12. Journee #2
I display a matching welcome smile as I shake the outstretched hand of Mrs. Clem.
Her energy is that of an old-school auntie, and it settles me into the calm I need to get through this experience.
The next seconds bleed into minutes as Mrs. Clem goes through instructions, tips, and everything Sincere and I will need to know.
What shocks me is when a handler walks out a black horse with a black-and-gray-streaked tail.
Its coat is beautiful and shines brighter than a new penny.
I can’t help but watch the horse like a hawk for a few seconds before my forehead wrinkles when I don’t see another one being led out.
“Are we taking turns riding? I’m not sure that I’m going to be comfortable with that.” I turn to Sincere as his eyes fill with merriment as he smirks.
“Nope. We’re riding together.”
“Oh.” The single word hangs on my lips like a pause as I nod in understanding and agreement.
Sincere removes the smidgen of space between us as he whispers for my ears only.
“If she bucks, she’ll have twice the weight, and I’ll fall first so I can catch you.”
While cheesy and a line I know I shouldn’t swoon over, I can’t help it.
A rush of warmth spreads across my chest, and all I can do is nod.
Knowing Sincere will be with me, falling doesn’t sound like a bad thing.
Fantasies push me to lose sight of the next few minutes until Sincere reaches out his hand to help me climb onto the horse.
“Now, Ida is a great judge of character and one of my best for new riders. She should give you an experience without any trauma. Stay on the trail, and I’ll see you when you return,” Mrs. Clem instructs.
We were a few paces into the slow trot of this trail when something dawned on me that I had to speak on.
“Did you call this horse Ida?” The humor in my tone and low giggles can’t be helped as I wonder what made Mrs. Clem name her horse such a Black girl name.
“Yep. All of them have Black folks’ names according to the website. There’s an older one named Jethro. Poor horse is brown with gray all in his mane.”
My giggles increase at the name Jethro for a horse because Mrs. Clem is a wild one for that.
But then reality returns when my eyes land on how muscular Sincere’s thighs are as he easily steers Ida.
My arms tighten around his body for no reason other than to feel and bask in his physique.
I’m not sure what he does in his free time, but if I had to guess, I would say he spends some of it lifting weights.
“So, what made you consider horseback riding for today? I would have never guessed you would be interested in this type of thing.”
“Believe it or not, my pops used to talk about bringing my sisters and me here when we were little, but never did due to his demanding work schedules. I’ve been on a couple of horse trails before, but I wanted to patronize someone who looked like me.
In my search, I came across this ranch and figured it would be something special to experience with you. ”
Aww.
I lean into Sincere’s back and place a light kiss against his shirt because I’m a sucker for a great story and vibe. It also makes me excited to see what else he has planned because, so far, this date is off to an awesome start.
Clem Stables provided not only space for Sincere and me to ride Ida but also showers to clean up and put ourselves together post-ride.
I was wondering how we would be able to change clothes for the second part of our day.
But clearly, Sincere didn’t half step with the details and had been way ahead of me.
The trail didn’t have anything on how I felt riding shotgun behind Sincere.
It’s a memory I will forever cherish, regardless of what happens between us.
I also hated to see Sincere switch clothes from how well his jeans and flannel adorned his body.
“Mm. You clean up very nicely, Esquire.” My words sound like a kitten purring as I take in Sincere’s second ensemble.
The black shirt with the two top buttons undone, showcasing hints of ink, stonewashed black jeans, and black boot-like tennis shoes give Sincere the illusion of a bad boy.
It’s the opposite of his profession, but he looks like someone I’d love to sink my teeth into.
He also has a relaxed outfit selection that matches perfectly with what I decided to put on for the latter part of today.
My outfit is a cream top that crosses at my breasts and flares open to reveal a small portion of my stomach.
Thanks to my hard efforts, there are no remnants of my having given birth to Milan.
The black jeans adorning my body fit my lower half like a glove.
The open-toe jeweled heels do a great job of making my calves and backside look amazing.
I’m ready for whatever comes next. Based on Sincere’s clothes, I don’t know whether we’re going to dinner or someplace else.
But with him, it doesn’t even matter because I’m down for literally whatever.
“As do you. Damn, Journee. You might make me hurt somebody for staring at your beautiful ass too long.”
“Don’t hurt them. I’m securely with you.”
Sincere nods as he takes my hand and guides me to the passenger seat.
Butterflies and an electric surge course through my body at the comfort of our connection.
Our conversation flows easily as we talk about mundane things.
I note that we’re heading back to Kaigood, my mind swirling with destination possibilities.
It feels like we’ve been driving for minutes when we reach our final location.
“Ooh. This should be so fun,” I say five minutes later as Sincere and I head to the front entrance of KaiCity Soul Lounge.
It’s a place dedicated to people who want to vibe to karaoke.
They’re only open Friday through Sunday and stay open until midnight.
Although I have never been here, I have heard great things about it.
I’ve also never performed karaoke, so this will be another first but one I’ll keep to myself for now.
When we enter the lounge, the vibe hits me instantly as someone sings horribly on stage to one of Whitney Houston’s songs. The audience is heckling them, and they still sing their hearts out. I would give them an A for their effort and confidence.
“Don’t laugh too hard because we’re hitting the stage soon. You can sing, right?”
Wait, what?
My humor dries instantly as my mouth opens and closes upon hearing Sincere’s words just as we reach a table.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Nah. Besides, you just said this should be fun. What do you have to lose?”
My ability to get a kiss at the end of the night.
I shake my head just as the waitress struts over to our table asking about our drink orders.
I quickly order something that will give me some liquid courage.
Then my focus alternates between Sincere and the stage.
All I can do is pray that Sincere chickens out before whoever is in charge calls us to take the stage.
I’m not sure how I’m going to go from never performing in front of people to performing in front of a crowded room of strangers.
This will either be a disaster or a nightmare. There’s no other option, because, oh my God, how am I about to do this? One thing is for sure: This just got really interesting.