Chapter 12 #2
Hearing the word roll off his tongue gave me butterflies. It was coated with love and lust and reverence. It flushed my skin and increased my heart rate. I didn’t think anything had changed, but him saying the word thrilled me and scared me at the exact same time.
Grinning, I shouldered my bag and then allowed Russ to take me in his arms. He brought his forehead down to mine and gazed into my eyes.
“This was exactly what I needed,” he whispered against my lips. “Thank you for this weekend.”
“For escaping with you?”
“ You are the escape. We could’ve been anywhere, and it would’ve been exactly what I needed.”
“So, if I’m understanding you correctly, it sounds like you’re saying I’m what you needed,” I teased.
With seriousness and sincerity, he caressed my cheek. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Our lips met hungrily as I tasted the sweet perfection of his words. Lifting up on my toes, I gripped the back of his neck tighter.
“Excuse me, folks,” the security guard interrupted. “You can’t park here.”
Exhaling loudly, Russ pulled out of my arms. “Aight, man,” he replied irritably. Grabbing my face, he stared at me. “I have something I want to show you on Thursday. Can I see you?”
“Yes,” I answered automatically. “I mean, I have to get my schedule figured out, but at some point Thursday, yes.”
“Good. I’ll send you my flight information and you just let me know your schedule. I’ll plan something based on what you have available.”
“Okay, sounds good.”
With a quick kiss, we said our goodbyes and then I lightly jogged to my door.
Pushing my feelings to the back burner, I needed to switch gears. I had a little over an hour to get to my RLF meeting.
Once I decided what I was going to wear, I did my makeup and called my girls.
“—and after the massage, we checked into a suite at a nearby hotel, ordered room service, and then fucked until we were exhausted.” I sighed happily during the morning three-way call with my best friends. “This weekend was everything I needed,” I concluded.
“I love this!” Aaliyah squealed. “He’s giving you fun, conversation, laughs, romance, and bomb sex, what else could you ask for?”
“Is he a drug dealer?” Jazmyn asked.
Ignoring Aaliyah’s question, I burst out laughing. “No, Jazz!”
“He doesn’t want to talk about work, but he takes you on these expensive dates, so you know he has money. I’m just saying… I just rewatched Power . I know the signs of a kingpin.”
“He’s a legitimate businessman,” I said.
“Have you seen a business card?” Aaliyah wondered.
I shook my head even though they couldn’t see me. “No, but—”
“Because drug dealers don’t have business cards,” Jazmyn interrupted. “I rest my case.”
My laugh turned into a cough. “Liyah, back me up!”
“I mean…” Aaliyah dragged the statement out. “Drug dealers don’t have business cards.”
“I can’t stand either of you!”
We cackled loudly.
Amused, I pulled on the wide-legged magenta pants. I wanted to catch them up on the weekend’s events before I headed into my first official day with RLF. But I should’ve known they weren’t going to be serious.
“All jokes aside, I really like this for you,” Aaliyah said wistfully. “You sound so happy.”
“I am,” I told them, checking out the way the pants hugged my butt. I tucked in the sleeveless silk top and smiled at how professional I looked. “He makes…” My stomach fluttered. “I am very happy.”
“Are you finally ready to admit that there’s something real between you two?” Aaliyah questioned.
“Fine!” I exclaimed in exasperation. “It’s real.”
The two of them squealed and the mixture of disbelief and delight ricocheted. There were a million questions flying at me at once.
My heart pounded with the same panic that hit me earlier. I’d never felt compelled to be with a man before Russ, and it was as frightening as it was exhilarating. I was more nervous about my feelings and my unexpected title than I was starting my first day with RLF.
“I go in and pull pieces today. I find out the photography and the appearance schedule today.” I let out an excited noise. “Happy is an understatement.”
“This opportunity is amazing,” Jazz pointed out. “Your career is just going to keep growing and elevating. This is just the beginning.”
“You said you wanted to take things to the next level, and now, a few months later, here you are,” Aaliyah marveled. “So proud of you.”
I felt my heart swell with their words. “Thank you both so much.” I slipped into my cream-colored sandals. A wave of excitement fluttered my belly as I took in my final look. “I’m so ready for this.”
“Are you nervous?” Jazmyn questioned.
“No, not really nervous. I know I have what it takes. It’s more first-day jitters than anything.”
“Once you walk into that building, you’ll be fine,” Aaliyah assured me. “And after your satisfying weekend, you’re going to carry that energy into the day.”
