Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
“Ay, bro it’s beautiful here,” Chris commented as we made our way down the sidewalk of downtown Atlyn City toward the bar.
The ladies were on their way, but we were going in to grab a table so they for sure had a place to sit when they arrived because if I knew Mel, I knew she had on some heels and would be complaining that her feet were hurting.
I couldn’t lie to myself; when I got back to the house and they told me that Leila had agreed to come out, I became super anxious.
I was looking forward to seeing her done up and out of her element.
She was absolutely stunning without makeup and lounging in everyday attire, but I was excited to see her tonight.
Miranda: We’re here.
Mel: Don’t have a heart attack when you see Leila.
Mel: She looks so good!
Mel never made anything any better and she didn’t take anything serious. I was already on edge waiting to see Leila, but now it felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest with each ticking second.
Where we were seated, I had the perfect view of the door, so I watched it with heavy anticipation, my leg bouncing uncontrollably. When I saw someone that wasn’t Leila walk in, I wanted to shout for them to move, but I willed myself to have self-control.
I was just about to tear my eyes from the doorway and text my cousins when I noticed Miranda entering followed by Mel, then when Leila entered everything around me seemed to slow down.
She was unexplainably beautiful. The lighting over the door hit her perfectly, shining down on her like a spotlight, almost like it was announcing her entrance.
Her eyes moved around the room until they landed on me. A smile spread across her face before she started in my direction and my fingers curled around my glass of Jack Daniels as if I needed it for grounding. As she made her way over, I took in every aspect of her.
Her makeup was clearly the handiwork of my cousins, or hell, she could have done it herself, but either way it was done perfectly and had my chest stalling because of how much it complemented her already beautiful face.
She was wearing leather pants that hugged her curves just right, a top that showed off just a glimpse of her stomach and just the right amount of her cleavage, teasing every inch of my being.
It was now a proven fact that she could have been donned in a garbage bag and she’d still have me ready to risk it all without a second thought.
“Close your mouth, Ki. You’re about to drool,” Miranda leaned in and said, tearing me out of my trance.
When I glanced at everyone around the table, they were all wearing stupid smirks on their faces. I didn’t care though. I was sure that any man in the room that saw Leila was thinking the same thing that I was—I’d never seen anyone more beautiful.
Ignoring my family, I took Leila’s hand when she was close enough.
“Hey. I’m sorry we’re a little late. I wasn’t sure about this outfit at first,” she said softly.
“You look amazing, Leila.” I held eye contact with her because I wanted, no I needed, her to know how gorgeous she truly was. I allowed my eyes to cascade down from her face to her pretty ass feet then back up. “Wow.”
She blushed. Hard. “Stop looking at me like that, Kiyan.”
“It’s impossible not to,” I admitted. “I’m truly blown away.”
She was still blushing super hard, so she tore her eyes from mine to look at everyone else.
“I need a drink,” she said.
“I second that,” Melonie cosigned. “Get me a French 75. I’m going to go out to meet Ramell.”
She tried walking away, but I caught her wrist. “Out? You’re not going outside alone.”
“He’s at the door, Ki,” she flashed her phone. “Relax.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re going to take Leila to the bar to get drinks because the band is about to come on.” She slipped her hand out of mine and brought Leila’s up to take her place. “French 75. Thank you, cousin.”
She’d walked away before I could make a comment, and Leila had begun to pull me toward the bar. She slid onto a bar stool while I was next to her with my body facing out, and one arm on the bar.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.
I nodded for Leila to order first. She got a Martini then I read off the text from my cousin that contained everyone else’s order including Mel and her friend.
After the bartender made everything, he put them all on a tray that made it easier for me to carry to the table so I wasn’t having to come back and forth.
The Blues Brothers, sons of the bar owners, came out shortly after we were all seated at the table. They were doing a holiday special, playing all of the throwback R I appreciated her making Leila feel like she belonged and was part of the family.
She even had Miranda, who was a true homebody, out of her element, so it was refreshing to see that as well.
When they returned, we all agreed that it was time to go. The girls originally rode together in Mel’s car, but she and her friend were going back to her place, so I told Leila to ride with Chris, Miranda, and me since we were all going back to the same place.
While Miranda and Chris went to grab the car, I waited outside of the restroom for Leila because she said she had to go again. When she returned, I helped her into her coat and the two of us waited outside for my cousin and her husband.
“Leila…” both of us turned in the direction of the voice. There was a middle aged man in a tan trench coat approaching. “Damn, girl, I hardly recognized you.”
“Hi, Zach.”
He tried to lean in for a hug when he was close enough, but I extended an arm as a barrier.
“I’m just trying to talk,” he defended. “I’m a friend.”
“Well, friend, if all you’re doing is trying to talk, use your mouth. Not your hands.”