THIRTEEN
Handing over my final donation, I exit the shelter and walk back to my BMW. Delight grapples me when the familiar white Mazda sedan pulls up, causing me to thank the universe for another encounter.
Davia exits looking like a ray of sunshine—fresh face, curls in a puff, dressed casually in tights and a hoodie.
“Hi,” she says softly, barely making eye contact.
“Morning, Davi. Another pleasant surprise.”
She motions to the shelter. “I donate here often.”
Hearing that induces my attraction. “Same. Giving back is a must, whether material or my time.”
“A charitable man. Good for you.” She opens the backdoor to pull out a large plastic bag.
“Here, let me help.” She staggers away as if afraid I’ll touch her again. Grinning, I collect the bag for her to grab the box from the seat.
We leave the donations with the grateful staff, exchanging warm smiles and words before returning to our cars.
“You ate already?” I ask. “Can I buy you breakfast?”
“Um…” She bites her lip while looking around.
I snort. “Don’t overthink it, Davi. Yes or no?”
Intrigue fogs her brown eyes, growing as she holds my gaze. “Why are you asking?”
“Cause I want to spend a little time with you. Is that so wrong?”
The silence stretches until she glances down and kicks at the ground. “I worked out, so I’m all funky.”
“Shorty, stop,” I laugh. “You smell like cocoa butter and flowers. Just chill with me a bit.”
Relief swells in my chest as she looks into my eyes again and nods. “I’ll follow you there.”
“All right.” I lead her to a café nearby, and we sit at a window table after ordering dairy-free lattes and breakfast.
“What you up to on this bright Saturday?” I ask her.
“Nothing, really. I just left Pilates. I’m relaxing for the rest of the day.”
“Pilates, huh?” I brace forward. “No wonder you look so damn fine. Perfectly sculpted.”
Her eyes flutter at my admiration. “Behave, Kross.”
“I’m behaving,” I chuckle. “Still, if you were single, I’d put in work to get you.”
“What makes you think you’re my type?”
“I’m certain. Think I haven’t noticed you checking me out?” I wiggle my brows.
“Geez.” She sits up as our order arrives. “You’re imagining things.”
Her pout makes me laugh. “All right. I’ll stop teasing you.”
She huffs, bites into her avocado toast, and sips the hot beverage. “You mentioned giving back with your time. You volunteer?”
“At the youth center on Ludwin Drive. Since the start of the year, I’ve been every other Saturday.”
Her face brightens. “What do you do?”
“Talk with the kids. Most of them come from tough homes. I help show them there’s a better way besides turning to the streets and doing stuff , as you called it. You should come through one Saturday to discuss your career.”
The smile she gives me feels like a tender stroke on my heart. “I will. That’s big of you, Kross. For real.”
“I’m doing my part. Trying to make the world a better place however way I can.”
“You’re a good person.”
“I sense you are, too,” I say, biting my egg and bacon sandwich.
Still smiling, she dips her head and resumes eating.
After a sip of the warm latte, I continue the conversation. “So besides the fashion part, you do other fun things in Paris?”
“Mmhm. I love exploring the city, trying different food, putting my poor French to the test.”
“Let me hear some.”
“Bonjour,” she replies immediately, chuckling.
I scoff. “Really, shorty?”
“Give me a second.” She looks around the place and says, “Merci pour le petit déjeuner.”
“Nice,” I applaud. “You thanked me for breakfast.”
She slowly bobs. “Yeah. Is that a lucky guess?”
“Tu es la plus belle femme que j'ai jamais vue.”
Her mouth opens in surprise. “Damn, Kross. You know French?”
“It was my elective in community college. You understood what I said?”
She shakes her head. “Not at all.”
Holding her gaze, I translate smoothly, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Davia draws an unsteady breath and traces the rim of her coffee mug. “Thank you. I bet a man like you has had plenty of pretty women. Not to mention, a lot will pass through your club, wanting your attention.”
“My attention isn’t easy to get,” I quip. “I have to feel intrigued.”
“Did the woman last night intrigue you?”
I quirk my brow at the hint of jealousy in her voice. “I’ve no interest in her besides the business she’s helping me with. There’s nothing romantic.”
“You don’t need to explain it to me.”
“And yet you seem relieved,” I note.
“I’m not.” She blinks incessantly as if nervous all of a sudden. “Anyway, you finished community college?”
“I completed a two-year online business course. It got me a job with a packaging company. I saved and used the money to buy and renovate my first rental property. Kept growing. Now, here I am. Doesn’t compare to your man, right?”
Her eyes lower. “I wasn’t comparing.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s a finance associate, successful in his career.”
“Hope he doesn’t allow success to get in the way of taking care of you. Ambition can blind people.”
She twists her mouth. “My man and I are… good.” The brief glitch doesn’t convince me. It isn’t enough for me to continue holding back these emotions.
Observing her body language, I ask, “Why’d you look irritated last night? Don’t care for his fam?”
Her head flies up, and she fidgets on the chair. “They’re all right.”
I blurt a short laugh. “Okay. Want to hang out since you’re free, and I’m not going to the center today?”
She clicks her tongue. “When did I say I was free?”
“You told me you just did Pilates, and that’s it for your day. So yeah, you’re free.” I give her a sly smirk.
“Pfft. You’re something else.”
“I take that as a yes. So what would you like to do?”
Considering for a beat, she relaxes her shoulders and says, “Batting cage.”
“Ah. You want another workout.”
She snorts. “It’s fun. I haven’t been since high school.”
“Okay. Let’s do that then.”
