Freeing Asia

by Abel, E. M.

  After we watched John’s Audi pull out of the parking lot, I realized how quiet it was, and I tried to think of a way to end the silence.

  “Well, I had a good time. It’s been a while since I’ve had this much excitement.” As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I regretted saying them.

  I didn’t want Jay to know how uneventful my life had become over the past few months. Biting my bottom lip, I tried to think of something else to say before he had time to absorb my last words. He reached over and grabbed my hand, rubbing his thumb over my bandage.

  “This has been the best night I’ve had in long time,” he admitted, looking at me with those deep blue eyes.

  I quickly released my grip on my lower lip and smiled. It was nice to know he hadn’t had nights like this all the time.

  “Can I walk you home?” he asked.

  I had to look up to meet his eyes, and I still wasn’t sure about his intentions. He hadn’t given me any reason to think he would try anything, but with this outfit, I was feeling a little nervous.

  “I promise that I won’t try anything,” he said with a grin, reading my mind again.

  As soon as he said it, I felt a little disappointed. Although I didn’t want to come off as easy, I also knew deep down that I wanted him to try something.

  “Sure. I live right around the block. But first…” I reached down, using his hand to steady myself, as I took off my heels. I dug into my purse for my flip-flops and slipped them on. When I looked up, I saw the amusement on Jay’s face. “A girl’s gotta be prepared,” I told him as I put my purse back on my shoulder.

  Now that my heels were off, I realized just how small I was next to him. The top of my head only came up to his shoulder, not that I minded the view. He had really, really nice shoulders.

  As I started to lead the way, Jay didn’t move. He put out his right hand toward my shoes, silently offering to hold them for me. I gave them to him and then pulled him toward the sidewalk. Last night, the walk home seemed to take forever, but tonight, I had a feeling it would go by way too fast.

  We strolled down the sidewalk, holding hands, and I felt myself growing more and more anxious as we got closer to my apartment building.

  “So, Asia…”

  I loved the way he said my name. It sounded so beautiful coming out of his mouth.

  “Would you think I was crazy if I asked you to walk around the block with me one more time?” He gently squeezed my hand, careful not to hurt my knuckle, as he looked down at me with that dazzling smile.

  “No, but I might think you were reading my mind,” I said, smiling back.

  After hearing my response, Jay’s smile faded as he glanced down at his shoes. I didn’t want to interrupt his train of thought, so I just focused on the sidewalk, hoping he would say something soon. He was more reserved than the guys I was used to being around. I had a feeling I’d have to get around his walls if I wanted to know more.

  “You’re not at all like I thought you would be,” he finally confessed, breaking the silence.

  “How did you think I would be?” I asked, not hiding the surprise in my voice.

  “Well, when I saw you last night, you seemed so timid and maybe even a little sad.”

  So, he does remember me? And he thinks I looked…sad? Does he just feel sorry for me? I was suddenly confused. Does this mean he likes me better now? Or does he wish I was the girl from last night?

  “I wasn’t sure you even remembered me,” I admitted as I watched the ground move under my feet.

  As soon as Jay heard me, he stopped walking and pulled me toward him.

  “Of course I remembered you. I couldn’t get the image of your face out of my mind. It felt like your eyes were speaking to me.” He paused rubbing his hand over his short hair. “I know it sounds crazy, but I was afraid I’d never see you again,” he said softly. Then Jay dropped my shoes to the ground and took my face in his hands.

  I felt my pulse racing as I put my hands on his hips. Our faces were only inches apart. The streetlight behind him made it hard for me to see everything, but his piercing eyes were cutting right through me. He leaned in closer like he was about to kiss me, but he stopped just as our lips were about to touch. I could feel his breath against my lips as my heart started to race. Why did he stop himself?

  “I promised,” he whispered, answering the question in my head.

  Just as his words registered in my brain, I put my hands behind his neck, inching up on my toes, so I could close the distance between us.

