Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls
T he rattle from the gold chain attached to the side of Lennox’s jeans made a song with the wind each time he took a step forward, his long legs possessing natural born swag. Nadia gripped onto the edge of the big steel door of his beautiful truck as he boosted her inside. One big, strong arm snatched her from behind, holding her close around the waist, and the other rested on her thigh as he guided her onto her seat.
After making sure she was comfortable and secure, he closed her door and claimed the driver’s seat, his window cracked, and the tune of, ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ by Tommy Richman blasting through a set of powerful speakers that vibrated with each pulse of the base.
Before he pulled away from her apartment building, he turned towards her with his sexy, hooded gray eyes, licked his lips, then leaned closer to her.
“I’ve got excellent taste.” He smiled wide, showing his bright teeth. “You look good.”
“Thank you. So do you. I like that dark blue jacket. It’s well made. I had—”
Soft lips pressed firmly against hers, cutting off her words and thoughts with the pressure of passion. Then, he leaned back in his seat and drove towards the main road. His sexy cologne wafted in the air, leaving her breathless.
“Uh, I was going to say…” She smacked her lips a couple of times, smiling from ear to ear. “I wanted to thank you for responding to my question about your dating past with Black women. I know it may have seemed strange to you for me to ask, but—”
“You didn’t want to feel like a guinea pig, right?” He swiped his hand along his short black beard and scratched a spot near his jawline.
“I mean, no, I guess not, but because I have already known you for a long time, if I was the first,” she pointed to herself, “it didn’t mean I was going to throw in the towel. I’d be lying though if I didn’t admit that I’m more comfortable not being the first one.”
“I got it. Understood.” He grabbed a pack of gum and shoved a piece in his mouth. “You want one?”
“No, I’m good. Wait. Are you trying to say my breath stinks?”
He burst out laughing.
“No! I would just be honest and tell you straight out. I love to kiss, so if that was somethin’ I noticed I would have addressed it right then.” He’s probably right about that. He never really had much of a filter. “It just would’ve been rude to not offer you a piece since I took one out for myself. ”
“Okay. Just makin’ sure.” She giggled. “Well, don’t you wonder if you’re the only White—well, White looking I should say now that I know that your mother was Lebanese—man that I’ve ever dated?”
“Nope.”
She burst out laughing at how quickly he answered, then shrugged.
“Well, I guess that settles that. So, where are we going? When I tried to get it out of you last night, you attempted to act all secretive about it.” A part of her loved every moment of the mystery. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been on a real date.
“I’ve got this all planned out. I want you to just go with the flow, though,” he stated casually as he approached a red light. “Here.” He handed her a chilled bottle of water. She side-eyed him, then took the bottle and broke the seal. As she gulped down the water, he merged onto Interstate-610. Marcellus The Singer and Cecily Wilborn’s, ‘You Baby,’ began to play.
“Oh, this is my song! I nevah liked country music that much ’til Marcellus got on the scene. Whew! You like this too, huh?” She smiled excitedly as she put her bottle in the cup holder, then figured out where the volume control was on the LED lit control center flatscreen panel.
“Yeah! You’re late, Nadia. I love country music. Country rap. Country blues. All of it. He’s one of my favorites. Saw him in concert last year.”
“I bet he puts on a hell of a performance. I’d love to see him in concert one day.”
“That can be arranged.” His eyes on the road, he took her hand and squeezed it. She felt all warm and buttery inside.
She sat back enjoying the pretty atmosphere. The sun was shining bright, and the sky was streaked with shades of deep blue and pastel pink, reminding of her cotton candy. She swallowed, recalling the taste of that sweetness. Haven’t had any in years.
As he drove past other cars and trees turned into blurs, she began to daydream. The sugary scent of a summer day… Back then, the air was infused with the smell of grilled burgers, hotdogs, and sauteed onions. I remember eating my aunt’s homemade strawberry pound cake. Ohhhh, it was sooo good! The smell of kiddie sweat was all over my body, and my friends’, too. We smelled like earthy soil and peanut butter, and chlorine from Nana’s above-ground pool that she used to have in her backyard… Our hair had been dyed colors from the chemicals—dusty redheads and rust colored curls with dark mahogany tans by the time the summer came to an end.
