Chapter 4
Ifelt like a fucking creep. There I was, in the middle of the farmer’s market, stalking this girl like a natural-born predator.
The chatter of the market became a low static hum when I locked in on my target.
I thought my eyes were deceiving me at first, but no; it was her.
Free . . . Had I manifested her because I couldn’t get her off my mind since my mama’s birthday party?
She was fucking beautiful and had the kind of energy that left a stain.
Her aura magnetized the air around her while I watched everyone react to her presence.
People rushed out of her way or offered her free samples of their products, bringing her beautiful smile onto her face.
She took a sip of some tea offered to her by an herbalist.
“This tastes amazing,” I heard her say after a moan. “What did you say the benefits were again?”
I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the brown-skinned beauty.
Free was of average size and height with an ebony complexion.
She looked good in a gray bodysuit that molded to her curvy shape.
Her eyebrows were thick and perfectly arched over her almond-shaped, brown eyes.
She had a cute button nose I wanted to kiss on the tip, and full lips, but the bottom one was a little heavier.
Her defined jawline made her look like a model.
Her hair looked freshly done in some kind of sew-in with silky, jet-black bundles that were curled in waves.
“You know everyone can see you, right?” Katana’s voice in my ear brought me back to my hiding place. “You all crouched down, hitting the Mary J and shit.” She started doing the dance, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Fuck you, Tana. You ain’t right.” I ran a hand down my face and tried to pretend I was focused on the assortment of jewelry in front of me.
She laughed while closing the distance between us. “I’m just saying, you looking a little suspect over here. You hiding from somebody? One of your little flings?”
I frowned and jerked my head back. “Imagine me . . . hiding.” I snorted because it was unlikely, but in all honesty, that was exactly what my ass was doing. “Never that.”
She hummed, running her fingers over the rings.
She picked one up and slid it on her finger.
“Oh, not hiding. Stalking.” I realized she’d spotted Free, who’d moved on to the florist beside the tea stand.
She had at least five bouquets in her hand while browsing for more.
I kept silent to maintain my innocence. “You should just go talk to her,” she suggested with a shrug.
She put down the ring she was trying on for another one with a unique twisted band.
I shook my head. “Nah, I wouldn’t know what to do with a girl like that. She’s going to think I’m boring.” Even as flashes of us in that restroom returned to my mind, I said, “She’s out of my league.”
My sister patted me on the back. When I glanced down at her, she wore an empathetic expression.
“Um, because you are boring, but boring men deserve love too.” She pointed at my face and frowned.
“Oh, and another thing, ain’t no ho out of your league.
You got manners, morals, and money. What?
You’re basically a rare commodity in these streets, Brother.
Stop playing, and go ask her for her number before I go over there and embarrass you. ”
My eyes floated back toward Free. I scratched the nape of my neck, weighing the pros and cons. The choice was obvious. If Katana said she was going over there with the intent to embarrass me, she meant exactly that. I wasn’t about to play around with her ass.
“Aight, aight. I’ll go.”
She clapped her hands together and squealed. “Smart choice. Oh, and can you buy me this ring, please?” She put her hands in the prayer position, and I could only shake my head.
“Don’t you have a job with money?”
“Wow, you really want me to sell it for a little ring at the farmer’s market? You really hate me!”
I mushed her head to the side. “You get on my damn nerves. Here.” I dug into my pocket for the first bill I got my hands on. She had better make it enough to support her bad habit.
“Thank you, Brother. You’re the best.” She turned to the rings and started browsing for the one she was going to buy. “Gon’ on and get your wife’s number now.”
“Wife?” I asked, hesitating.
She nodded. “Mmhm. I just got a feeling about that one. Stop being scary, and go.”
She pushed me forcefully, causing me to stumble a few steps. Considering this was something I actually wanted to do, I made my way over to the florist stand. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just pretended to look at the arrangements of bouquets available.
“Stanley? What are you doing here?” she asked when we reached for the same bouquet. Heat spread up my arm, almost making it go numb. I finally turned to look at her and felt my entire body power on for the first time.
I chuckled. “Damn, you forgot my name and shit?” I looked around with a frown. “Who the hell is Stanley? I got beef with that nigga.”