  Our lips met in a slow, soft kiss as Jay moved his hands around my waist. He wrapped his arms around me as he lifted me off the ground. I parted my lips, so our tongues could touch. When they did, it was like a wave of calm came over me.

  I no longer cared about how I looked or what he might think. I knew this was what I’d wanted from the first time our eyes met, and it was a million times better than I had ever imagined. I wasn’t sure how much time was passing by. I just knew that it wasn’t enough. It would have been incredible to stay there in his arms forever, kissing him on the sidewalk, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

  When our lips finally separated, Jay gradually put me back down on the ground, bringing me back to reality. For those few seconds or minutes or hours, I had forgotten it all. It had felt like we were the only two people in the world, and I was floating on air.

  “You know, you aren’t at all like I thought you would be either,” I muttered as I tried to steady my breath.

  “Really?” he questioned with a look of concern in his eyes.

  “I mean that in a good way. I thought you were an uptight yuppie who just liked to flirt.” I smiled, trying to hold back a giggle. “I never expected you to have an edge. Your tattoos and stories about your brawls in bars actually took me by surprise.”

  He grinned as he glanced up in the sky, and then he looked back down at me. “Oh, so is that why you like me now?”

  “Well, it definitely puts me at ease,” I admitted before wrapping my arm around his waist.

  Putting his arm around my shoulders, he kissed the top of my head. Reaching down with his free hand, Jay picked up my shoes, and then we continued our second lap around the block.

  “So, what did you mean earlier when you said we have so much in common?” I asked.

  “Well, we both like sushi, we both know John, we both like gin and tonics, we both like red, and we both have tiger tattoos. That’s a lot of similarities to discover in one person.” He paused and took in a deep breath. “I was almost heartbroken when I saw you walk in with Nick tonight. I thought it was impossible for someone as gorgeous as you to be single.”

  I giggled at the thought. Nick and me—a couple? Talk about hell on Earth!

  “What’s so funny?” Jay asked.

  “Just picturing Nick and me together is pretty hilarious. You do know that he’s gay, right?”

  “I figured something was up when he wasn’t showing any interest in you.”

  “It’s also funny that you think I have that kind of effect on men. I’ve actually never had a real boyfriend.” Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that! I hope he doesn’t freak out! Asia, you have to learn when to shut up!

  “I can see why guys would be intimidated by you, but trust me, Asia. You do have that effect on men. I watched you all night, and I wasn’t the only one. Did you forget about the guy you punched in my club tonight?”

  I pushed aside the fact that he just admitted to watching me all night. “Intimidated? By me? You’re joking, right?” I paused as I realized we were near the stairs of my apartment building. “Oh, this is me.” I suddenly wished I lived farther away.

  We slowly walked up the stairs, and I continued to hold Jay’s hand in mine. After we got inside, I led him up another flight of stairs to my second-floor apartment. We arrived at the door with 4B on the front, and I turned around to face him, wondering how this night would end. I had never wanted to bring someone into my apartment
as much as I did right then.

  “So, I guess this is it,” he grumbled, sticking out his lower lip to make a pouty face.

  I chuckled at how cute he looked. “You can come in if you want.” I braced myself for his answer.

  He took a deep breath and lowered his forehead to mine. I could feel his warm breath on my face. His eyes were closed tight, like what he was about to say would hurt him.

  “I would love to come in, but I have to go,” he whispered.

  “Is this because of your promise? Because if it is, I want you to break it,” I murmured, putting my hands on the sides of his head as I brought him toward me for another kiss.

  As we kissed, he started to push his soft lips harder against mine, sending a wave of warmth down my body, and then our tongues met again. He leaned against me, pushing me back against the door, and he dropped my shoes to the floor like he had before.

  Jay slowly moved his hands to my shoulders, brushing my hair back before they settled on my hips. Suddenly, his lips left mine, and he looked at me, saying nothing, as his eyes seemed to be searching for something in mine. Then, leaning down toward my left shoulder, he kissed it softly, giving me goose bumps. The feel of his warm breath on my cool skin was almost too much for me to take.

