Chapter 9
PERSIA
I walked into the lounge and spotted Tesha seated at the bar.
She had reached out to me the day before and asked if I would join her.
Qua, the owner of the lounge had taken a liking to her and had invited her back in.
He told her that anything she wanted was on the house.
After being with someone for three years, she was nervous about the possibility of dating again, and she wanted me to join her.
I didn’t have plans, so I agreed to meet up with her.
My sister had been leaving her full-time job the past few days and going straight to her part-time job.
By the time she got in most nights, I was on my way to bed.
Earlier that day, I had gone to look at some houses.
I was getting my own place courtesy of the money I took from David’s closet.
“Hey, boo,” I eased onto the stool beside her.
“Heyyy,” she sang. “Thank you so much for coming. I hope you don’t think I’m weird. You’re my realtor, and I keep inviting you out for drinks.”
I waved her comment off. “You’re not weird. We’re both newly single, grown women that handle business. If you weren’t inviting me out, I’d be sitting at home scrolling social media. Lame,” I rolled my eyes, and she chuckled.
“I didn’t know you were newly single. I’m sorry to hear that.”
I shrugged as the bartender came over to take my drink order. “It is what it is. I haven’t filed for divorce yet, but in my eyes, I’m single.”
“Ohhh you were married. Dang, I’m really sorry to hear that.”
I ordered my drink and decided to change the subject. “Do you think you’re really ready to talk to someone new?”
“Hell no,” she giggled. “But it’s nice to be noticed. “I mean, I don’t know. I still love Ryder for sure. I’ll probably love him for a long time, but he doesn’t deserve me. I’m not one of those women that can’t be happy without a man, but why not have fun? No strings attached. I’m single not dead.”
“I heard that. I think I’ll just chill. The thought of dating stresses me out.”
A figure approached us. When I looked up, it was Qua.
He was tall as hell. The man had to be teetering on seven feet.
Qua was the true definition of a tall drink of water.
And the man was big. Like he lifted weights morning, noon, and night.
I was willing to bet money he could toss a chick all kinds of ways.
Damn, if Tesha decided to ride that ride, I knew she would have fun.
He wrapped one of his massive arms around her and almost swallowed her whole.
His appearance was intimidating, but he was being a big teddy bear with her, and I loved it.
A masculine scent engulfed me. At first, I thought it was Qua, but I looked to the right of me and saw Kastian.
The way the Universe kept testing me with that man’s presence was starting to piss me off.
He was too fine for me to keep running into him.
Diamond Cove was starting to feel too damn small.
Kastian was staring straight ahead, and his jaw muscles were flexing.
I looked away because he seemed pissed, and I wasn’t about to speak to him, nor did I want to get caught staring at him.
Maybe he hadn’t noticed me. Or maybe he had.
It really didn’t matter. As the bartender placed my drink in front of me, it dawned on me that Tesha had introduced Kastian to me as her ex’s friend. Ryder!
The pool party and how Kiana referred to him as her boo crossed my mind. That dirty cheating ass dog. I was glad Tesha left him! Maybe he didn’t like the fact that Qua was hugging all up on her, but that was too bad. His boy didn’t deserve Tesha.
“Let me get a double shot of Henny, and put her drinks on my tab,” he jerked his head in my direction. So, he had noticed me.
“Her drinks are already taken care of. Qua said it’s on the house.”
“He doesn’t have to give her shit. Put it on my tab.” The command came out in a deep timbre that made my nipples harden against the thin fabric of my shirt.
I had never in my life been more turned on by words. This man didn’t want Qua giving me drinks on the house. Meanwhile, the man I was married to was willing to lend me to Kastian for twelve hours.
I turned my face in his direction. “Thank you.”
Kastian’s arms were on the bar, and he was standing. He looked over at me and stared for a few seconds before speaking. “You’re welcome.”
Qua walked off, and Tesha noticed Kastian. “You just gon’ stand over there and not speak?”
With a frown, he glared at Tesha as if she was annoying him. “You were busy.”
“I know you don’t feel no kind of way, Kastian. Really? Your boy cheated on me for years, and I’m single now.”
“I don’t feel anything. I just don’t want to know about the shit. I’m cool with both them niggas and if it hits the fan, I don’t want anything to do with it.”
