Baby

Tegan

It was a balmy seventy-seven degrees, and the sun was on brilliant display over Cherokee Avenue today. Music played from the deejay’s speakers, and people danced, laughed, and mingled. There was a bounce house for the kids on the corner street on the side of my bakery.

Somehow, Harlem had surprised me with a permit that had been issued allowing that street to be closed off to traffic. It had been issued with the support of the other business owners, and he had hired the bounce house for the day.

The pink- and champagne-colored balloons at the entrance to my bakery swayed in the breeze, and the hired servers moved effortlessly through the crowd. We had tables set up along the sidewalk between my bakery, the antiques shop, the bookstore, and the women’s boutique.

On the side of my bakery was a little garden area, and we had set up a few tables there for the older patrons, like my parents and their friends.

In the face of the storm, I was glad that I opted for an evening launch party rather than an all-day event.

I was also glad that I set it up like a pastry and cocktail party and that I had Harlem’s support and the other businessowners.

Four people could fit at one table, and at the very end of the sidewalk, I noticed that Harlem’s crew had pulled their tables together.

“This is a lovely event. Thank you for the invite,” an older lady named Clarice stated.

“Yes, I can’t wait for you to open officially. I’ll stop by here for breakfast every morning. Since my midsection is ever expanding, I might as well make sure that it’s something delicious that adds to the girth,” her husband declared.

“Otis,” Clarice stated with a chuckle.

“Honey, this event is even better than we expected it to be, especially after that hellacious storm,” Mrs. Vanessa remarked, passing by.

“Thank you, Mrs. V,” I replied, calling her by the name that she asked me to. A few other people stopped me on my way to my destination to congratulate me on a wonderful event.

“Girl, I admire your fortitude. I’m not sure that I would have been able to hold it together after going through a storm like that,” another woman named Mesha stated.

“Yeah, we drove by here right after the storm on our way to town. I wasn’t sure that you were still on,” a lady named Aurora added.

I conversed with them for a while before moving on.

“You look beautiful, baby girl,” Daddy declared when he stopped me as I passed him and Mama’s table for the hundredth time.

I wore a pink and white peony print bustier, Bodycon dress with spaghetti straps, pink Sophia Webster high heels, and a mixture of David Yurman and Kurt Geiger jewelry.

“Thank you, Daddy. You’re looking mighty fine in all white yourself today. So handsome,” I declared, reaching up and straightening his tie.

Daddy lowered his gaze, narrowed his eyes, and released a low hum in his throat. I giggled. “Daddy, don’t be like that.”

“Baby, did you know that your brother, Easy, tried to dress EJ and me alike?”

I patted his shoulder and replied, “That sounds exactly like something your favorite son would do.”

“Favorite?”

“Mm-hmm. The one who has you wrapped around his finger. Why you think we call him Easy?”

I struggled to keep my composure and not burst out laughing when Daddy narrowed his gaze even tighter, leaned in, and asked, “Did that nigga say that to you?”

“Oh, Daddy, I’m not trying to start trouble. You know me.” I patted his chest and moved toward my mother, where she was gossiping with a small group of ladies.

“Mommy, keep an eye on your husband. I think he’s about to give Easy the business.”

Mama frowned, turned around, and looked in their direction. “Why would he do that, Baby?”

Shrugging, I replied, “I don’t know. You know Daddy; he’s always looking for a reason to give someone the business.”

“He’d better not act up today, or I’m gonna give him the business,” Mama professed.

I snickered and moved away. It had been this way all my life. I was the one who stirred up trouble for my big brothers, Daddy gave them the blues, and Mama gave him the business, and I was always the sweet and innocent one.

I didn’t know when I’d learned to become a troublemaker for my family, but I was always up to some mischief, and it was usually fun.

I saw Harlem jog across the street in my direction, and my heart leaped for joy in my chest. He looked so damn good in a short-sleeved cream, knit shirt, olive-green slacks, and on his feet were cream grained calf-leather designer shoes with red bottoms.

“Hey, gorgeous. What are you smirking about? You look like you’ve been up to no good.” Harlem greeted me as he stopped in front of me.

“Maybe I have. I was starting to wonder if you would show at all.”

“You know I would never stand you up. I had a few things to attend to at the last minute, but I wouldn’t miss your special day for the world,” he confessed, stepping up to me with his arms open.

I glanced around briefly, but I easily went into his arms. He hugged me, kissed the top of my head, and whispered, “Congratulations, beautiful. Looks like your special day couldn’t be stopped for anything.”

“Thank you. I’m so glad that you convinced me to remain strong. I was so nervous about today.”

“I know you were, but you’re strong, gifted, and blessed. I knew that it would all work out in your favor.”

“You were a big part of that, and I’m grateful for you.”

“Are you grateful enough to go on another date?”

I giggled. “You know that I am.”

He grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd and the tables. He had a way of moving that expertly moved us past anyone trying to get my attention.

The servers and my staff were on point, making sure that everyone had their drinks constantly filled and some form of a baked good in their hands.

We made it to the end of the sidewalk where his staff was seated.

They all tried to chat me up at once, hugging and congratulating me, and wishing me well for future success.

They went on and on about how wonderful the event was.

I had officially met them yesterday during the cleanup, but I hadn’t had much opportunity to interact with them individually, except for Raque.

There was so much that had to be done yesterday that Harlem made a generalized introduction, I explained the work to be done, and we got to work.

I thanked them at the end, and that was that.

