Chapter 9
Placing his hand on my lower back, Ahmad escorted me down the walkway to his section.
“You good?” he wondered when we’d taken a few steps.
Still reeling from the array of emotions that interaction elicited in me, I didn’t answer at first. I was concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. “Oh, yeah, sorry.” I cleared my throat and looked up at him. “I was fine. He seemed harmless.”
He sighed. The disappointment pulled his full, luscious lips into a frown. “And this is exactly why I wanted you to come out tonight.”
I made a face. “What?”
“Those guys have tried to get at every beautiful woman who has crossed their path for the last thirty minutes or so and because I knew you’d come looking like this and they’d try you—”
My skin heated as his compliment rang in my ears. In the midst of the point he was trying to make, my body clung to the fact that he was low-key attracted to me.
I’m glad I didn’t change.
“I don’t know what game they’re playing, but they are not what you’re looking for. And for a minute, it looked like you were falling for it.”
My face scrunched up as I processed everything he was saying. “Do you really think I’m unaccustomed to being hit on? Do you think I give my number to anybody who asks?”
“No, I don’t think that. But I do think those guys are the same type of riffraff you’ve been bringing into Onyx.”
I balked. “Riffraff?!”
“Are you denying it?”
“I’m questioning your use of riffraff. How old are you?”
“Old enough to see someone in need and to help out.” He leaned down so his mouth was close to my ear. “And you need help.”
His breath was cool and minty, but it felt like fire as it danced across my skin.
I shivered.
“You need help,” I countered, pushing him away from me. Hoping he didn’t catch his effect on me, I glared at him. “And just because your shirt isn’t dirty tonight doesn’t mean you are qualified to give me advice, Ahmad.”
He laughed. “Even though I am qualified, I didn’t just invite you out to give you advice.”
“Qualified, my ass! Ahmad, you are unlicensed without the first credit hour to your name.”
Chuckling, he unlatched the velvet rope. “Shut up and get your ass in here.”
Grinning, I stepped inside the three-couch section that had a perfect, unobstructed view of the stage. The brick wall and the dark cherry-red couches created a vibe. The glass table with champagne on ice, bottles of water, cans of energy drinks, and various juices created a mood. But the two handsome men sitting on two of the three couches made it a party.
“And you must be Aaliyah,” the sexy, dark-skinned man with the taper fade and the long, well-kempt beard greeted me.
“I am.” I slipped my hand into his outstretched one. “And you are?”
“Leon.” He brought my hand to his lips. “But you can call me yours.”
I laughed. “Wowwwwwww.”
He laughed along with me. “You like that?”
“It was cute. Corny, but cute.”
“Aight, that’s enough,” Ahmad interjected, grabbing my shoulders and shifting me in the other direction. “This is Darius.”
I smiled at the light-skinned cutie with the curly hair and dimples. “Hi, Darius.”
“What’s up, Aaliyah?” He shook my hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well.” I let go of his hand and looked between the three of them. “Thanks for having me.”
“Glad you could make it,” Ahmad replied, taking a seat on the empty couch. “Sit, drink, relax, enjoy yourself.” He gestured to the other end of the couch he was on. “Make yourself at home.”
I sat about a foot away from him. “Thank you.” Sitting back, I crossed my ankles. “So, what brings you out tonight? What’s the occasion?”
“My birthday was a couple weeks ago,” Leon answered. “Darius finally had a weekend off. And Ahmad is a music head and wanted to see Terra-Cotta.”
I smiled, shifting my gaze around the group. “Well… happy belated birthday.”
“Thank you,” he said, winking.
“I’m glad you got a weekend off,” I said to Darius.
“You and me both,” he replied, lifting his glass.
Turning my attention to Ahmad, I smiled. “I love Terra-Cotta.”
Ahmad nodded. “Everybody is rocking with the hometown heroes now. I like that shit.”
“No,” I clarified. “I love Terra-Cotta. I’ve been rocking with them since they came on the scene.”
He gave me a suspicious look. “What do you know about Terra-Cotta?”
“I was at the open mic where they launched their career six years ago! When they performed the original first verse of ‘The Quickening,’ I was there. I’m not some new fan who hopped on the bandwagon this year when their single got national attention. I’ve been following them since the beginning.”
His eyes got huge. “No fucking way.”
“Yes fucking way,” I said, playfully mocking him.
“I was there.”
My eyes widened. “What?!”
“I was at that open mic.”
“No you weren’t!”
“He was there,” Darius confirmed. “We both were. We were on a double date with the Murphy twins and…” His sentence trailed off into a light chuckle. He took a sip of his drink and then shook his head. “We were there.”
I looked between the two of them curiously. “I feel like there’s more to the story.”
“Oh, there’s a lot more to the story,” Leon snickered. “The Murphy twins had boyfriends they forgot to mention, and once they left the open mic spot, Darius and Ahmad almost got their asses kicked.”
“You lying like shit now!” Ahmad exclaimed. His eyes danced with the amusement of his recollection of the event. Turning to me, he shook his head. “Don’t listen to him.”
I turned to Ahmad with a shocked expression. “You got your ass beat?” I poked at his bicep as it stretched the silky fabric of his shirt. “So, these are just for show?”
His friends hollered.
“I like her!”
“She’s funny!”
His friends’ amusement triggered my own, and I couldn’t keep a straight face anymore.
“Mannnnnnn, y’all some assholes,” Ahmad grumbled before he burst out laughing, too.
“After that beatdown, that’s when Ahmad started hitting the gym. So, in his defense, he wasn’t as brolic as he is now,” Leon concluded. “Don’t let them pretty boys fool you—they got hands now. They been training.” He wiped down his white button-up shirt. “As a former football player, I been in fighting condition. I wasn’t with them that night or I would’ve held it down. They wouldn’t have been able to do anything with this.” He flexed his muscles.
I smirked. “Ohhhh, so they’re new to this, but you’re true to this?”
He nodded emphatically. “Yes. Exactly.”
“I hope you’re not believing his bullshit,” Darius said, refilling his glass.
I quirked an eyebrow. “So y’all didn’t almost get beat up?”
Ahmad made a sarcastic noise. “Oh, nah, we absolutely got knocked the fuck out,” he confirmed.
“But Leon’s over there acting like he was a D-I college athlete and was headed to the pros,” Darius continued. “He played flag football with the community league until he tore his meniscus.”
Leon jumped to his feet and flexed again. “Okay, but is that not football?” He turned his attention to me and winked. “You see it.”
“I sure do.”
“I didn’t think I needed to say this, but Aaliyah is off-limits. She’s here to see how civilized men act, so act civilized, Leon,” Ahmad stated while pointing to his flirtatious friend.
With a smile, Leon lifted his hands in surrender. “I hear you. I hear you.” He then looked over at me and winked.
“Oh God,” Ahmad groaned. “And on that note, I’m gonna need something stronger than this.”
“Same,” Darius agreed, lifting his hand to flag down the waitstaff.
“Oh, wow, is India Davis supposed to be here, too?” Leon wondered as he stared and pointed down to the first-floor level.
“Where?” Ahmad leaped to his feet, looking around in the same direction that Leon was pointing.
Leon stood up and slung his arm over Ahmad’s shoulders. “Is that how civilized men act? Thirsty?”
“You was playing?” Laughing, Ahmad pushed Leon back, and he dramatically flopped onto the couch. “Don’t play like that about India!”
“Why did you do him like that? You know he loves him some India Davis,” I cackled.
After we placed orders for drinks and food, we easily fell into another conversation. They were all so comical and different. They all had attractive personalities to match their exteriors. But my eyes kept fixating on Ahmad. I enjoyed him behind the bar, but seeing him outside of Onyx, being fully himself, was captivating. Ahmad and I talked a lot, and I knew plenty about him, but seeing him with his friends felt different. It felt intimate.
“You good?” he asked.
“Oh, I—so sorry,” I sputtered, realizing I was staring at him. “I was zoned out and… sorry.”
He licked his lips. “It’s cool. I asked if you’d lined up your next date on the app yet.”
