Chasing Bliss

by Sabrina A. Eubanks

  J.T. nodded. “This I know.”

  “Then why is he doin’ this shit to me?”

  “Because, whether you want to admit it or not, Cyrus is not a nice person, Chase.”

  Chase frowned and shook his head. “I really don’t have time for Cyrus and his nonsense right now.”

  J.T. smiled slow. “I bet you don’t.”

  Chase looked around and then leaned toward J.T. “I know I can talk to you about this shit, J.T. Corey’s still kind of silly. Yo, man, this shit with Bliss is crazy scary. I dreamt about her last night, and she’s been on my mind since the moment I met her. When I’m around her, I feel like I can’t get close enough to her. I want to be all up on her. The first thing I did this mornin’ was call her. I didn’t want to hang up just ‘cause I like the sound of her voice. I want to see her so bad right now. I…” Chase trailed off when he realized J.T. was smiling at him. “What are you smilin’ at?”

  “You act like you think there’s something wrong with you, but there ain’t, Chase. You’re falling in love with her, stupid.”

  Chase blinked. “I guess I knew that. I guess that’s what I meant when I asked her to jump off the cliff with me.”

  J.T. looked at him like his brains were leaking out the side of his head. “Say what?”

  “Never mind. It’s a long story.”

  J.T. laughed and clapped him on the back. “I’m sure it’s a nice one. Good for you, Chase. You look scared though. Are you?”

  Chase smiled. “Yes and no. I want her, J.T.”

  “Then, shit, don’t let anything stand in your way! Get with her and be happy. And just so you don’t have to say it, fuck Cyrus, Chase.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, man.” Chase sat back in his seat, feeling a little better.

  Corey came back and sat down.

  J.T. leaned forward and sniffed the air. “You were gone a long time. What did you do, take a shit or fall in?”

  Chase enjoyed the rest of his time with them, and the only time they brought Cyrus back up was when Chase told them to put him off until Monday. Chase knew he would probably have to see him Monday, because that was the day Bliss started. They both gave him their word, but Chase knew Corey was his weak link, and it wasn’t really fair for him. Corey wanted to please them both; he was always caught in the middle.

  Although he’d given him his word, Chase knew if Cyrus applied the right kind of pressure, Corey would fold like a bad poker hand. Chase wasn’t mad about that, though, for it would at least buy him some time. Chase left Corey and J.T. at the table, drinking beer and eating cheeseburgers, and walked outside to his bike. He took his cell phone out and called Dee. “Go ahead and open Cream up without me. I’ll try and stop by later,” he said. Dee gave him the business, but in the end, she agreed—and then promptly hung up on him. Then he called Bliss, and she picked up on the second ring.

  “Chase?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “I was just thinking about you.”

  He could hear the smile in her voice, and it made him smile too. “Yeah? What were you thinkin’?”

  She laughed, and Chase could feel goose bumps cover his arms. “No way am I telling you that.”

  “You busy?”

  “Not if you want to see me.”

  Chase looked at his watch and smiled. “I really do. See you in twenty minutes.”

  ******

  Ten minutes later, he was ringing her doorbell.

  “Who is it?” a female voice that did not belong to Bliss asked.

  “Chase.”

  Tasha opened the door, and they stood there regarding each other. She was a little taller than Bliss, medium brown, with dreads that hung down to her ass. She had cowry shells on some of the locks nearest her face. Tasha was wearing pajamas—burgundy, with a black silk border—and a pair of black Isotoner slippers. The whites of her large brown eyes were an interesting shade of pink.

  She looked him over, then put her hand on her hip and made the many bangles on her arm jingle musically. Tasha smiled at him with pretty white teeth that sported a gap in the middle of the two in front. Her eyes went over him appreciatively. “Chase Brown. Okay…yeah, so you’re fuckin’ hot. Come in.” After he stepped inside, she walked around him in a slow circle, nodding. “Mm-hmm. Yeah…very nice.”

  Chase laughed. “You gonna kick my tires?”

  She frowned at him but kept smiling. “You’ve got a smart mouth too. That’s very attractive coming from a guy who looks like you. Come on into the living room. Sorry about my books all over the place. Just slide ‘em over and have a seat.”

