Chapter 16 Maya
Chapter sixteen
Maya
Denise hasn’t said anything for a solid minute; that’s a record for her.
I sip my gin & tonic and look around the bar.
Ever since they switched DJs, the vibe here hasn’t been the same.
It went from Mos Def and Jill Scott to Lorde and Doja Cat.
Plus, they switched to these tiny bar stools and my left butt cheek feels like it’s hanging on for dear life.
“So…” Denise is still wrapping her head around what I told her about my date with Adam. “You made him cum in his pants, drove home, and then proceeded to have phone sex?” The bartender quirks an eyebrow. Clearly she overheard us. Luckily it’s too dark in here for anyone to see me blushing.
“Could you not share my business with the whole bar, D?” I look around to see if anyone else is eavesdropping on our conversation.
“That just sounds like a lot of work to me. Didn’t you want to sleep with him? I’m talking in real life, not over the phone.” Boy, had I! I want to go over to his place right now. I take another sip of my drink so she can’t see the horniness on my face.
“Of course I did, but I told you what happened. I just didn’t want to become some kind of big girl experiment.” Especially not when I could see myself developing real feelings for Adam. D looks doubtful.
“So you saw a few pics of skinny women," she says sternly. "So what! You don’t know that he slept with all of them.” She starts counting off on her fingers. "They could be friends, teammates, whatever! A pic doesn't guarantee they're an ex."
I pause half an inch above my straw. Huh. Why did I assume those were all ex girlfriends?
“Hmmm.” Denise takes that as a sign to keep making her case.
“Not only that, but even if those were all exes, didn’t he ask you out even after you freaked and drove off that first night? Didn’t he call you back and initiate phone sex after you ran away?”
“I initiated the phone sex,” I argue weakly. She smirks at me.
“Potato, potahto. This guy definitely seems interested in you, not some skinny chicks.” I have to admit she’s making a lot of sense. She knows it too, based on the righteous look in her eyes as she sips her cosmo.
“OK," I admit begrudgingly. "I see your point. I told him we should just keep seeing each other and see how things go.”
“That was a smart move, Maya." I'm glad you approve, professor. I try not to roll my eyes. "Don’t overthink this. He’s a hottie who wants to spend some time with you. You want to spend some time with him, too. End of story.” Gosh, I wish I could see things this clearly on my own.
Alone, my mind's default setting seems to be "worst case scenario".
Denise swirls her drink with a straw thoughtfully.
"We are skipping over one very big detail."
"What?"
"You were going to fuck him on the first date? Go, Maya! I didn't know you had it in you." She cheers and pats me on the back while the two young guys sitting next to us chuckle under their breath. I duck my head and wish for the cloak of invisibility.
"Denise! Oh my God. You're going to get us kicked out of here." She smirks while flagging down the bartender.
"For talking about sex in a bar? I think not. So, spill. How did you go from needing your girls' help to get ready to almost doing the horizontal tango on the first night?" She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and I can't help but giggle.
"Well, he's just very…" What is the word?
"Alluring? Maybe 'irresistible' is a better word.
He kept whispering in my ear close enough for me to feel his lips and touching my hands and looking at me.
" I sigh like a lovestruck schoolgirl. "Before I knew it, I was the one touching HIM and asking about 'dessert'. " Denise looks impressed.
"It sounds like Mr. Park has game. Do you have a picture?
I need to see who got you so worked up you forgot you're basically a prude.
" I roll my eyes at that. She thinks I'm a prude because I normally have a three-date rule, while she barely has a three-hour rule.
It may work for her, but it's not my style.
"How would I have a picture? Was I supposed to sneak a pic while I was driving?"
"How about his social media?" I stare at her blankly and D clutches imaginary pearls.
"You still haven't stalked his social media yet? We must remedy this right away." She takes out her phone and starts typing faster than a hacker in "The Matrix".
"Bingo!" she says, after less than a minute. She definitely has skills. I lean over to peek at her phone.
"Adam Park…Born in Brooklyn, lives in Brooklyn…Stanford alum. Is this your guy?" I nod when I see charcoal locks and midnight eyes staring back at me. Don't tell me I'm affected by just a profile picture now…I sit back to drink my watered down cocktail while Denise browses his pictures.
"Oh wow. No wonder you almost jumped his bones!" Denise fans herself and I grab the phone from her hand. I'm not a big fan of social media stalking, but she started it. What I see makes my throat go dry and my kitty immediately starts purring.
Almost all of Adam's pics are blatant thirst traps:
Adam shirtless doing squats in the gym
Adam jogging along the boardwalk in gray sweatpants (swoon!)
Adam shirtless showing off his muscles in the mirror
Adam shirtless looking like he's naked (!) in bed
D has joined me in drooling over his pics, her chin resting on my shoulder.
"That boy is fine. And he's into Black women, huh?" I push her off my shoulder and glare at her teasingly.
"Back off, D. He's mine." Or he will be. She laughs and finishes the last of her cosmo. I excuse myself to the bathroom and make my way through the crowd.
Away from the din of some Drake or SZA song, I pull out my cell. There’s no time like the present to take control of the situation. The liquid courage flowing through my veins certainly doesn’t hurt.
Adam
Hey, Adam. I had fun the other day.
He responds immediately.
Adam
Adam: Me too. So when can we do it again?
I smile like the cat who ate the canary. Thank God he's as eager as I am.
Adam
Phone sex?
Adam: lol. No, a date. Preferably ending at my place. Or yours.
Are you free Wednesday?
Adam: Nah. I have a work thing. What about Friday?
I’m going to DC for my parent’s wedding anniversary.
Adam: Ah, bummer.
Really, Adam? LOL
Adam: I mean, not bummer about the anniversary, lol. You know what I mean.
Adam: Are you ever free during the day?
Yeah. I set my own hours. That’s one of the perks of being a small business owner.
Adam: Sweet. If you’re willing to tag along with me to help register for some wedding gifts, we can grab lunch after.
Sounds good. Text me the details. Gotta get back to my friend.
There. I return to the bar and Denise and I celebrate my upcoming date and newfound confidence with shots. Adam is too hot and the attraction between us is too strong to ignore. Fetish, phase, or otherwise, I'm not letting this opportunity slip through my fingers.