12. Chapter 11
June stood in the middle of her apartment looking around one last time before checking the clock on her phone.
Everything felt perfect.
Soft amber lights glowed around the room while a projector casted slow-moving stars across the ceiling and walls.
Near the big window overlooking the city, she had oversized floor pillows and black silk blankets spread out across the floor like a little lounge area.
Incense burned near the windowsill mixing with the smell of food coming from the kitchen.
It didn't feel like an apartment anymore.
It felt like an experience. A low Korean R&B playlist drifted through the speaker while June fixed the sleeves on her black silk robe.
The satin brushed against her thighs every time she moved.
Gold hoops hung from her ears while her hair fell in soft waves down her back.
On the kitchen island sat plates of homemade bulgogi, rice, spicy Korean wings, and little side dishes she spent all afternoon making.
Marcus had mentioned before that nobody ever really cooked for him.
So she paid attention. Next to the bottle of dark liquor she bought for him sat a folded handwritten note.
June stared at it nervously before laughing at herself.
“Girl, calm down,” she muttered.
She grabbed her wine glass and called Marcus. He answered on the first ring.
“What’s up, beautiful?”
His deep voice made her smile real big.
“You busy tonight?” she asked.
Marcus chuckled. “Depends who asking.”
June rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it. “Boy shut up.”
Marcus let out a low laugh on the other end. “What you into?”
June walked slowly toward the window. “I want you to come over.”
A small pause hit the line. “Oh yeah?”
“Mmm hmm." June replied, making her voice sound sexy.
Marcus could hear the teasing in her voice instantly.
“And what exactly am I coming over to?”
June smiled to herself while looking up at the stars moving across her ceiling. “A vibe.”
Marcus asked with a laugh. “A vibe?”
“Boy don’t make me regret inviting you.”
“Nah,” he said smoothly. “I’m just trying see what got you sounding all sweet tonight.”
June shook her head smiling. “I cooked for you.”
That immediately got his attention. “You cooked for me?”
“Maybe.”
Marcus laughed. “Aight now you showing off.”
“And maybe,” June continued slowly, “I got a few other surprises too.”
The silence on the other end got heavier.
Then Marcus spoke again. “You trying to drive me crazy before I even get there?”
June bit back a smile. “Seven o’clock,” she said. “Don’t be late.”
Before Marcus could say anything slick back, she hung up.
Her heart was beating fast as hell afterward.
She couldn't explain it. Tonight felt like the beginning of something.
By the time Marcus knocked on her door later that evening, June had already changed twice.
She opened the door and froze. Marcus stood there dressed in all black looking clean as hell and smelling good enough to eat.
The second he stepped inside, his whole expression changed.
His eyes moved around the apartment slowly.
He was amazed at what stood before him. He saw the stars moving across the ceiling.
The incense burning on the window ledge.
The oversized pillows near the window, and the food spread across the kitchen island.
His eyes landed back on her. “Damn,” he said, loving what he saw.
June tried not to smile too hard. “What?”
“You really did all this?”
She stepped aside so he could come in fully. “I told you I had a surprise.”
Marcus shut the door behind him still mesmerized by everything around him. “This shit is tough,” he admitted. “Real tough.”
June laughed. “I ain’t want it feeling regular.”
“It definitely don’t.” Marcus replied back.
His directed his attention toward the kitchen. “You really cooked all this yourself?”
June folded her arms with a little grin. “Don’t start acting shocked.”
Marcus walked closer toward the food still looking impressed. “Nah,” he said honestly. “Nobody ever did no shit like this for me.”
June didn't know what to say to that. She grabbed his drink off the counter and handed it to him. Marcus noticed the folded note underneath.
“What’s this?” He asked.
“Read it.” She demanded sweetly.
Marcus unfolded the note slowly while June suddenly felt nervous all over again watching him. The note read:
Last time I told you a little about me.Tonight I wanna know more about you.Don't tell me anything about you being a club owner, someone's boss, or you being a business man.Just Marcus.
Marcus looked up at her differently once he finished reading. His gaze was a little softer than what it was before. Like she caught him off guard in a way he wasn’t used to.
“You wrote this?” he asked in a low voice.
June nodded. “I wanted tonight to actually mean something.”
Marcus glanced at the note again before setting his drink on the counter.
“Nobody ever really cared to ask about me,” he admitted quietly. “Not the real me anyway.”