  Parting my lips, I started to breathe faster as his kisses slowly moved up my neck. I slid my hands down to the sides of his back, feeling his hard muscles moving, as he continued up my jaw, and then his lips found their way back to my mouth again.

  Jay’s lips broke away from mine, and he opened his eyes. His pupils were dilated, and he was breathing just as hard as I was.

  “I have to go,” he whispered again. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my body closer to his, and then he hugged me tightly.

  I let out a big sigh as I nuzzled the side of my face against his soft white shirt. I wished he didn’t have to leave. I wanted him to come in.

  “Okay,” I finally conceded although it wasn’t what I wanted.

  When he pulled away from me, he looked me in the eye. His blue eyes appeared lighter now in the light of my apartment building.

  “Can I call you?” He moved my hair behind my ear with his left hand.

  “You better,” I said, smiling.

  “I love your smile. It lights up your face.” He gave me another quick kiss on the lips before he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket. As he started touching the screen, he asked, “What’s your number?”

  It took me a second to gather my thoughts, so I could remember what it was. He punched in each number as I said them, and after he was done, he turned the phone toward me, so I could make sure it was right. I looked it over and nodded.

  I glanced back up at him and winked. Jay returned the gesture, giving me that gorgeous smile that brought out his dimples. He leaned down to pick up my shoes, and then he handed them to me. As I took them in my left hand, he grabbed my right and kissed the top of my bandage.

  “Take care of this,” he told me, looking down at my knuckle.

  I peered up at him through my eyelashes, “I will. I promise.”

  Moving my hand to his chest, he leaned his head down to kiss me again. This time, his lips felt so tender, so soft, and my knees began to feel weak.

  When I heard people say they felt weak in the knees, I’d never really understood what they meant, but now, I did. I felt weak everywhere, and I was afraid once our lips parted, I might fall to the floor into a puddle of pure bliss.

  When we stopped kissing, he grabbed my hand off his chest, and he started to walk backward, slowly letting my fingers slip from his, while his eyes held mine captive.

  “I’ll call you,” he told me before turning around to walk down the stairs.

  I stood at my door, watching him disappear into the stairwell. When I heard the front door of the building close, I leaned my head back onto my door, looking into the halogen light above me in the hallway. I felt like I had just been though a tornado, picked up by a strong wind and then gently placed back down in front of my apartment. Part of me was expecting to wake up and realize I had been dreaming. This feeling was familiar.

  “Don’t cry, Ais,” Marcus murmured, his warm mouth grazing my ear.

  His big hand cupped my cheek, urging me to meet his gaze. Loud music was thumping out of the house behind us, like the beat of my heart in my chest. His tongue came out to slowly lick his bottom lip. I could feel the hesitation in his movements as if he knew it was wrong but he couldn’t stop.

  Pausing when his lips were just an inch from mine, he whispered, “Do you want me to stop?”

  I didn’t. That was the last thing I wanted, but I could only manage to slowly shake my head as I stared at his luscious lips, inviting my first kiss.

  When his mouth finally touched mine, everything in my life seemed different. Every experience before this moment became insignificant and forgettable. Nothing existed before this moment, this kiss.

  Closing my eyes, I sighed. I had to remember to live in the present, and in this moment, I was happy.

  I looked down at the red high heels in my left hand, and suddenly, I felt grateful that Nick had made me buy them. I set them down on the floor to search through my purse for my keys. When I got them out, I unlocked my door and walked into my quiet, dark, empty apartment.

  Lying on my bed wearing my favorite baggy sweatpants and a blue tank top, I stared at the alarm clock that now read 6:02 a.m. I hadn’t slept at all last night. Instead, I replayed the last twelve hours in my head over and over again, trying to analyze every word Jay had said to me. You’ve got to stop this! My eyes felt heavy as I rolled over and fluffed my pillow. Closing them, I finally drifted to sleep with a big stupid grin on my face.