I rolled my eyes and sat back. “Not at all. I haven’t been back on there. I don’t think it’s for me.”
“Oh, what app are you on?” Leon asked.
“TenderFish,” Darius answered before I got a chance.
I stared at him for a second. “You said you’ve heard a lot about me,” I said slowly. Looking around at the men, I felt a flash of awkwardness. “Did Ahmad tell you that I needed help?”
“Yes,” the two friends said in unison.
All four of us burst out laughing.
Reaching over, I shoved Ahmad’s shoulder. “What the hell?”
“I did not say that!” he protested, barely moving from my effort.
“Nah, he didn’t,” Darius clarified when our amusement died down. “He just told us that his friend from the bar was coming out with us tonight. I asked him what your situation was, and he said you were single.”
“Which tells me that you don’t currently have a man in your life…” Leon chimed in. “And even though he said you were coming, he didn’t mention how good you look.”
“Because that’s the least interesting thing about her,” Ahmad responded. “I told you she was cool and that I’m looking out for her.” He shifted his attention to me. “And right before you got here, I told them I wanted to expose you to the type of man you need in your life.”
I searched his face for any indication of a joke. The sincerity was so pure that I felt myself holding his gaze a little too long. Something stirred within me.
I exhaled slowly, and a knot developed in my belly. “And what type of man is that?”
“Here are your appetizers,” a woman interrupted, placing five plates of food on the glass table in the middle of the couches.
I ripped my eyes away from Ahmad and stared at the food. What was that?
As we grabbed plates and started to eat, the conversation circled back to my dating life.
“So, what’s going on that Ahmad wanted you to be around some real ones like us?” Darius asked before biting into a wing.
“It’s not me, it’s the men I keep coming across,” I explained. “They seem cool at first, and then they end up being flakes, liars, or cheaters. Literally, the last three dates I went on.”
“What questions are you asking them before you meet up?” Darius asked.
“And what pictures do you have on your profile?” Leon questioned.
“I ask the basics about their intentions with dating, goals, likes and dislikes, deal-breakers, beliefs, values.” I shrugged. “The normal important details for me.” I opened my phone and showed them three of my pictures. “And these are on my profile, and they are good—we have full body, we have face, we have natural beauty.”
As they gave me props for my profile and questions, I noticed Ahmad was sitting back, saying nothing.
“Now all of a sudden, you don’t have anything to say?” I wondered quizzically.
A small smile played on his lips. “It’s not anything you’re doing. It’s the men you’re picking.” He gestured around. “You see how easy everything flowed here? Not one time have you looked like”—he hunched his shoulders to his ears—“this.”
I slapped his arm playfully. “I do not look like that when I’m on the dates! You gotta stop lying,” I giggled.
“No, but seriously, you have to trust your gut with these dudes,” Ahmad told me. “You didn’t know them”—he gestured between Leon and Darius—“before tonight, and you were comfortable, you read the situation, you had no expectations. You’ve been you. You’ve been the you I met when you had that… first date.” He gave me a look, and we both knew he was talking about the time I was stood up. “When you’re you, you’ll see what it is you need to see and link up with what’s for you.”
“This muthafucka thinks he’s Dr. Phil now,” Leon joked, causing us all to laugh. “He’s right, though.”
“Yeah, you’re cool as hell,” Darius agreed. “If you can’t relax around someone, they ain’t it.”
“I agree, and I thank you,” I told them. “But this was different.”
I was sitting around with three friends—all of them fine as fuck—but still, it was a meetup with a married friend and friends of that married friend. It wasn’t a date.
“Kinda, but not really,” Leon replied.
“This isn’t a date,” I explained to the three confused-looking faces around me. “It’s different because this is not a date.”
Leon reached out for me. “We could leave these two and make it a date.”
I laughed, swatting at his hand. “You’re such a flirt! My point is Ahmad’s my new friend. And you’re Ahmad’s friends. This was a no-pressure situation. There’s no stress.”
Darius looked at Ahmad, so I looked over at him, too. His chiseled jaw was set, and his full lips were in a tight line.
