Chapter 20
“Meet Ty’s fine ass at Onyx and make the bartender have to eat his feelings when you flaunt your sexy ass tonight,” Nina advised as soon as I picked up the phone.
I’d sent her a photo of Tyrone before leaving work for the day and let her know what I was wearing. I knew she was going to call me when she finished working, but I didn’t expect her to launch right into it.
“Nina, I literally just got home,” I giggled. “Please.”
“Well, I just got wind that you were trying to duck out on an opportunity to rub your date in Ahmad’s face.”
I shook my head as I took off my shoes. “So, I take it you talked to Jazz.”
“Yes. And she told me that you were trying to be featured on the eleven o’clock news.”
I cackled. “Why are the two of you so dramatic? I already told her I was keeping the date at Onyx!”
“Listen, I’m down for you to go on as many dates as you want, with whoever you want, wherever you want. I’m just trying to figure out why you were going to let Ahmad run you from your spot. You chose that place before you even knew him. Yeah, he may work there, but you chose that spot because you’re comfortable with it.”
“You’re right,” I realized with my eyes wide. “I mean, his family owns it, so it’s more his spot than my spot, but I see your point, and you’re right. I did choose that place before I even knew he existed. It’s been my first-date meetup spot.”
“So, like I said from jump, put on your sexiest dress and flaunt your shit tonight! Best-case scenario, Ty is amazing, and Ahmad has to watch you get fawned over by that beautiful, muscle-bound truck driver. Worst-case scenario, Ty is a dud of a date, but you’ll still make Ahmad jealous, so it’s still a win.”
I had a flashback of what Ahmad looked like shirtless. The sculpted frame of that man was a work of art. Even if we were just friends, I couldn’t deny that he looked good.
Really good.
I shook off the thought and the mental image. “I mean, I don’t think Ahmad’s going to be jealous of Ty.” I licked my lips. “He’s pretty built. I mean, the body is giving.”
“What? Have you seen the bartender shirtless? Aaliyah!” Nina reacted with delight.
“Briefly. But my point is that both men look like Sexiest Man Alive contenders. I don’t think there’s going to be any jealousy.”
“We’re definitely circling back to the fact that you’ve seen the bartender shirtless, but my point was that if Ahmad wants to just be friends, he should have no problem seeing you with that fine-ass trucker.”
Shaking my head, I made a face even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m not trying to make Ahmad jealous. I respect what he has going on. We’re friends.”
“Nah, it’s more than that. I saw the way he was looking at you after that concert.”
“You mean when he called me the Pink Panther?”
“Pink Panther!” Nina squealed, laughing a little too hard and a little too long.
I stopped and put a hand on my hip, glaring at my phone. “All right, that’s enough.”
She laughed so hard she snorted, which caused me to laugh along with her.
“Anyway, Ty seems cool,” I announced, trying to shift the conversation. “He asked me ahead of time about my favorite drink and my favorite thing to eat at Onyx.”
“Oooooh, a man who is thinking ahead? I like that!” Nina exclaimed.
“I said the same thing to myself when he asked!” I pulled my outfit from the closet. “We’ll see if he actually comes with that energy.”
“Either way, you’re going to look good, and if it works, you’ll bring his superhero-looking ass home.”
“You know I don’t fuck on the first date,” I admonished.
“You were just telling me that you were tired of these first dates not amounting to anything because you were trying to get fucked on your thirtieth.”
“Yeah, but I’m not going to bring Ty home just to get my needs met. I need to have an actual connection with someone.”
“Well, all summer, you’ve been connecting, and that’s not getting your needs met. And why not see what’s up with a man who looks like a superhero?” She laughed to herself. “He looks like someone famous, but I can’t think of the name.”
My face twisted in confusion. “He does?”
“Yes! I’ll text you as soon as I think of it, but in the picture you sent, I immediately thought of the guy I saw in a movie. He doesn’t remind you of anyone?”
“No one I can think of. Hold on.” I pulled the phone from my ear and clicked on the picture I’d sent her. “I can see what you’re saying, though. He does have that really pulled-together, handsome look that a lot of actors have.”
“No, he looks like someone specific. Ugh! It’s going to bother me until I remember the man’s name.” She sighed loudly. “I’ll let you know when I think of it.”
“Okay, sounds good. And have fun on your date tonight.”
“It’s not a date. We’re just linking up,” she corrected me. “Unlike you, I plan to have my needs met tonight.”
I smiled. “Mm-hmm. Well, have fun linking up with your date tonight.”
“Goodbye, Aaliyah.”
“Byeeeeeee,” I sang in return.
I smiled. Nina could deny it all she wanted, but I knew she actually liked that man.
