Chapter 7
Kenya took Alonzo’s hand as he helped her out of his SUV. “I’m looking forward to this cruise, and to at least have a few minutes with you.” Since that Saturday at her house two weeks ago, they’d only been able to spend a little time together. Between them both working, and him helping his sister get ready for today’s event, their texts, conversations and brief visits had been sporadic. And she missed him. She would never forget that chocolate encounter, or the way he’d held her high on the wall with his face buried between her legs giving her the most intense pleasure she’d ever experienced. Thank goodness for twelve-foot ceilings. And the massage…it had been everything he promised. It had also helped her pain levels, and she was considering trying one of the CBD edibles.
“I know, and I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’m counting on it.” She’d become more open and playful with him, and she liked it.
“Hey, Alonzo.”
Kenya turned at the sound of a slim, smiling woman rushing toward them. The woman hugged him, then smiled at Kenya.
“Kenya, I want you to meet my sister, Sonya. Sonya, this is Kenya.”
“Oh, my goodness. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Kenya said. The siblings shared the same dark bronze coloring and similar features, but where Alonzo’s eyes were somewhere between light and dark brown, Sonya’s were a deep chocolate brown.
“If it’s coming from my big brother, I’m sure it’s not all good. I’ve been waiting forever to meet you, too. I was starting to think Lonzo was lying about dating, since no one had seen you.”
She was surprised when Sonya hugged her. “Oh?”
Alonzo shook his head. “It’s called keeping your nosy butt out of my business.”
“Whateva,” Sonya drawled. “Now that we’ve met, Kenya, you’ll have to tell me all about how you got Lonzo?—”
“Don’t we need to get this stuff on the boat?” Alonzo interrupted.
Kenya bit her lip to stifle a laugh. They reminded her of Phaedra and herself. “I’ll help.” She reached for a box.
He stilled her hand. “No, you won’t. I don’t want you to do anything that might hurt your back.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet. Mom is going to be so excited when I tell her about how you’re taking care of Kenya and being all chivalrous and stuff.”
“Sonya,” he warned.
“Okay, okay. I’m going.” She grabbed the duffle bag and started toward the boat.
“Your sister is too funny.”
“She’s a pain in the ass.”
“But you love her.”
Alonzo loaded the boxes onto a dolly. “Yeah, I do. As much as she gets on my nerves, I don’t know what I’d do if she wasn’t around.”
Kenya leaned into him. “You’re a great brother.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Can I at least carry this small tote bag? I hate feeling useless.” She rolled her eyes when he tested the weight first before handing it to her. Then she thought about it. This man had been looking out for her from day one, and she couldn’t be mad. It was one of the things she liked about him and made her fall in love with him. She, who never believed that love could happen in less than two months, had done exactly that. However, until she was sure he felt the same, she’d keep it to herself. They boarded he boat and she helped Sonya arrange the oils, creams, bath salts and bombs on the table Alonzo had set up.
“Thanks for your help, Kenya,” Sonya said when they finished.
“It was nothing.” She picked up a zipper pouch containing bath salts. “I love your packaging.” Sonya had the name of the spa in an elaborate purple font with the company’s logo above it—elegant and simple. “I’m thinking I might want to try this, along with a bath bomb.”
“You should come into the spa for a massage. I heard Lonzo mention you have some back pain.”
“Yes, from a car accident a few years ago. It flares up every so often and the pain radiates down my right leg. Alonzo gave me a massage a couple of weeks ago and it did help, so I’ll definitely be making an appointment.”
A slow grin spread across Sonya’s face. “Lonzo gave you a massage?”
Oh, crap!Kenya hadn’t meant to tell her about the massage.
“I’ve been trying to get him to do it at the spa and he flat out refuses, and I know he gives the best massages. He gets my neck and shoulders when I’m all tensed up. I swear his hands are magic.”
She agreed. His hands, his mouth, him. He was magic.
“We’re getting ready to pull out,” Alonzo said, coming back to the table. “You need me to do anything?” he asked his sister.
“Not right now. You two kids go have some fun, and Kenya, you might want to be careful about eating some of these treats being sold by the vendors. They can be pretty potent.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Kenya said with a chuckle. Alonzo entwined their fingers and started for the upper deck. They’d just left the harbor and people were already lighting up. The scent of weed drifted past her nose. As they made it to the top, the smell was less noticeable in the open air. She walked over to the railing and braced her forearms on the top. Alonzo stood behind her with his arms around her. Content, she leaned back against him.
“This is nice.” He nuzzled her neck.
“It is. Sometimes, I just want to get away from it all, go someplace for a couple of days and chill. You know what I mean?”
