“Ever, I’m no genius, but I’m not a dummy by far,” Lyric started, picking up the drink menu that we’d been given.
“Where is this going?” I inquired, preparing myself for whatever shenanigans Lyric had up her sleeve.
“Since we walked up, there’s been a particular set of eyes on you. And I don’t want you to look now, but that same set is staring in your direction right now.”
“Lyric, you’re seeing things because I haven’t felt or seen anyone staring at me. I can pick up on those things easily. Always have.”
“Then, let me just say you’re a little out of whack tonight because those eyes are headed in our direction, and I’m almost certain they’ll stop at you.”
I began to heat all over. Instead of looking up to see if what Lyric was saying was true, I began asking myself a million questions in my head.Do I look fat in this?was the first that came to mind, followed by,am I slouched? How is my posture? Why is he looking at me and not Lyric? Don’t everyone know I just got out of a relationship?
I was flooded with questions that didn’t have answers as I straightened my posture and took a good look at the black pants and black cropped button down that hugged my abdomen area.
“Told you,” Lyric squealed on the low.
When I looked up to gauge the distance between the man she’d sworn had been staring and I, I was surprised to see thatthere wasn’t much –if any. His hand extended as he lent me his palm to meet.
“Hi. I’m Cedric. And you are?”
His smile was inviting, showcasing a set of perfect teeth that were pearly white. Either he’d visited the dentist faithfully since a kid or he had gotten the most natural set of veneers available. Whatever the case, his smile was beautiful.
“I’m Eve,” I half-lied. Eve was part of my name, so it wasn’t an awful fib.
Lyric’s sniggering nearly caused me to break the seriousness of my gaze, but I remained straight-faced as I accepted his hand in mine. The softness of his skin reminded me of my own. Except he was darker and aged a bit more. Looking at his handsome face, I’d give him about seven or eight years my senior. So, approximately thirty-eight.
“Nice to meet you. Mind if I buy you a drink?”
“Only if it doesn’t come with your company. As much as I’d love to hang another time, tonight is special to my friend and me. I’m not looking for a third wheel, tonight,” I explained, happily speaking up for myself for once.
Those days of not saying exactly what was on my mind, setting clear boundaries, and telling them what I wanted when it came to a man were over. Dewayne had ruined me for the rest of them. From day one, I wanted to be as assertive as my thoughts and heart required to save myself from heartache and pain in the end.
“That’s cool. I’m not trying to stop your shine, love. I just wanted to make sure we connected before either of us got on our level. But since we’re cutting straight to the chase, do you mind if we keep in contact?”
“I don’t,” I admitted, admiring him from my chair.
The dark denim and tee to match were suiting. The clear glasses with the gold rim revealed the truth. They were part ofhis attire. He didn’t need them to see. They were cute, in general and on his face.
“Then lock your number in, and I’ll leave you two ladies to your fun,” he told me as he handed me his phone.
“I’m Ever, by the way,” I folded, unable to keep the lie going.
I didn’t have it in me to do so. Lyric would clown me for it later, but I could stand the heat. Lying had always been hard for me, which is why I preferred not to if I could help it. Even harmless lies got my panties in a bunch.
“Damn,you hit me with the fake name.” Cedric chuckled as he dropped his head to count the money he’d pulled from his pocket.
“Kind of, but I mean, my name does have Eveinit.”
I shrugged while returning his phone. Simultaneously, he was handing me two crisp hundred-dollar bills. I wasn’t sure why, so I looked to him for an explanation.
“Tonight is on me. If you guys need more, just holler at me. I’m in the section near the bar. You can’t miss me.”
When I looked in the direction where he was pointing, I nodded. He was right. I couldn’t miss him. He was in the section that wrapped around the corner. It was the largest of the few the lounge offered. Lyric and I had only grabbed a small booth for seventy-five. Anyone that wasn’t in a booth or section were left to stand in the free space throughout the lounge. There was a lot of it, leaving it spacious without feeling overcrowded.
“You don’t have—" I started but felt Lyric kick me underneath the table. “Thank you, Cedric.”
“No problem, Ever.”
He left our booth without more being said. I didn’t even care to look in Lyric’s direction because I knew she was wearinga dirty little smirk. After staring ahead and the smile bursting from my seams, I snapped my neck in her direction.