After the call disconnected, I took another glimpse at the photo of Ty.
With dark brown skin, bright white teeth, and a chiseled jawline, he looked good. But to me, he didn’t look familiar.
But I’m looking forward to getting familiar with him.
After showering, I spent the next couple of hours doing my hair. It was a mistake to start two strand twists prior to the date, but it was worth it when I achieved the final look.
Because of the time crunch, I didn’t have time to overthink my outfit. I slipped into a black bralette bodysuit that showed off my breasts while still keeping them covered. It was sexy without going over the top. I paired the bodysuit with a short and flowy black skirt. Hitting a couple of inches above my knees, the skirt showed off my shapely legs and my strappy sandals.
With long dangly earrings and a deep red lipstick, I was dressed sexier than usual for a first date. But I didn’t want to change. Part of the reason was because Jazz and Nina had made valid points. The other reason was because tomorrow was my birthday, and it was time to go big or go home. And if I were being honest, Nina wasn’t wrong about how badly I wanted my needs to be met.
Between things falling apart with Lennox, realizing I had feelings for Ahmad, and my birthday in less than twenty-four hours, I was in need of mind-numbing, backbreaking, intensely passionate sex.
Or at the very least, I need to come.
Opening my drawer, I pulled out my vibrator and placed it on my bed. I wasn’t planning on bringing Ty home since he was virtually a stranger. But I did plan to take care of myself when I got back.
I’m looking sexy, feeling sexy, and if the date is sexy, I’ll be primed for a good time in bed by myself tonight.
Ty sent a message through the TenderFish app stating that he had arrived early but for me to take my time. With my clutch in one hand and my phone in the other, I made my way across the street. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself before following a group of women into the bar.
A nervous flutter moved through my belly as I walked into Onyx.
I scanned the room and was a little surprised by the size of the crowd. The murmur of the people mixed with the music. Pausing a few feet from the door, I swept the room looking for him.
He’s not behind the bar. Or near the office door. Or near the booths. Or—
I froze.
Taking another deep breath, I shook off what was happening.
I’m looking for Ty,I reminded myself as I cast my gaze around the room again.
When a small group of men and women shifted out of the way, I saw a tall, dark, and handsome man get up from the bar and head in the direction of the bathrooms.
Is that him?
It wasn’t until I saw a sleeve of tattoos running down both of his arms that I felt sure that the man I’d spotted was Tyrone. Seconds later, I felt my phone vibrate in my hand.
Tyrone:I have two seats for us at the bar. If you come in in the next couple of minutes, look for the flowers. I’m going to wash my hands.
I glanced up and walked toward the far end of the bar and noticed a bouquet of yellow roses. With a small smile tugging at my lips, I approached the stool in front of the flowers.
“Hey, Aaliyah,” Asia greeted me.
“Oh, hey!” I sat down and gently caressed a rose petal. “How are you?”
“Overwhelmed, but good! But just FYI, someone is sitting there.” She glanced down to the other end of the bar. “But there’s a seat on your regular side. I’m—”
The loud sound of a petite woman dropping a large bottle of liquor behind the bar interrupted her sentence. Asia immediately rushed in that direction without another word to me.
There were two new faces behind the bar. And although I wasn’t trying to see Ahmad, I did notice he wasn’t there.
“Aaliyah?”
I followed the sound of my name to my immediate right and instantly smiled. “Tyrone?”
His lips spread into a sexy smile, and he took the seat next to me. He extended his hand to me.
“It’s nice to meet you.” When my hand slipped into his, he leaned forward. Staring into my eyes, he lowered his voice. “And I like it when you call me Ty.”
“Well then… it’s nice to meet you, too, Ty.” Pulling my hand from his, I gestured to the bouquet. “And thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he complimented as he checked me out. “You have really good taste.”
“Thank you.” I smelled the roses. “So do you, apparently.”
“I wanted something that matched your energy.” He leaned forward a little more and rested his forearm on the bar top. “So, I asked for roses because it’s a classic and you’re classy. I picked yellow, so they’d be different and stand out like you do. I had them wrapped in brown paper because they match your eyes. And I brought flowers to the bar because you have my attention and I wanted to put you on notice.”
“Wow.” I bit my lip and nodded slowly, contemplatively. I didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Thank you for meeting me tonight. And for choosing this place.” He stared at my mouth. “I like it a lot.”
There was a lot of intensity in the way he looked at me and in his touch. The way his body was positioned toward me, with his long legs almost trapping me at the bar. The way he leaned close enough that I could smell his cologne but not so close as to violate my personal space. The way his eyes held mine and then lingered on my lips before returning to my eyes—and then doing it all over again. It was the way he licked his lips before each sentence. The sexual attraction between us was strong.
