Chapter 7
Butterflies formed in my stomach and performed like they were in Drumline from the moment I agreed to go on the date with Boston.
When he arrived at my room door, the feeling increased.
Boston made me nervous. He had that type of confidence that was noticeable the moment he entered the room.
Everything about him screamed big dick and long money.
It was obvious by the watch on his arm and the necklace around his neck.
It was also obvious by the way he walked with a gap in his legs like he had to make room for his dick.
When we arrived at the restaurant, Noah parked in the back instead of the front.
Boston made sure he was the one who opened the door and helped me out of the car.
Boston’s hand was on my lower back as we entered through the door and was taken to a private room.
Luckily, no one was outside to take our picture or anything.
I hoped we could keep this thing under wraps for as long as possible.
It took a few minutes for us to be seated and have our food ordered. Boston’s cologne drifted over the table toward me, and he smelled so damn good. I wasn’t sure what kind of cologne it was, but it smelled rich. I blushed as he stared at me from across the table.
“I can see why you model. You just have this natural beauty about you, and I can’t stop staring,” Boston said before he took a sip of his water.
My face and neck flushed with heat. He wasn’t lying about staring because he hadn’t turned his gaze away from me. I had to look behind him because the intensity in his eyes made me even more nervous.
I drank some of my water to cool down and try to get my thoughts together.
I had multiple questions I wanted to ask him, but I couldn’t remember a damn thing.
The only thing I remembered was the sound of his voice first thing in the morning.
It reminded me of that actor Mehcad Brooks, and it was swoon worthy.
“I’m curious. What made you not only marry me, but want to stay married after only talking for however long we talked? Am I just a rebound? Or something to do to save face?”
Boston pushed his water cup to the side and leaned forward. The action made his cologne sneak up my nose again, and it made my head spin. I had to close my eyes for a brief second. I’d never had a man made me feel the way he did just from the sound of his voice or how he looked at me.
“Let me make something clear to you, Harvest. You could never be anyone’s rebound.
Never. I don’t know if you realize how much of a prize you are.
From the second we started talking, I realized how much you matched my energy.
Yeah, you played shy, and you constantly blush, like you are now.
” He paused and smirked. “But you were able to hold a conversation with me, whatever the fuck we talked about.” He laughed.
“You turned the heads of every man and woman in that place. We both probably had more than we should have had to drink, but that didn’t stop the connection I felt with you.
As far as saving face, as you say, that’s not something I need to do.
I got left at the altar, and that’s that.
Did it bruise my ego? Hell yeah, but I refuse to give it too much energy.
Especially because I have a new wife now. ” He winked.
There was all that confidence I mentioned he had. After dropping all of that in my lap, he leaned back and took another swig of his drink.
I shook my head because I was speechless.
“What if she decides she made a mistake and wants to come back?” I had to see exactly where things were with her before I made a real decision. Boston was the type of man that I could easily find myself falling for, and I wasn’t trying to get hurt.
“That’s her problem.” Boston reached across the table and grabbed my hand.
“If she had a chance to come back, I wouldn’t have asked you to give this a chance.
I wouldn’t waste your or my time. We both live very busy lives, and we don’t have time to be on some bullshit.
As far as any other woman, the time I asked for would only be for you.
If this isn’t what you want, then and only then would I consider talking to another woman.
I have never been a cheater, and I’m not trying to be one now.
Any other questions before we move to get to know each other for real? ”
Damn. He kind of just shut me up. I was glad our food had arrived, because I didn’t know what else to say. I had to think if there were any other questions, but nothing came to mind.
Boston let go of my hand so he could eat. We prayed over our food and ate in silence for a little bit.
“What made you get into modeling?” Boston asked, then put a piece of his lamb chop in his mouth.
I couldn’t help but smile when I answered his question.
“I used to watch America’s Next Top Model, and at first, it was always the skinny ass girls on there.
I knew I could do what they did and looked better doing it.
