Chapter 3
Three
Dy
O h my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.
I wrapped my lips around my straw and took a long drink of my margarita. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think I would be sitting at an airport bar beside the one and only Brixton Ellis.
This man had been a permanent fixture in my thoughts since I moved from Terry, Chaney. When he asked me to be his girlfriend in eighth grade, I thought it was the beginning of forever. Everything with us had been smooth until my mother fell in love and moved us out of the hood.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved my stepfather.
I never knew my biological one, and Reggie treated me like his own, so I thanked God every day for him.
That didn’t change the fact that my mother finding her person cut my own love story short, though.
I had been sick about leaving Terry—leaving Brixton— for weeks.
I tried to run away several times, but my terrible sense of direction always had me knocking on my parents’ door after ten or fifteen minutes.
My mother used to tell me that I’d be fine as soon as I made new friends, but no matter how comfortable I got in Jai City, I never got over my first love. I eventually started dating, and I had plenty of friends, but I couldn’t ever shake the feeling that something— someone —was missing.
Now, here I was, watching that someone sip his whiskey. Time had been more than kind to Brick. What used to be short starter locs that barely reached his ears now stretched well past his shoulders. He had a crisp lineup, and his goatee was trimmed just as neatly.
I had always been obsessed with his bushy eyebrows and was glad to see that they remained unchanged. His sandy brown skin was smooth, and his smile was perfection. Brick had gone from a cute teenager to a sexy-ass man who made my insides tingle.
“You look damn good, Doll.”
My face heated at his words, and I sipped more of my drink to try to hide my blush.
“Thanks. So do you.”
His eyes fell from mine but were still on me. I frowned.
“What?” I asked, wondering what he was looking at.
“I still make you blush. I’m feelin’ that shit.”
I rolled my eyes, but I knew my cheeks were even redder at that point. His voice was everything.
“Tell me wassup wit’ you, though, Dy. What I miss?”
I laughed. “A lot. It’s been twelve years, Brick.”
He smiled. “I ain’t heard that name in a minute.”
“Good,” I replied before I could stop myself. When we were in school, everyone called him Brix . I always aimed to be different, and I liked my nickname better, anyway.
That made him laugh out loud, but instead of commenting on it, he addressed the other thing I said. “It has been a minute. But we’re here now, and I wanna know everything.”
With a sigh, I dove into my recent history, telling him the major life updates like going to college, moving to New York, and being the assistant to a famous pop star.
As I spoke, he observed me intently. He nodded sporadically and made small comments, letting me know he was listening to every word I was saying.
Once I felt like I had filled him in on all the important stuff, I shrugged.
“That’s about it. What about you?” I asked, holding my breath. What if his update included a girlfriend or fiancée? Would I care?
Of course I would .
He chuckled. “My life ain’t nearly as exciting as yours, Doll. I went to community college and got an associate’s degree, and I moved to Jai City about four years ago.”
He didn’t say anything else, so I frowned and kissed my teeth.
“Brick, please. You have on a ten-thousand-dollar watch and a thousand-dollar pair of shoes. Your sweatsuit is simple but expensive, and the Brick I know doesn’t do handouts, so I know you bought all this yourself. Your life is definitely more than just a degree and relocation.”
Brixton had always been a modest guy, but his glow-up was major, and I wanted to know all about it so that I could celebrate with him.
Laughing, he nodded. “I’ve been doin’ aight for myself, I guess. A few years back, I wrote a song for one of my homies who could sing. He recorded it and that shit blew up, and once he made it, he let everybody know I gave him his first hit. It’s been up ever since,” he replied with a shrug.
“Wow,” I said. My voice was barely above a whisper because I felt a little choked up.
Brick always had a way with words. His best friend, Marcellus—or Marc, as we called him—and I would tell him that he was supposed to rap or write books and that it would be the thing to get us out of the hood, but he used to downplay his talent as just a hobby.
I was so happy to hear that he had made a career out of using his gift.
“Who’s the homie that you wrote the first song for?” I asked.
“Cameron Ray.”
My eyes widened, and I slapped his arm.
“Are you kidding me? I love him!”
Cameron Ray was one of the best neo-soul artists out right now. Wilder and I saw him in concert after graduating from college, and I had been obsessed ever since.
“Chill. I’on consider myself a jealous man, but you tryin’ it right now,” Brick said, smirking.