“Okay, it’s not exactly the same,” Leon relented, pulling my attention back to him. “But it doesn’t change the fact that being comfortable is key.”
“We know how men think, and so you’re still going to come across the liars and the cheaters, but you should feel comfortable with the people you’re around.”
Ahmad put his hand on my back. “There should never be any pressure—even if it is a date.”
I held his gaze, and for some reason, I felt a little choked up by the sentiment. It was such a simple statement. Swallowing hard, I nodded.
The lights flickered and dimmed, and everyone in the place started screaming. I tore my eyes from his and glanced at the stage.
“Please put your hands together for Terra-Cotta!” someone yelled through the speakers.
Clapping, the four of us got up to get a better view as the RB trio made their grand entrance. Because it wasn’t a concert, there was no opening act. The DJ left the booth, and Terra-Cotta got right to it.
From the first chord, I loudly sang right along with them. I was in the zone, dancing to the music and just enjoying myself.
“Let’s go check out what’s happening down there,” Leon suggested, pointing to a group of beautiful women singing loudly on the dance floor below us.
“Yeah, they seem fun,” Darius pointed out. “Y’all coming?”
“Nah, I’m good,” Ahmad answered.
Darius’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “Oh yeah, you’re right.”
I pretended I wasn’t listening and snuck a fond glance at Ahmad. He’s such a good man.
“Aaliyah, what about you?” Darius wondered.
I shook my head. “No, I’m going to stay up here.”
“She doesn’t want to go down there to meet men, because she’s waiting for me,” Leon explained humorously as they walked away.
“Don’t mind him,” Ahmad told me with a shake of his head. “That man plays too damn much. And—oh, this is my shit!”
The song that started was one of my favorites, too. We started crooning together as we appreciated the show that was being put on. We talked about the soul in their voices, the advanced choreography, and the energy in their performance. We were so caught up in the music and each other, I didn’t even notice when the guys rolled up.
“Struck out?” Ahmad questioned, causing me to turn and look behind me.
“First of all,” Darius started, poking Ahmad in the chest. “Yes.”
I snickered behind my hand before turning back to the stage. I vaguely listened to their story for about thirty seconds before the group hit a high note that stole my attention.
I was transfixed.
“If you’re celebrating something, I need you to go to the middle of the dance floor in five minutes,” Jade, the primary singer of the group, called out about forty-five minutes into their set.
“Oh, they are going to do ‘Round of Applause,’ I think,” I guessed excitedly, grabbing Ahmad’s arm.
“I’m going down,” Leon announced. “Y’all coming?”
I kind of wanted to, just in case they were going to get invited to meet the group afterward. But my gut told me it wasn’t worth it. We had the best spot in the house.
“No, I’m going to stay here,” I decided. “Have fun, though!”
“I’ll go,” Darius offered.
Ahmad shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.”
The group started harmonizing, and I did a body roll as soon as the beat dropped. “We’ll be cheering y’all on from here,” I called behind them before turning my attention back to the stage.
I sang along, moving my body to the beat. Feeling eyes on me, I glanced over at Ahmad.
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
“You’re hitting all the notes but the ones you’re supposed to hit,” he joked.
“That’s rich coming from someone who sounds like he’s got a mouth full of marbles,” I replied.
We laughed.
“Outside of my girls and my sister, I don’t think I’ve laughed this much with anybody in my life,” I told him, moving close since the music was loud. “Thanks for tonight.”
When he leaned over so his forearms could rest on the guardrail, we were essentially the same height. We were eye level when he said, “You don’t have to thank me. I invited you because I wanted you to be here, and I’m glad you came. I hope you got what you needed.”
“A night out like this. A laugh with a friend. My dating profile being approved by your panel of friends. The best seat in the house.” I sighed contentedly. “I got exactly what I needed tonight.”
The harmonies of Terra-Cotta sounded like background music as his eyes dipped down to my lips. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“And I appreciate what you said earlier.”
His eyes flicked back up to meet mine. “I meant it.”
The beat from their most popular party song dropped.