A part of her longed to be a child again, running through sprinklers with her little brother and cousins. Getting her hair braided, adorned with tiny colorful plastic beads while sucking on an orange frozen popsicle. Mama would let loose and drink cheap wine and hula-hoop with them. Her heart flipped. She glanced over at Lennox who seemed oblivious that she was dancing down memory lane. With him present, all of those reminiscences rushed back to her. Innocence. Sweetness. Heartbreak. Pure, golden joy.
It wasn’t long before they pulled up at a restaurant. Her face split into a smile, and as soon as they were parked, the smell of a damn good time filled the air around her. He’d driven them to a well-known BBQ dive that many of the locals and out-of-towners loved: Truth BBQ. And best believe it—it was the motherfuckin’ truth. She surveyed the area. Barely any parking and as usual, and there were plenty of people milling about waiting to be seated.
“I haven’t been here in years!” She reached for the door to jump out, but he told her to stay put. Moments later, he was at her passenger’s door, helping her out of his ride, then walking with her up to the establishment. He put his name on the waiting list. They waited for a little while, enjoying small talk and plenty of flirting.
“Sorry for the wait, baby. They don’t accept reservations, so…” He shrugged.
“Oh, naw, that’s okay. I figured they didn’t. I know they have some of the best BBQ in the city so I’ll do my time and wait.” He pulled her close, arm around her waist, then kissed the top of her head, placing an invisible gold crown upon her tresses which she’d parted down the middle and flat ironed, allowing it to flow like a dark brown poncho. Every time he touched her, she felt like the most precious jewel in Houston. Like glitter that never lost its sparkle. Like the next best thing since bright sunshine and sexy full moons.
“I love barbecue.”
“I remember.”
“I like that. You make me feel good. I really love it when we get together. I touch myself, I mean, I’m touched by the little things, too.” Her cheeks felt flushed. Did I just accidentally admit that I’ve been taking myself on clit trips and to Pound-town on account of him?! My vibrator has been getting a workout lately, that’s no lie, but that is my personal business! He threw her a mischievous, sneaky look. She playfully punched his shoulder. “You know what I meant!”
He laughed lightly, kissed her cheek, then reached for her hand. It was the sexiest, sweetest, and yet most innocent gesture.
“Len, do you remember when we slow danced in the pantry of The Red Rooster that one time?” He looked down at her as if he wasn’t certain. “Remember? I was in there crying. As usual.” She rolled her eyes. I was such a crybaby… going through bad times… “You rarely asked me what was going on after realizing I wouldn’t tell you what was wrong the majority of the times you’d catch me in there. This one particular time, you turned on the radio and we started slow dancin’.”
“I remember.” His deep voice rumbled close to her ear, making her insides purr.
“You were so much taller than me, but I managed to relax my head on your chest. I remember how warm you were… how you smelled like Cool Water and flour.” His lips curled at that.
“I was in charge of making the biscuits back then.”
“Yeah…You didn’t try to grope me or nothing like that. We just danced real slow. I kept crying for a while and then, I stopped. I felt alright. A sense of peace came over me. I remember the song that was playin’, too. It was—”
“Sam Smith’s, ‘Stay With Me.’” Raw love glittered in those gray eyes of his.
She brimmed with the tips of sunbeams, radiating joy from within, and the kiss of honey-flavored raindrops soaked into her soul, seasoning her with love .
“…Yeah. You really did like me more than a friend.” She whispered the words, the middle breaking like a twig beneath the weight of a deer hiding from prey.
“Of course I did. I knew you were goin’ through stuff though with your mom, and your father’s situation wasn’t any better. You were having problems. You trusted me after a while. Confided in me. I wasn’t going to mess that up by putting the moves on you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and buried his head against her cheek, swaying with her as he hummed that old Sam Smith song in her ear. By the time he was finished, her body ached for a more intimate touch.
“Wilde! Party of two!” the hostess announced.
She was still riding on cloud 9 when they were alerted that a table had opened up. In fact, the declaration sounded like a train trying to screech to a halt, snatching her out of the soft edges of the sound of his voice and embrace. She blinked a few times and approached the hostess right alongside him while ‘Rude,’ by MAGIC!, started to play. Once inside, their selections of meats were cut right in front of them and served on lunchroom style trays. They ordered their sides and beverages, but it was a hard decision. There were so many delicious items to choose from. It wasn’t long before she felt the bubbles of her fizzy drink tickling her nose as she snorted from laughter, both of their faces hot and red from the hilarity of their silly dinnertime discussion.
“You’re lying!” She cackled, then jammed her fork into a slice of tender brisket.
“No, I’m for real. This really happened. My whole family was there, and the turkey was only chasing my cousin. Roman couldn’t have been no more than fourteen. For some reason, it had its anger directed at him exclusively. They went around and around some trees until finally, it caught up with him. He tripped, and that was the end. It was attackin’ him. All you saw were feathers.”
“Your grandfather had turkeys as pets, or was he raising them for food?”
“Not either of those. See, it was a wild turkey. It just popped up outta nowhere, but my grandfather lives around a bunch of woods so there’s all sorts of wildlife back there. Deer. Coyotes. Bobcats.”
“What were y’all doing while this turkey was being a menace to society?”
“We were laughing and not much help at all.” She snorted and shook her head. “Our parents were inside the house, not payin’ much attention ’cause it was just us kids outside playin’. Somebody called for Grandpa eventually. I don’t remember who. He came tearing outta the house with his shotgun to settle this once and for all, but then my sister started cryin’ and begged him not to shoot it. He gave in to her little girl tears,” he chuckled, “and decided to try and shoo the bird away by throwing stuff instead. Some of the rocks and what not hit Roman in the process, and that made us laugh even more. He was screamin’, ‘Ahhh! Ahhh!’” His laughter floated from his throat as his complexion deepened. Nadia could barely speak for a bad case of the giggles seized her stomach and squeezed. “The turkey finally turned him loose and ran off. Roman got to his feet, a few scratches here and there, and said, ‘It’s okay. We’ll see your ass come November on the damn table. Right next to the taters.’”
She burst out laughing again, almost to the point of choking. When they quieted, they settled down and enjoyed their food.
“Mmm, this meat is thick and juicy… so good. Suckin’ it right off the bone.” After she uttered the words, she realized her mistake. She’d done it again. Their eyes locked, and they both started laughing again. “Lennox, your mind stays in the gutter. Mine is only in the gutter for work—I don’t mean that shit, but yours is authentic and true!”
“Hey, you were laughin’, too!” That vein of his popped out in the middle of his forehead as he chuckled all the harder. She sat there watching him lick his fingers, wishing he was licking on her, too. She loved that he didn’t weave anything about her personal profession into a tawdry play on words, seedy jokes, and sexual innuendos. He acted as if it was never even on the radar. She was just a regular person, sitting across from him, enjoying a meal. She loved that. She loved that a lot.
They finished their feast and she dismissed herself to go to the ladies’ room. As she walked, she noticed some of the older songs that were playing in the restaurant were ones that had been popular around the same time they’d met and were working together. It was rather uncanny, a coincidence perhaps, but of course, maybe Truth BBQ always played tunes like that? She used the restroom, washed her hands and dried them, then returned to the dining area.
“I went to the bathroom while you were gone, then paid the bill and got us some refills to go.” He pointed to her cup filled with Sprite .
“Thank you, partner.” Wrapping her hand around the Styrofoam cup, she slurped some from the straw and walked out. He helped her back into the truck and when he got inside himself, he removed his jacket and tossed it in the back. He was wearing a nice short sleeved Polo shirt, the buttons open and a gold chain tucked beneath it. She glugged noisily on her drink. When she went to put it down, she noticed the water bottle she’d been drinking from earlier in their date was in the way.
“Where can I put this, Len?” He glanced in her direction as he expertly pulled out of the tight parking spot. Taking it from her hand, he set it in the cubby area of his door.
“Can I listen to something?” She pointed to the radio.
“You don’t have to ask.”
She leaned in and began to switch to various radio stations, finally landing on ‘Bad Habit,’ by Steve Lacy.
“What movie are we going to go see tonight?”
“No movie tonight.”
“Oh, well… okay. I had a great time.” She shrugged. “Thanks for dinner. What are your plans later? Work?”
He shot her a glance, his brow raised as if in bewilderment.
“Huh? I said no movie… the date isn’t over. We’ve just gotten started. Nah, I took off from the club tonight. I plan to entertain you all night long. If you can hang, that is. We’ll see.” A sexy smirk spread across his face as he made a fast left turn.
