Chapter 3
Angel
“Girl, I swear that Mommy is the hardest person to buy a gift for. She’s got everything.”
“Why don’t you buy her some more of her favorite perfume and a handbag?” Sawyer Wilmington, my best friend, suggested.
“Because she already has two bottles of it, and one isn’t even opened yet. She’s got new handbags in her closet that still have price tags on them. You know how she is.”
“What are you getting Granny Helen?”
“A new wig.”
Sawyer burst out laughing. “Mrs. Helen loves her wigs. She knows she rocks ’em too.”
“And do. She loves a good wig. I’ll give her about two-hundred-dollars, too, because she loves putting money in her pocketbook. Cash, please, and thank you.”
We both laughed.
“I know what you should do for your mama,” Sawyer stated as her eyes brightened, and she immediately stopped in the middle of the mall.
People had to swerve around us to avoid running into us.
The mall was packed since Christmas was right around the corner.
We had come out to shop for Christmas gifts for our families and friends and for Belle.
“What?”
“Send her on that cruise to Cozumel that was on the commercial the other day. She’s always talking about going someday.”
“But I don’t want her to go alone. It’s too risky.”
“Go with her.” We started walking again.
“When? I’m not leaving Belle with my granny for any extended time.”
“Leave her with me.”
“Sounds good, but you gotta work.”
“Girl, bump them folks.”
“That would be a great gift if I had someone to send with her.”
“I know.” She snapped her fingers and stopped again. “I’ll send my mama. That’s what I can gift her this year too.”
“You know what, bestie? I like the way you think,” I replied, pointing at her and nodding with a big, cheesy grin. Our mothers were best friends, so that would work out well.
“Now I gotta figure out what you need,” she stated as I looped my arm through hers and pulled her along.
“Some double A batteries.”
“For what?”
“My vibrator, because that’s the only action I’m getting these days,” I joked.
She laughed again and then stopped. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“Look who’s coming our way. Mr. Hot Lips Kisses himself.”
I looked to where she was pointing and swiped her arm down. I groaned because I wished that I hadn’t told her about the kiss I’d shared with Christian. “Quit before he sees you pointing and thinks we were talking about him.”
“We were,” she stated with a smile.
“No. You were.”
My thighs clenched when I recalled how he kissed me in his station house underneath the mistletoe.
That was the hottest kiss that I had ever had, including with Jeremiah during sex.
I hadn’t meant to open my mouth the way that I did, but when his lips touched mine, I couldn’t help it.
It had been such a long time since I had been with a man or had one kiss me.
Then I hadn’t meant to moan the way that I had either, but it had come out so naturally when heat shot through my body and straight to my core. That man made me feel things in that one kiss that I hadn’t felt in all the times Jeremiah and I had sex.
I had always found Christian attractive, always thought he was fine, and always wondered if he was good in bed.
It didn’t matter that I had no business thinking about him that way because those thoughts automatically popped into my brain whenever I saw him.
But the reality of kissing him had been mind-boggling.
“I’m just saying. If you need a slow screw up against the wall, why not the sexy paramedic worker who saved your baby’s life, and was the cool best friend of your ex, and who your ex always tried to emulate?”
“That was a mouthful, girl.”
“And yet, we both know it was the truth. Shit, as big as he is, he might be a mouthful himself, if you catch my drift.”
“Sawyer!” I exclaimed as my cheeks warmed.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t wondered the same thing before. Ooohh, look! He’s coming over here.” She squealed and waved at Christian.
I wanted to disappear or run, but it was too late for that. Because he made it to us within seconds with those long legs of his. Christian was six-four of fineness.
“Hey, ladies. You’re getting your Christmas shopping in?”
“Yeah, buying things for our family and friends,” Sawyer supplied eagerly.
Scowling, I replied, “Funny running into you again.”
“I told you that I relocated to this side of town.”
“Yeah, but we haven’t run into each other before. Now, after Belle’s incident, I’m seeing you all over the place,” I remarked, crossing my arms and twisting my lips in suspicion.
“To be fair, you showed up at my job. This is the first time I’ve actually run into you.”
