Chapter 6
Drake
An Unexpected Conversation
I lean back in my chair, staring out at the city skyline. The usual hum of Atlanta outside my window doesn’t register tonight. My mind’s stuck on Emily. I keep replaying our conversation, the way she stood there, eyes full of apology, telling me she’s more than just her pen name. Eva Steele . The damn author of the book that’s been driving me crazy since I laid eyes on it and the woman I’ve been falling for are the same person.
The last time we were together, she kissed me goodnight, soft and quick, like she was saying goodbye to something more than just the night. But it didn’t feel like an ending. I know it wasn’t. This thing between us, it’s deeper than I was willing to admit. The book— Flirty Dirty Secrets —that’s where it started, but it’s bigger than that now. I’ve re-read parts of it, those scenes she wrote that got my blood running hot. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that she wrote them. Emily, with her quiet confidence, that shy smile. She actually sat somewhere in solitude with her own thoughts, heart, and desires and crafted every word, every intimate moment, every heated touch in that book.
And I want that with her.
I want her.
I get up and pace around the room, restless. I’ve been in the shower more times than I care to admit, thinking about those scenes, about her. It’s driving me mad, knowing she wrote those fantasies. The way she built the tension, the way she described every detail. It’s like she’s already in my head, knowing exactly what I want, what I need. And now I can’t stop thinking about doing those things to her, with her.
I’ve come to admire so much about Emily over the past month we’ve been seeing each other. It’s not just her beauty, though that shy smile and the way she looks at me with those deep, thoughtful eyes always get to me. It’s her mind, her passion, the way she listens when I talk, really listens, like she’s seeing more than what I’m saying. She’s got this quiet strength, this way of holding her own without ever having to raise her voice. And when she talks about the things she loves, her whole face lights up, and I can’t help but want to be around her even more.
I’m drawn to her creativity, her passion, and that side of her I’m still figuring out. She’s got layers, and even though she’s been holding back, I can’t help but want to know more. She’s not just the woman behind the book; there’s something deeper about her, something real that pulls me in.
My phone rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance at the screen and do a double take when I see the name. It’s Terrance, the last person I expected to call.
I hesitate for a second, my thumb hovering over the screen. We don’t talk like we used to, not since everything went down with Terrica. But I pick up anyway. “Yo, what’s good, man?”
“You tell me,” Terrance says, his voice carrying that laid-back cool. But there’s something underneath it, something that sounds like he’s ready for more than just small talk.
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t know, T. Got a lot swirling around up here.”
There’s a pause, and I can feel the tension through the phone. “What, you finally getting caught up over an available woman?”
I pause, not sure if I want to get into it with him. "Yeah, and I see what you did there. We’re good now, right?"
“Would I call you if we weren’t?” Terrance replies.
“Just making sure.”
“Yeah, we’re good. Look, I appreciate you reaching out after my last game, and I wanted to call and let you know I see you making waves in Atlanta, doing your thing. Proud of the business you’re growing. Maybe you can help me with some investments.”
“I got you, cousin. Just let me know when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready now,” he says, chuckling. “But real talk, I know we’ve had our differences in the past, and I want to move past that. It’s just me out here. I don’t have a lot of family left. And I’m trying to make amends with the ones I do have, starting with us reaching out to each other like we’ve been doing.”
I nod, feeling the gravity of his words. “Yeah, I get that.”
“One thing, though,” Terrance adds, his tone serious now. “Terrica is off-limits. I want us to fix things, but I need you to know that.”
I hesitate, but I can respect that. “We’re good, cousin. I hear you.”
"Alright then. Now, how are Aunt Evangaline and Uncle Justin?” he asks.
I think of my parents who I have not spoken to the entire month I have been infatuated by Emily. “They’re doing good. I haven’t talked to them in a while, but they are doing good.”
Terrance scoffs. “I just talked to them, and they said you’d better call before they show up in Atlanta.”
I chuckle. “I should have known you’d already talked to them. I’ll call them soon, man. As soon as I get some things sorted out.”
“Okay, seriously, tell me what girl has you in your feelings. I know from your past selections you’ve got good taste, so this must be something.”
“I see you’ve got jokes today,” I say, laughing a little, glad to see that Terrance can display some humor over our past. “But her name’s Emily.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s going on with her?”
I hesitate again, knowing there’s a lot between us we’ve never really worked through. But I take a breath and push forward. “Look, man, Emily’s different, but she’s got me twisted up, like I was when… you know.”
“Oh, yeah. Like that?”
I let out a breath, pacing the room. “She’s the one, man. I know it in my gut. But she’s been holding back a big part of herself, and now I don’t know if I can trust what’s real and what’s not.”
Terrance chuckles. “Man, you sound just like I did when Terrica and I split. Didn’t know which way was up, trying to figure out how to put myself all the way out there for her again.”
“Yeah, but it’s different with you and Terrica. Y’all were in love since grade school. I’m just—”
“Don’t play that,” Terrance cuts me off, his tone dropping. “You know how it feels to be in love and to chase what you want. You just chased the wrong girl,” he says matter-of-factly. “So, ask yourself, do you feel like you could have something real with Emily? If so, sounds like you’re running from it.”
That hits me hard. He’s right. After falling for Terrica and losing out to him, I’ve been playing it safe. Now here I am, hesitating over trusting Emily.
“But this is different,” I argue. “She’s not being honest with me.”
“How so?” Terrance asks, his tone curious.
She’s been hiding something. Turns out, she’s the author of a very popular book I’ve been reading and talking about to her. Flirty Dirty Secrets. She’s Eva Steele. The whole time I was going on about it, she didn’t say a word.”