“I do, and we can make that happen whenever you like.”
“I’m ready now.”
Alonzo laughed. “And I’m making it happen now. Don’t you see us out here on the water? Away from stress, life… Speaking of stress, has your father called or come by the house again?”
“No. I haven’t heard one peep. Phaedra said Mom called and threatened him with some stuff that happened when they were married. Whatever it is, apparently, he doesn’t want to mess with her.”
“In other words, she’s got receipts. I wouldn’t want to tangle with her, either. The way she dropped him with one punch was enough warning for me.”
Kenya leaned back to see his face. “Nah, she likes you a lot, and thinks you’re cute.” Actually, her mother couldn’t stop singing his praises. She brought up his name in every conversation they’d had since the incident, and had even gone so far as to hint that he’d give her pretty grandbabies.
“I like her, too. And your sister.”
“I’m blessed to have them in my corner.” The conversation tapered off and she didn’t know how long they stood there before she felt a vibration. “Is that your phone or mine?”
He shifted slightly. “It’s mine. Sonya needs my help. Apparently, she has a long line. Will you be okay on your own for a bit?”
“Yeah, babe. I’ll be fine.”
“Am I your baby?” he asked.
She turned in his arms. “Yes, you’re my baby. Until I met you, I didn’t know there were men like you still out there. You’ve helped me not be so afraid of love anymore.”
“All I did was help you get back what has always been inside of you. You’re one of the strongest and most courageous women I’ve ever met. It’s okay to let your guard down and be who you are with me.”
“I’m finding that out. And I think I like it,” she added with a smile.
“So do I.” Alonzo kissed her softly, sweetly, then disappeared in the crowd.
Facing the water again, she realized that he was right. And even if things somehow didn’t work out with them, she’d never go back in hiding again.
Alonzo had a hard time getting through the throng of people surrounding Sonya’s table.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Sonya said when he reached her side. “Can you take payments and bag, while I handle the rest?” She passed him her iPad and Square, along with the decorative shopping bags she’d had designed.
“I got it.” He jumped right in, and with his assistance, they were able to get the line down to a manageable state after about thirty minutes. His listened while his sister explained to a small group of women about the benefits of CBD massage and encouraged them to take advantage of the discounted massage coupon she handed each woman.
“Does he work at the spa, too?” one woman asked.
“He’s the co-owner,” Sonya answered.
Another woman said, “Count me in if he’s giving the massage.” She exchanged a high five with a third woman.
“Sorry to disappoint you ladies. I’m not a massage therapist, but I can promise you that the staff will take very good care of you. We have group half and full-day packages that are perfect for a girls’ day out. You can also add a light lunch and wine to your package. In the meantime, you can try out the products now.”
“Sold,” the first woman said. “When’s your next opening?”
Alonzo shared a smile with Sonya as she gave more details and booked the appointment. The women also purchased oils, bath salts, and bath bombs.
“I’m going to start taking you with me to all the events I do. You had these women spending two and three times the amount they originally planned. And that was the third group who booked.”
“Hey, the goal is to run a profitable business, with the emphasis on profitable.”
“You ain’t said nothing but a word, big brother.” They did a fist bump. “Where’s Kenya?”
“I left her up on the deck.” He was anxious to get back to her. Hearing her say she wasn’t afraid of love anymore had made his heart beat faster and it had taken everything in him not to blurt out how much he’d come to love her. Alonzo was trying his best to keep their relationship at a slow pace, but this was out of his control.
“Since the rush is over, I can handle things for a while. I’ll holler if I need you again.”
“Okay.” He slid everything back over to her side for easier reaching and stepped from behind the table.
Sonya caught his hand. “I really like her, Lonzo, and I know you’re in love with her.”
“What, you’re a mind reader now? I never said anything about being in love.”
“You don’t have to. I’ve known you all my life and can read you as well as you read me. You love her. Yes, it’s only been a couple of months, but you can’t put a timetable on love or plan it. Mom will tell you that in a heartbeat. She and Dad met and married within a three-month span, and if you haven’t noticed, that fire is still burning forty-five years later. Don’t let her get away. I can tell that you bring out the best in each other just from seeing you two together those few minutes.”
“I hear you, and yeah, I do love her,” he confessed. Love not having a timetable got his attention. “I’m not sure she’s ready to hear it, though. She’s had a lot of pain where love’s concerned.”
“And you’re the perfect person to change her perspective. Now, go get your girl. And tell her you love her. Those words could be the one thing that takes away her doubt and fear.”
Alonzo hugged Sonya. “Thanks, sis.”
“You can thank me by getting me that sister.”
