He only saw Onika.
Graham stopped in front of her and panicked for a moment. He hadn’t thought of anything to say. The picture in his mind crumbled and was replaced with a video reel of Lorne cracking up laughing.
Then Graham relaxed. All she could say was no.
“If I was you, I’d stay away from this guy. He’s here for all the girls.”
Lorne threw his free hand into the air and frowned. “Really? You putting a brotha out there like that?”
Onika and her friend giggled for a bit, and then she recognized Graham. He could tell because her laugh faded and she looked uncomfortable.
“Onika, right?” Graham asked. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
Lorne’s mouth formed an O shape, and his eyes widened. “This is her?” he asked. “I thought you made her up.”
“I was starting to think maybe I did, too.”
“Good seeing you again, Graham. This is my friend, Ty. We were just about to leave, though.”
“No, we weren’t!” The friend clearly wasn’t loyal. Onika bit her bottom lip when her girl threw her under the bus.
“We were until you started talking to this guy, but maybe now we’re staying,” Onika said. “How have you been?”
Graham didn’t know if he wanted to reply. He didn’t want to force her to have a conversation or make her feel awkward. But another part of him wanted to never let her out of his sight again. God had let them cross paths twice. It couldn’t be an accident.
“It’s cool if you don’t want to talk to me,” Graham said. “I get it. You didn’t call, so I get it. I just wanted to let you know I noticed you again. I’m happy I laid eyes on you twice in a lifetime.”
Graham turned to walk away.
“Wait,” she said.
He turned to face her but said nothing. She could do all the work. He’d already embarrassed himself enough.
Onika’s friend took Lorne by the hand and dragged him toward the dance floor. It was great timing too, because he was definitely about to say something and probably spoil the moment.
“I am sorry I didn’t call.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She glanced at the ground and then back up at Graham.
“I kinda threw your card away right after you gave it to me.”
Graham stared at her, unblinking, his jaw somewhat slack. She hadn’t just not called; she’d dismissed him from jump. Graham shook his head. He wasn’t about to beg this girl for anything. Her loss.
“But now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have,” Onika continued. “Out of all the people in DC, I ran into you again? That’s not random.”
“So you’re going to give me your phone number this time?”
“Um . . . see . . . I don’t have a phone.”
Graham shook his head and started walking away again. “Yeah, right.”
This time she grabbed his arm. “I promise I’m telling the truth. My ex turned off the phone when we split up, and I haven’t put any minutes on the TracFone I bought.”
“So I can’t call you. You can’t call me.”
Graham wondered what kind of joke God was pulling on him. Then he asked himself, what would Lorne do?
“Why don’t we go out now, then?” Graham said. “Let’s have our first date right now.”
“Here?”
The smile on Onika’s face encouraged Graham a bit. “No, this place sucks. Let’s go over to Ben’s Next Door.”
Onika’s smile faded a bit.
“You don’t like that place?”
She shook her head, but gave no further explanation.
“Let’s just go anywhere other than here, then. We can walk down the street until we find somewhere good.”
“What about my friend?”
“We can leave her with my friend. She’ll be okay. He’s one of the good guys.”
“I need to check.”
Feeling a bit irrational about letting her slip out of his grasp once again, Graham followed Onika over to Ty and Lorne.
“Graham wants to take me out on a date. Right now,” Onika said to Ty. “Are you okay, or do you want me to schedule another time?”
Ty stared Graham up and down. Her piercing gaze made him want to check and make sure his fly was zipped.
“I will be fine,” Ty said. “Will you be okay? What about getting home?”
“Oh, I got it. Nothing to worry about at all,” Onika said.
A glance passed between the women, and then Onika smiled and nodded. “Okay. Date time,” she said.
Lorne jumped up from the bar with a look of alarm on his face. “Hey, I know you ready to get out of here, but let me holla at you for a second.”
Once again, Graham felt nervous about letting Onika out of his sight. She still felt like a flight risk, and Lorne was probably about to say something crazy.
When Graham didn’t move from his place next to Onika, Lorne said, “Man, this is a little bit personal. Can we talk over there? We’ll be right back. Promise.”
Graham followed Lorne to the other end of the bar, with every step fighting the urge to turn around and check if Onika was still there.
“What?” Graham asked.
“Man, be careful. I have a bad vibe about these girls. Why she want to go out with you all of a sudden? And when they were talking just now, it was strange. I think they’re scammers or prostitutes. Maybe worse.”
“A prostitute? She is not a prostitute.”
“Ask yourself why she’s hanging with this girl, Ty. Don’t they seem mismatched? Where in life would these two girls be friends?”
Though Graham cringed at the thought of agreeing with Lorne on anything, he could be right. Onika seemed like a woman who’d gone to college, probably pledged a sorority and had a decent career. Ty, with all of her tattoos and piercings, gave a different impression.
But Lorne didn’t know about Graham’s dreams.
“I just don’t think it’s a coincidence that I found her again.”
Lorne shook his head. “Let me guess. God sent her fine self your way. Or maybe fate. Perhaps it was the universe.”