“It better not hit the fan because I gave your boy plenty of chances to get it right. He had more than enough time to change. The fact that he didn’t tells me that either he didn’t think I would stand on business, or he didn’t care if I left. Either way, he better not come my way with the drama.”
Kastian didn’t respond to what she said. The bartender passed him his drink, and he straightened his body. “You ladies have a nice night.”
A chill ran down the length of my spine as he walked past. “He works my nerves sometimes,” she sighed. “I know he’s not gonna snitch though. And I think he likes you,” she nudged my arm.
Shaking my head, I sipped my drink. “I haven’t even had a chance to go file for a divorce. I for sure don’t need to be dating. What’s his deal though?” I slid in there making her smile.
“Kastian is cool. Very straightforward. He’s not that man that will lie to you and play games. He’s going to tell you the truth even if you don’t want to hear it.”
“So, he’s single.”
“Been single. Kastian has never had a girlfriend.”
“He’s a hoe like that?” I joked, and Tesha giggled.
“No. I mean, maybe, but that’s not the reason he’s never had a girlfriend.
He’s never been in love. He doesn’t think the one is out there for him.
He hasn’t come across the one that can make him want to settle down and be with only her, and I respect it.
It’s better than being with a woman and cheating with every hoe that has a hole,” she finished dryly.
Her comments about Kastian made me think about love.
I thought I was in love my junior year in high school.
I dated Ferrin for two years and when we broke up, I thought I was going to die.
It hurt so bad. I couldn’t eat. All I wanted to do was sleep.
Then I met Caleb, and I liked him a lot until I found out he was dealing with another girl.
Then, came David. He wanted to marry me, and I felt that was the best I was going to get.
So in hindsight, I didn’t think I’d ever been in love for real.
Like that grown up feel like you can’t breathe without the other person kind of love.
Qua came back and stole Tesha’s attention. Simultaneously, I sipped my drink and scrolled through my phone. Once I finished my drink, I had to use the restroom. On the way back to the bar, Kastian stepped in front of me. My steps halted, and my brows hiked.
“Excuse you,” I stated in a nonconfrontational tone.
“I still want my twelve hours.” His tone was low. Voice deep and sexy.
I tried to keep my voice even, but my heart was racing. “What is your obsession with me and twelve hours?”
“Should I make it twenty-four?”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “You can’t even get twelve, so why do you think you would get twenty-four?”
“What are you afraid of? Tesha can vouch for me. I’m not a creep. And you’re single now. Unless you went back to that nigga.”
Something flashed in Kastian’s eyes. It couldn’t have been anger. David was my husband, and Kastian didn’t even know me. “Single doesn’t mean that I should jump at the chance to be alone with you. I don’t know you.”
“Afraid you might fall for me?”
Running my tongue across my teeth, my eyes scanned the length of his frame. “Cocky are we?”
“Not at all.”
“And where would we spend these twelve hours because I’m not going to your home.”
“We can start on my yacht.”
My eyes ballooned out of my head. “Oh hell no. You won’t get me out in the middle of the ocean, kill me, and toss my body overboard.”
Kastian laughed. “What reason would I have to kill you?”
“What reason did Jeffrey Dahmer have to kill people?”
“Yo, you’re crazy,” his laugh lowered to a chuckle. “I don’t want to hurt you. That would never be apart of the plan.”
The seriousness in that last statement made my heart skip a beat. Being on a yacht in the middle of the ocean with Kastian wasn’t smart. It would probably be one of the most irresponsible things I could do, but I wanted it. I wanted it more than I’d ever wanted anything.
“I’m going to give you twelve hours. After that, you can check that off your list and stop hounding me about it.”
“Or they might be the best twelve hours of your life, and you’ll want to spend another twelve.”
“Don’t push it.” Reaching in my purse, I pulled out a business card and handed it to Kastian so he’d have my number. Without another word, I pivoted and walked away.
The next day, I was so nervous it was insane.
Thank God, I didn’t have anything planned, and I could give Kastian from noon to midnight.
I told my sister where I was going and who I would be with in case anything happened.
Of course, she made me regret telling her.
She ran around the living room squealing like an idiot.
Tina acted like I told her I was marrying Kastian.