Chapter 15 Chance
Nearly Two Weeks Later . . .
Me:
Are you ready to come out of hiding yet?
Sadia and I have been back from our trip for over a week, and I have yet to see her in person.
We have been communicating through text, but Sadia has been acting like she’s in witness protection or something.
Granted, I understand that our final day together in Florida was highly embarrassing, but I didn’t expect her to semi-ghost my ass.
I have been to Sips of D’Essence every morning, per usual, and Sadia’s beautiful face has been nowhere to be found.
In fact, the owner has been the one assisting me with my morning pickup.
But today, Sadia’s time is up. Thanks to the hookup from who I’ve learned is her best friend, I’m about to blow up Sadia’s spot. My eyes lower to my screen when my phone vibrates in my hand.
Sadia:
I’m not hiding. I’ve been consumed with homework and stuff, so my boss has me working another shift to help me out.
I shake my head and push the door open as Sadia’s eyes stretch when she sees me walk into the stockroom, where she’s been hiding every morning.
“Ch-Ch-Chance? What are you doing here?”
Mhm. I bet your pretty lying ass didn’t expect to see me, huh?
“I came to remind you of what we have. Clearly, you must have lost sight of your new relationship status with the fifty eleven trips to the bathroom we took.” I smirk.
At this point, all traces of self-conscious distress I had over shitting on myself in front of Sadia are gone. It’s water under the bridge, and Sadia needs to catch up because I don’t like the idea of our loose bowels drawing a line in the sand between us.
“That’s not funny, Chance. I have never been so out of control in my life. I have been dreading seeing you face-to-face.” Sadia hangs her head, and I close the distance between us.
I lift her chin so she can see my eyes because no matter how nasty our fiasco was, I still want her.
“It was a first for me too. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I find you irresistible. You’re still the woman I long for twenty-three hours a day.”
“Why only twenty-three hours?”
“Damn, you’re rude. Doesn’t the King of Kings deserve at least an hour a day? I mean, I have to give Him gratitude for blessing me with you.”
Sadia smiles, and all traces of her melancholy evaporate as my heart leaps and my chest expands.
I now feel like my life can return to its regularly scheduled program because the time without Sadia has been torture.
I lean in and connect our lips as my heart rate settles now that I’m able to breathe Sadia’s air.
“I missed you,” Sadia whispers against my lips.
“I missed you so much more. I gotta get to work, but you and me this evening. No excuses.”
Sadia sighs, and the air that hits my lips charges me as my hands rub up and down her arms.
“I can’t do tonight. I have to finish a paper, and I have to—”
“Didn’t I say no excuses? I’ll come to you, but you’re not getting out of this. I’ll bring dinner, so don’t worry about cooking. Do you have any food aversions or allergies I should know about? We don’t need a repeat of—”
“No. No.” Sadia cuts me off and steps back an inch as horror flashes in her eyes.
I smirk as my hands continue moving in a rhythm that soothes Sadia, and her eyes relax.
“Think of that situation as a moment of comic relief when my six pack becomes a keg, and your titties can be tied into a ponytail.”
Sadia laughs loudly, and I join her as the atmosphere around us becomes lighter.
“On that note, I’ll see you this evening.” Sadia smiles.
“I’m looking forward to it. I’ll send you a text when I’m on my way. Enjoy your day, Dia.” I kiss her lips twice and leave as quietly as I arrived.
When I enter the main coffee shop, I nod and toss a wave to her friend, who is now at the counter assisting a customer.
The owner is nowhere to be found, which makes me chuckle lowly before I exit through the front door.
I’m sure my parolees will be happy about my ability to reconnect with my woman because I’ve been extra hard on them.
I’m in my vehicle and on my way to work in under five minutes.
“Hm. What am I gonna pick up for dinner?” I ask out loud.
My brain shuffles through restaurant options for the duration of my drive to work.
I’m no closer to pinpointing a decision when I arrive.
As a matter of fact, I continue with meal choices for most of the morning and the first part of the afternoon.
When I still come up blank, I call in reinforcement.
“Hi, Chance. Do you need something?” Ms. Janie asks after she answers the buzzer on her desk phone from my office phone.
“Yes. Can you come in for a minute, please?”
It takes Ms. Janie less than five minutes to appear at my door. A smile plays on my lips when she places her hand on her waist. She looks like a mother who has repeatedly told their child not to get dirty because they were going somewhere.
“What can I do for you?”
I chuckle before I go into my quick spiel about my need to take my woman dinner tonight and being unable to settle on anything.
I want something that feels romantic, even in a home setting.
After spending so much time alone with Sadia, I love the idea of not having to share with anyone.
But damn if I’m drawing a blank on what I can buy that won’t end up tasting like cardboard once I get to her house.
“I got a ram in the bush for you. My niece Ramona recently earned her culinary license and needs more experience. I can call her to see if she’s available to cook for you.”
A deep frown forms at the thought of a brand-new chef executing my meal plans for Sadia. Fresh out of school doesn’t mean that Ramona can cook. Ms. Janie giggles as the crow’s feet around her eyes become more pronounced.
“I promise you she’s legit, no matter what you think at the moment. I’m going to call her and see if she’s available before we go any further with this discussion.” Ms. Janie leaves before I can reply as my mind reels.
