Chapter 5
Avalon had me intrigued from the moment I spotted her across the restaurant.
I wasn’t sure why her sadness affected me so much, but it did.
I spent half of the night trying to decide what to do to cheer her up, and I decided on a rooftop dinner.
That way, we didn’t have to leave the hotel, and I knew the food was good.
I informed the staff that the section I planned to be in was off-limits to any other guests. I wanted Avalon to have private time, but not too private to make her uncomfortable. I wasn’t on no funny shit with her. I genuinely wanted to get to know her and see what made her so sad.
Before I headed to the penthouse to shower and change, I went up to the roof to check out my spot. As I talked to one of the waitresses, my phone rang. When I pulled it out and saw my brother calling, I excused myself.
“What’s up, Bro?”
“What’s up? What are you up to?”
Everything was to my liking, so I went back inside to the elevator bank.
“Just checked on this setup for a little date,” I told Kairo as I entered my penthouse. There were three bedrooms with two bathrooms. I loved living in the penthouse, and the only way I could see myself moving was if I started a family.
“A date? You?”
I chuckled as I kicked my shoes off and walked into my bedroom. I searched through my clothes to find something to put on.
“Yup.” I ran down the quick encounter with Avalon as I walked into the bathroom. I had gotten heated floors installed in the bathroom, and it was a great investment.
“That’s what’s up. Don’t let Mom get in your head, though, and have you doing shit you don’t want to do.”
“It’s not that at all. I’m genuinely interested in her.” I would be lying if I said my mother’s words didn’t ring in my head, but that wasn’t why I asked Avalon on a date. She was attractive to me, and I wanted to see her happy and smiling, even if it were only for a few minutes.
I could tell that she had a great personality; she was just going through a rough patch.
“I hope you have a good time,” Kairo said.
“Me too. Aye, you know I have to plan this seventy-fifth anniversary party soon.”
“Oh yeah. Maybe Mycah can help you.”
“Sis has enough on her plate. I’ll see what I can do first. If I’m in dire need, then I’ll call her.”
Mycah was in the middle of planning their wedding and Karisma’s first birthday. I didn’t want to put anything else on her, and I already knew she wouldn’t tell me no.
Kairo and I talked for a few minutes, until I had to get in the shower. I wasn’t trying to be late for the date.
It was a few minutes before seven when I stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall to Avalon’s suite.
I’d never been nervous about going on a date, so I wasn’t sure what it was about Avalon that made me nervous.
It could have been that it had been a while since I’d gone on one.
Or was it the fact that I wanted her to have a good night because I didn’t want to add to whatever had her feeling sad?
Either way, I swallowed my nervousness down and knocked on the door.
I tapped the door two times with my knuckles, then stuck my hands in my pockets.
I could hear shuffling behind the door, and my heart raced. It took her a couple of minutes before she opened the door, and it was well worth the wait.
Avalon stood in the doorway with a black dress that hugged every curve and bend of her body.
Her shoulders were exposed, and I noticed a tattoo she had on her shoulder.
Long wavy black hair fell down her back and on side of her face.
I think my sister called it a side part.
She wore a gold Cuban link around her neck, and a gold bracelet to match.
Avalon was already tall, and the heels she wore made us damn near the same height.
“Hi, Koda.” Her long lashes fluttered as she smiled.
Whatever makeup she wore around her eyes made them pop even more. There was still a little sadness there, but not the same as the night before.
I was supposed to be returning the greeting, but for some reason I couldn’t open my mouth. She was breathtaking to me.
“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.
“I’m sorry. I’m great. You just took my breath away and I couldn’t find my words. Hi, Avalon.”
Her cheeks rose as they reddened.
“Thank you. I’m ready.” Her lips looked juicy from the gloss she wore.
I noticed she wore black at the restaurant, then again today, and I wondered if that was the only thing she wore.
I held my hand out and she placed hers inside it.
“We aren’t going far, but I think you’ll like it,” I told her as we walked toward the elevator bank.
“That’s fine, and I’m sure I will.”
The elevator doors opened and I let Avalon enter first. Once I stepped inside, I pressed the button to take us up to the rooftop.
“What kind of perfume do you have on?”