“For the people celebrating in the middle of the dance floor, are you ready?” Storm, one of the other members of Terra-Cotta, yelled out enthusiastically.
The crowd roared.
The third member of the group, Nubia, stepped forward with a huge grin. “Since they are ready, I need all of you out there to put your hands together and give them a round of applauseeeeeeeeeee!”
The song dropped and the entire place went wild.
“Look at Leon and Darius! They some damn fools,” Ahmad said before he burst out laughing.
“Where?”
He moved closer, and I tried to follow his finger. “Right there.”
“I don’t see them.”
He moved behind me and turned my head a quarter inch to the left. Leaning so his head was resting against mine, he pointed again. “Right there.”
The silky material of his shirt brushed against my exposed back. His muscular chest made the silk feel warm against my skin. His closeness made the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. My eyes closed and I gripped the metal railing tightly as his cologne infiltrated my nostrils.
“They’re right near the pole,” he said in a low tone that coursed through my entire body.
A shiver ran down my spine.
My eyes flew open, and I swallowed hard. I started to move out of his arms when I saw what he was talking about.
“Is that… Wait a fucking minute!” I burst out laughing.
My amusement triggered his, and he fell forward, the weight of him pressing me against the railing.
“These two-left-feet muthafuckas!” Ahmad chuckled. He moved to the side of me fractionally. He wasn’t directly behind me anymore, but our bodies were still touching.
“Did they know they couldn’t dance when they went down there?” I wondered with tears in my eyes.
“They knew!”
I gave him a look over my shoulder. “While you’re standing here talking about them, can you dance?”
“Can I dance?” he scoffed, taking two steps back. “Hell yeah. Can you?”
As Terra-Cotta sang another up-tempo tune, I started rocking my hips. I put my arms in the air and moved to the beat. I started singing with them, and he joined me. His moves started to mimic mine, and as the song transitioned into the chorus, I turned my back to him and started shaking my ass.
“Oh, shit, Aaliyah, I see you,” he said as he got up on me and started dancing with me.
Together, we sang loudly as we danced.
There was so much freedom in the fun we were having. There was lightness and joy in our movements. Even though our bodies were grinding against each other, it wasn’t sexual. He wasn’t just standing there letting me twerk on him. He was actually dancing with me—and he had rhythm. With his hands on my hips, he kept up with me. But when the beat slowed down and my movements slowed with it, something changed.
My nipples hardened, and the heat from his body permeated the fabric of my dress. He gripped my hips, his fingers digging into my fleshiness. As suddenly as the lighthearted fun washed over me, it left. A sexually charged energy crept up my spine, and desire coiled in my belly.
This needs to stop.
“Ohhhhhhh,” Leon reacted loudly, causing me and Ahmad to separate hastily. He positioned himself in between us as we guiltily moved farther apart. With his arms crossed, he looked at me on one side of him and Ahmad on the other. “Now I see why you said Aaliyah was off-limits.”
“Cut that shit, man,” Ahmad responded.
“It’s not even like that,” I added quickly.
He’s married,I finished the sentence in my head.
“It looked exactly like that,” Leon countered before winking at me. “I mean, I get it. Aaliyah is the complete package. I just wish you would’ve said something before I got my hopes up.”
“Ahmad and I are just friends,” I asserted. My voice came out louder than anticipated. “That’s it. That’s all.”
“And y’all coming up here with all this energy, where was that down there?” Ahmad pointed down to the first floor. “Both of y’all down there making a mockery of dance.”
“Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,” Darius reacted with a hearty laugh. “Why am I catching strays? I didn’t say shit about Aaliyah throwing that ass back on you!”
My eyes bulged. “Wow! I was doing a little more than just throwing my ass back, Darius.”
Leon smirked, rubbing his hands together. “You were doing a lot more than just throwing that ass back.” He shifted his gaze to Ahmad. “You, on the other hand, weren’t doing shit but grinning.”
“You mean to tell me that you two were out there looking like Dumb”—he pointed at Darius—“and Dumber”—he pointed at Leon—“yet you are talking shit about us?”