How can a chick with such a weird name be able to throw down?
Sadia and I are already on shaky ground after our last experiment.
I don’t know if this is a good idea. Hell, I might lose Sadia altogether if this backfires on me.
Damn. Maybe I should just go with a regular restaurant and hold off on trying to impress Sadia.
I already have her as my woman, so maybe I just need to keep building.
I’m not sure how long I’m in my silence before Ms. Janie returns, but I jump slightly when I hear her voice.
“Alright. You’re in luck. Ramona is free this evening. I told her I was going to give you her number so you can call her and work out the logistics.”
For a second, I ponder the information and weigh my options before nodding, as Ms. Janie steps forward and hands me a piece of paper with her niece’s contact details.
“I hope Ramona’s ass doesn’t cause me to lose my woman,” I grumble.
“My suggestion is for you to focus on not letting food dictate your future. If food can end something, then it wasn’t built on solid ground.” Ms. Janie shrugs and leaves my office as I nod, because the truth lies within the context of her words.
With a slight tremble in my hands, I pick up my desk phone and make the call to Ramona before I change my mind.
The two of us go through formalities before we dive into planning a small yet intimate meal for Sadia and me.
I didn’t want Ramona to meet me at Sadia’s apartment, so I arranged to pick up the food.
I’m taking the risk that it won't be hot when I arrive, but I want all available time with Sadia to myself. We’ve been apart long enough; whether the food is prepared by a chef or not, I want my woman to myself.
Either time or my anxiety is on my side because, before long, my workday ends, and I’m leaving the office like somebody called in a bomb threat.
It’s after five, so I rush home to take a quick shower and put on a pair of joggers and a T-shirt.
Once I spray on my cologne, I send Sadia a message to give her a heads-up that I’m heading her way.
Me:
I’ll be to you within an hour.
I need to make a detour to Ramona’s spot to grab our food, and then I can be on my way.
Ramona and Sadia are on opposite sides of town, so hopefully there will be no traffic to delay my estimated arrival.
I grab my wallet and keys and leave my place with a smile.
It takes me twenty minutes to reach Ramona, and I’m back on the road in ten minutes.
From the heat and aroma coming from the containers the food is packed in, I might have to use Ramona again in the future.
Traffic is a breeze, so I reach Sadia’s place twenty-five minutes later.
I gather everything and make my way to Sadia’s front door.
I grimace when my knocks sound harder and louder than I intend a couple of seconds later.
My body temperature shifts, and my heart rate increases when I hear the locks on the other side disengaging.
Sadia’s bright face comes into view as my eyes roam over her from head to toe.
Her hair is a loose ball on top of her head; she’s in a nightdress that stops above her knees, and her feet are covered in a fuzzy pair of neon orange socks.
The grumble from Sadia’s stomach halts my gaze as I return to her eyes to see her sheepish expression.
“I haven’t eaten since you mentioned bringing dinner with you.”
I smile and lift the bag that has our food as she steps back so I can fully enter her place. It’s a small but cozy space, although messy with evidence of Sadia’s study. Man, my woman deserves so much more, and I can’t wait to put her in a bigger place.
“Welcome to my home. Come on. We can eat in the living room so I can continue working between bites.”
I follow wordlessly behind Sadia, and my eyes are stuck on her plump ass.
Damn, my woman got ass for days.
The sound of Sadia’s stomach prevents me from any additional raunchy thoughts that will further sink my mind into the gutter.
“Let’s uh—eat now,” I say, desperate to focus on something other than the fatness of Sadia’s ass and the treasure that lies between her luscious thighs.
I move quickly to remove the containers from the insulated bag Ramona provided and place Sadia’s container on the tray. She smiles and proceeds to remove the lid as a hum of appreciation slips from her mouth. I take a seat beside her and set my container on my lap.
“This looks homemade. Did you cook?”
“Nah. But let me know how you like it so I can leave my review.”
Ramona made a loaded baked potato with shrimp, chicken, broccoli, and a homemade white cheese sauce. There are also mini cupcakes for dessert after dinner. From the potato’s appearance and smell, I already know this simple meal is going to be fire. Evidence of that happens a second later.
“Mm.” Sadia’s eyes flutter closed as she chews her first bite.
That sound, and the gratitude in Sadia’s eyes once they open again, cause me to sit back against the sofa and dig into my food.
Unlike Sadia, I hold in my reaction as the flavors dance on my tongue.
Ramona did her thing with this potato, and I will be utilizing her services again.
Either the food is good, or Sadia and I have nothing to discuss, because silence ensues as we eat.
Once we’re done, Sadia sighs, and I chuckle at her look of contentment.
“You good?”
“Mhm. It’s going to be hard to finish this paper. But it’s my last one, and I have to get it done.”
Pride dances within me at the knowledge of that information.
“Oh, for real? You’re done after this?”
A pleased smile upturns Sadia’s lips, and my heart skips a beat from the action.
“I am.”
“That’s what’s up. I’m so proud of you, Dia. Get back to your paper. I’ll be here when you’re done.”
With that, Sadia nods and shifts her body before she pulls the laptop onto her lap. I smile before I pull her feet into my lap and remove her socks, then I slowly massage her left foot. My eyes go to the TV as I sigh with ease because this moment is the perfect way to end my day.