“YSL Black Opium.”
“It smells good on you.”
Her perfume had notes of what I assumed was coffee, but also vanilla.
“Thank you.”
“How was your night? Was the room to your liking?” I asked.
“My night was good. That bed was amazing. The one in the room I had was good, but that suite mattress felt like I was on a cloud. I don’t think I will ever want to stay in another room again.” She giggled.
I was happy that she liked the room, not just because it was her, but because I prided myself on having the best rooms. We wanted everyone’s experience to be good. The hotel was supposed to feel like a home away from home for our guests.
“Let me know ahead of time when you want to come back and you won’t have to.”
I might have been jumping the gun about how our relationship or whatever would progress, but I couldn’t help myself.
I still didn’t know what made her sad, but I was serious about making her smile whenever I could.
I’d only seen her smile maybe twice so far, but it was beautiful, and I felt like she should show it more.
The elevator opened, and I put my hand on the small of Avalon’s back and ushered her off. I pushed the door open that led us outside.
“Oh wow. This is beautiful.” Avalon gushed as we walked over to the table I had set up for us.
White lights were strewn all around the restaurant. There were some areas that had black tables with chairs. In other spots, there was love-seat style seating with tables.
Each table had fake lit candles. I preferred fake candles because sometimes it would get overly windy, and I would have hated for the wind to blow a candle over, and it started a fire.
Big green plants were placed in multiple places. It was something my mom insisted we have. My mother played a big part in decorating multiple areas of the hotel.
I pulled the chair out for Avalon and pushed it in when she was seated.
“I’m surprised there is no one else around,” Avalon pointed out as she looked around.
“That’s because I closed it for the night.”
Initially, I wasn’t going to shut the restaurant down, but after I thought about it, I decided to have uninterrupted time with her.
“You didn’t have to do that, Koda,” she said as she picked up the menu.
“I know, but I wanted you to be comfortable. I wanted the opportunity for us to get to know each other without anyone bothering us.”
“Well, that was nice of you. I appreciate that.”
The waitress for the night came over and took our order before I responded to Avalon.
“Hello, and welcome. Can I start you guys off with any drinks?”
I nodded toward Avalon so she could order first, then I did. She settled on an apple Martini, while I got a vodka soda with lime. I wasn’t trying to drink anything too strong.
“I’ll put those in for you, and I’ll be back to take your food orders.”
“Thank you, Kristen.”
She nodded and walked away from the table.
“Have you eaten up here before?”
“No, and I’ve been at this hotel multiple times.”
Somberness laced her voice, but she still smiled when she looked at me.
“My next question was going to be did you come to the hotel often. I have to ask, though, what brought you here this time?”
Avalon glanced down at the menu, but I could tell she wasn’t reading it.
“You don’t have to answer that if you are uncomfortable.”
“I’d rather not say right now.”
I nodded. I wasn’t an inconsiderate person, so I didn’t push her.
“That’s fine. In the meantime, tell me more about you.”
It didn’t take long for Kristen to return with our drinks, then she took our food orders. Once she walked away, our conversation resumed.
“Um, let’s see. I was born and raised here in Sunrise Valley.
I’m an only child, but my cousin is like my sister.
I’m an event planner. I have to have peanut butter and apples before bed.
” She giggled, then took a sip of her drink.
“Mm. This is good.” She took another sip, then put the glass down. “What about you?”
Avalon being an event planner was perfect, and I would ask her if she could help with the anniversary party.
“Born and raised here as well. I am a middle child. One other older brother and a younger sister. I also own and run this hotel.”
“I knew that already.” She smirked. “I read about you in an article before. Tell me something most people don’t know about you.”
“I like to read and listen to books, and yes, audiobooks count as reading. I’m not sure why people don’t think it does. To me, if I can retain the information or tell you what the story was about, then I read it. I also like to collect knives.”
I refused to tell her that I hadn’t been in a relationship or the pressure I felt in finding one now that my mom was in my ear all the time. I didn’t want to scare her off before things could develop between us.
“A man that reads, that’s sexy. What types of books do you typically read?”
I told her the title of the latest book I was reading, as well as some other ones that I’d read over the last few weeks and enjoyed. I told her about how everyone in my family wore glasses besides my mom. I shared my love of watching anime.
