Chapter 9 #3
By the end of the afternoon, my trunk looked ridiculous and both our feet hurt from walking store to store, but honestly?
I hadn’t laughed that hard in weeks.
And somehow, after that day, the rest of the week completely blurred together.
Work became nonstop as J5’s comeback game got closer.
Interviews.
Treatment plans.
Media attention.
Long days at the facility.
But somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, David quietly became part of my routine.
Every single night, without fail, he called me.
And every single night somehow turned into hours.
Sometimes we talked about serious things.
Family.
Business.
Relationships.
Other times we laughed about absolutely nothing until one of us could barely keep our eyes open.
One night we both accidentally fell asleep on the phone completely mid-conversation.
I woke up confused at almost four in the morning with my cheek pressed against my pillow and his soft breathing still coming faintly through the speaker. For some reason, that felt strangely intimate. Dangerously intimate.
And the more we talked, the more I realized I genuinely looked forward to hearing from him.
David was attentive. Intentional. Steady in a way I wasn’t used to.
No games. No confusion. No disappearing acts.
Just consistency. Which honestly made me nervous sometimes because I wasn’t fully sure what to do with somebody that emotionally available.
Meanwhile, things with Cal somehow felt even more confusing than before.
Not because anything happened necessarily, but because now every interaction between us carried this weird, underlying tension neither one of us addressed out loud.
Longer eye contact. Lingering touches. Too many almost-moments.
And no matter how hard I tried brushing it off, I kept thinking about him, too.
Which was exactly why Friday arriving felt oddly exciting.
It had been ages since I genuinely looked forward to a real date. Of course, I’d grab drinks with men here and there. Flirt a little. Enjoy a night out. But actually allowing somebody to court me? To intentionally pursue me? That hadn’t happened in a very long time.
I’d been perfectly okay with that.
My life was full already. Work consumed most of my time, and the little free time I did have usually went toward friends, traveling, basketball, or simply enjoying my freedom.
I liked answering to myself. Liked not having to constantly consider somebody else’s feelings, schedule, or expectations before making decisions.
Men were fun. Temporary. Easy to leave behind before things became complicated. That’s how I preferred it.
But David felt different somehow.
Friday evening arrived faster than I expected.
One minute I was buried in work all week, and the next I was sitting at my vanity with a glass of wine in hand, adding the final touches to my makeup while soft R&B filled my bedroom.
The sky outside had started fading into deep shades of orange and pink, Houston glowing beautifully through the windows of my apartment.
I leaned closer toward the mirror, carefully lining my lips before blending the nude gloss together perfectly.
Mars absolutely ate with this outfit. The fitted espresso brown dress hugged every curve on my body without trying too hard and paired perfectly with my chocolate Saint Laurent Babylone mules and matching Kate tassel shoulder bag sitting elegantly on my vanity chair nearby.
My makeup stayed soft but sexy, the smoky eyes and bronzed skin bringing warmth to my face while the nude lip combo made my light brown eyes stand out even more.
I sat back slightly, taking myself in through the mirror for a second before smiling to myself.
Yeah, I looked damn good.
The kind of good that made you walk a little slower on purpose.
I finished my wine, stood up, and gave myself one final once-over in the full-length mirror before spraying my favorite perfume along my neck and wrists. The warm vanilla and soft amber settled beautifully against my skin, rich and feminine without being overpowering.
My phone buzzed against the vanity right as I grabbed my bag.
David.
I smiled instantly when I opened the message:
I’ve been waiting all week for tonight.
A small laugh left me as I shook my head to myself before locking the screen without replying. He’d see me soon enough.
A few minutes later, I made my way downstairs where a sleek black car waited outside the building, glowing underneath the city lights. The driver immediately stepped out and opened the back door for me politely.
“Good evening, Ms. Kingsley.”
“Hi,” I replied with a smile before sliding inside, instantly sinking into cool, expensive leather seats while soft jazz played quietly through the speakers.
The city lights blurred beautifully outside the tinted windows as the car pulled away from the curb. And somewhere between fixing the hem of my dress and glancing at my reflection against the glass… I realized something.
I was genuinely excited to see him.