The mocking tone in Lorne’s voice was unsettling, but not enough for Graham to be dissuaded.
“I’m not stupid, man. I’ve got my doubts, too, but I would be crazy to pass on this opportunity.”
Lorne sighed and signaled the bartender. “Just watch yourself, man. As tempting as it might be, don’t sleep with her.”
“She doesn’t seem like the type to give it up on the first date.”
“Maybe not, but her friend is the type to get you off in the bathroom at the club.”
“Did you . . . ?”
“Naw, but I could hit that tonight.”
Lorne’s opinion on this point was pretty useless. He thought he could get in every woman’s panties at any time.
“I hear you. I won’t lose my mind or track of my wallet. I’m good.”
“Okay, man. You’re my little brother, so I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m older than you.”
“With women you’re like a college freshman. I have a PhD.”
Graham shook his head and laughed. Lorne was probably correct, so Graham would keep his guard up, but not high enough that Onika couldn’t get inside.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Onika narrowed her eyes and stared at the two men debating at the end of the bar. She wished she could hear what they were saying. Lorne’s wild hand gestures and Graham’s defensive stance told her that Lorne was trying to make a case about something, but what?
When Graham had walked up to Onika, her initial thought was to blend into the crowd and disappear. Partially because she hadn’t wanted to be put on the spot for not calling Graham, and partially because she’d thought the conversation would be awkward even if he didn’t mention her not calling.
As soon as she’d made the decision not to run away from the moment, Onika had also promised herself that she’d tell him the truth i
f he asked about her calling. Surprisingly, he hadn’t run away.
Onika doubted that he was desperate. He was, by no means, an unattractive man. If it wasn’t for her living situation, she would never have thrown his card away.
Graham was so darned nice that he couldn’t be true. Most gorgeous men were cocky and arrogant. Like Aaron. No one would ever confuse Aaron with a nice person. He was, at his best, a brilliant alpha male and, at his worst, a condescending jerk.
Onika had never dated a nice guy. She’d only ever dated one other guy.
“He doesn’t trust you.” Ty said with a chuckle. “He probably doesn’t want Graham to leave with you.”
“What? Why not? It wasn’t my idea to leave. It was his. I should be the one who’s worried.”
“No you shouldn’t. Graham is as square as they come. Back in the day, me and my girls would’ve run all the game on him.”
“Really?”
“Girl. Would’ve promised him a ménage a trois, and when we got to the hotel, would’ve knocked him out cold with a pill. Then we’d take his cash, credit cards, and everything else. If he had his Social Security number on him, it would’ve been the mother lode.”
“Wow.”
“And as easy as Graham would’ve been, Lorne would be easier. He thinks he’s street smart, which makes him a challenge and a more rewarding takedown.”
“You sound like a predator.”
“I was. In another life.”
Onika wondered what Graham thought of her. It annoyed her that he might think she was a predator, like Ty used to be.
“What are you going to say when he asks to take you home? Are you going to bring him to Safe Harbor?”
“No. This is a first date anyway. He doesn’t need to know where I live.”
“Not tonight, no, but he will.”
“And by then I will have my own spot.”
“Hopefully.”
“I am not staying with Charmayne past September. I am done sharing a bedroom with another girl like I’m still in undergrad.”
“Forget you too, heffa.”
Onika laughed. Ty had been trying hard to stop cursing. Forget you took the place of another f*** you.
“Here he comes,” Onika said as Graham and Lorne made their way back.
“You ready?” Graham asked. “I’m in the mood for tapas and wine.”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to make it a double date?” Lorne asked, just as Graham touched her arm.
“If it will make you more comfortable,” Onika said, “I don’t mind.”
“It’ll make me more comfortable,” Lorne said.
Onika didn’t care what Lorne thought. She stared at Graham, waiting for his response. Her last few weeks had been too much. She was heartbroken and homeless.
What she did not need was one more affront to her character. She wasn’t some black widow scammer, and if Graham couldn’t look into her eyes and see that, then she didn’t want to waste any time on him. Her life was already complicated enough.
It was probably too soon for her to be looking at a man anyway. The breakup with Aaron was still fresh. She was still reeling from it and trying to find her footing. A man would throw her off her game again.
“A double date?” Graham asked. “We aren’t in high school. I don’t need a buddy. Let’s go.”
Onika smiled. And they went.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Graham thought they’d never get out of that crazy little bar and away from Lorne, who didn’t even try to hide his displeasure at Graham’s decision to leave with Onika. Graham would check him once they got to work on Monday, because that wasn’t cool.
“So the tapas spot I like is near the Verizon Center. You want to go there? We could hop the Metro to Gallery Place.”
Onika shook her head. “No, not there.”
“So no to Ben’s Next Door, my favorite restaurant in DC, and no to tapas? Where do you want to go then?”
Onika concentrated for a moment, and then said, “What about the place you were in a hurry to when we met? What did you call it? Poets and something.”
