9. Pretty
TWO WEEKS LATER
I swayed side to side as Keith Washington closed out the concert with his hit song, “Kissing You.” I had received a rose from him when he first came out on stage, and I held it close, inhaling the scent of his cologne.
Drew had snickered and called him a “corny-ass nigga,” but I felt that he was jealous more than anything.
There were times when I thought maybe I shouldn’t have invited him to the concert because it was so intimate, and it felt like it was for couples.
I had initially invited Chloe, but she had plans with her boyfriend that had her going out of town for the weekend, so the first person who came to mind was Drew.
We had enjoyed ourselves despite me sometimes feeling uncomfortable with the song selection and the singers telling us to tell our partners, “How you feel about them,” or “Look into that woman’s eyes, and let her know she’s your world,” and “Tell that man you can’t breathe without him. ” Other than that, we had a blast.
Drew grabbed my hand in his large one as we made our way toward the exit. He had insisted we arrive a little later so that we didn’t have to fight traffic or crowds entering the stadium. I agreed with him since I didn’t care for crowds, despite the fact that I loved concerts.
As we exited, I continued singing the song. People were still in the stands swaying, but a few people were starting to leave their seats too. They probably had the same idea that Drew had: exit the stadium before the traffic started.
I noticed that he tugged his ballcap further down his head as we stepped out of the dark stadium and into the bright lights of the parking lot, but I didn’t think anything about it.
“Do you know what you want to eat?” he asked as he opened the door to his SUV and helped me inside.
“I’m not picky. I just want to eat,” I replied as he reached over me and buckled me in. That little action made me smile because it was so unexpected.
“Cool. I’ve got the perfect place for us to eat.”
I watched as he jogged around to the front of the car. I noticed a couple who stood outside of their car stop and watch him. The man pointed at Drew and then waved. When they started in our direction, he hopped inside and pulled quickly out of the parking lot.
“You good? You’re gonna strap in?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He buckled up as he left the lot.
“Did you know those people?”
“Uhm, no. Old boy has seen me around a time or two. You know how it is when folks think they know you.”
“You could’ve stopped and chatted.”
“Pretty, people can talk your head off. I’m just starving and trying to beat the rush of traffic that’s about to come.”
I nodded and relaxed in my seat. He pressed some buttons on the dashboard, and Anita Baker poured out of the speakers.
“I thought you weren’t a fan of R and B.”
“Didn’t mean that I couldn’t put together a playlist for you.”
I smiled at him, and I realized that this man was stealing little pieces of my heart, one action at a time. This wasn’t what I wanted, but my sister was right: It was time to move on and heal.
When we pulled up in a little parking lot to what looked like a small rundown house, I frowned. “What’s this?”
“Off the Bone. It’s a barbeque joint, and they’ve got the best food in the south. I promise you. I’ve traveled and sampled, and I stick with ’em.”
“I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve heard a lot about them through the years, but I never came through here before. I’m game to try it.”
He smirked. “Okay, Miss Bougee.”
I laughed as he hopped out and came around to my side to help me out. After he had been greeted by the staff and owner like he was family, we were seated on a couch with a table in front of us, and we ordered our food.
The entire establishment was set up that way—small tables that either had one or two couches pulled up to it.
Our table had one couch—well, actually a love seat—so we were right there together.
We talked about our favorite restaurants and experiences we had at different restaurants before my stomach growled after several minutes.
“Smells delicious,” I stated, looking around at some of the patrons who were finishing their meals.
“Wait till you taste it.”
“Thanks for coming with me to the concert tonight. I could have gone alone, but I didn’t prefer to. Not because I’m not comfortable taking myself on dates, but for safety reasons.”
A wide grin cracked his face. “So, you admit we are on a date.”
“I admit no such thing, sir.” I laughed.
The servers brought our plates out, and we dug in. I moaned several times before he looked up from his ribs, slowly licking his lips, and narrowed his eyes at me.
“What?”
He leaned forward and answered, “You’ve got every nigga in this place looking at ya li’l horny ass.”
“Huh?” I looked around embarrassed to find that quite a few men were watching me.
“Yeah. Like that. Now outside of those ribs, what have you enjoyed most about tonight?” he asked.
“Keith giving me the rose, and Kenny and Karyn singing a song together. What about you?” I asked.
“Aside from that moaning that you’re doing?”
I shoved him with my shoulder, and he laughed. “Aside from that.”
“Seeing the look on your face as they performed some of your favorite songs. You got so deep into it, and there was a sense of peace and enjoyment on your face.”
“It’s been a nice night. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.
It made me think back to my favorite date.
I was taken to New York to see a play that I’d been dying to see for a long time.
After the play, we’d gone to a restaurant that was an upscale eatery.
We had reservations for the rooftop. We sat on that rooftop and talked, ate, and drank until the sun came up. That was my favorite date.”
“What? This isn’t your favorite date?” he asked me with that teasing grin I was coming to look forward to seeing.
I laughed. “You are not going to get me to admit this was a date. It’s not. What was your favorite date?”
“Honestly, Pretty. I can’t say that I’ve had a favorite.”
“Why not?”
“I make it more about her than about me. The experiences are always catered to the woman. I just enjoy spending time with her and watching her reaction to the evening that I’ve created for her.”
“I mean, wasn’t there at least one that you enjoyed more than the other?”
He appeared to think about it for a while, and I realized something that he hadn’t shared with me.
Drew must have been a player in his life.
I wondered if he’d ever had a genuine relationship.
If not, that would explain why he hadn’t had a favorite date.
He hadn’t really connected with women except on a sexual level.
That was just my guess, though. I wasn’t certain.
“The date that I probably enjoyed the most was an evening dinner cruise on a yacht. We attended a jazz concert in Central Park, and we saw the New York skyline from the dinner cruise later on. It was a beautiful experience, but there again, that was more for her than it was me.”
“That sounds really romantic, though.”
“It was, and she appreciated it. I don’t think that it tops this date, though.”
I shook my head. “Something tells me that you’ve been a player for most or all of your life.”
“I wouldn’t say that I’ve been a player, but I have dated plenty of women. I never had a reason to want more—until now.”
“Mhm. Okay, Mr. Smooth Talker.”
“I’m being honest, and I’m thankful that you invited me on this date tonight.”
I giggled. “You are one persistent man. It’s not a date. We’re just two neighbors, or friends if you want to push it, going out to have fun together and to break the monotony.”
“Now the woman doesn’t even want to claim my friendship. Okay, I see. Well, how about I take you out on a true date and try to beat the record for your favorite date?”
“You can try,” I replied with a wink.
“I’ll plan it, and I promise that it will steal your heart.”
“We’ll see.”
“Oh, before I forget. My sister is planning a housewarming party for me, and I don’t have all the details yet, but I’d like for you to stop by.”
“Sure. Get me the details, and I’ll do my best. I don’t have much on my calendar these days, so I should be able to make it.”
I enjoyed my time with Drew, but I knew that I needed to be cautious with my heart. I wasn’t skilled and cultured in matters of the heart the way most people were, and I damn sure didn’t need it shattered again.