“A fun fact about me is my birthday. It only comes every four years.”
“Koda, stop lying!” Her voice rose a few octaves as her eyes widened.
“Not lying.”
“Koda,” she dragged my name out. “February 29th is literally my birthday too.”
Adrenaline shot through my body because I’d been thinking that there was a reason why I was so drawn to her the other night. It had to be a sign of something; I just wasn’t sure of what.
“It’s fate that we met.”
Kristen returned with our food, and we took a moment to bless it before we ate. The waves crashed in the background as we ate. Every so often, we would lock eyes, and she would blush. Avalon thoroughly intrigued me.
“Maybe it is. This food is so good,” she said in between bites.
Avalon ordered sriracha glazed seared scallops and grilled asparagus with creamy risotto. I ordered grilled lamb chops with honey-glazed carrots and rice pilaf.
“I’m glad it’s to your liking. Not sure if it will ever be a factor, but I wanted to let you know that I’m allergic to eggs. That was another reason why I wanted to eat here.”
I could already tell Avalon wasn’t like other woman I dealt with, so I knew I had to change up the way I talked a little. I couldn’t be as abrasive as I would have been with someone else.
“That’s good to know, just in case.”
“Just in case we see each other again after this.”
“Maybe.” She smirked, and I chuckled.
We shared more stories about ourselves as we continued to eat.
I told her about being an uncle, and how I liked to walk my brother’s dogs sometimes.
She told me about growing up with just her father.
She didn’t say anything about her mom, and I didn’t ask.
I figured if it were something she wanted to share, then she would.
She also shared how she didn’t like tomatoes.
“The best part of the night is about to happen,” I informed Avalon as I stood.
I reached for her hand, then helped her out of her seat.
“I want to show you something.” I led her toward the edge of the building on the side that faced the beach. “I also want to ask you about helping me plan an anniversary party for the hotel. We can exchange numbers and go over everything another time.”
Her eyes lit up when she said, “I would love to.”
“Thank you. For now, I wanted you to see the sunset.” I held her hand in mine as we stood far enough from the edge, but close enough to see people on the beach and the waves in the water.
I stared at the side of her face as she looked at the sky changing colors. It started out orange, then shifted from pinks to deep purples.
“This is beautiful, Koda.”
“Breathtaking from where I’m standing.”
Avalon’s gaze shifted to me, and I watched the rise and fall of her chest. She was affected by me as I was her. I didn’t want to move too fast, so I just winked at her and squeezed her hand.
We stood in the same spot for a while until the sun went completely down. Afterward, I walked her to her room. While on the elevator, we exchanged phone numbers.
“Thank you for tonight, Koda. I really needed this,” Avalon said when we reached her suite.
“You’re welcome. I wanted to see you smile, and I did. The sadness in your eyes isn’t as prominent as it was last night, so that means I did my job.”
She put her head down as she bit her lip. I had already spotted the way her cheeks slightly rose.
I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her head.
Her dark eyes bore into mine, and the way my heart thumped in my chest needed to be studied.
I never had a problem making a move on a woman, or ending the night with my dick buried down her throat, but I didn’t want that with Avalon.
Well, I did, but not in that way. I wanted to take things slow, and if we ever crossed that bridge, I wanted it to mean something.
I could tell she was a woman who deserved and commanded respect.
“I’m going to let you get out of here. I don’t think you told me when you were leaving, so if I don’t see you again before you do, I really enjoyed my evening with you.
I hope the hotel was to your liking, and you’ll be hearing from me real soon.
” I said fuck it and took a chance to place a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.
“Thank you again for everything. I look forward to hearing from you.” She pulled her room key out of her bag, then put it up to the door. The door beeped, but she didn’t seem to be in a rush to open it.
Our gazes were locked on each other for a few seconds, before Avalon finally said, “Good night, Koda.” She unlocked the door again, and this time, she pushed it open.
“Good night, Avalon.” I waited until she was inside and closed the door before I headed up to the penthouse.
Avalon would definitely be hearing from me again, and not just for her help. I could see myself pursuing her for real; I just hoped her heart was open to it.