4. Everly
( The Present )
“Enjoy your meal, madam,” the valet said to me, his smile flirtatious.
I smiled back, a practiced curve of my perfectly painted lips, as I flipped a lock of my 30-inch, jet-black buss down over my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
I switched away from him on the stiletto heels of my Mary Jane Manolos, knowing that his hungry eyes followed me all the way to the doors of Rarity, a popular bar and restaurant where I was meeting a couple of friends for an hour before their husbands joined them. I checked my phone to ensure I’d gotten the text from the valet service and noticed that Kelsey had shot me a message letting me know she and Taleah were at the bar. Taleah and I were both nurses and had met on a job. We clicked, and she introduced me to her cousin and best friend, Kelsey. I ended up loving them both, trusting them enough to let my guard—and hair—down in this city that was still new to me in some ways. Opening my favorite Mini Celine bag, I dropped my phone inside and readied to reach for the door. Before I could, a masculine hand beat me to it, and I looked over my shoulder into a handsome, tawny brown face.
“Let me get that for you, gorgeous,” the man said, two others hovering behind him.
“Of course,” I agreed, looking up at him before letting my silk-lashed lids slowly sweep over my eyes.
It wasn’t quite batting my eyelashes, but I was subtly flirting just because I felt like it. His gaze traveled over me, and I could see the admiration for my thick curves covered by the seafoam green, silk wrap dress, a Mahogany Fashion original. At twenty-five years old, I had grown up and into a curvy size eighteen. I embraced my body, even when others didn’t. And this evening, I knew I looked particularly lovely. He opened the door, and I strolled into Rarity's bright, welcoming atmosphere. A square bar sat in the center, and I instantly spotted Kelsey and Taleah. Kelsey’s exuberant ass waved me over.
“Have fun,” Mr. Door Opener said.
I hadn’t even realized he was still behind me. Turning slightly, I smiled. He really was nice-looking. Tall and slim with a tailored suit and tasteful jewelry, he’d make a good partner for someone.
Just not me.
“Same to you,” I finally spoke.
“My name is Naaman. I’d love to get yours. Maybe take you out soon?”
His voice was hopeful. My smile softened. I hated to shoot him down, but… “I’m sorry. I don’t date.”
It wasn’t a lie. I tried once again after Tate Thibadeau's trifling ass. The summer after he humiliated me, the nursing program went on hiatus. I was able to transfer schools without my parents knowing the main reason. I waited two-and-a-half years to date again. In my senior year, I finally gave in to this fuck boy's requests to go out a few times. Of course, that's when his bullshit started. He was what I called an "if only" asshole. Apparently, everything about me and the world, in general, would be better "if only" I lost some weight. I wasted no time or pussy cutting ties with him and focusing on finishing my BSN. Men, I decided, were not for my thick ass.
The crazy thing was they wouldn't leave me alone. I still got the slick comments, the inboxes, the ones who were curious, and the ones who were fetishists. So, a brilliant plan came together. I had a million goals, all sorts of things I wanted to establish and build to offer better access to healthcare in black communities. And some of the men who wanted me secretly had the kind of money to help me. I knew lots of men who loved thicker women out loud and unapologetically. I could admit that my disillusionment with certain men may have made me miss out on some great ones. But why not hit these sneaky ass fools where it mattered while financing my life and my dreams? If they wanted to live their big girl fantasy, as if all I was, was some exotic animal, they could damn well pay. Letting them handle my expenses meant my money could be saved toward my goals. I was exclusive and cutthroat. I'd embody the fantasy for however long I decided. Sponsor number one had gotten on my nerves in under a year. Number two didn't even make it eight months before shit got... strange. He was part of the reason I was currently using a fake name out here, with his semi-stalking, crying ass. I emerged from both situations with my bank accounts richer and my opinion of men poorer. Number three... number three was trouble. Just over a year in, and I was almost freaked out that I didn't want to cut him off yet. I was sure that would change soon, though.
“It doesn’t have to be a date. A drink… a meal…”
“Shiii, you gon’ be outta some money on that meal,” one of his friends mumbled.
They laughed as Naaman’s face collapsed into a frown. He opened his mouth to say something, but I had years of experience handling clowns like this. One hand went to my cinched waist, and I chuckled as I eyed the friend up and down. My lip curled in distaste.
“Let me find out you scared of what you know yo’ little ass can’t handle,” I cooed.
His face fell fast as fuck. Of course, he fell back on, “Big bitch.”
“Is that supposed to be an insult? If so, please do like I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of women say: try harder .”
I smirked as he sputtered. Naaman smiled his approval.
