"This is just a normal date. There's nothing to panic about," Jamaica quietly reminds me.
Tuh, girl, please. I'm about to go on a date with the man I'm heavily attracted to. This is Jawaan, and tonight is far from a regular date.
Ding. Dong.
Wordlessly, I exhale the air from my lungs while moving to unlock the door, and my pulse beats wildly in my neck. Opening the door, I swallow as my mouth instantly waters at seeing Jawaan standing on my porch.
Good God! This man didn't come to play or half-step tonight.
Jawaan looks like a wet dream with the mahogany color shirt covering his upper body deliciously. The gray pants adorning his lower half have my tongue slowly swiping my lips. Unable to stop myself, I shamelessly search for a print of his package before moving on, taking note of the matching mahogany loafers.
"Are you gonna speak or continue to eye-fuck me?" Jawaan voices, causing my eyes to return to the top.
Heat fills my neck upon seeing the cocky grin on Jawaan's lips and the glow in his eyes. Jawaan's dreads are neat and intricate, allowing me to appreciate the masculine contour of his facial structure. His beard is perfectly trimmed, and not a single hair is wandering out of place.
"H-hi." I stumble over the single word of greeting in a low and breathy tone that I'm unable to mask.
Lord, this man is so dag on handsome. Whew.
Time stands still, and I'm frozen in place while mentally coaching myself to snap out of my trance. Thankfully, my friends come to my rescue by making their presence known.
"We're gonna get out of here, but uh... I'm Evie Reddick, and this is Jamaica Spivey. We're Zurmani's besties."
Wait,did she say Jamaica Spivey?
It takes me a minute to process and get past the initial sting of hearing Zurmani's friend's name.
"Damn. I can speak for myself," Jamaica cuts in, shoving Evie out of the way before extending her hand toward me. "It's nice to put a face to the name we've been hearing so much about."
Don't freak out. Don't freak out. Clearly, she doesn't know who you are. Be cool.
Plastering a smile on my lips, I shake Jamaica's outstretched hand, fighting the intense drumming in my chest cavity.
"It's nice to meet you," I respond, pushing the words from my mouth without giving away the torment bubbling within me.
"All right. We're out of here. Have fun," Evie declares before she and Jamaica walk past me, exiting the porch.
"Let me grab my keys, and then I'll be ready to go," Zurmani says before returning to the house, leaving me alone.
Shake this shit off. Ensure Zurmani has a great first date and deal with the skeleton falling from your closet later. You can do this. Masks are your specialty.
"All right. I'm ready," Zurmani's sweet voice penetrates my ear canal, snapping me out of my pep talk.
"Before we go, I would be a trifling man if I didn't let you know how good you look, Tigress. Jeans have never looked so good, girl." Connecting our hands, I lift Zurmani's hands, lightly kissing her smooth skin.
A smirk plays on my lips when I see goosebumps pop in the place where my mouth landed on Zurmani's hand.
"Thank you. So do you."
"Trust me, watching you eye-fuck me gave me all the confirmation and confidence I needed. Let's get moving."
Leading Zurmani to my vehicle, I open the passenger door and wait for her to get comfortable before closing the door.
All right, God, please allow me to get through this date without a game of peek-a-boo from my trauma.
"Do you have a music preference, or are you good with whatever?" I ask after getting in.
"Other than rap, classical, rock, or country, I'm good with whatever."