I rolled my eyes. “I love his music , that’s all. Wait, . . . are you saying you wrote ‘ Sweetest Regret’?”
He nodded. “That was me.”
“Oh my God, that’s my favorite song in the world.
Wait till I tell my best friend I know the writer,” I said, smiling widely.
I continued with, “I’m so happy for you, Brick.
I always thought you should be the one in the spotlight, but the fact that you’ve found a way to share your gift with the world makes my heart smile. ”
“Seein’ you makes my shit smile,” he said, not missing a beat.
I reached for my glass again, ready to bury my face behind it. Brick wasn’t with that plan, though, because he grabbed it and set it behind his on the bar.
“Quit hidin’ from me, girl. We’re better than that.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t hiding. How is your dad doing?”
The small smile that graced Brick’s face made me smile.
“Pops is straight. I was able to retire him a couple of years ago, so he really be on planes and shit, livin’ his best life.”
I smirked. “Has he settled down yet?” Brick’s mom passed away when we were in first grade. It happened before I had even met him, and as long as I’d known his father, he’d had all the single mothers of our classmates fighting over him.
Matching my expression, Brick kissed his teeth. “What you think?”
Laughing, I replied, “You’re right. I knew better.”
He opened his mouth to respond, but the bartender interrupted him. Extending a receipt toward us, she said, “Here’s your check. We’re closing early due to the snowstorm.”
Brick and I reached for it at the same time, and my hand brushed against his accidentally. The contact made my breath hitch, and I shivered. He must have felt something, too, because he froze for a moment then cleared his throat.
“You know you ain’t payin’ a bill around me, Doll. Don’t even play like that,” he said, grabbing the slip of paper from the lady. He pulled a thin black wallet out of his pocket, retrieved a few twenty-dollar bills, then handed them back to the bartender.
She frowned. “The bill is only twenty-seven dollars.”
“The rest is for you. Enjoy your evening, and be safe in the storm.” He winked at her.
She blushed before walking away, and I rolled my eyes.
Sexy ass.
Once she was gone, he turned to me.
“I got a confession to make,” he said, making me raise my brows.
“Oh yeah?”
He nodded. “Before I approached you, I was sitting behind you at the gate. I knew it was you as soon as I heard your laugh, and I eavesdropped on your phone conversation a lil bit.”
I laughed. “A little bit?”
“Yeah.” He smirked. “I heard you say you were walkin’ home before the storm came.”
Checking my watch, I nodded. “Yeah, the storm isn’t supposed to happen for another forty-five minutes or so. I only live a block away, and I would rather be snowed in at home than at the airport. Uh . . .”
I bit my lip as I contemplated my next words.
I knew I wanted to invite him to come with me, but .
. . I didn’t want to sound thirsty . I still didn’t know if he had a woman at home, either.
If he did, and I made a move as bold as inviting him to spend two days with me, I knew I’d be ready to run away and bury myself in my embarrassment once he turned me down.
Then again, he did say I looked good. What taken man would compliment another woman like that?
You know what . . .
“You can come with me if you want.” I blurted it out quickly, and I was way louder than I intended to be. His smirk grew, and I felt my entire face heat up. He was laughing at my desperate ass.
“I mean, you don’t have to. I wasn’t trying to be weird or anything. I was just saying that, because you don’t live?—”
“Why the hell would you think you’re bein’ weird, Doll?
I was smilin’ ’cause I was about to invite you to spend these two days with me.
I wasn’t supposed to leave New York until tomorrow, and I have a bad habit of not checking out of hotels.
I’m staying at the Luxe Mirage Palace , and it’s prolly closer than your crib. So how ’bout you come with me .”
I couldn’t even hide my smile at this point. “But you only have it for one more night.”
He shook his head and held up his phone. “I extended my stay a few minutes ago. As much as I’d love to see your place, I peeped that you have a roommate. No disrespect to her, but I want you to myself while we get to know each other again.”
My smile grew wider, and I immediately covered my face. A second later, my hands were being pulled away from me. Instead of letting them go, he maintained our connection and rested our hands on the bar.
“Please?” he asked in that sexy voice of his.
I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling, trying to pretend I was considering his offer. The truth was, my mind was made up as soon as he posed the question.
After a few silent moments, I glanced at him again and smiled.
“Lead the way.”