  Chase followed her into the living room, and she was right: There were books everywhere—big, giant books. Their living room furniture consisted of two very streamlined hot pink leather sofas that faced each other and glass-top tables. She sat down on one of the sofas, and Chase sat on the other and put his helmet on the hardwood floor.

  Tasha folded her legs under her like a Native American and waved a lighter at him. “Do you mind?”

  He shrugged and smiled, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and his hands clasped in front of him. “Nah. It’s your house.” He was a little surprised when she lit a joint instead of a cigarette. The pungent fragrance of exceptional weed filled the air, and Chase couldn’t stop his eyebrow from going up.

  “You’re not going to be judgmental, are you?”

  “Nope. Do what you need to do.” Chase looked at the cover of one of the books and then looked back at the joint in her hand and grinned. “You’re a neurologist?”

  She looked slightly offended, but she didn’t put her joint out. “Yes, I’m a neurologist. That’s a brain doctor.”

  Chase held onto his smile. He’d made her defensive, but he was not about to argue with Bliss’s roommate about what she did in her spare time. “I know what it is.”

  She took another drag and blew the smoke out slow. “I hear you own a few clubs.”

  Chase nodded. “Yeah. No big deal.”

  “Cream is a big deal. So is Shelter. What kind of bike do you ride?”

  “A Ducati.”

  She smiled. “If you managed to get Bliss’s little scared ass on a bike, she must really be feeling you. Matter of fact, your name’s the only thing I’ve been hearing for the past two days.” She looked at him pointedly. “She’s a nice, sweet girl, Chase.”

  Chase was half-expecting the don’t-hurt-my-friend speech, so he wasn’t surprised when he got it. “I really like her, too, Tasha. I can’t help myself.”

  “She’s like my sister.”

  “I hear you.”

  They stared at each other for a second, and then Tasha leaned over and knocked the ash off her joint. “So, Mr. Ducati-riding Club-owning Gangster-swagger Cutie Pie, you know where I can get some good Columbian Gold?”

  Chase laughed and let it roll off his back. “I ain’t no drug dealer. Sorry.”

  She smiled and stood up. “Good answer. I’ll go get Bliss. She’s getting dressed.” She paused on her way out of the room. “You’re real cute, and you do seem real nice, but don’t you dare hurt Bliss, okay? She really is sweet.”

  Chase smiled, realizing the weed was making her repeat herself. “Okay, Tasha. I heard you the first time.”

  She gave him a look that said she wasn’t sure if he was flexing on her or not, then decided to let it go. “I’m glad you did.” She disappeared around the corner and returned five minutes later with Bliss on her heels, whispering at her fiercely.

  “I can’t believe you’re in here smoking reefer with Chase in the house. What’s the matter with you, Tasha? You’re embarrassing me!”

  Chase smiled and stood up.

  Tasha looked unperturbed. “Well, shit, he seems liberal enough to me, and he’s not a cop. So what?”

  They entered the room, and Chase forgot Tasha was there. If Bliss had crossed the room any quicker, she would have been running. She was wearing a pale blue sleeveless blouse and a denim skirt that st
opped mid-thigh, with a flat pair of sandals. Her hair was swept back into a low ponytail with her bangs framing her pretty face.

  If Chase had been unsure of his feelings before, he wasn’t anymore.

  Bliss smiled up at him, looking like she wanted to touch him, but she didn’t quite dare.

  Chase tucked his thumbs into his back pockets to keep from reaching out and grabbing her. They stared at each other, smiling like teenagers. Chase felt a little silly, but he couldn’t have wiped that smile off his face if he tried, and the feeling was obviously, genuinely mutual.

  “Damn,” Tasha said from the hallway. “If we ever run out of electricity, we can just plug right into y’all asses.”

  “Jealous!” Bliss said over her shoulder.

  “Damn, right, but I ain’t a hater. Y’all go ahead. Just, please, no romance on the sofas. The stains would never come out.”

  Bliss turned around, shocked. “Tasha!”

  “Sorry. It’s the herb. Nice to meet you, Chase.” She looked him over one more time and disappeared down the hall.

  They waited until they heard the click of her bedroom door closing, and then they were all over each other, kissing, groping, and touching.

  Bliss caught the giggles, but they slowed down when Chase started tugging her blouse out of her skirt. She laughed and put her hands over his. “Stop, Chase. Wait.”

  He kissed her neck. “I can’t help it, Bliss. I’m sorry.” He took his hands off her shirt and slipped them around her waist.