“Mm-hmm. Awfully convenient.”
He chuckled. “Well, yeah, you’ll probably see more of me on this side of town.”
“Mm. Isn’t that sweet?” Sawyer quipped, reminding me that she was there.
I elbowed her. “Do you like it over here?” Sawyer asked.
“Yeah, I’m loving it. The longer I stay, the more it feels like this was the perfect decision for me.”
“Mm. Did you hear that, Angel? The perfect decision.”
I turned and glared at my best friend. “Are you good, girl?” I asked her.
“Uhm, yeah. I’m just about to run into this store and check something out for my daddy real quick,” she stated, pointing at a sporting goods store.
“Yeah, you do that.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head before I turned back to Christian.
“Are you pissed at me about what happened between you and Jay?”
“No. Why would I be mad at you?”
“You know how girls get sometimes. Y’all be mad at everyone associated with the nigga who did you wrong: his mama, daddy, brother, sister, grandma, elementary principal, and even the damn dog.”
I snickered. I couldn’t help myself because Christian had always been silly. “I’m sorry. I have been coming with a bit of an attitude. Let me take it down a notch.” I pinched my index finger and thumb together.
“Think I can get a few of them notches?” he asked, taking it from a pinch to spreading his arms wide.
“Mm, yeah. Maybe you can.”
“Good,” he replied, wrapping those arms around me in a big hug.
It caught me so off guard that all I did was stand and stare at his chest. But when I inhaled, the scent of his cologne made me relax into his embrace.
Just as quickly as he snatched me up, Christian released me.
Laughing, he replied, “I’m teasing you, girl.
But I honestly missed you. We used to kick it all the time.
You were my little homie.” The warmth in his eyes and tone touched my heart.
“I know, Chris. It was so depressing back then, and you all were reminders of him that I couldn’t deal with.”
“I wasn’t just his friend, Angel. I was yours too. He was dead ass wrong for that shit he pulled, and I told him every chance I got. He didn’t understand why I rode so hard for you. I had to remind him of the same thing that I’m telling you today. I was your friend too. Still would like to be.”
I smiled as my heart warmed and thawed out some more. “I would like that, too, Chris.”
“Cool.”
“So, how have you been doing?”
“Working. Tired. Getting ready for the holidays. How about you?”
“I’m trying to get ready for the annual Diva Jeremiah was pissed that I responded to it.
Not once did he tell his friend not to behave that way toward me. He only cared if I responded to it.
“Well—”
“Uhm, . . .”
“Just say what’s on your mind, Angel. Promise that I don’t bite.”
The look in his eyes said otherwise, and it made me blush. I had never blushed so much in my life.
“I haven’t gone in the last couple of years because I had no one to go with.
Unfortunately, that has had an impact on my followers, and they have gone down.
I didn’t want to go alone, because I’ve never gone alone in the past, and it’s seldom that anyone shows up by themselves.
And while I should be comfortable with going on my own, I’m just not.
It’s one thing when you exert confidence on your channel, but the reality is, I’m extremely introverted, and sometimes it’s hard for me to do things by myself. I mean, I guess I should and—”
“I would love to attend the ball with you this year, Angel,” Christian stated, stopping me from rambling.
“Oh.”
I blinked rapidly at him, and he lifted an eyebrow. “That was what you were going to ask, wasn’t it?”
“Uhm, yeah.”
“Just thought I’d make it easier for you.”
I giggled nervously. “I hate that I ramble on when I’m nervous.”
“It’s me. No need to be nervous. I gotcha, baby girl.”
“Thank you.”
“And about that kiss. Again, my bad.”
“No apologies necessary,” I replied as I fought off another blush at the memory of his lips on mine.
“Text me your number. Send me all the details when you get settled.”
I accepted his phone from him and sent myself a text from his phone so that we would have one another’s numbers. “I will.”
He left, and Sawyer popped up again. “Was that what I think it was? Did you just exchange numbers?”
“It’s just a date to the annual ball,” I replied.
“Dates always lead to something else. Maybe you won’t need those batteries after all,” Sawyer stated with a wink.