9. Mali
“Thank you for joining me, bestie.”
“You know I love a good house tour. Plus, this place is only fifteen minutes from my apartment. I’ll be at your house every night for dinner,” she replied with a wink.
Today was the day I finally got out and toured houses.
I had been in contact with a realtor for a few weeks, and our schedules finally aligned to tour some options she’d sent me.
I didn’t want to go out and do it alone, so I picked Joylei up on my way to the first house.
I wanted something cozy and comfortable to move to and start a new chapter in my life.
Size didn’t matter because it was just me.
“You say that, but we both know how you get when you clock out of that job.”
“Dead to the world, do you hear me?” she hooted.
As we sat and waited for the realtor to arrive, I pulled out my phone to check my notifications. There was only one message I cared about. I tapped the thread and fought the smile pulling at my lips.
FLAME:
Good morning, beautiful. I hope today goes well for you. You got your checklist?
ME:
Good morning, Flame. Me and Joylei just pulled up to the first house. I printed my checklist to really show these folks I mean business.
FLAME:
That’s what I like to hear. I’m in the field today, but I got my phone on me. You can call me any time and I’ll answer.
ME:
Aww. I’ll try not to bother you while you’re out saving lives. I hope your shift flies by quickly.
FLAME:
Thank you, beautiful. If you have the space in your schedule, I want to take you out tomorrow night.
ME:
I’d like that a lot. The realtor just pulled up. I’ll text you when we get done.
After I reacted to his message with a heart, I put my phone in my purse and grabbed my lip gloss.
“Nah, bitch. Who got you cheesing like that?” Joylei shouted as she turned in her seat to look at me.
I looked away. “What are you talking about?”
“Aht! Spill the tea. You got a new boo and didn’t tell me?”
“We can talk about it after the tours.”
“Ooo! You not slick, but I don’t want this lady waiting on us too long, so I’ll be patient. You better not leave a single detail out, either.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After I applied a thick coat of lip gloss, I looked over my appearance in the mirror one more time before I plopped the plastic tube back into the slot in my purse.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go, pooh.”
We got out of the car and walked up to the front door, where the realtor waited for us.
“Good morning, Miss Flowers. Thank you for joining me today.” Jana greeted me with a perfect smile. She was gorgeous in her three-piece pantsuit and buss down 1B bundles.
“Good morning. It’s a pleasure to meet you. This is my best friend, Joylei, who will join us on the tours.”
They spoke. Jana gave us a rundown of the first home.
We walked through the four-bedroom, two-story home, but I didn’t get the excitement I looked for.
We repeated this for about two hours, pulling up to different houses, touring them, and me disliking them.
We were on the final house of the tour when I let out a frustrated breath.
“Can I talk to you outside, pooh?” Joylei asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. Excuse us for a moment, Jana.”
Jana nodded. “Of course.”
Joylei looped her arm in mine, and we walked out to the backyard.
The backyard was beautiful. The wood fence was uniform and free of holes or discoloration.
Perfectly cut grass, nicely trimmed rose bushes, and a covered patio greeted me.
This was the first time I’d enjoyed the sight of any feature in the homes we toured.
We stood under the covering as she eyed me.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Girl, you are the walking embodiment of distracted. You’ve frowned at every house today despite us loving the rental pictures that looked exactly like the houses in person. What’s going on? What’s on your mind? We were so excited about these tours when we first started.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. What happened during the first tour that has you distracted and uninterested now?”
“If I’m being honest, I zoned on mid-tour at the first spot.”
“So, you’re wasting everyone’s time. Why?” Joylei quizzed.
“I’m comparing everything to what used to be. Homes, men, me . . .”
Joylei reached over and held my eye. “Aww, pooh. Talk to me. What’s the comparison that’s going on?”
“There’s so much change too fast. I’m scared. I’m scared to start over. I’m scared to move on. I’m scared to let another man in. I’m scared to put my heart on the line again.” My lip quivered as my throat burned. The rims of my eyes felt heavy as tears gathered like Sunday service.
“This man must really be special.”
I nodded. “He’s so patient. He told me the flow was up to me, and he’d be okay with just being my friend.