“Let me change your mind about dating,” he coaxed.
I laughed softly. “That’s impossible, suga. Now, you have a good evening. Try, anyway, with the company you keep.”
I walked away from him and toward my girls.
“Hey, ladies,” I greeted, accepting hugs from both of them.
"Damn, friend, you know that man?" Kelsey asked once we were all comfortable at one of the bar area tables.
"I know, huh? He ain't stopped checking you out since y'all were by the door," Taleah added. “Can’t blame him. You look flawless. That dress?—”
“It’s from Mahogany ’s Curvy line. She’s amazing,” I divulged.
“Oh, I love her, too!” Taleah gushed.
Our server appeared then and took our drink order. Two was my limit since I was driving, even though it was happy hour. I requested one of their signature fruity martinis before turning back to my girls with a shrug.
"Anyway, I'on know that man. He's cute, but his friends are childish. Asked me about a date," I explained as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"And you said no," Taleah sighed. "Ev, why you always?—"
I waved a hand, cutting her off.For a minute, I felt bad. She looked so sincere, was a true friend to me, but I still hadn’t told her my real name.
"I told y'all what was up with me."
"Mm," Kelsey said, glancing in Naaman's direction again. "Nah, he looks like he has potential, but he ain’t quite there yet. I don't think he deserves your time," she observed.
"Exactly," I agreed, smoothing the silk of my dress over my thighs.
Taleah rolled her eyes as she scoffed.
"She ain't gotta be in a... situation with him. It's just for fun. And who knows? You might find someone who?—”
I shook my head. "Stop right there. It's sweet, Taleah, how you're always hoping for true love?—”
"Just cuz her love-drunk ass found it," Kelsey interjected.
"Now, bitch, I know you ain't talking, the way Chill still got you wide open," Taleah argued with her cousin.
Kelsey lifted her shoulders nonchalantly. "And do. Every night and all day Saturday when the grandparents get the kids."
I laughed as Taleah's lip curled. "You know what I meant, nasty."
"Anyway," I said, getting us back on track. "I'm truly happy for both of you. You have the best husbands and sweet babies. But that's not for me. I have boundaries, rules that keep shit neat. A man fantasizes what he's getting from me, and I know what I'm getting from him. Purely transactional, although some parts are enjoyable," I said, smiling smugly.
Taleah looked like my words made her sad. She had such a soft heart. When she finished her nurse practitioner training, she would be the best pediatric care provider in the city just because of how she cared. Our server appeared then, setting our drinks down and temporarily stopping our conversation. I took a sip of my drink and sighed before speaking again.
"Stop with the long face. This works for me," I told her.
“What works? Those crazy rules you got?” she scoffed.
Kelsey did a little shimmy. “It looks like they work for her. Let me hear ‘em again, Ev.”
Laughing, I settled back in my seat to share the secret to my success.
“First, no dates. Dates get the mind going toward romance. That’s not for me. Second, they don’t get to sleep over. Too intimate. Too revealing. I’m offering a fantasy. I don’t need anyone to see what I look like at 5 A.M. Third, our business is just that: our business—no loose lips. I don’t need public recognition, either. Fourth, no strings attached. If it’s not working for either of us, the end. Either one of us can walk away at any time. Fifth, no deep feelings. We should like each other and be attracted, but that’s it," I said confidently.
There was no need for me to reveal how my latest situation had my usually rigid rules bending and about to fold. Kelsey held out her glass toward me, and I clinked mine against it.
“No dating?” Taleah persisted.
I shook my head, “Nope.”
“Not even one?”
Another head shake.
“Then how do you even decide to hook up with them?”
Taking another sip of my drink, I relaxed against the chair. “If someone catches my interest, we talk for a while. First, text, then phone and FaceTime. I weed out some guys that way. If the both of us have a mutual interest in taking it further, then we have a meeting where I basically interview them in depth. I look for tells that they’re lying. I notice how they groom and care for themselves. I notice how they try to handle me. And I go from there.” I smiled at her. “See? Neat and orderly.”
She sighed.
"Ev, at some point, that's not gon' be enough. You should have more. And I don't mean more money and things. I mean, yeah, the outside of you is always perfectly put together. Hell, you look like you ready to walk a runway or something right now, and you definitely gon' be the cause of some fights tonight because of how these fools peeking over here, even with their girls at their tables. But you deserve more . You're not just some pretty face on an expensive package," Taleah insisted.
"Leah, sip on that drank and leave that girl alone. You ever think she's happy the way things are?" Kelsey chimed in before sipping on her Malibu and pineapple.
I squeezed the hand Taleah had on the table near me.
