8. Artez
ME:
Good morning, beautiful. I hope you made it to work on time.
Mali:
Hey! I almost fell asleep, but I fought it long enough to get ready.
I made it to the spot on time. I’m with a client now.
She’s a small yorkie who doesn’t give me a hard time, so it shouldn’t take too long to finish up.
If the delivery comes while I’m in the back, one of my employees will bring it to me.
With a quick swipe of my finger, I reacted to her text with a heart as I pulled out of the drive-through of her favorite coffee shop, Bower’s Brews. They specialized in a THC blend in their coffees and menu items. It surprised me to know my lady indulged in marijuana occasionally.
After I ordered her favorite drink, I stopped by the donut shop and got a dozen donuts, two dozen donut holes, and a dozen kolaches. I ordered myself some boudin stuffed kolaches to eat on the drive. The only thing I wanted to do was see Mali’s face when she saw I was her delivery man.
Last night, I didn’t expect Mali to call me, but when she did, my whole mood shifted.
I clung to every word she shared with me.
I loved learning new things about her. Conversations with Mali flowed so smoothly, I didn’t realize night had turned to morning.
It was the first time in a long time that I saw myself picturing forever with a woman.
Yeah, I had my fun, but those were throwaway flings that couldn’t compare to what I imagined with Mali.
It might have been crazy for me to think like that, but I was smitten with Mali .
. . It was the only word that encompassed how I felt.
With the life I lived, a lot of women didn’t like the dangerous lifestyle.
They often brought up the fact they wouldn’t be able to handle it if I went into a job and never came home to them.
It was very valid, which was why I didn’t mind being single.
I had the patience to wait for the person God set aside for me.
As I pulled up to Floral Fur Pet Groomers, the sign lit up in bright green letters.
The sans serif font was bright with paw prints for the o’s in groomers.
The glass windows had cartoon animals with bright smiles painted on them.
I parked off to the side and grabbed the boxes of food and her drink.
I didn’t bother to lock the truck as I headed inside.
I expected the distinct animal smell, but a lavender and chamomile scent greeted me instead.
The inside was spotless. There was a grass wall with white neon letters and a stool for photos, I assumed. In the front room was a waiting area, a television, and framed pictures of different animals.
“Welcome to Floral Fur Pet Groomers. I’m Kira, how may I assist you this morning?” the woman at the front desk greeted me with a beautiful smile. She was a deep brown complexion with whimsy makeup and flowy lashes.
“Good morning, Kira. I’m here with a special delivery for Mali. Is she still with the yorkie?” I returned her smile with one of my own and held up the food for her to see. “I actually brought donuts and kolaches for everyone.”
“Oop. Please hold on a moment. Let me go get the boss lady.” Kira stood up and scurried down the hall. When Kira returned, it felt like she had the whole place following behind her. There was a man and two other women in tow behind Mali.
Mali.
She was a breath of fresh air as she moved through the hall toward me.
She had her hair pulled into a half-up, half-down style with the top being two buns.
The style sculpted her face perfectly. She had a bare face with lashes and lip gloss—a combination that always drove me crazy on the right woman.
“Flame?” Mali asked with a raised eyebrow when she saw me.
As our eyes locked, my lips pulled into a smile. Her lips mirrored mine.
“Hey, beautiful. I brought your favorite drink from Bower’s Brews. I also brought everyone breakfast. I hope that was okay.”
“Of course. Let me introduce you to everyone before they dig in.” Mali introduced me to the employees on duty today: Diego, Kira, Dominique, and Clareese.
I set the boxes of breakfast pastries on the desk and held her coffee cup for her to take.
Her employees happily moved over to the boxes while I escorted Mali over to a corner for a bit more privacy.
“A pleasant surprise, huh?”
“When you said you were ordering me coffee, I didn’t think you’d be the delivery man.” She took the cup and giggled. I waited patiently to see her reaction to the drink. She took a sip and hummed.
“I got it right?” I asked as I rubbed my hands together.
She nodded. “You did. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
She took another generous sip of her drink and eyed me. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day? Are you off?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I had nothing else planned. What’s your schedule like today? You got a jam-packed day?”
She shrugged. “I have two other clients. One coming in about an hour. The other isn’t until this afternoon.”
“Would you let me treat you to lunch?”
The smile on her face fell slightly as she paused. The physical rejection hurt. I couldn’t lie about it, but I did not intend to overstep. I was eager to spend more time with her. I had to clean it up before I scared her away completely.
I cleared my throat. “I didn’t mean to cross a boundary or make you feel uncomfortable. I really enjoy talking to you.”
“I enjoy talking to you too. I don’t feel comfortable going on a date right now . . . with anyone. I’m still fresh out of a breakup and don’t want to rush into a relationship or dating too soon, you know?” She rubbed her arm awkwardly before she took a sip of her coffee.
“I apologize for moving too fast. I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing anything with me. We don’t have to go on romantic dates. We can do the platonic thing and have our fun as friends,” I explained.
Mali poked out her bottom lip. “You know when to say all the right things.”
“Yes he does, girl. You need to let this man take you out to dinner, or I’ll accept the offer on your behalf.” Kira, from the front desk, appeared out of thin air as she wrapped an arm around Mali’s shoulder.