I used to practice all the poses they had to do on the show, and always with my mother’s high heels on.
My parents and my friends encouraged me all of the time.
I would do local fashion shows, then one day, an agent saw me and immediately signed me.
“We needed more representation of plus-size models, Black ones, to be specific. Times have changed, yes, but there still aren’t as many as it should be.
I’d always been on the heavier side, but I always knew I was pretty.
I also know I’m the total package. Of course, I have flaws like the next person, but I’m overall a great person to have by anyone’s side. Friend or lover.”
“Talk your shit then, mama.”
We both laughed. I was serious, though. I had people over the years try to make me feel bad for being heavier. My parents were the first people to speak life into me, and I listened every single time.
“On some real shit, I like that. You have every right to be confident in the person that you are. Always keep that part of you.”
I slightly tipped my head. It wasn’t always easy, but I never let anyone see me down about it. I was still healthy. Probably healthier than some of them stick figure girls in the modeling industry.
“What made you get into the music business? Did your rapping career not work out?” I laughed, and Boston joined in right along with me. I loved the way his laugh sounded.
“You got jokes I see. Nah, I never wanted to be a rapper, and I can’t sing unless I’m surrounded by shower water, and even then, it’s not great.”
We both laughed again before Boston got serious.
“Music has always played a major part in my life. I learned how to play the piano at a young age. I was in the band in high school. My father played the guitar, and I had a grandfather that played the saxophone. From what I was told, my mother used to put earphones on her stomach to play music. I came out Harlem shaking.”
I was glad we were alone because the laugh I let out when he started shaking his shoulders would have had everyone in the damn restaurant looking at us.
“Boston, be so for real right now.”
“I am.” He chuckled. “Aight, aight,” he said when I squinted at him.
“Needless to say, I love music. Like you, I didn’t think it was enough of us in the industry.
They never want us to sit at their table, so I had to create my own.
Everyone at Brooks Records is Black, and that’s how I plan to keep it.
And I mean everyone, from the mailroom workers on up. ”
“Okay then. Do you live in Sunrise Valley?” I asked. I knew his business wasn’t too far from the Valley, but that didn’t mean he lived there.
“I’m about thirty minutes away. How about you?”
The waitress came over to take our plates away.
She asked if we wanted dessert, but I didn’t think I had room for it.
We did share a glass of white wine, and it made me feel relaxed and anxious about the rest of the night.
Especially every time Boston’s eyes were on me, and that was practically the entire time.
He might have looked away to eat, or address the waitress, but that was the only time.
I liked that, because I’d been on dates with men who didn’t know how to keep their eyes to themselves.
I’d caught Victor looking elsewhere on multiple occasions.
I didn’t even have a problem with him looking; it was when it turned to gawking that bothered me.
“I do. I never felt the need to leave. Whenever I have a photo shoot, I fly out, maybe stay a few days, then come back home. My heart and family are in the Valley.”
“That’s what’s up. I like being able to travel the world but still come home to my own house in an area I’ve known my whole life.
The people in the Valley and surrounding areas are chill.
I might get people asking for an autograph or a picture, but they usually go about their business right after.
Traveling to other places is a different story, and that is a part of Noah being around. ”
Noah hadn’t gotten out of the car when we got to the restaurant, because Boston insisted on opening my door, so I forgot about Noah.
“What kind of people do you be running into?”
Boston shook his head and laughed. The waitress had come back, so he paid the bill. I thought we would leave, but we didn’t right away.
“You’d be surprised. People are constantly giving me their CDs. I’ve gotten actual mixtapes, like on a cassette tape. Women who want to suck my dick just to put them on. That ain’t how I move, so I would never do anything like that, just so you know.”
“I didn’t think you would, but thanks for clarifying.”
“Always will. Let’s get out of here. Would you like to come back to my suite with me?”
I wasn’t sure of what he had in mind, but I didn’t want the night to end, and I was supposed to be letting loose, so it was a no-brainer for me to say, “Yes.”