Terrance lets out a low whistle. “Wait, Flirty Dirty Secrets ? Man, Terrica’s been reading that. I’ll tell you what, that book has had us up for some very late nights, if you know what I mean. So if you’ve been dating the woman who wrote it, I already know she’s turning you out.”
“Yeah, I guess you can say that, but not in the way you’re implying,” I reply, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion. I don’t like the idea of my cousin and his wife freaking each other down off of Emily’s thoughts, but what can I say. She’s a romance author.
“Which way is she turning you out?” Terrance asks, intrigued.
“Listen man, that’s not the point. She let me rave about the book, break it all down, and didn’t once tell me she was the author. Makes me wonder what else she’s hiding, you know?”
Terrance chuckles. “Man, if that book’s any indication, she’s definitely got some layers. But damn, Eva Steele? You’re in deep now.”
“Tell me about it…”
There’s a beat of silence before Terrance bursts out laughing. “Man, hold up. The real story is you reading a damn romance novel. And not just any book, but one of those steamy, ‘hot and heavy’ joints.”
I roll my eyes but can’t help smirking. “Look, it’s more than that. It’s got depth.”
“Oh yeah? It’s got depth, huh? And you’re out here getting all emotional over it with the author. Probably talking about plot twists and character development.” His laugh comes through the phone loud and clear, the kind that makes me want to smack him upside the head. “Bruh, I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Whatever, man,” I say, chuckling despite myself. With the way he’s clowning me, I doubt I’ll tell him I met Emily through a book boyfriend agency. “You don’t get it. The book is actually good,” I retort.
“Oh, I know it’s good from secondhand experience. But you probably got that thing highlighted and bookmarked, huh?” He keeps clowning, and for a second, it feels like old times between us, back when there wasn’t all this tension. “You might as well start a book club, bro. You and the ladies sipping wine, talking about feelings and... passion.”
I shake my head, laughing. “Man, shut your football head up. You wild.”
“Nah, you wild for reading that book and catching feelings!” Terrance cracks up again, and it feels good to hear him like this. We haven’t been on this level in a minute, not since everything with Terrica.
“Alright, alright,” I say, still smiling. “Get it out of your system.”
“You good now? Ready to admit you got a soft spot for romance?”
I laugh, feeling a little lighter. “Maybe I do. But it’s more than that, T. It’s Emily. She’s different.”
Terrance’s tone shifts, getting serious again. “Yeah, I figured as much. So, what’s the real issue?”
I let out a breath. “It’s the fact that she kept it from me. I don’t know, man. I just feel like she’s hiding more. It’s hard to shake that.”
He pauses, then sighs. “Let me ask you this, cuz. Do you feel like she’s the one? Like, in your soul, do you feel like Emily is it for you?”
I run a hand over my head, trying to find the words. “Man, here’s the thing. I’ve got stock worth hundreds of millions of dollars. My investments across the world are worth billions. Silently, I’m one of, if not, the richest Black men in Atlanta, and I can crack the damn code of the stock market like it’s nothing. But when it comes to her, to Emily? This anonymous fiction writer from Atlanta? I can’t figure her out to save my life. My whole future, my feelings, everything’s at the whim of this woman who didn’t even tell me she wrote the damn book I’ve been obsessing over.”
Terrance lets out a low chuckle but then gets serious again. “That’s deep. Money can get you in a lot of doors, but it can’t help you here. So, what are you gonna do? You’re either gonna let her in and see where it goes or keep wondering what else she’s hiding. But if she’s the one, you can’t be scared to take that risk.”
I stop pacing, thinking hard. Even though we haven’t known each other long, I can’t deny how I feel when I’m with her. “I want to explore that idea with her. Yeah.”
“Then, don’t let this hold you back. People have secrets. But if you really feel she’s the one, you gotta be willing to look past it and see the bigger picture. She wasn’t playing you. She was probably just scared to put it all out there.”
I chew on his words for a second. He’s right, again. Emily’s been guarded, just like I have. But what we have feels real, and I can’t deny that. “Maybe you’re right.
“Then don’t let some misunderstanding or fear stop you. You’re a grown man. If you feel it, go after it. Don’t be me and let someone else step in while you’re playing around.” He pauses, then adds with a smirk in his voice, “I mean, you would know all about that, right? Trying to swoop in and steal what’s mine.”
I rub my temples, trying not to laugh at his jab. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you, man. You left her unattended, and I was just doing what was good for the community, trying to take care of a good woman. But she ended up with you, and that’s what matters, right?”
He chuckles, “You’re right. Just saying, don’t let history repeat itself. You either want this or you don’t. Stop standing on the sidelines. You either fight for it or let it go. And trust me, you let it go, you’re gonna regret it.”
The line goes quiet for a beat, and I know he’s right. Emily isn’t just some girl I’m messing with. She’s different. That connection we’ve got, it’s deeper than just words on a page. It started with the book, but it’s way more than that. I feel it every time I look at her. She’s got this fire in her that burns every part of me, and if I don’t go after it, I’ll be making a huge mistake. Terrance’s advice is solid, so I will take heed.
“Alright,” I say, my voice firm. “I’m going for it.”
“Good. Don’t half-ass it, either. You want her? Show her.”
We talk for a few more minutes before hanging up, and I’m left sitting there, feeling more certain than I have in days. The irony of getting a call from Terrance, of all people, right at this pivotal moment isn’t lost on me. The guy whose wife I fell for, now giving me advice on not letting the best thing in my life slip away. It’s funny how life works sometimes. But I’m not running this time. I’m not letting fear or doubt get in the way. I want Emily, all of her. I want everything she’s got to give, and I’m ready to show her exactly what I’m about.
Standing up, I make my way to the bathroom, turning on the shower. This time, I’m not thinking about steamy sex scenes from the book. I’m thinking about her, about what I’m going to do when I see her again. I’m ready to create our own memories.