I sat back on my plush couch, setting my cup of tea down on the small coffee table beside the couch. I had no other plans but to relax and watch a good movie on Tubi for the rest of the night. I was already showered, moisturized, and sitting pretty with my Topicals eye patches on.
Let the house rotting begin.I laughed to myself and sank down into the couch, wrapping up in my cozy chenille oversized blanket. I scrolled Uber Eats to see what I could come up with for dinner because my kitchen was not about to see me that night, or at all for the rest of the weekend, unless it was for coffee, tea, or a snack. Just as I was about to add my meal to the cart and checkout, my phone rang, and Dre’s number was displayed across the screen. I smiled and nodded because when a man really wanted a woman, there was nothing that stood in the way of it. It was in the way they did everything.
“Hey, you,” I answered.
“Hey, beautiful. I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I? I just finished out my last assignment for the night.”
“You didn’t, baby. I’m actually just sitting here chilling and about to order some late dinner.”
“What you ordering?”
“I’m craving some seafood right now, so I’m getting a seafood boil.”
“Order two, and send me the address where I can pick it up. Then I’m on the way to you.”
“I may have company here already.” I tried to be as serious as possible to throw him off.
“Trust me. You don’t.”
“You don’t know that.” I sucked my teeth and bit my lip, smirking.
“Ain’t no way anyone else is over there with the way I been in and out of there, baby. Trust me. Neither of us have the time.”
I couldn’t do anything but smile, because he was right. If I had someone over, I would have sent a text after seeing the call or straight-up ignored it.
“I guess. