Chapter 5 Chance
Me:
I’m looking forward to spending the evening with you. I still need your address though.
Dia:
Oh, that is tonight, huh?
Me:
I see I’m not the only one full of jokes.
My first date was when I was sixteen. I remember it like it was yesterday because I had just gotten my first car.
The car was a hoopty, but the girl was shy and kept to herself.
She wore the biggest Coke-bottle glasses ever invented.
Her acne was a prominent feature, but none of it mattered to me.
I boldly asked her out because I was drawn to her personality.
I’ll never forget the way my heart beat like a boulder was in my chest or how I jumped off her porch after our goodnight peck.
But even with that experience being memorable, it still falls short compared to how I feel knowing that Sadia agreed to my offer.
The jackpot winner doesn’t have anything on me because I feel like I could float on a cloud.
My offer to pay off Sadia’s school balance was from a pure place, because the sight of her tears nearly wrecked me.
But her hesitation gave me the chance to rectify my trip dilemma.
I didn’t think Sadia would agree, given how quickly she left the parking lot after our short walk.
Now I can fully say that God doesn’t play about me, because I got the girl! I’ve been walking around like King fucking Tut, and nothing or nobody can knock me off my pedestal.
“Why the hell do you have that goofy ass grin on your face, bro?” my friend and barber, Rich, asks.
For a second, I forgot where I was, as my mind took me on a journey where Sadia lives rent-free.
“I’ve got a date tonight.”
“Aw, shit. From that corny look, I can tell that you’re feeling this one. Makes me appreciate being happily married. It’s rough in these streets.”
“You have no idea. But I’m definitely feeling this one. Hopefully she’ll pull me off the single market and on the road to bliss like your lovesick ass.”
Light laughter from Rich and me echoes around the space as he finishes lining up my beard.
My phone chirps in my pocket, and I count the seconds it takes Rich to finish with me so I can see the message.
I tap my foot to the beat of the song that plays around the room as a distraction for my anxiousness.
I get lost in my thoughts, and before long, Rich is removing the cape from my shoulders.
I stand to my full height before I pay what I owe him and leave the shop.
I’m not outside for a full minute before I retrieve my phone. My fingers almost get a charley horse from how fast I unlock my phone when I see Sadia’s name on the screen. Or the version of her name I saved in my contacts.
Dia:
Mr. Mitchell, do you mind telling me how I should dress for tonight’s rendezvous?
Me:
Last I checked, Mr. Mitchell is my pops. To you, I’m Daddy, Baby, Big Dick Chance, or any variation of those.
Dia:
To me, you might be small dick Chance with something to prove. Can you answer my question, please?
Instead of going back and forth with this woman, I dial her number, a smirk sliding into place.
“Hello.”
Fuck! She sounds amazing over the phone.
“Did you just insult my dick, Dia?”
“Chance, can you just answer the question? You didn’t give me any information, and as a woman who hasn’t been on a date for a while, that doesn’t work for me.
I don’t know whether I need to wear a paper bag or an evening gown.
If I need a light or full beat for my makeup.
If I need to wear my hair up or let it hang freely.
You’re being difficult, and I don’t like it. Just tell me something.”
The whine in Sadia’s voice causes low chuckles to fall from my mouth before I remember where I am. I head toward my vehicle as I nod at the woman walking toward me with a smirk aimed at me. When her eyes disconnect from mine toward my lower half, I realize that she’s overheard my words.
“I’ll tell you that the woman in my vicinity can vouch for my claims. Do you want to hear it from her?” I tease.
When air pushes through the receiver, I laugh and move past the woman, who gives me a thumbs-up. Maybe it was a bad idea to wear joggers to the barber shop today.
“Forget it. I’m not going.”
“Stop fussing, woman. You can wear a nice dress, fancy jumpsuit, or whatever outfit you deem fitting for a first date between a man and a woman. If that’s something you don’t know the proper protocol for, then I need to go back into your past and whup those niggas’ asses.
Who are the mothafuckas you let play in your face, Sadia? ”
“That’s not relevant right now. What time should I be ready again?”
The anger that brews within me at the thought of Sadia not being properly handled instantly simmers when I hear her soft voice.
“Six thirty, babe. Which reminds me, I still need your address.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
Sadia ends the call, and I sigh before I continue toward my vehicle. I have a few stops to make before I go back home. My phone chirps just as I sit down, which stops me from leaving. I open the new message and smile upon seeing Sadia’s address.
Dia:
9635 Clarkson Ct. Apt A
I nod without replying to the text and finally leave the lot to head to my next destination.
The idea of Sadia not being pursued properly returns, and it makes me happy that I planned the date night I did.
The great thing about tonight is that it’s not one any other woman will experience from me.
It takes me no time to reach my next stop, and I quickly park and then move to the front entrance.
“Hello.” A bubbly, brown-skinned woman with a warm smile greets me when I walk through the front door.
“I need an arrangement for my date that will have her realize that I didn’t come to play with her,” I say.
Rise Meadows and Blooms is a black-owned flower shop that offers every type of flower imaginable.
The owner, Charise Meadows, is said to have been born with a green thumb, as evidenced by how perfectly her flowers grow.
Unlike other shops, these blooms last longer and don’t leave a person feeling like they’ve wasted money after purchasing them.