  Bliss put her hands on his biceps and gave them a little squeeze. “I know. I can’t help it either. Why don’t you take me to the park and buy me an ice cream?”

  Chase raised an eyebrow. “Ice cream, huh?”

  She smiled at him. “Yeah. I think we might have to cool your ass down, Mr. Brown.” She licked her top lip with the tip of her tongue.

  The small gesture absolutely mesmerized him. “That was cool. Do it again.’

  “Maybe later. Let’s go.”

  Chase took off his jacket and tossed it on the sofa. It was almost too warm for it, but it took care of the wind when he was on his bike. Chase followed Bliss out of the apartment and down to the elevator.

  When they stepped inside, Bliss slipped her hand in his. She looked up at him sweetly. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  He grinned at her. “Are you kidding?” he said and kissed the back of her hand.

  They walked out of the building and into the late afternoon sunshine of the late May Saturday. Bliss lived right near the edge of Morningside Park, not far from Columbia University. It was a nice day, and a lot of people were outside taking advantage of it. They stopped at the ice cream truck parked outside the park, and Chase bought Bliss a vanilla cone with rainbow sprinkles. They found a vacant bench under a big shady oak tree and sat down.

  He fell back into his posture from the previous night, facing her with his arm along the top of the bench. Chase watched her lick her ice cream, turning the cone in her hand like a little kid; it gave him a thrill in the pit of his stomach. She glanced at him and smiled, then gave it another lick. One more lick, and she looked him in the eye and crossed her legs. She was so innocently sexy, and it was killing him. “Would you like a taste?”

  He put his hand on her bare knee and moved closer. “I think I’ll probably die if you don’t let me.”

  Bliss giggled and slid closer to him, until she was close enough for him to kiss her on the forehead, which he did. His breath ruffled her bangs, and they tickled his nose. Bliss surprised him when she got up suddenly and sat in his lap. She put her arm around his neck and offered him her cone, and Chase took the top off of it.

  “Hey, you ate the best part!” Bliss protested.

  Chase smiled at her. “No I didn’t…not yet,” he said, allowing his strong hand to reclaim its proper place on her thigh.

  “You are so nasty, Chase,” Bliss said and licked her ice cream.

  Chase laughed. “Yeah, but you like it. Besides, I’m not as bad as you with that damned ice cream cone. I’m dyin’ every time you put it in your mouth.”

  She gave him a sexy look and licked the cone again. “What’s wrong, Chase? Wish it were you?”

  “Oh, God yes. You got a little on your lip.” He licked the small dot of ice cream off her bottom lip.

  Bliss trembled and threw the cone over her shoulder. She put her hand on the back of his head and gave him the sweetest, most tender, kiss he’d ever gotten in his life. It was a flurry of small, hot, little closed-mouth kisses with her lips against his, followed by the invasion of her small pink tongue, sliding and swirling over his like she was claiming her territory. She withdrew and gave him a peck on the lips. “I could kiss you for hours.” Bliss said breathlessly.

  He smiled. “I wish you would.” When his cell phone rang, Chase saw Cyrus’s number again. He had thought about just leaving his phone off, but he had to remain reachable in case Dee needed him. He let his brother go to voicemail.

  Bliss picked up on it and prepared to swing her legs off his lap, but Chase held her where she was.

  “Where you goin’, Bliss?”

  “Are you screening your calls, Chase?”

  Something about the defiant set of her jaw struck him as funny, and he laughed without meaning to.

  Bliss frowned. “You think it’s funny?”

  “Yeah, baby. I do. That was Cyrus, by the way, and not some other woman, okay? Look.” He pulled up the last received call in his phone and held it up so she could see it. “See? I told you.”

  Bliss looked away but seemed mollified. “You didn’t have to show me your phone, Chase.”

  “The hell I didn’t.”

  She smiled. “Okay, so maybe you did. Thank you.”

  He laughed. “It’s nothin’. Just tryin’ to establish a little trust.” He looked at her seriously for a moment. “You’re the only woman I’m involved with, Bliss. No baby mamas, no girlfriends, no drama.”

  Bliss looked thoughtful. “That girl Maya likes you.”

  Chase laughed. “A lot of women like me, but that don’t mean a thing.”

  “No? Did you date her?”

  He laughed again. “No, and I didn’t sleep with her either. I never even stepped to her.”

  He trailed off, and Bliss frowned. “What?”

  “I kind of need to tell you about Dee though.”

  Bliss didn’t exactly develop a stink attitude, but she tried to lean away from him.

  Chase went with her and wouldn’t let her go.

  “So…who is Dee?”

  “Her full name is Delia, Delia Montgomery, and she helps me run things. She’s not a threat, okay?”

  Bliss looked at him like he was lying to her.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t have to tell you about her at all. Anyway, there’s nothing going on there—never has been and never will be. You can’t let stuff like that interfere with business.”

  Bliss looked at him hard. “Are you telling me the truth?”

  Chase chuckled and rubbed her thigh. “Baby, yes. I volunteered the information. I told you, you’re the only woman I’m involved with.”

  She smiled at him reluctantly. “You consider yourself involved with me, already?”

  Chase passed his lips over her jaw line and looked comically resigned. “I didn’t have much choice, Bliss. I looked at you, and you made my stomach hurt.”

  “What?” She slapped at him playfully, and he grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. She looked somewhat appeased. “I made your stomach hurt? Damn, Chase. How romantic.”

  He put his arms around her and nuzzled his face into her neck, inhaling deeply. “I can be romantic. You smell so good, Bliss. What the hell is that?”

  She giggled. “I’ll never tell.”

  He smelled her again. “No, for real. Is that the stuff with the hormones in it? It’s driving me crazy.”

  Bliss laughed, but it was tinged with a certain degree of her knowing something he didn’t. “I
t’s not the perfume, Chase.”

  He stared at her, wanting nothing more than to be close to her, but being so close to her was intoxicating.

  “Chase? You okay?” Bliss asked, touching his face.

  Her voice pulled him out of his daydream.

  “What were you thinking about just then?” she asked, watching his eyes.

  Chase looked into her eyes and ran his hand over her sexy calf. “I was imagining what it would be like to make love to you.”

  Bliss blushed hard, and Chase kissed her collarbone through her blouse. Bliss sucked in air between her teeth. “God, Chase,” she whispered.

  “Maybe we should get off this bench before we forget where we are again.”

  “You know, I think that might be a good idea.” Bliss slid off him and stood up.

  Chase stood, too, and took her left hand. They started walking back the way they came.

  Bliss traced the scar on the back of his fingers with her own. “How did you get this scar, Chase?”

  He sighed the way he always did when someone asked him things like that. He knew she would ask about the one under his jaw next. He didn’t want to lie to her but wasn’t sure he should tell her the truth. His natural instinct was to lie, but he didn’t. “I got in a fight with a guy named Bobby Price when I was fifteen. I shouldn’t have been fightin’ him in the first place, but that’s beside the point. Anyway, back then, whenever I was sick of fightin’, I’d take the guy and put him in a sleeper hold and put his head out. It was like signing my name on the fight, you know? I had won the fight already, and I had his head lined up perfect to put him out, and he was goin’, too, but then he pulled a knife out of nowhere and started slashin’ me.” He ran his finger along the scar under his jaw before she had a chance to ask. “He got me here too…and here.” He lifted his T-shirt, still holding her hand, and showed her a crooked little scar to the left of his navel. “He tried to stick me, but I was a little too fast for him.”

  Bliss looked up at him with huge eyes, horrified. “Oh my God, Chase! What happened? How did you get out of it?”

  “Cyrus’s boy Herc pulled him off me. It was the only fight I ever lost.” He looked over Bliss’s head and back through time. If Herc hadn’t pulled Bobby off Chase, Bobby probably would have killed Chase’s young ass. Cyrus owed Bobby money for some guns he’d purchased through him. When Cyrus sent Chase with the money to pay him, Bobby claimed it was light by a half-grand. Chase reacted by stubbornly refusing to believe that Cyrus would try to weasel out on what he owed. Being that young—and so obviously naïve—Chase had never even bothered to count it. His trust in Cyrus was strong back then. He spat on the ground between Bobby’s feet and called him a liar, then offered to beat his ass. Bobby was two or three years older than Cyrus, and he had no business picking up the gauntlet from a kid like Chase, but his ego wouldn’t let him back down. When Chase got the better of him and he felt like he was going to pass out, he just pulled his knife out and started slashing.