by RaeLynn Blue
As she entered P. F. Chang’s, the cool air conditioning felt wonderful on her hot skin. Still no rain, but spring in the Triad area, the GSO, meant all kinds of bizarre weather—like today—nearly eighty degrees with incredible humidity. It felt like August in April.
“How many in your party, ma’am?” asked a petite, brunette hostess. She had to look up at Aerial. With her skinny arms filled with menus, she waited expectantly.
“Two,” answered a resonate voice from behind Aerial. “Please.”
She turned around to find Brice, dressed handsomely in a peach, button-down shirt and navy—nearly-black—slacks. He looked delicious, a delectable fruit she wanted to nibble on. With his tanned skin and white-blond hair, he caused quite the stir from others around them.
The hostess stared up at them.
“Two please,” Aerial said with a smile.
“Follow me,” the hostess said. Flustered, she dropped some of the menus, slipped on them and finally managed to calm down enough to lead them to a raised wrap-around booth.
Brice waited while Aerial scooted into the seat, before sitting across from her. The hostess gave them menus, apologized again for the inconvenience, and scampered off as quickly as humanly possible.
“That was awkward.”
“What was?” Brice asked, opening the menu.
“The hostess acted like we were a circus event.”
“Some people have no couth.”
Aerial smiled at him as she remembered his behavior just a week ago.
“Are you comfortable?” He met her eyes across the top of his menu. “We can ask for a table.”
“How are you this evening, Aerial? Thank you for asking, Brice. I’m good,” Aerial said, sarcastically.
His hazel eyes, made more gold by his shirt, met hers. She couldn’t see his mouth because of the menu, but she swore he was smiling.
“Sorry. How are you, Aerial?” Brice asked, sheepishly.
In fact, she could hear the hint of amusement in his tone. Did he have a smile in his voice?
“Are you smiling?” She reached across the table. Snatching his menu before he could use it to hide, she wanted to see for herself. He looked back at her with surprise, but he was not smiling.
“No,” he said with eyebrows raised.
She nodded and handed him the menu back. “Sorry.”
“What’s the matter? What was that all about?”
“Nothing,” she said, her eyes lowered to the table, breaking away from his.
“Were you waiting long?” he asked, returning his gaze to the menu.
“Not really, but how did you get here so fast?”
“I was at the bar. I’ve been here since 4:30.”
Aerial sat up and peered across the table at him. “Why?”
“To make sure I didn’t miss you,” he said casually, but underneath that matter-of-fact tone lay something Aerial couldn’t believe she’d heard. Honesty. Sincerity.
“Welcome to P.F. Chang’s. I’m Melody, your server.”
They ordered drinks—sweet tea for her, water for him. Aerial couldn’t tell if he’d been drinking, but Brice had shown up. He didn’t stand her up, and again, she found her heart warming to that idea, clinging to it. But was she being foolish? Her sister’s words came flooding back about him—a loner, rude, and moody. Friendless and alone, Brice pushed people away. Aerial had witnessed him trying to keep her at bay—the café and again at the office. Something horrible must’ve happened to make him so miserable with himself.
Aerial didn’t pity him; she found him beautiful—not just outside, but inside too. Whatever he did to make Antonio shape up had to be something. She’d worked the last four nights at the café and he had barely said more than two words to her. What had she been to Brice at that time? His boss’s little sister and nothing more. He didn’t even want her to discover what he’d done. No, despite the persona he put on of being aloof and distant, Brice had a big heart.
And as Aerial gazed across the table to him, she realized at that moment, she wanted it for herself.
The Brice seated across from her now was different somehow from the brooding bastard of the cafe.
“Did I say something to offend you?” he asked, looking up at her. Without the menu and seated across from her, she could make direct eye contact. She liked how when he asked the question, his eyebrow quirked up over his left eye.
“No, not at all. Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”
“You did say we had a date.”
“I did.”