It was that mixture of sexy and dangerous that was typically a precursor to bad decisions.
It was hot.
Hewas hot.
But there was something about him that felt like he would blow my back out and ruin my life.
“Of course. I’m glad we’re here tonight,” I told him.
“When I got here, they said they have someone coming to perform live in a little while.” He leaned closer to me. “Me. You. Live music.” He licked his lips. “That sounds good to me. What about you?”
Oh, this could be promising…
I nodded. “Yeah. That sounds good.”
Without taking his eyes off me, he lifted his hand to signal he was ready to place an order.
“What can I get you?”
Ahmad’s deep voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
I froze.
Refusing to turn my head and look at the man taking our order, I just stared at Ty.
“Yeah, let me get a Malibu sunrise and a Long Island, please,” he ordered. “And do you think our table will be ready soon?”
“Yeah, give me a minute to check on it. You need anything else?” Ahmad asked.
“Aaliyah?” Ty asked.
I shook my head and turned to look at Ahmad. “No, thank you,” I answered, my voice faltering a bit. “But we appreciate it.”
Ahmad held my gaze for a second too long before he nodded. “Okay.”
My stomach fluttered.
He looked good with his fresh lineup and trimmed beard. He was wearing another one of his tight-fitting shirts that I gave him shit about, but I couldn’t deny how good they looked on him. Between his handsome face and sexy build, Ahmad Williamson always caught my eye.
But we are just friends,I reminded myself.
I squared my shoulders.
This is uncomfortable.But I was glad I kept the date at Onyx because if the energy was weird with Ahmad, seeing me on a date with a man should get us back on track.
He glanced at my date. “I’ll be right back with your order.”
My heart was racing as I shifted my focus to the flowers in front of me. Pretending the roses had my full attention, I tried to get myself together.
“They are quite beautiful, aren’t they?” Ty asked.
Burying my nose in the roses so I could hide my face for a second, I bought myself some time. Exhaling, I smiled at him. “And they smell great, too.”
“Speaking of smells… I have a thing about scents, and yours is doing something to me.” He let out a light chuckle. “I don’t know what soap or perfume you have on, but that’s the one.”
“Thank you. It’s my signature scent. I went to one of those classes where you can create your own perfume, and I fell in love with the combo I created. I’ve been wearing this exclusively for the last three or four years.”
“Where did you do that?”
“It was—”
“Your table is ready,” a waiter I’d seen around before interrupted.
Ty stood and then extended his hand to me, helping me off the stool. “After you.”
He whistled, not trying to hide the fact that he was staring at my body. I could feel his eyes on my ass as we made our way across the small establishment. But when we got to the table, he was careful to not let me catch him eyeing me sexually.
“Here you are.” He pulled out my chair.
“Oh, thank you,” I replied, allowing him to push me in.
“You’re welcome. I want to make sure you’re taken care of.” He smirked as he took the seat across from me. “But I also can’t sit with my back to the door.”
“Ah, so you were really just doing it for you.”
“Nah, it’s not even like that.” He pointed to the door. “What if someone runs up in here? I need to be able to jump up and defend you. I can’t do that if I can’t see them coming.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “What kind of place do you think I brought you to?”
He lifted his shoulders comically. “I don’t know. I think the dude at the bar got beef. Who knows who else could run up in here?”
I snickered.
“Here’s our menu for this weekend,” the waiter told us, handing us two small, laminated cards. “It changes every weekend, so let me know if you have any questions. I’ll give you a couple of minutes before I take your order.”
“Thank you,” we said in unison.
As soon as we were alone, Ty picked up the menu and looked over it. “Have you ever eaten anything from here?”
“Just the burger and fries.” I picked up my menu. “I don’t even know what else they serve.”
“Well, there’s about ten things on here.” He sat back in his chair. “Depending on how hungry you are and how much time you’ll let me have, we can order everything.”
Ty was saying the right things and being gentlemanly, but the man’s energy was sexually charged.
Bemused, I gave him a look. “Everything?”
He nodded. “I have a biiiiiiig appetite.”
“Is that right?”
He licked his lips. “Yes. And you can have whatever you want.”
I wasn’t sure if it was my level of horniness or if it was because of Ty’s vibe, but everything he said sounded sexually suggestive.
I need to bottle up this energy for later tonight,I thought as I bit my bottom lip and stared at the menu.
Ignoring his flirty innuendo, I focused on picking my meal. “Well, I’ll probably go for the burger sliders and fries.”
“That’s it?”
I placed the menu down. “For now.”
“I’ll get the wings, the onion rings, and mozzarella sticks. And I mean it, if you want anything else, order it. Please.”