Today was different. Everyone was relaxed and in conversation mode. They weren’t as focused and as serious as they were yesterday. The women were nice and welcoming, warm and friendly, and made me feel as if I had known them and been a part of their crew forever.

“She’s a good woman,” Mia declared.

“Yes, let’s make a toast to a good woman.” Alicia lifted her glass.

The other ladies agreed, and when they saw the confusion on my face, everyone laughed, but Stephanie quickly explained.

The ladies teased Harlem about me, and the men went out of their way to annoy him by flirting with me.

After talking with them for a while, I made my way back to the other guests to continue showing them attention, but I truly enjoyed the time that I spent with Harlem and his crew while I had the chance.

It was late after everything ended. The service that I hired did a wonderful job of cleaning everything up both inside and outside of the bakery.

Harlem had returned to his shop while I supervised what was going on at the bakery. By the time I finished, he was just leaving his shop. We talked for a while before he escorted me to my house.

I wasn’t ready to end the night, and I had been looking forward to spending time alone with him since I saw him earlier. His cologne had worked as an aphrodisiac where all I wanted was to touch him, kiss him, and talk with him.

I wanted to be with Harlem in the worst way, and while I wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge into sexual intimacy, I didn’t want him to leave just yet. So, when he offered to follow me home, I welcomed the idea.

He pulled into the driveway behind me, and I called him before I got out of the car.

“Hey.”

“Would you like to come in, Harlem?”

“Would you like for me to come in, Baby?”

“I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t.”

“Or you could have been doing the polite thing.” His voice was deep and vibrating with sexual tension.

“I can be polite, but I can also be intentional. Right now, I’m being intentional.”

“That’s fine, as long as you’re sure.”

I cleared my throat and released a nervous giggle. “I may need to clarify that I’m not trying to have sex, I just . . .”

“You just what?”

“I’m not ready to leave your presence. I want to spend more time with you, Harlem. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m more than okay with that because I want to be with you too. We don’t have to have sex; it will come in time. Right now, I’m comfortable with being in your presence, holding you, and just talking if that’s what you need.”

“Thank you,” I replied sweetly. I ended the call without saying goodbye, and when he jerked my car door open as I reached for it with my hand, I was surprised.

I hadn’t paid much attention while we were talking. I’d been staring at my nails, biting back a smile, and flirting my ass off. He extended his hand and helped me out of the car.

“May I see your keys?”

“Why?”

“Just want to make sure that it’s safe for you to enter.”

“Who do you think has been doing that all along?”

“I’m here now, so it doesn’t matter who did or didn’t do it before.”

I gave him my keys, and he led me past my tiny garden in the front, up to the porch, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. I punched the security code to shut off the system, and then he told me to stay there.

Harlem did a quick search of my two bedroom and one and a half bath Craftsman style cottage. After he finished, I gave him a quick tour of the lanai, the waterfall, and the firepit in the backyard.

“It’s very relaxing and soothing in here,” he stated, looking around at my home decorated in gray, sage, white, and various shades of yellows.

“Thank you. I’m going to change, and then I’ll be back to get us something to drink.”

“I need to run and grab something from the car.”

“Okay. Let yourself back in.”

I headed to my room and changed into a kimono and furry slippers with kitten heels. By the time that I returned, he had taken a seat in the living room, and I moved to prepare our drinks.

“I noticed that you have a second bedroom that’s not quite a bedroom.”

“It’s my office space. It’s where I worked when my business was just online.”

I handed him a drink, and I sat on the couch beside him.

“Here, I got this for you. That’s what took me so long to show up at the party today. I got to the jewelry store, and my guy wasn’t there, and I had to wait for him to show up.” He held out a small bag, and when I stared at him, he shook it and commanded, “Take it.”

I opened the bag, and I was speechless to see a David Yurman mini heart amulet with my birthstone, a ruby, inside.

“Now you have your very own superpower to fix all that’s broken and always have the sun shining in your life.”

My face and body grew warm at his thoughtfulness.

The way that he looked out for me and gave me beautiful things like this when we hadn’t known each other for long, was such a turn-on for me.

While I wasn’t materialistic, I did love good gifts.

That was why it was so difficult for me to accept Carl’s treatment of me.

My eyes teared up. I looked into Harlem’s eyes, and his face fell at the look on mine.

“What’s wrong, Baby?”

“It’s too expensive.”

“You don’t even know how much it costs.”

“I know that anything with this man’s name on it comes with a price tag. We barely know each other.”

“I know all that I need to know about you, Baby. I want you to accept it without arguing and wear it with pride.”

I smiled at him as I felt bad at the same time. “I’m so sorry, Harlem. I’m grateful, but it doesn’t feel like I deserve this—deserve you. Your support has meant the world to me, and I don’t want you to think that it doesn’t.”

He thumbed my jaw. “I know. You make me feel it.”

I moved in closer and kissed him. It was slow, sweet, and sensual. I rubbed the hair at his nape, and he continued stroking my jaw with his thumb. There was something about that simple but sensual movement that had me opening my mouth to him.

His tongue was cool and tasted of cherries.

I moaned into the kiss, loving how it felt connecting to him this way.

Sometimes, I questioned if I was rushing things, but I knew that I wasn’t.

Everything didn’t move at the pace and speed that society said it should.

Some things were just natural, and this was one of them.

I knew that we were moving at the right speed for us, and it didn’t feel rushed.

It felt like my soul had found its home.

It wouldn’t be too long before I gave myself to this man, but I was fine building our connection one slow, sweet kiss at a time.