“I also received your voice messages. I was in Chicago this week, securing a contract from a client. They sell rain boots and C.A.K.E is going to build their next big ad campaign.”
“Congratulations!” Aerial said. “Sounds exciting.”
“Not at all. They’re just rain boots.”
He made a joke. Aerial dissolved into laughter, but Brice didn’t. Instead he did the next best thing, he smiled.
“Oh. My. Goodness!” Aerial couldn’t believe it. When Brice smiled, his dimples fleshed out and the world’s brightest teeth appeared. It was like sitting across from Apollo. How can a single man be this damn incredible?
“What?”
“You have an amazing smile.”
“Thank you,” Brice said.
Silence welled between them. He stopped smiling, but stared at her. On Monday, she couldn’t get him to look at her and now, she couldn’t get him to stop.
“What? Is there something on my nose?” she asked, turning her face this way and that.
“No, why?”
“You’re staring at me.” She touched the choker. “Is this thing blinding you?”
“No, no...” He shook his head, emphasizing that it wasn’t the choker. He licked his lips and swallowed. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “It’s just that you’re so beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Aerial said softly, feeling heat flash across her cheeks.
When the server brought their drinks, she quickly gulped down fast swallows. In the span of ten minutes, Brice had done something incredible—paid her a compliment.
“Brice, may I ask a question?”
“Since when do you ask for permission?”
“Good point, but this is a serious one.”
His face went blank again, and she saw him retreating, putting up his emotional guard. Damn her insipid curiosity. She wanted to know why he’d been so open with her tonight. Just like the incident at the office, she wanted truth and honesty. For the briefest of moments, he’d given it to her.
“Go on, Aerial, ask. You and I both know how persistent you are.”
“Why did you come tonight?”
She wanted to shout for him not to, to stay his warm open self, but she could already see the clouds forming across his face. He didn’t like her question.
“Here you go. One honey chicken and one orange chicken. Here’s brown rice for y’all.” The server dropped off their food, bobbed around to make sure they had everything and then fled.
When she left, Brice quietly said, “I came tonight because I wanted to see you.”
“Oh. Well, I missed you too,” Aerial said.
Brice smiled again. Aerial smiled back. At that moment, she knew she’d gotten through to him. It made her feel empowered, but more importantly, special. A trite word, and it failed to adequately describe her feeling right then, but she already knew she had begun to fall in love with him. Despite their rocky beginning, she couldn’t stop herself.
“I started rehearsals for Hamlet this week too,” she said, eager to share her activities with him.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Hamlet?”
“Yes! You do know I’m an actress, right?” Aerial decided to leave her questions aside for now.
“No. Why don’t you start at the beginning? Where did you go to school?” he asked, and waited politely while she drowned her rice in soy sauce. The entrees outshined the rice by miles.
“The School of the A
rts, and then…”
Brice nodded and listened, asked questions when appropriate. He finished his food and waited for her to finish. He leaned in to hear her better and paid attention to her many stories of auditions gone awry, right, and wickedly horrific. At 5’10” and 235 pounds, she had more wickedly horrific stories than she did successes. But Aerial loved it all. Tawana and Chloe tired of hearing her stories and her brothers were normally too busy.
But Brice sat patiently across from her—listening.
Chapter Six
“Okay, your turn,” Aerial sang and nodded to him.
Brice blinked. Right. She wanted him to tell some quirky, funny tale about his life. Unfortunately, all his stories revolved around death, betrayal and attempted murder. She did like Shakespeare, so she may find his stories entertaining, but he doubted it. Fiction kept true emotions at bay, but reality smacked of grittiness that kept the entertaining factor at bay. Besides, he liked her happy demeanor and smiling face, and his tales would spoil her sunny disposition. Not wanting to ruin the mood, Brice decided to not share. He wasn’t ready, and to be frank, he didn’t want to taint Aerial’s view of him.
Why do I care what she thinks? Why did I even come tonight?