After deciding on a spot, we finish breakfast, return to our cars, and drive downtown.
The loud cracks of hits and boisterous cheers reach us at the entrance. I rent two bats, secure a box, and allow Davia to go first. She steps up to the plate, her eyes tight with determination as the time on the machine counts down.
The first ball shoots out, and her impressive swing sends it flying to the net with a mighty thud.
“Whoa!” I clap for her. “Great job!”
Her giggles are music to my ears. “I still got it.”
Like a proud partner, I watch her in admiration, swinging without a miss and racking up points effortlessly. Her competitive spirit is on display, and I like this other side.
“Your turn,” Davia urges once I’ve retrieved the last ball to load back into the machine.
“Damn, shorty. How do I compete with a pro? How are you so good?”
She laughs it off. “I told you, I did this in high school. My first boyfriend played baseball, so we spent some time at the batting cage.”
“First love?” I question teasingly.
“Yes.” She touches her neck as if shy. “Stop delaying. Go ahead.”
“All right, all right.” I take my stance. The ball flies out, and of course, I miss it. “Damn.”
“Relax,” Davia advises. “It’s supposed to be fun.”
I twist my mouth at her. “You were all serious like you’re playing in the league. So don’t give me that.”
She shrugs and splays her hands. “Trying to help. Keep at it, rookie.”
“Hm.” Another ball shoots out. I swing in time and manage a hit. “Yes!”
“Nice!” Davia cheers. “Just like that!”
Despite some great hits, my misses keep me much lower in the score. Reaching the end of the hour, Davia does an adorable victory dance that cracks me up. She’s such a breath of fresh air to be around.
“This was fun,” I say as we leave the batting cage.
“Yeah, it was enjoyable,” she seconds, still beaming.
An idea pops into my head. “How about a ferry ride?”
After a brief delay, she bobs in agreement. “Okay.”
Driving behind me to the harbor, I pay the parking fee for our cars and buy tickets for the next ferry that’s about to leave.
We sit opposite each other on the scarce boat, and Davia stares out the window, eyes gleaming as the ferry starts to move. It’s a challenge to look away from her. She has an aura that attracts and holds my interest.
As if sensing me watching, she cuts her gaze to me and knits her brows together. “What?”
I grin. “Just trying to figure you out.”
She sniffs. “Thought you were good at reading people?”
“I’ll reserve my assumptions.” I relax back on the seat. “The last three times, you bolted from me.”
“I didn’t bolt ,” she argues with an awkward laugh.
“You moved pretty fast then,” I correct teasingly.
She sucks her teeth and looks at the harbor again.
“So, while I like hanging out with you, I’m curious. How come ol’ boy isn’t spending time with you since you’re leaving the country in two days?”
Her head lowers, and she flicks her nails in her lap. “Something came up.”
“Something more important than his girl?” I scoff. “Hell, nah. He’s mad tripping.”
“It’s not a big deal,” she excuses the behavior.
“Baby girl, it is,” I counter, squinting at her.
“He’s working a lot harder lately.”
“A lot harder, huh?” I reach for her hand, making her tremble at my touch.
“Kross, what are you doing?” Her velvety voice caresses my ears, curling my lips into a playful smile.
“Holding your hand.”
“Um…” A shaky breath escapes her as I trace her fingers with my thumb.
“You feel it too, don’t you?”
She moistens her lips, still not pulling away. “What do you mean?” The question leaves her in a near whisper.
“It happened on the rooftop and last night at the restaurant. When we touch, there’s… something.”
She eases from my grasp. “What are you saying?”
“Let’s spend time together,” I tell her seriously.
Shifting on the seat, she looks around and steadies back on me. “You want me to cheat?”
“I’m offering to be someone you chill with when you’re lonely or want to talk.”
“I have my cousin for that,” she points out.
“Not for what I can give you. Your man’s slacking so you can lean on me.”
She wobbles her head. “You’re crazy. What was I even thinking spending the morning with you?”
“You wanted to relax.” I move to sit beside her, making her breathe harder.
“Kross…”
Her hand trembles as I intertwine our fingers. “Don’t say anything. Focus on the emotions running through your body right now.”
Not breaking the link, she turns her eyes to the water, and we remain quiet for the rest of the ride.
As the ferry returns to the start, Davia slips her hand from mine and hastens to the exit, slowing down only when she reaches her car.
“How about going to a museum?” I ask before she opens the door. “Or we could pick up lunch, go on a sailboat, and stay until sunset?”
“I can’t,” she answers without facing me.
I inch closer to her back, causing a quiver as I say, “Hand me your phone. I’ll put in my number.”
She slants, her eyes tapered to slits. “So you can call me and cause issues in my relationship?”
“No. I’ll give you my number. You can call or text when you want to talk. Your decision.”
A low moan escapes, and she gnaws at her bottom lip while shifting in place. “Um…”
“Focus on the feeling. Focus on what you want.”
Relief immerses me as she retrieves the phone from her clutch, unlocks it, and hands it to me.
It’s adorable that even her protective case is about fashion. Pressing my number on the keypad, I return her phone and say, “See? Didn’t call mine.”
“Hm.” She hops in and starts the car. “Thanks again for breakfast, the batting cage, and the ferry ride.”
“Thank you for hanging with me.” I wink at her. “Amusez-vous à Paris. Have fun in Paris, Davi.”
I catch the smile before she looks away and drives off. Remaining in place, I watch until she disappears from view. In a sweet fantasy, she’s mine. But this is reality; all I can do is wait until I hear from her. I have a feeling that will be soon.