by J. Nichole
“Friday work?” she asked. I agreed then she said, “Tell me how you’re going to decorate your place.”
“I’m a novice in this decorating game. Truth is, I’m barely ever home, but I may take a trip or two to IKEA and see what I can find.”
“IKEA?” she shouted. “No, sir. You just dropped a cool three hundred thousand on a condo; it will not be furnished by IKEA,” she said with command.
“What’s wrong with IKEA?” I asked.
“Boy stop. Don’t even think about it. I’ll send you some affordable options that won’t fall apart after a few months.” We both laughed and she asked, “Do you like traveling for work?”
I took a long breath before I responded, “Not anymore, it’s tiring.” Just thinking about moving all weekend then packing to hop on a plane Monday morning already had me anxious. “Think I’m getting too old for it.”
“I could see that,” she said. “Ever think about changing companies?”
“I haven’t considered it seriously yet, but I may have to one day.” When Veronica was pregnant with Yara, I considered it. I even interviewed for a few jobs, and then when everything went down I gave up the idea. I wanted to be as far away from Veronica as possible. But being away from Veronica meant being away from Yara, and that shit sucked.
“Hey, have you booked your trip yet?” I asked as I sat in front of my parents’ house. The windows dark, as I’m sure everyone was sound asleep.
“Yes,” she said with excitement. “Me and my girl Marley are going in a few weeks.” The joy in her voice made me smile.
“Your friend from happy hour?” I asked. She confirmed and I remembered their conversation with the guys beside us. “How’d your date go?”
I heard her shuffling before she said, “We had a good time.” She spared me the details, thankfully. “Didn’t realize you were listening,” she offered.
I’m sure she knew I was listening. I was willing to bet that’s the only way those dudes got their attention. I played along with her coyness anyway. “Dudes seemed to be laying it on thick.”
She laughed. “They were charming. Jealous?”
I was but I wasn’t willing to admit it, yet. “Naw, you deserve a charming guy.” I looked up to the room where Yara was likely sleeping, my childhood room. “I think I can outdo him though.” She yawned again and I said, “But as much as I’d like to tell you, I’d rather show you next time I see you. For now, I should let you get to sleep.”
“Goodnight, Russell.” We hung up and I walked into my parents’ house quietly to not wake anyone. I peeked into my room and saw Yara curled up under the covers. I kissed her cheek before I grabbed a blanket and pillow from my closet and tossed it to the floor beside her.
After I showered, I laid on the floor looking up to the ceiling, thinking of ways to impress Anaya, to make sure I was the most charming guy she knew. I had it all planned out in my head, then drifted off to sleep.
Nine
Anaya
Walking through the baby aisle of Target was not how I’d prefer to spend my Friday evening, but my clients birthed their child and I thought it was appropriate to send them a nice baby basket. But as I browsed the diapers, bath supplies, and variations of onesies, I realized I was lost.
I held a jar of nipple cream in my hand. Why would a baby need nipple cream? I turned the jar around to read the directions and my own nipples began to hurt at the thought of them being chafed. Dear God.
That jar didn’t make it into my cart. I rummaged through my purse to find my phone. I needed reinforcements. “Hey, Mom.” I returned to the items for babies and not momma’s titties. “I need some help.” My mom laughed because this call for help happened often. She was always my number one person to call when life threw me a curveball I couldn’t figure out. Unless it was related to something like my car, or a repair for my condo, then my dad was on deck.
“Okay, Naya, what you got?” she asked when she finally stopped laughing.
“My clients had their baby, and I’m at Target.” She interrupted to ask if it was the fine man I told her about, and I replied, “What? No, I wouldn’t have told you how fine he was if he had a pregnant woman on his side.” I laughed. “The other couple, the single-family home out in Gainesville. The one with the big yard,” I said, remembering the house Daniel finally agreed on although his commute was going to be hell.