“Long Island,” Ahmad said, setting the drink in front of Ty. The glass clanked against the table a little more forcefully than necessary. The wedding band caught my eye as he placed my drink in front of me. I felt a wave of emotion come over me as I made eye contact. “Malibu sunrise.”
My stomach knotted, but I didn’t look away. I squared my shoulders. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, man, thanks,” Ty responded. “Can we get two waters, too? And extra napkins?”
Running his hand over his beard, Ahmad paused momentarily.
“Yeah, I’ll let your waiter know.”
I heard a bit of an edge in his voice. Grabbing my drink, I smiled into my glass as I took a sip.
He stalked off, and our waiter came back a couple of minutes later. We placed our order and then allowed the conversation to flow as naturally as it had over the last couple of days.
Glancing up, I caught Ahmad staring at me from behind the bar. My stomach flipped as our eyes locked. He was making a drink, but his attention was on me. Tearing my eyes away from him, I refocused on my date.
“—and that’s how I ended up moving from Texas,” Ty concluded.
I nodded as if I hadn’t been distracted by another man. “Do you miss it?” I wondered, with a quick glimpse to the bar again.
Ahmad was smiling at a group of women. They were laughing excessively and flirtatiously as he made their drinks. But there was something different about him. He seemed rigid and tense. When his eyes met mine again, I saw something flash in them that I hadn’t seen before.
Is that anger? Irritation? Jealousy? Regret?
I took a sip of my drink as I watched the way his face hardened, and his mouth stretched into a tight line.
Good.
“You want another drink?” Ty asked, interrupting my thoughts.
I nodded. “Sure.”
He ordered another round of drinks when our food came.
Even though the crowd continued to grow throughout the night, there always seemed to be a clear line of vision between Ahmad and me. I felt him watching me as I ate and talked with my date. I felt his eyes boring into me as I laughed at Ty’s jokes. I felt the intensity of his stare as I listened to Ty’s stories. And I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the pent-up sexual energy coursing through my veins, but the fact that I was getting under Ahmad’s skin made me feel all gushy inside. It wasn’t just petty satisfaction anymore; it was something much deeper.
I shifted in my seat in an attempt to dull the ache.
“I’m going to run to the restroom,” I yelled across the table. Covering my mouth, I hoped there wasn’t something in my teeth.
“Want me to order you another drink?” Ty asked.
I rose to my feet. “Another water, please.”
“Your wish is my command.” He winked before picking up a wing.
I laughed lightly before maneuvering my way through the crowd. I tried not to look toward the bar, but as soon as I did, Ahmad’s narrowed eyes were zeroed in on me. I smiled and then continued my way to the back hall where the bathrooms were located.
The first door on the right was the men’s room, and the door to the left didn’t have a sign. But the door at the end of the hall said WOMEN’S ROOM, and surprisingly, there wasn’t a line.
Spoke too soon,I silently commented as I opened the door to see seven women waiting for stalls.
I stepped back out and decided to wait in the hall and not in the restroom.
I froze when I saw who was coming down the hallway.
His eyes swept down my body. His tongue ran from one side of his mouth to the other before he forced his eyes back to mine.
Swallowing hard, I pushed down my attraction to him.
“What are you doing?” Ahmad demanded.
My heart thumped in my chest. “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m waiting for the bathroom.”
I saw how his black T-shirt clung to his muscular body earlier, but walking down the hall, I was able to take in his full form.
He is sexy as hell. Someone I need to keep at a distance. But sexy as hell.I licked my lips and then realized I was staring. I should go. I should run back into the bathroom.
Before I could make a move, he was standing a foot in front of me. “That’s not what I meant. What are you doing with him?”
My eyes opened wide, giving him an incredulous look. “What?”
A group of women were passing by, and Ahmad grabbed my arm and moved me to the side.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?”
A chill ran down my spine. I hated how the throb in my chest made its way between my thighs. I looked beyond him at the man running into the men’s bathroom. I needed to walk away.
“I only have fifteen minutes, and I need to talk to you,” he continued.
I had every intention of saying no. I had a date—a very handsome and entertaining date—waiting for me, and it would be rude to keep him waiting for a man who lied to me.
But with Ahmad’s fingers wrapped around my forearm, his eyes burning into mine, and the coconut rum running through my veins, my defenses weren’t just down. They didn’t exist.
“Fine,” I relented softly. “What do you want to talk about?”
Another group of women, probably eight in total, came skipping and screeching down the hall.
“Not here,” he grunted before tugging me with him through the unmarked door.
I gasped, my heels skating along the floor as I flew into the room. He had a grip on me that ensured I wasn’t going to fall, but still.