I continued to sip my coffee and look around before I came across the most beautiful bracelet. I knew Lyra had to have it. It was perfect—small and dainty as hell—just like her.
“Excuse me?” I called out. She came walking quickly from the back.
“Yes, darling?”
“I would like to purchase this bracelet. How much?”
“This is a stunning and unique piece that any woman who knows anything about luxury will find amazing. It’s $1,950 and one of one.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Would that be cash or card, sir?”
I pulled out my wallet and handed her my American Express card. I watched her carefully box the bracelet up, then wrap it up for me. I couldn’t wait to see Lyra again and give it to her. My phone began buzzing, and it was Lyra FaceTiming me.
“Hey, beautiful.”
“Hey, Dre.”
“You good? I ain’t want much… just to see how your day was going.”
“I’m good. Just exhausted from traveling. After you dropped me off at the airport this morning, I’ve been on go non-stop. I’m back in the city now, though, so I for sure was gonna try to get some real rest in tonight since someone had me up to the wee hours of the morning.”
“You weren’t anywhere you didn’t want to be now, were you?”
“I sure wasn’t.” She giggled. “How is your morning going?”
“It’s straight. I’m having a little coffee right now and picking a little something up for you, actually, at this small shop I’m in.”
“Something for me? Why?”
“I just saw it, and it made me think of you. So why not, you know?”
“Now, I’m not only anticipating seeing you again, but I wanna see what you got me, too.” Her soft, brown lips curved into a smile.
“Can you at least give me a hint of what it is?” she pleaded.
“I cannot. Can you make yourself available for me this weekend?”
“I’ll see what I can do. I might be able to skip a flight, possibly.”
“You should. I promise it’ll be worth your while,” I said, trying to sound convincing. She was a tough cookie, but I liked that about her. You couldn’t pull some okie doke shit with her. The world needed more women like her.
“I know you gotta go, but know that I’m thinking about you, beautiful. I’ll call you later on tonight sometime.”
“Talk to you later, Dre.” She winked and blew a kiss.
I had to get to her this weekend. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
A Week Later…
To say I was happy to be back home in Atlanta was an understatement. I was elated and over the moon to get back to my daily routine for a couple of days. Usually, I started my mornings slowly with my favorite chamomile tea with a little collagen sprinkled in so the fountain of youth gods could keep blessing me. It was just one of the small luxuries I loved while I was home.
My girlfriends asked me if I wanted to get out either that night or sometime on the weekend, but I didn’t want to. All I could think about was Dre and how he couldn’t keep his hands off me. Besides, between work and Dre, I didn’t have time tocommit to all the shenanigans we got into when all of us were free. Since Dre and I were back in Atlanta, he made it a point to see me almost every day.
I was still on a high from the time we’d spent together over the last week. Things had progressed fast, but there was something about him. His presence soothed me in ways that I didn’t know I needed until we’d met. It was apparent during and after our date; I had been involved with men who,simply put, weren’t ready for a woman like me.
Dre made me feel like everything I wanted in a man was easily attainable, and so far, with him, it was. Sure, he had a baby momma, but his son was seventeen, so I was pretty sure he wasn’t tied up with her like he would be if his son were a toddler or something. I was feeling him, no lie, but the spontaneous and risk-it-all side of me wanted to say fuck it and continue dating him to see how it would pan out. I had a feeling it would work out in both our favor, regardless.