“Are you eavesdropping on my conversations?” Mali asked her as she shook her head with an amused smile.
“Just a little, but I’m doing it out of love. You deserve to go on fun adventures with fine men . . . extremely fine men . . .” Kira’s eyes openly perused my frame.
“That’s enough out of you,” Mali announced. She playfully pushed Kira away. “Let’s talk outside.”
Mali grabbed my hand and led me outside of the shop. We walked along the path and stood under the shade of a few trees.
“What’s up?” I asked as a breeze passed by us. Her hair blew slightly, and I enjoyed the sight of her curls moving wildly around her face.
“I wanted to talk to you privately, away from nosy workers.”
“I feel you.”
“A part of me wants to explore with you. I haven’t had a conversation flow that well with a man ever. I just need some time to make sure my mind and heart are in one accord.”
“You set the tone for how you want things to go. Like I said, we don’t have to pursue a relationship. I genuinely enjoy your presence and would be more than happy just being your friend. A lunch date—as friends—doesn’t have to come today or this week. We can eyeball it later down the line.”
“I would like that a lot. Thank you so much, Flame.”
“Of course. I hope the rest of your day goes well.” I stepped forward and gave her a warm hug. For a moment, it felt like she melted into my embrace. Time stilled. No one and nothing else mattered. All I cared about was the feel of her body pressed against mine, with our hearts beating as one.
People could call me a simp, cliché, and corny, but I was certain Mali would be my wife one day. Fuck a spark. My whole body burned with desire.
A week later
“Order 222.” I stepped up to the window and grabbed the two trays of food. I walked over to the black bench where Mali awaited me.
“It looks so good,” Mali commented as I set her food in front of her.
“It smells good too. This is probably my favorite authentic street taco truck in the city.” I sat across from Mali and said a quick grace over our food. Then we dug in.
It had taken exactly a week for us to go on our first friend-date together. The weather was perfect—not too hot, not too cold. The sky was bright blue with fluffy clouds slowly rotating around us. City life moved quickly around us, but my attention was on the woman in front of me.
Today, Mali wore a yellow sundress with her hair pulled back by a white headband. The unrestricted view of her face was mesmerizing, especially with the soft makeup look she had.
Mali dug into her food without a care in the world for appearances, and I loved that. Once she was done, she wiped the corners of her mouth and sat up straight. “What?” she asked with a smile pulling on the corners of her lips.
“Nothing. Just admiring the view.” I grinned.
“Oh, brother.” She playfully rolled her eyes.
“Mommy! Two tay-cos pretty peas!” Our gaze shifted over to a toddler running up to the taco truck with his mother. He jumped up and down as his mother ordered their lunch.
“You know, the other day during our game of twenty-one questions, I told you about my ideal family life, but you didn’t tell me how many kids you’d want when you settle down.”
My gaze shifted back to Mali as she took a sip of the fruit punch flavored Jarritos. I processed her statement before responding. “I don’t have a number since I already have two kids.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You do?”
I nodded. “Technically, they’re my sister’s kids, but I raise them like they’re my own. God knows her baby daddy ain’t stepping up to the plate.”
I pulled out my phone and tapped my photos app. I tapped on a recent picture and turned the screen for Mali to see.
“Aww! They are so handsome. What are their names?”
“Jordyn and Jadyn.”
“I love that.”
“Yeah. I’m all for creating a big family in the future, if God sees it fit.” I shrugged.
“I can respect it. I’m an only child. Hell, I’m an only grandchild on my mama’s side of the family, so I yearn for the big family unit.”
“I see the care you show the animals at your business. I know human babies would get all that love, too.”
She laughed. “I hope so. I have so much love to give.”
“That’s a beautiful trait to have.”
We talked more about our visions for our hypothetical families. We talked about what we’d name our kids, middle names passed down from generation to generation in our families, and how important it was to create environments for each child to live comfortably in the home.
“You mentioned earlier that you live with your mom, sister, and nephews. When you settle down, how would that living situation change to accommodate your future wife and kids?”
“That’s a good question. I know a lot of women wouldn’t be comfortable moving into my current situation. We would want privacy to learn about each other in every way.”
“Right.”
“My current plan is to find some land to build a family compound. I want to have my mother and nephews close enough to support them, but far enough that me and the missus could do what grown folks do without an audience.”
Mali giggled. “I know that’s right. You really have a beautiful plan. I know the lucky lady you settle down with would love that a lot. It’s something truly attractive about a man who is selfless and supportive.”
Part of me fought the urge to tell her the woman in my hypothetical scenarios could be her.
Part of me pictured Mali by my side in ten years, running after our babies while I do lawn work in our front yard.
It was easy to picture forever with Mali because we fit together like peanut butter and jelly—strong on our own, but damn good together.
Instead, I replied with “Thank you.”
We continued to talk about different things. We people watched together, cracked jokes, and had a good time. A simple lunch date had turned into almost three hours of time spent together.
“I haven’t laughed this much in so long. Thank you, Flame. You really made my whole week.”
Pride flowed through my body. I felt like I’d won the jackpot.
“It’s what I do. You stick around me long enough, you’ll be laughing every day.”
“Say no more. You’ll have to share me with my best friend, but I look forward to seeing you more—if you don’t get tired of me.”
“I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.” I shot her a wink as she looked away and giggled.