“Ooh. I got just the arrangement for you,” the woman says before she leaves the counter and heads toward the coolers.
Thankfully for me, the florist indeed had the perfect bouquet, and I was out of the store within ten minutes of my arrival.
Time moves quickly, and before long, I’m in the back of the town car I commissioned for tonight.
When the vehicle comes to a stop, I exhale the breath that gathers in my lungs and exit.
My steps are heavy yet unrushed as I move toward Sadia’s front door.
Her apartment is on the bottom level, so I arrive within seconds.
I square my shoulders and knock on the front door as my heartbeat pounds in my ears.
Gratefully, the wait time isn’t long, and I hear the sound of locks turning roughly five minutes later.
“Gotdamn!” My eyes stretch as I take in the red dress that covers Sadia’s thick body like it was made just for her.
My eyes roam her body from head to toe as my tongue fights between hanging out of my mouth and drooling like a fool.
Sadia’s hair is in a neat bun at the back of her head with two curly hair pieces that hang on both sides.
There’s a diamond choker that matches the diamond earrings in her ears.
The V-neck long-sleeve minidress hits just above her knees.
My eyes take in Sadia’s ample breasts that seem to fight for room as my mouth salivates.
“I was wondering if this would be too much for our first date. Thank you for letting me know that I did good,” Sadia says.
“You—damn, you look amazing, Dia.” My thick cords pierce the otherwise quiet hallway as I attempt to get my shit together.
Sadia blushes before she steps outside and turns to lock her front door.
I damn near swallow my tongue, and my dick twitches when my eyes land on Sadia’s ass.
My God, baby got back. When Sadia is done, I interlock our hands and nearly stumble from the fire that warms our connection.
It’s foreign and fills me with jitters that I have never experienced when dealing with the opposite sex.
Silence stretches between us as I fight to get myself under control as we head toward the waiting town car.
“Ooh. I see you’re pulling out the big guns tonight,” Sadia says.
Her smile lights up the night sky, sparking one of my own.
“You deserve nothing but the best,” I say before I hold the door open for her to enter the back.
I cringe when more of her caramel legs come into view, and my dick twitches, which makes the space between it and my zipper unbearably tighter. When Sadia has cleared the door and sits, I enter behind her, just as she smiles, the bouquet I bought her up to her nose.
“These are beautiful. Thank you, Chance.”
“Not as beautiful as you are. Thanks aren’t needed, Dia.”
The car pulls away from the curb, and we’re off to our destination. To not encourage silence to create space between us, I speak.
“Remember that tonight, there are no pretenses or fake attempts at being a couple. It’s you and me on a journey of discovery. I want you to enjoy yourself and think about nothing but having a great time with a man who finds you simply irresistible.”
“That’s fine. But shouldn’t we discuss the fact that we’re going to be lying to your friends? Aren’t you worried about how the lie will ruin or impact your friendships?”
Sadia clearly has forgotten the lipstick that coats her lips when she bites her bottom one. Between the uncertainty in her eyes and the nibble of her lip, I know I have to calm her so that tonight, we can focus on us.
“Let tomorrow worry about itself. Tonight, I want it to be about nothing but the woman who isn’t behind the coffee shop counter where we met.”
The remainder of the ride is uneventful, giving me time to ponder how this date will go.
In my determination to spend time with Sadia without either of us having to fake it, I chose the location for tonight.
When the driver stops twenty minutes later, I smile before I exit on the left side and quickly move to the right and open Sadia’s door.
I take her hand and help her to her full height as music echoes from the building behind us.
“This should be fun. I’ve been wanting to come here for a while and haven’t had anyone to come with.”
“Perfect,” I say as we move to the front entrance.
Serenades of Midnight Lounge is a local spot that caters to R&B and jazz lovers.
It’s also pretty low-key and will provide us with an intimate date atmosphere without the pressure of the usual dinner setting.
One of the best things about the lounge is that it caters to the thirty-plus crowd, which is perfect for the first-date vibe I’m going for.
“Welcome to the lounge. Do you have a reservation?” the host asks once we’re at the desk.
“I do. It’s under Mitchell,” I say as the man scans the tablet in front of him.
“Ah. I see you. Right this way, please.”
Without another word, I led Sadia and me through the blue and silver decorated lounge behind the host. There’s a live band on the main stage with a woman whose soprano-like voice belts out an unknown jazz number.
Various couples are on the dance floor, lost in the intimacy of the song’s rhythm.
The sight of the couples makes me long for the moment when I can get a chance to hold Sadia in my arms. The host arrives at our booth, and Sadia slides in one side as I slide in beside her.
The desire to not leave space between us fuels my actions.
“I didn’t think you would sit next to me. Most choose to be across from the person they’re with.”
“You’re going to find out that I’m not like most. Does my closeness make you uncomfortable?”
My eyes penetrate Sadia’s eyes as intrigue, curiosity, and possibly lust shine bright, which provides an answer before she answers.
“Not at all. Tonight is the beginning of our journey, right?”
“Now you’re getting it.”
I have no doubt that by the end of tonight, Sadia and I will reach a level of comfort that will serve as the blueprint for our extended time together.
I look forward to the opportunity to learn more about Sadia with every day we have together.
The heat that fills my body makes me wonder if something other than falsities will be obtained at the end of this arrangement.