He’s infiltrated my world, memorized my coffee order, and takes me on friend dates .
. . Lei . . . He treats me so well, but for some stupid reason, my mind compares him to Juda every chance I get.
Why does that piece of shit on a stick man have such a hold on me? ”
“You’re giving him more power than he deserves.
Yes, y’all were together damn near a decade, but he was trash well before you broke it off with him.
He stole nine years of your life with broken promises, unchanged behavior, and toxic energy.
He was a leech, and God has sent you a man who is pouring into you like you’ve never felt before. ”
My heart fluttered as I thought about Flame. “You’re right.”
“See, the thought of him already has your cheeks turning red and a goofy infectious grin. Who is this man, girl?”
“The firefighter that saved me. We exchanged numbers after I toured the station. He’s been such a sweetheart since the day we met. He saw me at my worst and has only brought me kindness and care. I just hate I’m still healing from the trauma that is Juda.”
“That’s normal,” Joylei replied.
“Is it? Because this shit sucks. I get so embarrassed doing things with Artez because it shows me just how stupid I was behind Juda’s trash ass.”
“We all got to kiss a couple of frogs before we find our prince.”
“It just sucks, bestie. There’s a man who is patient, kind, and caring, . . . but my heart is still aching from the shit Juda put me through. What am I supposed to do? How do I move on from the heartbreak to give this man a chance to love me? What if he breaks my heart? What if—”
“You’ve got to let the what-ifs go, boo.
That shit will always be a hindrance to growth.
You hold your head up high and take things one step at a time.
If he is your forever, he’ll meet you where you need him to.
If he’s not, he will show his true colors when he’s completed the lesson God put him in your life to learn. ”
“You always know what to say when I get in my head. I hate I wasted Jana’s time.”
“We’ll make the most of this last tour, and we can talk about the others back at my place later.”
I nodded. “I’d like that a lot. Thanks, bestie.”
“Of course, my love.”
Joylei looped our arms together again, and we went back inside. I pushed thoughts of Flame and Juda into the back of my mind.
“We’ve reviewed all five options. Tell me what you’re feeling. Do we need to go to the drawing board? Let these sit with you? Or proceed with applying?” Jana spoke in a welcoming tone as we walked out of the front door of the last house.
“I’m going to sit with these. I’m going to hit you up on Monday with my final decision. I think one of these five homes may be the one, but I need to pray about it,” I explained.
“I love that. I’ll be on the lookout for your message. Thank you, ladies, for your time.”
“Thank you,” I finished. I shook her hand professionally.
We all went back to our vehicles. When I got back in the car, Joylei and I talked the whole ride back to her side of town.
“Flame!” I shouted with gleeful amusement.
“Yeah, we finna get our Roll Bounce on,” he replied with a smirk.
We walked, hand in hand, through the front door of the skating rink. The familiar smell of popcorn, perfume, and strawberry soda filled my senses—catapulting me back to when I was in middle school, too grown for my own good at the same location.
“I haven’t been here in decades,” I explained as he paid for our skates.
“I can’t wait to see you in your skates.” He had his signature sexy smirk. I loved the way his eyebrows lifted slightly when his lips stretched across his face.
“You better not laugh if I fall either,” I warned.
“Of course not. I’ll be there to catch you if you do.”
The butterflies swarmed my stomach like bees in a hive.
I felt my cheeks heat as we walked over to a table to put our skates on.
There weren’t huge crowds at the skating rink tonight.
The DJ played all the current hits and mixed them in with some throwbacks, which I enjoyed.
This time slot was for the grown folks. There weren’t any kids under eighteen in the vicinity, which made the rink easier to navigate.
Slow skaters in the inner circle and the professionals in the outer circle.
“You ready?” he asked as he stood up and stretched.
“I am.”
I took Flame’s outstretched hand as he led me to one of the entrances into the rink. The professionals sped past us as I held on to the rail to keep my footing.
“When was the last time you’ve gone skating?” I asked as Flame removed my hand from the wall and pulled me and my shaky feet to the inner circle.
“Me and my nephews go pretty frequently. They love racing in the kids’ challenges.”
