“I know so.” #2
“I’ll pack some up for y’all before you leave,” I told her with a wink.
“You’re gonna spoil us,” Nicole said. “We’re never gonna wanna eat regular food again.”
We all laughed as I peered over my shoulder and caught Bishop looking at me again.
This time neither of us looked away quickly.
We held eye contact for a few seconds, and I felt that pull in my stomach again.
Around midnight, everyone started getting tired.
They all had to drive back to the city, and even though some of them had offered to stay, I’d told them I wanted the rest of the weekend to myself.
“You sure you’re gonna be okay here by yourself?” Tanya asked as she gathered her things.
“I’m sure,” I said. “I need this. I need to just be alone with my thoughts for a minute.”
“Well, call us if you need anything,” she said, hugging me tight. “And seriously, Minni. Have some fun this weekend. You deserve it.”
One by one, they left with hugs, kisses, and promises to check in tomorrow. Kela was the last one to leave. She hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, “Chef’s still here. Have him whip you up something special. I’m just saying.”
“Goodnight, nasty,” I said, but my heart was beating faster.
“Mhm,” Kela said, pulling back to look at me. “Call me tomorrow.”
After she left, the house felt very quiet.
I could hear Bishop in the kitchen and the sound of running water and dishes clinking.
I should’ve thanked him, paid him for his amazing services, and taken my ass to bed.
Instead, I found my nearly drunken self pouring a little tequila and wine in a glass before heading into the kitchen holding the bottle in my other hand.
He was at the sink washing the last of the pots. His braids were tied back now, and I could see the tattoos on his neck more clearly. A script curved along his chocolaty skin. “You don’t have to do all that,” I told him. “I can finish cleaning up tomorrow.”
He looked over his shoulder at me and smiled. “It’s cool. You look a lil’ too lit to be doin’ much of anything.”
I chuckled as I leaned against the counter and sipped my drink, watching him work. “Well, thank you for everything. The food was incredible. My friends couldn’t stop talking about it.”
“I’m glad y’all enjoyed it,” he said. He dried his hands on a towel and turned to face me. “They seem like good people.”
“They are. They’ve been there for me through everything.”
“That’s important. Havin’ people who got yo’ back.”
There was a comfortable silence, and then I said, “You want a shot or something? I’ve got the rest of this bottle, and I’m probably not gonna finish it.
” He looked at the bottle and then at me, and suddenly I felt so weird asking him.
“I mean, I didn’t… unless you-you have some-somewhere to be.
I’m sorry. I…” I stammered like a fucking fool.
Bishop chuckled. “It’s cool, Minnesa. I’ll take some.”
Turning to reach into the cabinet, I grabbed a glass and poured some tequila.
The second our fingers brushed, a little spark rushed through me, and from the way he looked at me, I knew he felt it too.
“I made sure to save me a little,” I snickered, nodding toward the counter where a few slices of rum cake remained.
I grabbed a fork and picked at one of the slices, not because I was hungry but because I needed something to do with my hands.
He leaned back against the counter across from me, and we just looked at each other for a moment.
“Yo’ friends funny as hell,” he said finally. “’Specially the one in the gold dress.”
“Kela,” I smiled, feeling the liquor taking over. “She’s been my best friend since college.”
“She was givin’ you a hard time ‘bout me,” he said, and there was amusement in his voice.
“She enjoys giving me a hard time about everything. That’s just how she is.”
“She wasn’t wrong though,” he said, and his voice dropped lower. “I was lookin’ at you all night.”
My heart started beating faster. “Yeah?”
“Hell yeah,” Bishop said, holding my gaze. “You beautiful. Who wouldn’t look at you? And that dress…” He didn’t finish the sentence, just shook his head slightly, and I felt a rush of heat go through me.
“Thank you,” I said, and my voice came out quieter than I’d intended.
“You seem surprised, like you don’t know you beautiful.”
“I’m not...” I started, and then stopped. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just not used to hearing it.”
“Yo’ ex ain’t tell you?” he asked, taking a sip of tequila.
“Not in a long time.”
“Then he a fuckin’ fool.” I didn’t know what to say. I just stood there, holding my glass, feeling like my whole body was buzzing. “Can I ask you somethin’?” he said.