“Okay, right, but we’ll get back to the fine one in a minute. Okay, so baby items.” She started rattling off different things for me to fill my basket. “Oh and diapers, always buy diapers.” I looked at the shelves and felt like I should have just went with a gift card. “Naya, why did you need help with this?” she asked as I was walking the aisles mentally checking off the items she named.
“What do you mean? It’s not like I have a kid of my own to have experience with.” Granted, I did have a niece and nephew, but when they were born I was too young to take any interest in them. In fact, they could be the reason kids were my kryptonite. I was a teenager when the first one popped up, and his cries in the middle of the night when my mom would watch him still haunted me.
“You have a niece and a nephew, and I’d think you’d at least know the basics,” she said, sounding exhausted for even having to explain herself. “Nevermind, I’m glad your sister gave me grandbabies; otherwise, if I had to depend on you alone, I may have never had any little ones to spoil.”
“I mean…” I tried to imagine myself with children and it still felt like it was too far away, if it ever did happen. “One day, maybe,” I conceded.
“Right, first step is a man anyway, preferably a husband.” She giggled like a schoolgirl. “Maybe even your fine client.” My mom was so trusting. She had never seen Russell, but from my description alone she believed he was as sexy as I described.
I told her about our upcoming date the next day. And when she asked for details I had to admit, “I don’t know. Our first date was a surprise, but a pleasant one, and he hasn’t given me any details about this one.” I thought about our texts and calls over the past week, and admitted, “I’m supposed to wear athletic gear.”
“Athletic gear?” She laughed into the phone. Maybe a little too hard. Then I heard her call my daddy in the background and say, “Naya is going on an athletic date.” They both laughed together. After a minute of them laughing, I felt offended but couldn’t help but join them. I wasn’t athletic at all growing up. Unlike my sister who ran track and played basketball, I didn’t even cheer. I tried dance once, but I couldn’t keep up with the choreography.
“Mom, quit, I exercise every evening,” I informed her. “As long as he’s not asking me to throw or kick a ball, I should be fine.” To that, my parents continued laughing. I hung up the phone with them and ventured over to the women’s section to browse through the athleisure wear. I found a cute, long-sleeved shirt with a cutout in the back, and pants to match. I threw both into my cart of baby gear.
While I waited in line I pulled up Facebook and made a post.
Dear #FutureHusband, let’s try new things together.
I looked into my floor-length mirror and smiled at the little athletic girl I saw staring back, dressed in the fit from Target the night before. She was cute. I laced up my tennis shoes and grabbed a backpack to finish my athletic date look. When I answered the door, Russell was dressed in a pair of snug sweatpants and a long sleeve thermal shirt. I about died. I swallowed the gulp in my throat and said, “Hey there.”
He replied the same and asked, “Can I have a hug?” I’m glad he asked after his unsolicited attempt to kiss me the last time. I opened my arms and walked into his. His thermal shirt was cozy and I could have stayed in his arms for the night. “Ready for this adventure?” he asked as he pulled away.
“Adventure?” I looked up to him and my nerves became rattled. “I hope I am.” He laughed and I turned to lock my door. I almost contemplated going back inside and backing down.
We walked to his car and the entire time I tried to think about h
ow adventurous we could be, like what would be my line in the sand? Skydiving. I looked at him and asked, “How’s your condo coming together?”
He told me about how he used the sites I sent him to find some nice pieces to fill the living room. “I just need to put them together now,” he said with a frown. “May be a while before I have anyone over to show off the place. I’ll probably never find time to put that mess together.” He laughed.
“It’s a start.” I added, “At least it’s not IKEA.” He wagged his head.
“Alright, we should be arriving soon,” he said. “What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?”
“Ugh…” I thought about traveling with my girls and the things they’d tried to get me to do. “I zip-lined.” I remembered the spring break trip to Vegas our senior year, where April convinced us we needed to go off the beaten path, outside of Vegas, and try something different. I still thought it was that trip where she decided she’d take a year to travel instead of starting a job.
