiled. “I like your shirt.”
“These are for you.” He held out the bouquet.
“They’re gorgeous.” She took the flowers from him. “Uh, I’ll be right back.”
Without thinking, she turned and walked back inside to put them on the kitchen table. As she headed back to the front door, it dawned on her that she should’ve invited Ben inside instead of having him stand at the front door like a pizza deliveryman waiting on her to get change for a tip. Pull it together, she told herself as she set the alarm and rushed to leave.
“You ready?” he asked when she got to the doorway.
“I am. And I’m sorry. I should’ve invited you in,” she explained.
“No need to apologize. I understand.” He held out his hand to help her down the front steps and the walkway to where his Acura SUV was parked.
Okay, he’s a gentleman. This might not be bad, after all.
“Oh, this is funny,” Devyn giggled as he opened the door and waited for her to get into the truck.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“You and Asha have the same SUV, exact color and everything,” Devyn told him, noticing that even the interior of his vehicle was precisely like her friend’s custom model.
“Are you serious?” Ben laughed. “You do know this is a Special Edition, right? They only made—”
“exactly 360 of them.” Devyn finished his statement. “Trust me, she’s told me enough times before and after she bought it. I am positive.”
“Wow, I guess Asha has great taste in cars and friends.” He raised his eyebrow as he closed her door.
Devyn let Ben do most of the talking while they headed to Culture. He told her that the event they were attending wasn’t actually a demo but a cooking class for couples. Devyn almost panicked. Certainly, he wasn’t considering them a couple, was he? Then she reminded herself that the word encompassed any two people taking the class together, not necessarily two people in a relationship. At least, that’s what she hoped he meant.
Before long, they arrived at the building. This time, there wasn’t a large crowd, just those attending the class. She and Ben went straight to the culinary lab.
“Welcome to Culture Culinary. Please sign in here and help yourself to an apron,” a beautiful young lady sitting at a table outside the lab greeted them. She reminded Devyn of a young Erykah Badu with her colorful head wrap, Rastafarian printed skirt, and chunky jewelry. Devyn immediately wanted every item for her own wardrobe.
“Thank you.” Devyn smiled as she picked up a pen and began filling out one of the class participant forms. “You’re outfit is fly, sis.”
Ben seemed amused for some reason. “Well, hello to you too, Nadia. Don’t we look colorful tonight?”
“Thank you. Some people can’t appreciate artistic expression in fashion.” The woman glared at Ben playfully. “How quickly they forget how they used to wear BAPE T-shirts and skateboard shoes.”
“Wow, it’s like that?” Ben’s embarrassment was evident.
“You know better than to try to clown me in front of company, Benjamin.” She laughed, then looked at Devyn, “Hi, I’m Nadia.”
“My bad. Devyn, Nadia, Nadia, Devyn,” Ben interjected.
“Nice to meet you.” Devyn grinned and handed her the clipboard.
Nadia passed her one of the aprons. “I thought Ben was lying when he said he was coming to the cooking class tonight. Normally, he just calls and asks if we have any leftovers. I never would’ve thought he had an actual date—and a gorgeous one at that.”
“We are holding up the line and need to get inside before the class starts.” Ben motioned to the small group of people who were standing behind them, waiting to sign in.
“Nice to meet you again, Devyn. Have fun and enjoy,” Nadia smiled.
Devyn followed Ben into the glass-encased studio. They found seats at one of the stations toward the front of the class. Almost all the cooking stations were full, and folks seemed excited about being there. Music was playing as people sipped wine and snacked on grapes and cheese that were at each table. Devyn slipped on her apron and then noticed a small production setup with a couple of cameras.
“Are they filming?” she asked Ben.
“Yea
h, it’s a trial run. Nigel, the chef who owns Culture with Nadia, his sister, has a decent following on YouTube and IG. Normally, he does his thing at home with a phone and iPad, but now, he’s tryin’a step it up a bit,” Ben told her.
“Oh, Nadia must be the woman Asha met that she was telling me about,” Devyn said.
“Yeah, I introduced them the night we were at dinner,” Ben nodded.
“Oh, okay.”
This was the first time Devyn heard anything about Asha going to dinner with Ben. Her friend hadn’t mentioned that at all. Then again, Asha had dinner meetings with clients all the time, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary. Suddenly, the soft R&B that was playing stopped and switched to an upbeat hip-hop tempo.
“Welp, here comes Nigel,” Ben announced. “Let the fun begin.”
“What’s up, people? I see we got a full house, and it’s only our first time doing this. Y’all ready to burn?” The chef danced as he made his way to his position at the front of the audience. His energy was magnetic. People clapped and danced along in their seats. Everyone except Devyn, that is. She didn’t move as she stared at him. His eyes met hers, and he grinned even wider. It was him. The one she couldn’t stop thinking about, wondering about, smiling about, since that night. Here they were again. Weeks later, the same place, damn near the same time. The only difference this evening: she was on a date with his friend.
Chapter 12
Asha
The movie was halfway over, and Asha had no clue what was going on. She was too preoccupied with the thought of Devyn’s date with Ben to even care about what Samuel L. Jackson was doing on the screen. For the past hour, she’d resisted the urge to take out her phone and send a text asking how things were going. Things had to be going well, Asha was sure. First, because Ben was enjoyable to be around. He’d been quite enthused when Asha gave him Devyn’s number and told him she was expecting his call. Another good sign was that Devyn hadn’t sent a 9-1-1 text signaling for Asha to call with a fake emergency.
“Whoa!” Sully jumped in his seat, scaring Asha and causing her to scream. He put his arm around her and whispered. “That was crazy, huh?”