Her laugh made me return my attention to her. I got lost in the light in her eyes and became a little less nervous. “I’m talking to you, boy. I remember your name is Ketai, but as far as I’m concerned, your name is Stanley.”
“I don’t get it.”
She patted my arm with a grin. “Just know it has something to do with what you did to me the last time I saw you.”
I smirked. “Oh, you been thinking about that? You ran up out of there so fast; I thought you hated it.”
She shrugged casually. “Maybe. Maybe not.” She twirled her finger around, then turned to me. “So, who you over here buying flowers for?”
I chuckled. “You.” I turned to the florist, motioning to all six bouquets she held close to her chest. “We’ll take all of these.” I paid for the flowers, then took them from her arms.
Her smile was worth the purchase. “Aw, thank you, Stanley. You got money,” she teased.
I waved her off. “I mean, I’m doing well enough to buy a beautiful woman flowers at the market without breaking a sweat.
” She tucked her lips in an effort to hide her smile from me, but the rise of color on her cheeks told me the truth.
I glanced around, looking for Katana. I couldn’t find her, so I focused back on Free. “Is there anything else you want?”
“If you’re buying, then hell yeah. I wanted one of those coconut drinks over there.” She pointed to a cart a little further down. I nodded before falling into step beside her.
“So, if I’m being honest, I haven’t been able to get you off my mind since you crashed my mama’s birthday party.”
She stopped walking before popping me on the arm. “Hey, I did not crash her party. I was invited. The invitation was public, and I even brought a gift.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I stopped walking too. “That was an accident, and who randomly invites themselves to a birthday party?” I joked.
“Oh my God, it’s no different than if I saw a club flyer of someone hosting a party and decided to go. Don’t do me. I had fun too.”
“Mhm, I could tell,” I mumbled. “By the way, my mother thanks you for the necklace. She said you have good taste.”
A satisfied grin appeared on her face as she twisted from side to side childishly. “I knew she was a diva. And she’s right. I do have good taste.” Without another word, she took off again, and I was right on her heels, following her floral scent as if it had the ability to lead me home.
My smile was inevitable, and I fought to get rid of it by the time we made it to the stand. She looked over the menu before placing an order for the drink and a Jamaican beef patty. I paid while she collected her items. I followed her over to a bench where she decided to take a seat.
For a while, the only sound was her slurping through the straw of her drink. I glanced at her when she moaned. “Mmm, this is so good. You should’ve gotten one too. That way, I could’ve had two.”
I chuckled. “You want me to buy you another one? I’m not a fan of coconut, so that’s why I passed it up.”
She shook her head. “No, you don’t have to do that. I was just joking. Thank you though.”
“No problem.” She turned to me as she bit into her patty. As I sat, admiring her beautiful features, I found the courage to ask the question I really wanted to. “Listen, would you like to go out on a date with me?”
I watched her chewing slow down until she swallowed. She shook her head and sighed. “Listen. I don’t have the time or energy for any more men who use dates and kind gestures to hide the fact that they just want to fuck.”
Instead of taking offence at what she said, I doubled down on my intentions. “That’s not why I asked you that. I want the chance to get to know you better.”
“Why?” she questioned while setting the pastry on her lap and folding her arms over her chest like she was suspicious of me, as if by watching me, she’d be able to tell I had ill intentions toward her.
I stared deep into her eyes. I saw her interest in me, but I could feel her hesitation.
This was a woman who’d been scarred, and while it didn’t harden her, it did create steel walls around her heart.
I reached for the lash I saw resting on her cheek.
She flinched a little but allowed me to remove it.
I smiled. “You’re the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met, Free.
While I can admit dating is new to me, I’m open to exploring this tug I feel toward you because it’s something I’ve never felt before.
” I chuckled when I realized how silly I sounded.
“You got a nigga out here sounding corny as fuck. Please say yes and save me from further embarrassment.” I quickly palmed my forehead, wishing I could disappear.
She lit up beside me, and I slowly watched the tension leave her limbs. She blessed me with her beautiful smile. “It’s not corny. It’s sweet.” She picked her patty back up and nodded. “Yes, I will go on a date with you.”
I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until she agreed. Only then did I feel my heart racing again. “Okay, let’s exchange numbers so I can text you the details.”