She leaned back in her seat, crossed her legs, and squelched her smile by sucking on the straw of her beverage cup. Then, she began to shimmy her hips as Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ came on the air. He snuck glances from the corner of his eye when she rocked her hips to the beat of the music.
“I see you lookin’,” she said in her most seductive voice.
“I see you teasin’.”
“If you look, then I charge a fee. I don’t dance for free.”
“I’m not your little ‘only fan’. I’m tryna be your man. If you charge me, then you won’t get the D.” She burst out laughing.
“What are we, Dr. Suess? Both of us are silly!” Moments later, he pulled into an area she didn’t recall ever visiting before. He turned the car off. “What is this place?”
“It’s called Smither Park. It’s a really cool spot. They’ve got all kinds of local artwork and fun stuff.” Before she could respond, he was out of the truck and slamming his door shut. Seconds later, he was once again helping her out of the big vehicle.
“Oh my goodness, look at all of these! Mosaics, right?” She pointed to shiny tiles all over various stone statues and the like. Some of the mosaic creations were adorned with shiny shells, coins, broken pottery, cloth, and what appeared to be costume jewelry. She raced around, touching and studying so many colorful pieces of art. “Even the sidewalk is covered. This is so pretty… Are those bottles? Oh my goodness, they are.” How’d he know I’d like something like this? “I knew nothing about this place, Lennox. Has it always been here?” she called out to him, having run at least thirty feet by now in the opposite direction, her eyes feasting on the funky and cool artistic renderings .
Lennox observed her from afar, a smile on his face and his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. It was as if he was getting pleasure just from watching her enjoy herself.
“I don’t know the exact time this place opened, but it’s been here a while. If I were to guess, maybe 2014. Somewhere around then.”
“How’d you find out about it?” He caught up to her and they stood in front of one another, a large mural close beside them. “My sister. She’s into things like this. I came with her a couple of times a long time ago. Silva told me about this park when we were still on speakin’ terms.” His eyes looked a little bit less bright when the hurtful words rolled off his tongue.
She was getting ready to ask why they don’t communicate anymore, but instead, she placed her hand along his chest and looked up into his sad eyes. She recalled him talking about his little sister often when they worked together. He’d absolutely adored her, and had seemed to be the protective big brother that many girls dream of.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He looked down at her for a good while, silent, then placed a perfect, soft peck on her lips. When he lifted his head, he was smiling faintly—so unsure and a tad hopeless. But his eyes now seemed full of courage and desire. He shook his head and made his way slowly around her, arms crossed and looking about as if he’d lost something.
Side by side, they viewed the artwork and sculptures together, their steps in unison. To her right, she spotted an arched area, set up like a theater.
“They have plays and things like that in there,” he offered. “I’ve never been to any, but I know that they have them.”
They walked inside and she was impressed by the art that covered every inch of the place, from floor to ceiling. After getting their fill, they left from the theater area and came upon some wide swings. Lennox walked away from her, wrapped his hands around each chain, and called to her.
“Come here.”
She happily jogged over to him, then plopped down into the swing. Her tight jeans crept up her legs ever so slightly, and a nice breeze caught inside of her baggy white shirt. He began to push the swing, higher and higher until she was giggling and screaming bloody murder at the same time. The sun was going down, and now the sky went from blue and pink to orange and muted red. As she pumped her legs, she could see above the world. She’d go up and kiss heaven… fall back and sense the butterfly wings fluttering in her gut, like the kind one experienced on roller coasters.
She slowed down until she was finally level with the ground again, the ride coming to an end. Then, he joined her on that wide bench swing with enough room for two. They pumped their legs in harmony, each one holding on to their side of the swing cable. Her hair blew around wildly in the wind, but she could still see through the whipping tresses. He was looking right at her, gray eyes beneath thick black brows, paired with a suggestive bright smile.
At last, they both stopped pumping their legs, and the swing slowed until it was barely moving. The wind kept sweeping through their hair, and soft kisses were bestowed on them from the setting sun.
Their free hands intertwined, and as if on cue, they leaned close and pressed their lips together, tasting each other in an oral embrace. The kiss was searing, passionate, hungry. Romantic. Lust-fueled. Obsessive. Emotional. She could barely catch her breath because it got more demanding with each second. They sat there, feet dragging against the ground, lips locked until they slowly pulled away from one another at the same time… but their hands remained linked.
“We’ve been away from each other, but some small part of us never separated,” she said softly, moisture forming in her eyes.