"Stop worrying about me, mama. Kels is right. I'm happy," I told her.
I was happy, right? The self-questioning surprised me. I'd never wondered that in the last few years. Taleah was just getting to me, I figured, brushing it off. The momentary heaviness lifted as we enjoyed our drinks and conversations about everything. Taleah and I had birthdays coming up, a day apart. Her husband, Liam, was planning a party for her, and I was definitely going to help celebrate. We laughed our way through my two-drink maximum, a limit that gave me even more reason to turn down the men who came to our table offering to buy drinks. When my friends’ husbands arrived, I reached for my bag.
I didn't even think anything about the guy with them until I saw Kelsey's smirk and the gleam in Taleah's eyes. These bitches . I sighed and set my bag down as I looked up into the gorgeous, cinnamon-hued face of the man Chill introduced as his brother, Marlon.
"So, they roped you into this?" I asked him bluntly after everyone was seated.
Kelsey laughed as Taleah let out an outraged gasp.
"Yep, but pretty as you are, it's not a hardship. I can see you ain't for it, though. If you ain't got nothing else to do, we both here, and I don't mind treating yo' fine ass," Marlon offered. “Don’t make me play fifth wheel, shorty.”
I fought back a smile. His directness matched mine, and I appreciated it.
"I guess I could grace you with my presence," I said.
He smiled, revealing perfect, white teeth. "You already have."
We ordered a mix of appetizers, and Marlon convinced me to let him buy me one more drink—I wasn't a lightweight and would take a rideshare if necessary. The conversation around the table was easy, and Marlon didn’t press me. I sat back and enjoyed myself. At some point, I turned to tell Kelsey something and became aware of a man approaching our table. My speech dried up. Tall, broad-shouldered, and tightly muscled, his brown eyes were on me. To describe him as handsome was an understatement, and I could tell he knew it. His mama must've kept that perfect chocolate skin greased in Vaseline and cocoa butter when he was younger. Full lips tempted me to stand right then and kiss him and I rarely kissed. The lines and angles of his face had to be a study in perfect symmetry, and the full, soft-looking beard only highlighted that. My eyelids dropped, and it wasn't the slow drag I did to flirt. It was the "Lawd, let me stop looking now before I show too much," blink.
"My nigga," Liam greeted him, a smile in his voice. "To what do we owe the pleasure of seeing the owner?"
"On my way out and saw y'all. Had to make sure everything was on point. Ay, Chill, them Lakers still trash, I see."
His deep voice, laced with humor, made something inside me yearn... no, crave to hear more of it.
"Bet Bron could still single-handedly beat them Bucks, though," Chill challenged.
"Bruh, you crazy," Marlon goaded.
"Wait, we being rude. Real Hamilton, this is my wife Taleah, Chill's wife Kelsey, and their girl?—"
"Ev," I said hurriedly. "Just Ev is fine."
"It's nice to see such beautiful ladies in my establishment. I hope everything is good?"
We offered compliments and assurances, and I felt Real's eyes on me again. This time, I wouldn't give in first. I met his gaze squarely and watched as a small smile played around his sexy lips.
"You look so familiar," he said.
"Do I?" I asked coolly.
A harder, more challenging look entered his eyes. A moment ago, he seemed laid-back, every inch the successful young businessman. Now, there was something about him that screamed predator.
And something inside me that wanted to be prey.
"You do. Maybe I'm mistaken, though," he continued.
I sipped from my glass before responding, very aware of how quiet our table had gotten, the friction between me and Real could be felt by everyone. Gaze tangled with his, I finally spoke.
"And why do you say that, Mr. Hamilton? Faulty memory?"
I pulled a strawberry off the side of my glass and bit it, feeling a trickle of the juice cling to my bottom lip. His eyes blazed as I licked it up, before slowly chewing.
"Nah, love. Nothing about me is faulty. I just know, if we knew each other, there's no way you'd be able to forget me or any of our... interactions."
His eyes and his voice were both hypnotizing in that moment, and I was absolutely still. It was Kelsey who saved me.
"Whew! Damn, Kyriq, let's go home and work off this tension for them," she popped, using her husband's real name.
"Kelsey, shut the hell up," Chill said as the table dissolved in laughter, everyone's attention momentarily diverted except for Real’s and mine.
His gaze shifted to where Marlon’s hand rested on my chair, then back to mine. Finally, an even taller guy with scars on one side of his face tapped Real's shoulder.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," Real said before turning back to us. "I took care of your table. Ladies, it was nice to meet you. See you all again soon."
He was talking to everyone.
But his eyes were on me.