  I was startled awake by someone knocking on my front door. Jumping up, I looked at the clock. 11:12 a.m. I had slept a lot longer than I’d planned. I wondered who was at the door. It was rare for me to get an unexpected visitor.

  As I walked toward the living room, I stopped to glance at myself in the mirror. My hair was still straight, but I didn’t have any makeup on. I hope it’s not Jay. Although I couldn’t wait to see him again, I didn’t want Jay to see me looking like this.

  When I reached the door, I looked in the peephole, and a deliveryman was standing on the other side with a bouquet of red roses. Immediately, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I swung open the door too quickly, taking the deliveryman by surprise.

  “Hello, ma’am. I’m looking for an Asia Fuller?”

  “That’s me,” I told him, trying to hold back the excitement in my voice.

  He handed me the bouquet of roses wrapped in green tissue paper. A little white envelope was sticking out from the top. I thanked him and closed the door, barely able to contain my excitement. This was the first time I had ever received flowers. I rushed over to the couch, put the roses down beside me, quickly grabbed the envelope, and ripped it open.

  Unexpected business meeting.

  But I will call soon.

  Promise.

  J

  I usually tried to suppress my giddy inner schoolgirl, but since I was alone, I allowed her to come out. I hugged the note to my chest, and with a face-splitting grin, I jumped off the couch and started to dance around the living room. It was real! Everything that happened last night was real, and it happened to me!

  Just as I was starting to calm down, I skipped over to the kitchen. After running the water, I was about to put my roses into a vase, but then my cell phone started to ring. I turned off the sink and ran toward my purse as fast as I could.

  “Hello?” I answered, sounding way too excited to get a call.

  “Bitch, I told you to call me!” Nick yelled.

  My shoulders slumped, and I fell onto the couch. I really needed to start screening my calls.

  “Hey, Nick,” I muttered.

  “Don’t ‘Hey, Nick’ me, girl. What happened last night? I told you that my makeover would pay off. That man was gorgeous! And he owns Red? Damn, Asia, you
owe me big time!”

  I sighed, but I couldn’t hold back my grin. After all, I did owe him. “So, what do you want to know?”

  “Everything, girl. Spill it.”

  I pulled my legs onto the couch, sitting Indian-style, as I began telling Nick everything that had happened with Jay after we left the club. Reliving it out loud made me blush, and I knew Nick could hear my excitement over the phone.

  “Damn, girl. I can’t believe you didn’t just jump his bones right there at your door. I know I would have. Shit, he’d still be in my bed now.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Nick definitely had enough confidence for the both of us.

  “So, when are you seeing him again?”

  “I don’t—”

  Just then, my phone vibrated in my hand. I pulled it away from my ear and saw a number I didn’t recognize. “Nick, I gotta go. I’m getting another call.”

  “Uh-oh…go get ‘em, Ms. Vixen.”

  I hung up, and after taking a deep breath and trying to calm my nerves, I answered the other call. “Hello?”

  “Did you get the flowers?”

  It was him, and his voice sounded sexier than I remembered.

  “Yes, I did. Thank you. That was so sweet.”

  “You’re welcome. I wish I could have delivered them myself. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes,” I lied, not wanting him to know that I’d been up, thinking about him the whole night.

  “Sorry I couldn’t call you earlier. I’m in the middle of some big changes with the club, and I ran into some problems I had to take care of.”

  “Working hard on a Sunday? That doesn’t sound like much fun,” I said with a big smile. I was glad he couldn’t see me.

  “Especially when you get no sleep the night before.”

  I could tell he was smiling, and I started to picture it in my head. Those dimples and perfect white teeth. I sank deeper into the couch as I wished he were sitting next to me.

  “So, you didn’t sleep well?” I asked.

  “No, I couldn’t seem to get the image of a beautiful, black-haired, brown-eyed woman out of my mind. Actually, I still can’t. I’m dying to see her again.”