He kissed her nose, then stood and helped her off the swing. Hand in hand, they walked back to his truck. Once she was situated inside, the sun had vanished and the sky looked down on them in shades of dark blue. He was soon steering the vehicle again to the sounds of Khamari’s, ‘These Four Walls.’ He reached for her hand, kissed it, then intertwined their fingers. Her insides turned to jelly. She felt like a girl falling for her first love. Like a child with her first crush. Like old friends coming together and exploding like a supernova in attraction and lust. In love.
“…One more stop.” His deep voice broke through her thoughts.
She nodded, but kept quiet. Her emotions wrapped around her mind and heart like a weighted blanket. He pulled up to the Gerald D Hines waterpark. It was dark out, but there was still a fairly good amount of people milling about. He kissed her again, tasting like her best dream with a side of comfort and epicurean ice cream for dessert.
The sound of the rushing water from the man-made waterfall was loud, yet it still didn’t drown out her pulsing heartbeat. He broke their kiss gently, then turned her to face the waterfall. Lennox stood behind her, his arms wrapped protectively around her body, and rested his face against the top of her head.
“What do you see?” he shouted over the rush of water.
“A horse-shoe-shaped waterfall. People like to come here ‘cause it’s pretty. At night, the lights are on. Never been here after sunset.”
“Yeah? Well, that’s just the thing, Nadia. You’ve been here at night, just in a different type of way. You don’t like storms.” Her muscles clenched as she stared straight ahead while he spoke close to her ear. “All this water pouring down is pretty. Some find it relaxing. Since it’s not fallin’ on you and it’s contained, you feel safe. But when you’re pushed under, it triggers you. Your storms in life came before the first drop of rain ever hit you. They started with your mother and father, and continued with you bein’ attacked by someone who had no idea that he was a mouse tryna take down a lion.” She smiled sadly at his words. “Storms in our lives aren’t meant to beat us down, baby. They’re meant to make us stronger, so when the next one comes, we’re better prepared.
“Storms are teachers. Trainers. Enforcers.” She nodded in agreement, and wrapped her hand around his forearm, squeezing. “I want you to know though, there ain’t a storm comin’ your way that you have to face alone ever again. “I’ll be your umbrella. Your shelter. The roof over your head and heart. You’ve got me now.”
She quickly spun around and looked him in the eye.
“…And you have me.” She placed her hand against his cheek, looking deeply into his eyes.
“Nadia, I’m attracted to daring women. Strong women, beautiful on the inside and outside. I’m attracted to you because you are all of those things and more. I was your friend before I was anything else.” He took her hands into his, folding them between his palms as though holding them in prayer. “I’m always gonna be your friend, for as long as you do me right.”
“I plan to do you, all right.”
They both burst out laughing. He deposited a gentle kiss on her lips.
“Let’s get outta here.”
Hand in hand, they walked towards the lot where the truck was parked. Soon, they were cruising, the lights of Houston all aglow.
“I hate that the night is going to end.” She yawned. “I had a great time.”
“Me too,” he said, his eyes keenly on the road.
“What are you about to do?”
“Well, I don’t have to work security at the club tonight, so I will probably go home and play a little Xbox or PlayStation, depending on my mood.”
“Oh, really? You got that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?”
The man literally gasped, and he snuck a shocked glance her way. She laughed.
“What in the hell did you just say? What do you know about Assassin’s Creed?! ”
“I know I’ll beat yo’ ass in about any game you might have. I don’t care if it’s Resident Evil, Diablo IV, Assassin’s Creed, or Call of Duty. I will wipe the floor with you.”
“Oh, really?! Let’s see you put your money where your mouth is! How about a healthy wager?”
“No problem, Top Dog. How ’bout fifty bucks to the winner and whatever drink of our choice? I’ve got expensive tastes, so be ready to go broke fuckin’ around with me .”
“Oh, I ain’t never scared, baby. It’s on. Strap up. I’m takin’ you to the crib. You’ll walk in but leave limpin’.”
“Well, take me home then, big boy! All that big talk. Bark and no bite. Be prepared to be embarrassed. Humiliated. I specialize in breakin’ big mothafuckas like you.”
“Let’s see about that…” Lennox chuckled, then turned on some different music: ‘Like That’ by Metro Boomin, Future, Kendrick Lamar, DaBaby, Ye…