“I’ll see you later. Text me if you need me.” He made his way through the crowd of people vying for vendor attention, dancing to the music that could be heard throughout the vessel, and those lounging around smoking, eating and generally enjoying themselves. Spotting Kenya at one of the ship’s bars, he maneuvered to her side.
“Hey, beautiful.”
Kenya spun around, her smile wide. “Hey, handsome. How did the sales go?”
“They went well. We booked a couple of group spa days, as well.”
“Oooh, I should do that with my mom and sister. They would love it.” She took a sip from the bottle of water she’d purchased.
“You should. We’ll make it extra special.” He noticed something in her hand. “What are you eating?”
“It’s a brownie bite.” She leaned forward and whispered with a giggle, “They’re good, but not as good as mine. Here, take a little bite.”
“Kenya, where did you get that?” He suspected she’d gotten an edible.
“There was a nice lady at one of the tables selling them, but she was nice enough to give me a sample to try when I told her I’d never had an edible before.”
“Baby, you know that has weed in it?”
She nodded. “I only took a couple of small bites, and the woman said it wouldn’t have too much of an effect. But I’m already feeling…happy? Yeah, happy. Try it.” She broke off a small piece.
Alonzo sighed. Most of the edibles tended to be pretty potent, especially for someone with no experience in taking them. He took the bite she offered. As she’d said, it tasted good, but not like the ones she’d made, once they finally got around to eating them. “It’s pretty good, but I’ll take yours any day.”
Kenya patted his cheek. “See, that’s why I like you. You always know the right things to say. Can we go back upstairs? I love looking at the water.”
“Let’s go.” They ended up near the same spot where they’d been earlier. Standing near the railing, he observed her relaxed features. That small portion she’d eaten had made her less inhibited and he wondered if this would reveal the true woman, the one that had been buried beneath all the pain and betrayals she’d suffered. He stood behind her as she gazed out over the water as the sun started to go down. She swayed to the mid-tempo song playing, the sight of her round butt tempting him to show her another dance, especially when she gyrated her butt against his rapidly growing erection.
“Hmm, I don’t think I’ve heard this song before, but I like it.” Kenya angled her head thoughtfully. “And the words are exactly what I feel with you.”
Alonzo had been too busy being aroused by her to pay attention to the song lyrics. But her words had him all the way tuned in now. He didn’t recall the song, either, so he hit the Shazam button on his phone to get the title and artist. “The song is called “Maybe” by Sidibe.”
“I’m going to have to get this. You know what else?”
“No, what?” he asked with a little laugh.
“She said she hadn’t planned for it to happen, but that maybe she’s thinking about falling in love. I’m thinking about it, too. With you. And I think I want another massage. Your hands are magic.” Her eyes widened and she clamped a hand over her mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”
Yep, that little brownie has got her loosened up a lot.“I’ll be happy to give you another massage and why weren’t you supposed to tell me you’re thinking about falling in love with me?” He scrolled through the lyrics and the line that stood out to him talked about not stopping until the other person fell, too. Alonzo wanted her to fall right with him.
A sad expression crossed her face. “Because you don’t love me back and that means I’ll probably get my heart broken again.” She waved a hand. “Oh, my goodness. I can’t stop talking. Did they add some doggone truth serum to this brownie, too? You can’t ask me anything else.” Kenya lowered her head and ran a hand across her forehead.
He gently lifted her head. “Look at me, sweetheart.” When their eyes met, he said, “I don’t want you to be afraid of telling me anything, especially about how you feel. Falling in love is a good thing.”
“But I can’t let that happen again, Alonzo. It hurts too much.”
He felt the anguish behind her words. Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, he brushed a kiss over her mouth. “I’m not going to hurt you. Do you remember our conversation about what a man who loves a woman does? That he wouldn’t break her heart because it would be like breaking his own?”
“Yes.”
Tell her you love her. Those words could be the one thing that takes away the doubt and fear. Sonya’s words rose in his mind. “I can’t break your heart, Kenya, because that would be like breaking mine. I love you, baby.”
She gasped softly. “Alonzo, are you just… Wait. Is that the weed talking?”
Alonzo almost laughed because she looked so serious, but didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. “I can assure you it’s not. That small bite didn’t affect me at all, and I do love you. Don’t be afraid of this, sweetheart. Trust this. Trust me.”
“Okay, okay. I can do this,” she said, seemingly talking more to herself. Kenya reached for his hand and put it on her heart. “I love you, Alonzo Bennett, and I’m trusting you with my heart.”
Those were the sweetest words he’d ever heard and he vowed to never make her regret giving her heart to him.