June was surprised to hear Marcus say that. He was a very intriguing man with an unordinary life-style.
“Well,” she said, “I am.”
Marcus stared at her for a second too long after that. Then a slow smile spread across his face.
“Come here,” he murmured.
June walked toward him and Marcus wrapped his arm around her.
“You know you special, right?” he said in a low voice.
June laughed. “Why? Cause I cooked for you?”
“Nah,” Marcus said while looking into her eyes. “Cause you making me feel shit I usually don’t.”
June looked at him before touching his chin hair and playing with it. “Maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
Marcus kept his eyes on her lips. “Yeah,” he muttered. “That’s what got me nervous.”
Ten minutes later they ended up sitting together on the floor near the window. June showed him how to make the lettuce wraps while Marcus struggled badly with the chopsticks.
“Aight nah,” he muttered laughing. “These little mothafuckas is doing the most right now.”
June laughed so hard she almost spilled her drink. “That's cause yo ass is holding them wrong!”
“I’m trying!” Marcus exclaimed.
“No you not.” June said.
Marcus shook his head smiling while she grabbed his hand to show him correctly.
The second her fingers touched his, he looked at her hand studying it. June watched him wondering what he could be thinking about.
“What?” she asked smiling.
“Nothin’.” Marcus replied.
“Mmm hmm.” June said as she twisted her mouth to the side.
Marcus made himself comfortable the pillows afterward while June fixed another plate beside him. For a little while, things stayed light and easy. Then Marcus got quiet all of a sudden.
June looked over at him. "You good?”
Marcus stared at the ice in his drink before speaking. “You know what’s crazy?”
“What?” June asked.
“This is the first time I sat somewhere and ain’t feel like somebody wanted something from me.”
That response her off guard.
Marcus laughed to himself before shaking his head.
“My whole life been about business. Just in this world hustling and surviving. Niggas either need money from me, loyalty from me, or they trying to take something from me.”
June stayed quiet letting him talk.
Marcus paused momentarily before speaking “But this?” he said low. “This feels… peaceful.”
June fiddled with the sleeve of her robe trying not to let his words hit her the way they did.
Marcus rubbed his hands together slowly before speaking again.
“My mom used to leave me by myself for days sometimes,” he admitted.
“There would be no food in the fridge. The lights would barely be on.” He laughed again, but this time it sounded heavier.
“I learned how to survive before I even got the chance to really be a kid.”
June looked over at him.
Marcus shrugged like he was trying to play it cool.
“I used to be jealous as hell seeing regular families,” he admitted quietly. “People eating dinner together. Laughing. Watching movies.” He shook his head once. “That shit used to look fake to me.”
The stars from the projector moved slowly across his face while June sat there listening.
“No wonder you move the way you do,” she said.
Marcus looked over at her. “Whatchu mean by that?”
“You always trying to control everything,” June replied gently. “Cause you had to.”
“You starting to pay too much attention to me girl.” Marcus added.
June smiled. “I thought I told you already. I pay attention to people I care about.”
Marcus looked at her like he wanted to say something else, but instead he reached over and ran his fingers through her hair.
“You make me feel like I'm just a regular man and not the man everyone expects me to be,” he admitted putting his face against her hair.
June’s chest tightened instantly. Cause Marcus wasn’t the type of man that admitted shit like that. She lifted her head to look at him. Marcus brushed his fingers along her cheek then he kissed her. He gave her a kiss that said way more than what his words ever could.
And somewhere between the stars on the ceiling, the smell of incense, and Marcus finally letting his walls down…
June realized this night had turned into something way deeper than either one of them had planned.
Marcus pulled away from June slowly and chuckled.
"I ain't gonna lie, you got a nigga feeling a little nervous for real," he smiled.
June smiled at that.
Seeing Marcus nervous almost didn’t even feel real.
This was the same man that walked through Heaven’s Door like he owned the damn city.
The same man people lowered their voices around.
But standing here in her apartment with stars dancing across the ceiling?
He looked different. Softer around the edges.
June slid her fingers slowly along the front of his shirt. “I ain’t never seen you nervous before.”
Marcus laughed quietly under his breath. “That’s cause I usually know how shit gon play out.”
“And you don’t now?”
“Nah,” he admitted honestly. “You hard to read sometimes.”
June stepping away from him.