Chapter 7 #2
Bleu’s tone was final, like a king dismissing his peasant. Dr. Ryan packed up quickly then let himself out. Now my nerves became frazzled, it was just me and Bleu…alone.
He stood and walked over to his bar, on his way over he asked if I wanted something to drink. A little too quick for my liking, I declined. I was still on edge from the thought of me possibly being drugged by Aubry’s ass.
Bleu turned and leaned against the bar with a glass cup in hand. He looked so picture perfect, I wished I had my phone in hand to snap a picture of him. The skyline burned behind him like a crown of lights. His gaze held mine steady and unreadable before he spoke.
“Tell me about you.”
He motioned with his short glass of what I assumed to be dark cognac.
“You want to know about me after a blood draw?” I chuckled lightly.
His lips twitched, and a hint of a smile shifted his lips. It disappeared as fast as it came.
“I don’t sleep with strangers. I like to know who I’m dealing with, even if its not long term.” He shrugged then took a deliberate sip of his drink.
In the moment I felt obsessed with just the simple things he did. Bleu made everything look sexy down to the way he walked and talked. He licked the remnants of the liquor from his lips. As his cheeks moved, I saw two deep dish dimples.
Can he get any finer?
“How about you tell me about you first.” I raised my brows.
I crossed my legs and leaned back into the couch. Bleu was trying to make time pass by fast as he waited for Dr. Ryan’s results.
“Truly, I’m in awe of you… So much so that I know you’re nervous. I make you that way, so I’ve created space for you to engage in an adult conversation with me.”
He turned enough to place his cup at the edge of the bar. He took one step away before continuing.
“No woman control shit in my presence. I command; control then dominate. That’s something you should know about me.”
His hooded shaped eyes dissected me.
“You answered part of the question…maybe you should continue.” I rolled my eyes.
Instantly I cracked his hard armor. An expression of wonder flushed over his face. I wanted to smirk, even laugh but held it in. It must have stunned him that I met him with his own arrogance.
“You making things worse.” He chuckled.
“Worse?” I frowned.
One thing he was right about was that he did make me hella nervous. I took it as a challenge and checked myself quickly. The truth was, I impressed Bleu since the moment he laid eyes on me at the gala. He pursued me, it wasn’t the other way around.
It wouldn’t hurt my pride if he told me at any moment to leave. I would walk out with my head high, and my five thousand dollars. I had nothing to lose in this situation. He was mesmerizing, tantalizing as hell but in no shape or form would I kiss his ass.
“You wanted me here—”
“I craved your presence here.” He corrected me.
“Okay so tell me something else about yourself, don’t make it weird.” I smirked.
Don’t let your crazy ass ego get you out of some good ass pussy either! I bit into my bottom lip. I was far from cocky but in the know of myself as well as my pussy.
Bleu remained silent for a couple seconds, it was his way of control. What felt like a full sixty seconds later, he licked his lips before he spoke.
“I’m Bleu as you already know. I own more than I should, trust less than I should, and I like to be in control. With the limited free time that I have… I like to create.” He smiled genuinely.
“What do you like to create?” I asked truly intrigued.
He took his time to walk back towards me, my breath hitched as he took a seat a cushion away from me. Deliberately, he leaned back against the couch. The gold flecks in his eyes were so mystical that I almost forgot what I just asked him.
“I like to create things that make people feel powerful.” He paused; his gaze swept across his penthouse before coming back to me.
“That’s what drives me. Power. Whether it’s a fragrance, a fabric, or a new brand. I build things that remind men they own the room the second they step into it. I make women feel empowered, fearless, and confident.”
His tone wasn’t arrogant. It was matter of fact, like he was rediscovering what all he did.
“That sounds good.” I smiled.
He simply nodded his head; I watched him captivated. My eyes fell down to the strong veins in his hands, all of his movements were precise. He gestured his hands a lot like he was trying to sculp the air around him.
“The cologne that I have on tonight, is the first scent I designed for my company Dom’s.
I studied different scents, what stuck out to me the most was notes that weren’t too overpowering…
I noticed that a lot of men’s cologne mainly have notes of smoke, leather, and wood.
I went with something light enough to catch the nose of women.
Something that was expensive enough that states it’s not for everyone but the right person.
” His lips curled at the crease, then he smiled.
It wasn’t just a small half- ass smile, but a smile that reached his eyes.