“Okay, so you aren’t afraid of heights?” he asked, and I smirked. “You are?”
“I’m not afraid of heights as much as I am afraid of falling.” I wagged my head. “If that makes sense.”
“So a harness, restraints, guarantees that you want fall, and you’re good.” He smiled as he parked his car. “Perfect.”
I looked up to the building and said, “Indoor Skydiving.” Is this my crossed line? My quick heartbeat was telling me it was.
“Let’s go,” he said, unbuckling his seatbelt. I walked beside him thinking through all the excuses I could give him to not participate in this adventure.
Then it was like April was whispering down from heaven, and she said, “Don’t be a punk.” That’s exactly what she said when I froze at the top of the zip line. I looked up to the sky and smiled.
We were both snug in our gear, and versed in our hand signals from our jump instructor. Russell was grinning like a Cheshire cat, and I’m sure the look on my face resembled something like an abandoned puppy.
I was in the middle of a silent prayer when I opened my eyes to his phone pointed in my direction. “Did you just take a picture of me?” I asked.
“Sure did.” He stuffed his phone into our shared locker. “Thought it would be a good one to show my mama. She loves a prayerful women.”
I bent over laughing. Then I thought, show his mama? But before I could ask him to expound, it was our turn to enter the chamber, and my nerves wouldn’t let me be nosey. I stood at the end of the line, but as I watched each person take their turn my nerves accumulated more.
As we inched closer to the entry, Russell rubbed my knee. Then it was his turn and I watched intently as the air carried him. When it was my turn I whispered, “This is for you, April.” The air picked me up and distorted my face. By the time my nerves settled, it was time for me to finish.
After our second turn, we exited the chamber and Russell asked, “How was it?”
I smiled and said, “I feel like I can do anything.”
“How about the real thing?” he asked.
I pointed at his chest and said, “Except for that.” We both shared a laugh and he admitted he wouldn’t do it either. I bounced on my feet and asked, “But what’s next?”
“There’s a Top Golf next door.” His eyes dragged the length of my body and he said, “I thought I could whip you in a game real quick.” I couldn’t even trash talk him back because it was true. He’d beat me, and probably horribly.
I held the club in my hand and he explained for the second time the objective of the game. “Okay, so just hit the ball and aim for a target.” I did as he said and my ball went sailing through the air. “Damn. Pretty good actually.”
My wannabe athlete cheered, “Go girl!”
We continued taking turns till he said, “I bet your swing could be even better if you squared your hips more.” I joked that he just wanted to put his hands on me and he confirmed, “I mean, that’s true, but the way I want to have my hands on you”—he eyed the young kids in the stall beside us—“would be inappropriate for their eyes.” Between those words and his damn sweatpants, he could have taken me right there. I was ready.
I cleared my throat and stood at the tee and looked back at him. “Show me,” I said. He stood behind me, placing his hands on each of my hips moving them to align with his. Then he readjusted my feet, his hands cupping the back of my calves.
“Alright, when you swing this time”—his hands were on my hips again—“keep your feet planted and hinge at your hips.” I did the best to follow his instructions but my body was on some other shit. Just before he backed away, I think his was too. I smacked the ball and it soared farther than all the rest. “Just like that,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead when I wrapped my arms around his waist. The forehead kiss. Shit. I damn near melted in the sixty-degree weather. I adjusted my shirt and took a step back. He let the moment slide and took his place at the tee. I watched as his hips hinged, and my eyes slipped to his ass. My cheeks began to burn at the thoughts coming to mind.
“Ready for a bite to eat?” he asked as we finished the last ball.
I nodded my head because I had worked up an appetite. My thirst needed to be quenched too. “Are we eating here?” I asked as we passed through the restaurant.
He stopped walking and asked, “Do you have any food restrictions?” I squinted my brows and thought about his question. “Like do you eat meat?”
“Oh.” I laughed. “I was just thinking about food allergies or something but I eat everything. Wait, why do you ask?”
“I thought about going to this burger place, but I know some people don’t eat beef anymore. I work with tons of women who have given up meat, or carbs, or everything.” He laughed.
“I’m down for a burger.” I smiled. As bad as I wanted him, I was actually hungry, and a burger would hit the spot.
Ten
Russell
Anaya sat across from me with her cheeks flushed as I complimented her and her Top Golf game. “By the end of the game you perfected your swing.”
“You’d think I would be a golf pro since most of my colleagues network over the game, but I just never got into it.” She paused and said, “Maybe I should.”
“I could give you lessons.” Her head dipped as she avoided eye contact and if her thoughts drifted like mine did, we were both thinking about my hands on her hips. Her body flush against my chest. “I’m no pro, but I have a set of clubs at my parents’ house.”
Her eyes met mine and she said, “I think I’ll take you up on that offer actually.” She bit the side of her lip, and as my eyes watched, she released her lip. She looked around the restaurant. “Do you come out this way often?”
I shook my head. “Not often. If I’m hanging out I’m usually in the city.” The server dropped our ticket and after I paid I asked, “Do you have plans for the rest of the evening?” This was Yara’s weekend with Veronica. I should be setting up my furniture, but that could wait.
“Has our adventure come to an end?” She smirked. “Just as my nerves settled.”
“We could”—I looked at my watch—“find some place to go skydiving.” I laughed as her eyes widened. “Maybe next time?” Her lips pouted and the more my eyes landed on her lips, the more I wanted to kiss her, but after the last time, I’d have to know she wanted to kiss me back.
“Maybe one day,” she offered, making me draw my head back in surprise. “Definitely not today.” I shrugged. “I don’t have any other plans today.”
We agreed to head back to her place for a Netflix binge session. “Like, you watch no TV when you are out of town?” she asked as we sat beside each other on her couch.
“I watch sports, I’m a college football fan,” I offered, thinking about other shows I had watched in the last few months, and I came up short. With the exception of kid cartoons Yara always had me tuned into, her latest obsession was Doc McStuffins. Surprisingly, I didn’t mind watching it with her. M
cStuffins always had an interesting way to cure her patients.
“I watch a decent amount of TV, but I also like to read.” I too liked to read, mostly in flight if the trip was long enough.
“What are you reading now?” I looked around her living room for any signs of her favorite books, and saw none. “Let me guess, you read on a device?” She nodded her head. “I still like the flipping of an actual page. I buy a new book at the airport and pack it for each flight till it’s done.”
“I like to read memoirs, right now I’m reading Becoming.” I couldn’t relate, because I was a fan of psychological thrillers. But the smile she had describing her favorite First Lady had me wanting to grab the book on my next flight. “I also like reading romance novels, the steamy romance.” She turned to me and my face stayed neutral, not wanting to get too excited about her passion for potentially erotic novels.
“What’s the most erotic book you’ve read?” I watched as a one-sided smile slipped on her face.
“There are so many, I don’t know what the most erotic would be, but there are some freaky reads.” She laughed. I was intrigued.
“We should read one together,” I suggested, thinking it’d be something like watching porn together. She stared straight ahead before she stood from the couch and disappeared to her room.
She returned with an iPad. Sitting beside me, she started to scroll before she shared the screen with me. “This one, Unexpected.” I looked at the cover and told her to text me the details.
“We can start it next week.” She placed her iPad on the couch beside us and grabbed the remote. We sat with a cushion between us, and I wanted to be closer. “Did I work up a sweat today?” I asked.
A crease formed on her forehead, then she looked at the space between us. “You shouldn’t have. I mean, I did beat your ass in Top Golf, so I don’t think you were working too hard out there.” She laughed as she scooted closer to me. I rested my arm behind her shoulders and she took the opportunity to snuggle into my side.