“That’s true,” I agreed. “I do feel like I’m on a high right now.”
“So, you have the job of your dreams, the man of your dreams, and—”
“And he’s so perfect, we will overlook his kingpin status,” Jazz interjected.
Laughing, I decided not to tell them that Russ and I had made it official.
They were going to be excited. Hell, I was excited.
But I was also nervous and overwhelmed. The idea of dating just one man—even one as perfect as Russ—felt risky.
It felt like I was putting all my eggs in one basket.
And since it was the first time I liked a man enough to want to be in a relationship with just him, they would make a big deal of it.
And admittedly, it was a big deal. But once I said it out loud, it would be real.
A smile pulled at my lips as nervous energy swirled in my belly.
I’ll call and tell them as soon as I leave the office.
“Are you denying that you like The Fun One?” Aaliyah’s voice elevated two octaves, bringing me out of my thoughts.
With my phone lodged between my shoulder and my ear, I reached for my bag and then made my way out of my apartment.
“Of course I like him!” I answered. “I wouldn’t spend time with any man I don’t like.”
“But I can tell there’s something different there,” Jazmyn chimed in.
“It’s…” I couldn’t even find the words to argue with her, because it was different with him. “We enjoy each other. We have a lot of fun together.”
“You went to a ball as a paid model for RLF and you sounded more excited about your spa date and fuck session,” Aaliyah pointed out. “Every time you talk about him you sound so… happy.”
I rolled my eyes as I climbed into my car. “I had a good weekend. Your overly romantic ass is reading too much into it.”
“I can understand why you’d think Aaliyah is romanticizing the situation. She’s looking for a boyfriend,” Jazz countered. “But I’m divorced and actively not looking for a man, and I also think there’s something between you and The Fun One.”
“You say you don’t play favorites, but he’s clearly the front-runner,” Aaliyah said with a singsong tone.
I couldn’t deny that. He was my favorite. He’d been my favorite from the beginning. And hearing my friends say what I’d finally come to realize was low-key hilarious.
“I enjoy my time with Russ,” I simply stated as I pulled out of my parking spot.
They are going to lose their shit when I tell them we’re together!
“Oh, he’s Russ now and not The Fun One,” Aaliyah teased.
I pulled into traffic, trying not to laugh. “I know what you’re getting at.”
“I have a question,” Jazz announced. “What are the cons with Russ? Besides the illegal employment thing.”
“He’s not a drug dealer!” When our laughter died down, I continued. “And honestly, so far, so good. There are no cons with this man.”
“Is it fair to say that he is the whole package?” Aaliyah wondered. “Everything you want and need in a man?”
“He is the whole package,” I admitted slowly.
The way they started hooting and hollering was ridiculous.
“He’s the one,” Aaliyah declared.
“I hate to agree with Liyah on this, but yeah…”
Grinning, I rolled my eyes. “How about we focus on the fact that Aaliyah is turning thirty and the three of us will be reunited in a couple weeks.”
“It’ll be good to see you guys,” Jazz said with a sigh. “It’s been a long summer.”
We talked for the next twenty minutes. Aaliyah had to abruptly get off the phone because she was being summoned at work.
“Where are you now?” Jazmyn wondered. “It’s almost time for your meeting.”
“I’m in the parking deck across the street.” I checked the time. “I’m meeting with Sasha in HR at noon. I have ten minutes before I need to head over.”
“Okay, good.” She was quiet for a moment. “So… I have a question.”
I flipped the sun visor up with a snap and braced myself.
Jazz being back in her hometown was already a lot for her.
But given that her aunt had taken a turn for the worst and didn’t have long to live, I knew she was going through it.
She was dealing with it privately and wasn’t ready to share much about how things were going.
So even though I was glad she was finally ready to talk, the fact that she sounded so serious worried me.
“What’s going on?” I asked carefully.
“You broke things off with The Romantic One because you felt him catching feelings and you didn’t want to hurt him?”
“Oh!” A silent sigh of relief escaped me. I wasn’t sure what she wanted to talk about, but I was bracing myself for the worst. “Yeah, that’s right.”
“How did you know it was time?”
“I could feel it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I could tell things were changing between us. When he looked at me, it didn’t feel like we were on the same page.
Even before he said it to me, I could tell.
He’s sweet and fine and honestly, a great guy, so I was hoping he’d chill out.
But when we were at the RLF event, he asked me to be his girlfriend, so I had to end it. ”
“You didn’t sleep with him though. How do you end it with someone you slept with?”