The less cynical part of him produced an answer. He came for one single reason—he wanted to see her. It surprised him, but he did care what she thought of him. The floor of his bedroom had been covered with clothes as he tried on different outfits to wear tonight.
“It’s after eight. We’ve been here for hours. I think we should go.”
Aerial nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. The server’s been giving us the hurry-up-and-leave glare for about an hour.”
Brice waved over the server and settled the check making sure to leave a large tip. He waited for Aerial to scoot out of the booth. His eyes drifted over her luscious and deep curves. Sweet Jesus! When he saw her walk in, he’d nearly fallen off the barstool. Several other men around him made comments about her thickness, but damn, if they lacked the ability to see how sinfully sexy she was, all the better. An eruption of heat crawled up his back at the sheer delight Aerial struck. She seemed completely unaware of the ka-pow she wielded.
While in Chicago, he’d found himself missing her. He wondered if she had strutted that sexy walk of hers down the path to her sister’s office. And if she had, he wouldn’t be there to see it. Throughout his sales meetings, lunches and conversations with professionals, he somehow found himself longing for Aerial’s honest nature. He’d pushed through the week and closed the sale. But on the flight home Thursday night, he found himself truly looking forward to Friday. Unable to just sit at home or work late in the office, he’d went home, cleaned up and arrived at Chang’s early.
“Brice…”
“May I take you home, Aerial?” he asked, holding the restaurant’s door open for her.
She exited and stopped at the edge of the parking lot. Above, the evening sky glittered in its velvety darkness. Aerial shone against that backdrop like a star. Her sparkly beauty rivaling the heavens.
“Yes, please,” she answered. “Thank you.”
She rubbed her arms as if cold. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he didn’t know if he could be ready to open himself completely to her. How had she managed to get under his skin so quickly?
Aerial threaded her arm through his and pulled him close. “Lead on to your chariot, great Caesar!”
She laid her head onto his shoulder as he walked. Stiffening, Brice knew it was too late to try to extract himself from her. He didn’t want to anyway. Humming a song, Aerial’s arm wrapped around him and laced her fingers through his hand. Instinctively, his curled around hers.
When he reached his two-door, silver sports car, Aerial let go of him and giggled. “Wow. Just. Wow.”
He unlocked the doors and he leaned down to open the passenger side door for her, but Aerial had already slid into the leather bucket seat, the door left ajar. Tucking her long, gorgeous legs into the car, she ran her hands over the interior. Speechless, she rummaged in his glove box and the alcoves along the door. How could something as simple as a car cause her to stop talking? He didn’t think anything would stop Aerial from commenting.
After he reversed out of the parking spot, Aerial finally said, “This car is amazing!”
“No, it’s just a way to get around,” he said, coming to a stop at the traffic light.
“A way to get around in style.”
He shrugged.
“Clearly, you’ve never had to ride the bus to get around.” She used her fingers to put the words “get around” in air quotes. Falling back into the seat, she hitched her chin at one of the Greensboro Transit Authority busses lumbering down the street.
“Yes, I have. When I was a kid, my father lived on the south side of Greensboro, around A&T’s campus. We couldn’t afford a car, so my sister and I caught the bus,” he said.
He didn’t especially like remembering those days, but taking the bus had been one of the pleasures he and Lily could afford. The freedom that came with hopping on a bus and traveling to other parts of the city couldn’t be duplicated now, even when he traveled so much. It didn’t feel the same. Perhaps it was because then he’d needed to escape the beatings, the arguments, and the drama. Public transportation had become akin to wings.
“You used to live over by A&T?” Aerial hugged herself. “That must’ve been fun.”
“Sure.”
“I was being sarcastic.”
“I know.”
She gazed out of her window as the traffic light turned green. The sports car lunged forward, smooth as silk, gliding through traffic effortlessly, hugging bends the way he wanted to hug Aerial—close and tight. Holding his breath, he waited to see how many more questions would come from her. For the first time since purchasing the sleek car, he didn’t have the urge to speed.
