Chapter 9 #2
Even dressed casually in a fitted white T-shirt, tailored shorts, and pristine sneakers, he somehow looked like he'd walked straight out of a campaign shoot.
His easy smile settled into place, but I knew him well enough to catch the tension hiding underneath it.
“Mars. Nia,” he greeted smoothly, sliding effortlessly into that charming, familiar persona.
“What's up? Y'all couldn't invite me to lunch?”
“From the looks of it,” Mars replied casually, her gaze drifting back toward the other side of the street, “you were already busy, brother.”
Cal shook his head immediately, his defensive reflexes kicking in.
“She’s just a coworker.”
But when he said it, his eyes shifted toward me specifically, locking onto mine like he wanted to make sure I heard him clearly.
Interesting.
“Yeah, yeah,” Mars laughed knowingly, adjusting the strap of her purse.
For some reason, I suddenly didn’t have much to say.
The sharp, playful banter I usually kept locked and loaded around Cal felt completely out of reach.
Cal shoved his hands into his pockets, shifting his weight on the pavement while still looking directly at me, completely ignoring the midday rush happening around us.
“So,” he said, his voice light even though his eyes stayed fixed on mine, “where y’all headed now?”
“Shopping for Nia’s date Friday,” Mars answered.
I slowly turned my head toward her, narrowing my eyes.
“Mars.”
“What?” she asked innocently, widening her eyes as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb.
“You are so messy.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Yes, you do.”
She only shrugged, completely unbothered, a tiny smirk playing at the edge of her lips.
I cut my eyes back to Cal, my blood running hot.
I knew exactly why she said that, too.
Mars loved a mess.
And she was definitely getting cussed out the second we got into our respective cars.
For the briefest second, I watched something raw flicker across Cal's face.
It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared.
Disappointment.
Maybe jealousy.
Maybe something even heavier.
Whatever it was, he buried it beneath that easy, unbothered grin he wore so well.
“Oh yeah?” he asked casually, even though his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly against the midday sun.
“Got a date already?”
I shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me overthink it.
“Maybe.”
His eyebrow lifted, that familiar, dangerous spark returning to his eyes.
“Maybe?”
“I haven't decided if he's earned my time yet.”
That made the corner of his mouth twitch, a low rumble of amusement shifting through his chest.
“So there's competition now.”
I folded my arms across my chest, tilting my head back just enough to match his gaze.
“Competition implies somebody's competing.”
For the first time since he'd walked over, Mars stayed completely quiet, her eyes bouncing back and forth between us like she was watching a high-stakes tennis match.
Cal let out a soft laugh, lowering his head for a second before looking back up at me.
“Well,” he said evenly, “I hope he knows how lucky he is.”
The words were polite.
Supportive, even.
But something about the way he said them didn't match the look in his eyes.
His smile never quite reached them, leaving his expression completely unreadable.
And for reasons I couldn't explain...
That bothered me more than seeing him sitting across from another woman ever had.
“Nia giving somebody a chance?” he joked lightly, trying to ease the heavy weight settling over the sidewalk.
“Wow.”
“Hush up,” I laughed, rolling my eyes and trying to play my part.
But even with the joking, something about this interaction suddenly felt different than all the others before.
The easy, no-strings-attached safety net we'd built over the years felt like it was beginning to unravel right beneath our feet.
“Well, I gotta get back to work and wrap up a few things,” Cal said, stepping backward slightly as the valet line moved behind him.
“But enjoy shopping for your date.”
The sarcastic emphasis he put on the word date almost made me laugh.
It was classic Cal, but it carried an edge he couldn't quite hide.
Mars caught it too, judging from the sharp look on her face.
Before I could respond, Cal leaned down, hugging Mars quickly to say goodbye before turning his full attention back toward me.
His large hands slid gently into my curls while he nuzzled against the top of my hair affectionately, like he’d done since we were kids.
I rolled my eyes immediately, even though secretly...
I loved when he did that.
Always had.
“Asshole,” I muttered while lightly pushing against his chest.
“You love it,” he replied smoothly.
“Bye, Cal.”
He laughed softly before jogging back across the street toward his car with that same easy, athletic stride women probably lost their minds over daily.
Honestly?
I understood them.
Unfortunately.
Mars was already walking off beside me before he even pulled away.
“Oh my God,” she started dramatically.
“Those heels in Maison Valeur’s window the other day would absolutely destroy on your legs.”
I blinked back into reality.
“Hm?”
“Nia.”
“What?” I laughed.
“You weren’t listening to a word I just said.”
I glanced once more toward the street where Cal was climbing into his truck before finally forcing myself to focus.
“My bad.”
Mars narrowed her eyes knowingly.
“Mhm.”
A little while later, we both climbed into our cars and headed north toward the shopping district.
What started as “finding something cute for a date” quickly turned into full-blown retail therapy.
Shoes.
Dresses.
Perfume.
Jewelry.
At one point, Mars convinced me to try on a fitted chocolate brown dress that hugged my body so perfectly, I knew it was the one to wear Friday night.