I poked out my bottom lip. “Aww! How cute. So you’re a professional in the skates?”
“I do a little something, something.”
“Let me see.”
“Will you be good by yourself?” he asked as he turned to skate backward in front of me.
“Not you know how to skate backwards.”
“I’m a man of many talents.” He spun around effortlessly.
“I could do that, too, if my mama didn’t perm my hair in second grade.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
His laughter filled my chest with pride. He winked at me before he took off into the outer circle. He glided in his skates so smoothly it put me in a trance. I watched him like a hawk as he zigzagged across the rink to the tempo of the early 2000’s hip-hop song.
Flame had my attention so tight I lost my footing and accepted my fate. I braced myself for the hard impact of hitting the floor, but it never came. Instead, strong, comforting arms caught me before I fell.
“I told you I’d catch you.”
The velvet sound of his voice made goosebumps rise on my skin. I swallowed the moan that threatened my throat as I steadied myself.
“T-thanks.”
“No problem. Are you ready to take a break? They’ve got some food trucks out back if you want to eat and chat.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Because I don’t think I’ll be able to skate anymore because of the way my knees are weak.
The butterflies took up a permanent residence in my gut. My palms coated in a layer of sweat as my heart pounded like a marching band drum within the comfort of my chest.
We returned our skates and went out back to the lounge area, where six food trucks were lined up in the parking lot. There were several rows of tables lined up for us to sit. We went with the burger spot. We placed our orders and stood off to the side.
“Even though I’m cold as fuck in the skates, my body still gon’ need a good soak after coming to your rescue.” Flame nudged my shoulder playfully.
“Oh, you got jokes, huh?”
“You’ll find out really quick. I got jokes for days.”
“I believe it. You always make me laugh. I don’t think in the last ten years I’ve laughed as much as I have since meeting you.”
“Good. Your laugh is contagious and your smile can light up any room.” His tone shifted slightly. The sincerity in his voice sent a shiver down my spine that rested in the seat of my panties.
It had been a very long time since I’d felt an attraction like this.
It had been a very long time since I wanted to throw caution to the wind and let a man into my most delicate place.
When our order was ready, Flame carried it to a table away from everyone else. We sat under the bright lights and prayed over the meal. I had a bacon cheeseburger with seasoned fries. He had a double-meat patty melt with a side of elote.
“How does your food taste?” he asked as he bit into his burger.
There were first times for everything.
Tonight was the first time I wanted to be a double-meat patty melt.
Flame made eating a sandwich look sexy as hell. The way his mouth moved as he chewed turned me on—or maybe I was just touch deprived and needed to get it together. Then the man had the nerve to lick his fingers after he put his burger down.
I almost combusted.
“Mali?” Flame’s voice brought me out of my horny thoughts.
“Hmm?”
“I asked you how your food taste.” His knowing smirk pissed me off. Not because I was angry, but because I knew he knew I was barely keeping my composure.
“It’s good. I love a good, seasoned crinkle-cut fry. How’s your food?”
“Same. You want to try the elote?”
“Sure.”
I expected him to lean the medium-sized cup of Mexican street corn in my direction. Instead, he picked up his spoon and fed me a bite. My whole being screamed with excitement.
“Mmm. It’s delicious.”
“Yeah.” His eyes locked with mine. It might have been my imagination, but I could see fire burning in his dark brown eyes. I looked away and grabbed my napkin to wipe the corners of my mouth.
Even though it had only been a few weeks since we’d met, my feelings for Flame intensified with each moment we spent together.
“I have a confession before the night is over,” I blurted out.
“I’m all ears.”
My lungs expanded as I inhaled. On the exhale, I announced, “You make me happy. Prior to meeting you, I didn’t know peace.
I didn’t think a man would ever make me smile or feel special after my ex.
Even with me asking to take things slow, you show up for me in a way I’ve never experienced before. Thank you.”
His smile lit up the night sky. “You got me feeling all special and shit. You might be stuck with me.”
“And I’ll be content with that.”
I wouldn’t say it out loud, but I think I was ready to see what could come from romantically dating Flame in the future.
As cliché as it was, Flame had lit something deep in my core, and I wanted to see how hot the fire would burn between us.