His smile was strong enough to cause his dish-deep dimples to sink into his cheeks and cause heat to warm my panties.
I couldn’t help the smile that graced my face.
I loved to hear people talk about their passions with so much love in their eyes.
“So, why do you think people choose to buy and support you?” I asked.
“Men buy it because they want to feel how I feel,” he chuckled. “Women buy it because besides it being unisex, they want to smell like the kind of man who doesn’t ask permission.” He licked his lips, heating things up further.
Now how and the hell you know that’s why they buy it? Cocky ass!
“So you like building worlds where everything bends to you.”
He tilted his head and tugged at his beard sexily.
“Something like that. I like precision and discipline. Beauty that’s not afraid to bare its flaws.”
His sharp eyes softened.
“That’s why I never create anything I don’t understand…now it’s your turn. Tell me about yourself.”
Those hazel eyes pinned me again. I blinked and became suddenly aware of the soft hum of the air that came out of his vents.
I looked away from him and into the night of the city lights that appeared to be brighter.
My throat felt tight as I finally met his stare.
Emotions that I fought to keep out of his personal space, fought to be free.
“There’s not much to tell about myself, Bleu. I have a two-year-old daughter, that I love with all of my heart.”
My chest constricted. Lolani’s big doe shaped eyes blinked with innocence in the forefront of my mind. I missed everything about my baby down to her scent.
“Try me, I’m not here to judge. There has to be more to you Thickumz.” He offered a comforting smile.
I inhaled sharply then slowly released, I didn’t think I had anything interesting to say but fuck it, what did I have to lose?
“I’m Truly Jackson. I don’t have it all figured out.
I’m twenty-five, never went to college and I still live with my loving parents.
I do different things that I’ve found joy in…
such as hair, nails, skincare, and art…Now, I’m working on herbs, but I decided to pause that because my mom thinks I’m lost,” I looked down at my nails. “Maybe I am lost.”
“You don’t sound lost to me.” His voice didn’t waver. He looked at me without an ounce of judgement.
“Then what do I sound like?” I asked as my heart began to thud hard in my chest.
“Like a woman who doesn’t know how much power she has… Seems like you don’t have much support either.” He moved closer to me.
I started to hold my breath without realizing it.
“Tell me what you want…don’t give me a polished answer of what you think you’re supposed to say either.” His voice dropped low.
His question hit harder than I expected. Nobody ever asked me that, at least not like this with the kind of focus that he had locked into his eyes, like he wouldn’t let me lie.
“I don’t know,” I said quietly. “I’ve always just…
tried things. Whatever comes to mind or if something sparked my interest, I try to master it.
I hoped that something brought out my true passion.
Once I succeed at it, I move on to something else that sparks my interest. I stick to hair and nails because it brings in the most money.
” I thought of Lolani and decided against bringing her up again.
Mentioning my daughter would bring on a string of frustrations and emotions that I didn’t want to expose to Bleu.
“You’ve been chasing purpose instead of direction.” He stated simply.
“What’s the difference?” I asked wanting to know.
“Purpose is what other people expect you to live for…that’s what Maison Langston’s is for me considering my parents…
I learned to accept and even love it…Direction is what you choose for yourself…
Dom is the direction that I chose and created, it’s my baby and nobody can take it from me.
” He looked away like he was stuck in deep thought.
The words settled between us like a truth I needed to hear. I exhaled and glanced past him and back into the night.
“I don’t want to feel like I’m drifting anymore. I want to belong somewhere, I just don’t know what it is. I’m a little too old now, not to belong.” I shook my head, blinking away my emotions.
“You belong somewhere…just understand that belonging isn’t comfort. It’s knowing you’re meant to be there…whatever there is for you…even if it’s not easy.”
He was so close that I could see a faint scar along his jawline. His eyes searched mine then went deeper until I felt fully exposed. It felt like Bleu could see all of my troubles by just looking deeply into my eyes.
“You always talk like you’ve got everything figured out,” I said softly. “You ever get tired of carrying all that control?” I smiled.
“Control is the only thing that’s ever stayed loyal to me.” A small, humorless smile tugged at his lips.
The way he said it, low and honestly with an edge of brokenness, made my chest ache in a way that I couldn’t explain.
“You can go anytime you want, Truly. But if you stay with me for the night I want honesty, no masks and no pretending.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose.