Chapter 11
A black car will be downstairs in ten minutes. Get in, don’t tell anybody
Sunny frowned at her phone, rereading the message for the tenth time. No emojis, no clues. Just…Kez.
A slow smiled spread across her lips.
She had no idea what he was up to, but she wasn’t worried. It was Kez. He wouldn’t have her out anywhere she didn’t feel safe. And the man knew how to keep things interesting. Always had. Even back then.
The nap she’d been planning since this morning was going to have to wait.
Sunny smoothed her blue sundress in the mirror and reached for her earrings. A little lip gloss and mascara and she was ready to go.
Ten minutes later, she slid into the sleek black seat of a sleek black town car, the kind she’d only been in a handful of times in her life. The leather seats cradled her body, and the soft scent of sandalwood and something else—something that smelled like him —wrapped around her. She tried to play it cool, but inside, she was vibrating with anticipation.
“Ms. Dixon?”
She looked at the driver, a tall man in a dark suit.
“Yes?”
“I’m JT. I’ll be escorting you this afternoon.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Escorting me where?”
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
“Wait.” She shook her head to get her bearings. “Is Mr.—or, Dr. Bennett not coming?”
“No ma’am. Just you.”
She nodded, disappointed, but also still intrigued. As JT drove, she watched the beach city pass by the tinted windows, its populace bustling at a leisurely pace. She leaned back, her heart thrumming in quiet anticipation. Truthfully, she’d been hoping Kez would slide into the seat next to hers, large and dominant. Maybe his hands would roam. His lips. His tongue. Maybe she’d have told him no, stop, we can’t , while secretly indulging every move he made.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed that.
With him.
Being here, trapped in his orbit, was bringing it all back to her.
She was such a virgin back then. That boy worked hard to get a little touch of boob here or a rub of thigh there. She was constantly pushing him away and pulling him back in. And he stuck around. He was the only one who did, which is probably why she felt comfortable enough to give in to him.
When the car finally slowed to a stop, she sat forward, staring out the window.
She’d already been here just a couple of hours ago.
“What is he up to?” she muttered under her breath.
JT stepped out and walked to her side to open her door like she was royalty.
“Did Dr. Bennett say what I’m supposed to do in here?” she asked, squinting up at JT in the bright afternoon sun.
“No, ma’am. Only that I’m to wait here for you until you’re done.”
Sunny blinked. Done doing what?
“Well, thank you for the ride. Hopefully I don’t keep you waiting too long.”
“No worries, ma’am.” He already had his phone in his hand.
Sunny made the short walk to the front door. Before she could open it, it swung open, revealing a beautiful young woman with glowing skin and an even brighter smile.
“Ms. Dixon!” she beamed.
“That’s me. What’s going on?”
The woman linked her arm in Sunny’s like they were old friends and guided her inside the boutique.
“We’re going to find you a dress for that wedding!” she said. “One that reflects your beauty.”
“Wow. Okay.” Sunny chuckled in embarrassment. “I was actually in here earlier.”
“I know.” The woman’s wink was playful, almost conspiratorial.
Sunny glanced at the woman’s nametag. “Angelique, I’m gonna be honest with you. I can’t afford anything in here.”
Angelique smiled, leaning in to whisper, “Between me and you…I can’t either. But that’s not a problem this time, because Dr. Bennett insisted that you don’t leave this store until you’re happy.”
Sunny froze. “What does that mean?”
“It means we’re going to shop without looking at the price tags.” She squeezed Sunny’s arm. “It’ll be fun.”
It didn’t feel fun, at least not yet.
Sunny’s eyes watered, which was strange, because she wasn’t the type to cry over things. But something about the way this moment was unfolding, the quiet intention, the care, the kindness…it all pricked her right in the center of her chest.
Kez saw her.
This morning, right here in this very store, she’d pretended to love every dress Brooklyn picked out for her, making polite excuses when she could no longer pretend she could afford any of the choices.
But here she was. Back again, but this time, she didn’t have to pretend.
Angelique’s warm hand was already guiding her toward a rack of gowns. Sunny ran her fingers across silk, chiffon, sequins and lace, really feeling them this time, each one playing delicately against her skin. She let herself exhale. She let herself enjoy it.
After much internal debate and a glass of champagne, Sunny stepped into the fitting room with three gowns that made her feel like royalty.
A soft gold dress with delicate beading over the bodice was her first choice. The neckline draped just off her shoulders, and the fabric clung to her waist before cascading down in gentle folds. The second was a deep royal blue silk with clean lines and a thigh-high slit.
But the third…that was the one. A rich rose gold floor-length gown with a plunging neckline that stopped just short of being scandalous. The open back made her feel exposed, but elegant. The fabric hugged all of her curves without begging for attention.
In short, she looked sexy as hell.
She hadn’t had many opportunities lately to look or feel that way. Her uniform was frumpy, her home clothes were baggy cotton lounge wear, and…well, no dates to speak of.
She couldn’t stop staring at herself.
And the back view was even better.
Smiling, she reached into her purse to grab her phone.
He answered on the first ring. “Hey, you.”
His voice made her shiver.
“Hey,” she said. “I just wanna check in with you.”
“First, are you having fun? Tell me you’re having fun.”
She laughed softly. “I’m having a wonderful time, Kez. Thank you.”
“Of course. What’s up?”
“Well, I found a couple of dresses that—“
“Get ‘em.”
“Well, wait, because they’re—“
“Get the dresses, Cici.”
Sunny blew out a sigh. “I don’t need both of them, Kez. If you let me finish, I’m trying—“
“Sunnecia Renee Dixon. Listen to me. My card doesn’t have a limit, and neither do you.”
“Kez…”
“What? We ain’t broke college students anymore.”
The word ‘we’ was doing a lot of heavy lifting, but Sunny kept that to herself.
“If you need shoes and purses and whatever else to go with it,” he continued, “get all that too.”
Overwhelmed, Sunny sank down onto the velvet bench. “You don’t have to buy my affection. I already have it for you.”
“I know that,” he said. “I’m not buying affection. I’m buying you some happiness. Whoever said money can’t buy it didn’t know what the hell they were talking about.”
She laughed. “It does feel good, I must admit.”
“Good. That’s my goal. You know it’s always been my pleasure to make you feel good.”
The words rolled over her like warm honey.
“So Brooklyn told you about this morning, I take it.”
“She did.” His voice was softer, now. Gentle. “She can be a little out of touch.”
“It’s okay. I love that she’s spoiled. More black girls should be.”
“Uh huh. Are you ready to be one of them?”
She bit her lip as her body heated. “Stop. I need to go.”
“Do you?”
She felt a slight ache in her jaw, the kind that comes on when you smile too hard.
“Let me go before Angelique thinks I’m in here stealing.” She sighed. “Thank you, Kez.”
“I told you…it’s my pleasure.”