“Where do you live, Aerial?” he asked, aware that he had automatically started in the direction of his house. It seemed so natural to just take her home—to his home. Somehow that made more sense than taking her someplace else.
“Oh, right off of West Market, close to UNCG campus. I didn’t know you had a sister.”
“Lily.”
He didn’t want to divulge too much, but Aerial had a way of making it easy. Already she knew more about him than most of the people he’d spent the last five years working with at C.A.K.E. At yet another traffic light, he snuck a peek at her. She had gorgeous skin, flawless and midnight dark. Her sunny disposition and radiant personality seemed in direct contradiction. Aerial must’ve felt his eyes on her because she turned from the window and caught him.
“What is it? You’re staring again,” she teased and winked at him.
“You are remarkable, Aerial. I’m sure you’ve heard that before,” he said, surprising himself that he’d confessed his thoughts to her. She could use it later against him. He tried to emotionally retreat, but parts of him already felt it was too late.
Aerial’s blood thundered through her ears, nearly drowning out Brice’s words. Throat dry, hands sweaty, and her clit pounding, she couldn’t believe he’d just paid her another compliment. She tried to pretend like it wasn’t as big a deal as it felt to her. Brice had paid her several compliments. Plus, he’d been engaging, even open in conversation. Aerial wanted to clap her hands in glee, but she didn’t. Instead, she reached for his hand and laced his fingers with hers. Their palms touched and he did not pull away.
“Is Lily older or younger?” she asked, eager to know some new information. Brice had extended his trust to her. She wouldn’t betray it.
“Younger by three years.”
“I have three older brothers and Tawana.”
“Three brothers, well, I guess I better be on my best behavior.”
“You’re sooo right! You feel that way about your sister?”
Brice nodded.
She laid her head on his shoulder as he drove. Outside, the night slid by without interruption.
Inside the cool air of the car, the shadowy interior illuminated by the electric blue of the dashboard, made it cozy. She inhaled his scent in the close compartment. With her eyes closed, she relished the feel of his breathing, even and calm. A part in Hamlet, double the wages at the café, and Brice’s body heat warming her heart—that definitely was icing on the cake.
“Where about do you live on Market Street?” Brice asked.
His tone deepened, soft and quiet, like he didn’t mean to disturb her. Brice proved once again he was capable of much more than others had given him credit for. Kindness turned his voice gentle and deeply erotic. She opened her eyes and looked up at his profile.
“1256. Green house on the corner,” she said, sadness making her sit up. She couldn’t believe she’d arrived at home so quickly. The ride had come to an end too soon for her liking. When the car crawled to a stop in front of the old Victorian house, her heart was heavy. She didn’t want the night to end.
“We’re here,” Brice said.
Was it her imagination or did he sound disappointed too?
He gently untangled himself from her and climbed out of the car. She watched him walk around the front of the vehicle and longing swelled inside her. With grace, he opened the door and offered his hand. She gave it to him, and let him help her out of the low-riding sports car. Swallowing her desire to moan and wail at the unfairness of it, at the intrusion of Time and Fate, she met his hungry gaze. The burning fire, dark with passion, she found in those now deep amber eyes gave her pause.
Brice closed the door, but kept his attention on her. Emotionally falling so fast, she closed the distance between them and glanced down at his mouth, lips currently curved into a small smile.
Brice smiling had to be some sort of miracle.
Unable to look away, the world fell away—the roar of cars zipping down West Market Street, the blare of television programs filtering through open windows, and the whirling of fans propped into windows in an attempt to alleviate the muggy humidity, none of it registered anymore. Aerial’s skin burned, but not from the heavy hand of humidity. No, her flesh sizzled for Brice’s touch. She found his stare down incredibly sexy, like a tiger who meant to devour her.