“Busboys and Poets. I can’t believe you’ve never heard of that restaurant. There’s a few of them.”
“I’m not from DC. I moved here after college with my boyfriend. What I know of this area is what he showed me, so I’m really just now starting to explore. I’ve never even been on U Street.”
“What? Every twentysomething in DC knows U Street. You have been deprived. What were you doing for fun? Karaoke in Laurel or something?”
She seemed a little bourgeoisie to Graham, so he wouldn’t be surprised if she’d spent her time with the other upwardly mobile black people of Prince George’s County in Maryland. She’d be perfect for that scene.
“Karaoke? No. I went to parties in Potomac and on yachts in Annapolis, and I spent my summers since freshman year of college on Martha’s Vineyard.”
Potomac? Yachts? Martha’s Vineyard? Graham wished he could turn back time and take Onika right back to where he’d found her. He’d never be able to live up to any of that on his government salary. Her ex-boyfriend must’ve been a millionaire.
The silence had become a bit awkward, so Graham blurted, “You want to Metro or Uber over? It’s not far.”
Onika chuckled. “Or we could just get a cab over.”
“Uber is cheaper.”
Onika was quiet as Graham pulled up the app on his phone to request a pickup from the independent car service. When he was finished, he looked up at Onika, and she was staring at him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. How long will the Uber car take to get here?”
“Four minutes.”
“Cool.”
Onika gazed down U Street and watched a few people walk by. Graham’s mind raced. What had he done? Had he made a fatal mistake five minutes into their first date? Of course he had. Her ex-boyfriend, the millionaire, wouldn’t have cared to spend a few extra dollars on a cab.
“We can take a taxi if you don’t want to wait,” Graham said.
She shook her head. “I don’t have a problem saving money.”
“Okay, so we wait. You said you’re not from the DMV. Where are you from? Let me guess. Atlanta? You look like a Georgia peach.”
Onika smiled, and Graham felt himself relax a little. All was not lost. Not yet.
“I went to college in Atlanta. Robinson University. It feels like my life began there anyway, so I say correct. You get a gold star. Georgia peach all day.”
Graham wanted to venture further and ask where she’d been before college. But she hadn’t offered, and he didn’t want to make any more mistakes.
“What do you do for the government? Is it top secret?” Onika asked.
“Not secret at all. I write the budgets for my division and several others. Write justifications for spending the taxpayers’ dollars.”
“That sounds pretty boring.”
“You wouldn’t be wrong. It’s excruciatingly boring. What do you do?”
“I am a middle school teacher. I start a new job at the beginning of the school year.”
“So you’ve got a few weeks of vacation left, huh?”
“I do. If I could afford it, I’d go on a trip.”
Graham’s eyebrows shot up. Was this part of the con? Was this the first part? Damn that Lorne for planting this seed in his head.
“I haven’t gone on a real vacation in a while. I have done a series of staycations, though, and they’ve been great.”
“What’s a staycation?”
“When you don’t travel far from home. A one-tank trip.”
Onika nodded slowly. She seemed to be appraising him again.
“What would you be doing if you weren’t at the boring job? If you didn’t need money.”
He answered without hesitation. “I’d spend more time teaching black kids how to swim.”
“That’s what you do when you’re not w
orking?”
“Yes. Too many black children die every year from drowning.”
“I never learned myself. I stay in the shallow end of the pool and right near the sand at the ocean.”
“But what if you get caught in a flash flood and get trapped in your car? Or what if you fall off a yacht into the Chesapeake Bay? What are you gonna do?”
“Die.”
Onika said the word so matter-of-factly that Graham didn’t have an immediate response.
“Or you could let me teach you how to swim.”
“I did fall into a lake once when I was a little girl. It scared me pretty badly. Haven’t wanted to swim since then.”
“What if I told you I could make it fun?”
“There’s nothing fun about not being able to breathe.”
“But . . .”
“What kind of car does the Uber driver have? It seems like four minutes should be up by now,” Onika said.
Graham guessed she was trying to close the swimming topic, but he’d never be able to drop it completely. For the sake of their first date, though, he’d let it go for now.
“That’s the driver now. In the blue Corolla.”
Onika smiled. “Okay. Let’s go hear some poetry.”
“And eat. Their food is dope.”
When the car stopped in front of them, Onika waited while Graham opened the car door. This shocked him a little, but not much since she wasn’t from the DMV. A lot of women he knew would look at a man as though he were crazy for opening a door. He was glad Onika wasn’t like them.
Well, he didn’t really know what Onika was like at all, but he was going to spend the rest of the evening learning.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
In the car on the way to the restaurant, Onika’s mind was full of thoughts. Mostly questions. When Graham had decided to take the Uber car and there was a cab waiting right there, she wondered if she’d be able to do this. Date a man who wasn’t rich.
Aaron had ruined it for anyone coming behind him, and she’d come upon a millionaire as a college freshman. Most women had their poor boyfriends in college, but Onika had never been on a struggle date. She’d only dated one man, and his pockets were deep.
Her Secret Life Page 13