“Gahdamn!” Darius threw his hands up dramatically. “Another shot? I don’t think we were that bad. You thought we were bad, Aaliyah?”
“I wouldn’t call you Dumb and Dumber. That’s too far.” I tapped my chin. “I’d say”—I pointed to Leon—“Rhythmless Nation and”—I pointed to Darius—“Tragic Mike.”
The four of us cracked up just as Terra-Cotta started playing their biggest hit to date. Shifting our attention to the stage, we spent the rest of the night enjoying the music, drinking drinks, and talking. It wasn’t lost on me that Ahmad kept his distance. But as the last song played, we caught each other’s eye over Leon when he bent down. Exchanging small smiles, we continued singing.
It’s cool. We’re cool. It was just a dance. We’re friends. He is clearly happily married, and he clarified that we were friends. Leon and Darius were just giving us shit. It’s fine. Everything is fine.
The show ended, and the DJ started playing music to keep people on the dance floor.
“I think I’m going to call it a night, fellas,” I announced as I finished my bottle of water.
“Nooo! Don’t go!” Leon cried out.
“Really?” Darius checked his watch. “Already?”
“Yeah, it’s my time. My ride will be here in five minutes.” Picking up my clutch from the couch, I flashed them a smile. “But thank you all for such a fun night.”
Ahmad rose to his feet. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Good luck with the dates. Let us know if you need any more advice,” Darius said.
“And if the dates don’t work out, I’m right here,” Leon added.
I laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ahmad sighed almost comically loud. “Okay, that’s enough.”
“Oh, we’re just getting started,” Leon joked, blowing kisses at me.
I waved. “Bye, guys!” Holding only my thumb and pinky to my face, I wiggled my eyebrows at Leon and mouthed, “Call me.”
Putting his hand on the small of my back, Ahmad ushered me away. “Aight, let’s go.”
I cackled my way out of the lounge. As soon as we exited and the door shut behind us, the fun that was being had inside was silenced.
“I can still hear the music and the bass in my head,” I commented, pulling at my ears. “It was loud in there.”
“Not as loud as your laugh.” Ahmad folded his arms over his chest. “That hyena pitch is going to haunt me.”
Grinning, I pushed him. “You always got shit to say. But I’m going to let it slide this time because I had a great time tonight.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” He paused for a moment. “And next time we link up, you’re more than welcome to come out with us.”
“Well, thank you. I appreciate that.” I swept my eyes around the parking lot. “You leaving soon, or are you guys pulling an all-nighter?”
“Probably leaving in about twenty, thirty minutes. Darius and Leon aren’t gonna let that bottle go to waste. So, we’ll probably head out when they’re done.”
“Do you have a ride?”
There was a shift in his expression, and his eyes left mine. “Yes.”
I gave him a questioning look. “It’s not Darius or Leon, is it? You had less to drink than those two up there and none of you need to be drinking and driving.”
His jaw tightened and he swallowed hard. “Nah, never that. We’re calling a car.”
I searched his face. “Good,” I said slowly. “Are you—oh, I think that’s my ride.” I stepped forward toward the curb as the red car slowed to a stop in front of us. I checked the license plate against the plate number on my phone. “Yeah, this is it.” I turned to him and smiled. “Well, my friend, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.”
He licked his lips. “Yeah, you, too. You be careful.”
“I will.”
“Let me get that for you.” Ahmad grabbed the back handle and opened the door for me.
A small smile pulled at my lips. “A gentleman!”
As soon as I was about to climb into the car, he reached for my hand. His touch took me by surprise and sent a sensation up my arm.
“I know I’m not your girls… or your sister,” he started, holding my gaze intently. “But if you ever need a laugh, I’m here.”
Emotion welled up inside me. I felt his words as much as I heard them. Caught off guard, I couldn’t immediately find my voice. I looked down at his hand covering mine, and my heart skipped a beat.
“Thank you,” I murmured as I got in the car.
He closed the door for me and then took a step back. Our eyes were locked until the driver pulled off. Letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, I put my hand to my chest.
What was that?