“Sure.”
“Why do people get divorced? I mean, for better or worse, right? ‘Til death and all that. So… why not just stick it out and work it out?”
Eating cake, I thought about how to answer before I finally responded.
“Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but as for me, the decision came easily once I realized there was no coming back.
I spent twenty-one years proving myself to a man who made me feel like I was asking for too much when I wanted basic respect and attention.
And when his cheating caught up to him, I just chose the easy route. Let him go.”
He nodded slowly. “That’s real. I respect that, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry you had to go through that shit.”
“What about you?” I exhaled and sipped my wine. “I take it you’re not married but, uh… what about a serious relationship?”
“I had a girl,” Bishop replied, slightly tugging on his sexy beard.
“We were together for a couple years, but she couldn’t handle the fact that I was focused on my goals instead of focused on her.
She wanted me to give up on the restaurant dream, get a regular job, and settle down on her timin’. I wasn’t ready for that.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m even more focused on myself. I got a plan, and I’m stickin’ to it. A relationship will just complicate shit for me.”
“That’s a lonely way to live.”
“Maybe,” he shrugged, gulping down the rest of the tequila with no problem. “But it’s honest. I’d rather be alone than be wit’ a woman and not be able to give her what she needs.”
I understood that more than I wanted to admit. “So you just don’t date, like… at all?”
“Nah, I ain’t say all that.” I noticed there was a hint of a smile on his face as he poured more tequila. “I just don’t do relationships. I’m upfront ‘bout that. If someone’s cool wit’ just havin’ a good time, no strings, then we good. I ain’t tryna lead anyone on.”
“That’s fair,” I nodded, digging into the cake again. It was weird though because I felt my chest tighten at the thought of him with other women.
“And you? You ready to date again?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I don’t even know what I want anymore. I’ve been so focused on what my ex wanted and what my nonprofit needs, and what everyone else expects. I forgot how to think about what I want.”
“Then maybe you should start figurin’ that out.” I watched as Bishop gulped down the rest of his tequila for a second time and placed the glass onto the island. Taking a step closer, he asked, “If you could tell me one thing you want right now, what would it be, Minnesa?”
The way he said my name made my heart skip a beat. I took a sip of tequila to buy myself time, but the truth was, I knew what I wanted. “I… wanna stop overthinking everything,” I said finally. “I want to stop worrying about what I should do and just do what feels good.”
“And what’s that?” he asked, taking another step closer.
My heart started pounding. “I don’t know.”
He was close enough now that I could smell his cologne again. God, it had me weak in the knees. “You seem like a smart woman. I think you know exactly what you want. You just scared to say it.”
He wasn’t wrong. I was scared as hell of being rejected by him and making a fool of myself. “What if what I want is spontaneously wild and crazy?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Sound like a damn good time.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and the touch sent electricity through my whole body I’d never felt before.
My breath caught as I looked up at him, and his dark eyes seemed to see right through me. “I think… I wanna kiss you.”
Bishop smiled, the confidence beaming off of him. “You sure ‘bout that? ‘Cause I’m gon’ want more.”
“That would be okay.”
Bishop didn’t waste time. His hand came up to grip the front of my neck, and I was surprised at how much I liked it.
The second his lips crashed onto mine, I melted.
The kiss was nothing like what I was used to.
It wasn’t gentle or careful like with my ex.
It was hungry and so fucking intense that my knees went weak.
I grabbed onto his arms to steady myself, feeling the muscles under my hands, and kissed him back with everything I had.
His other hand went to my waist, pulling me closer, and I felt the hard length of his dick against my stomach.
I could feel the wine glass slipping from my hands, and he must’ve sensed it too.
Skillfully, without breaking the kiss, he removed the wine glass and set it on the counter.
I couldn’t even think straight with the way his tongue was sliding against mine and the way his hand was gripping my throat. When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard. His eyes were focused on me with an intensity that made my whole body feel hot.
“I should warn you that eatin’ pussy is one of my favorite things to do,” he warned, and I slowly nodded, my pussy instantly getting wet. Lord, help me.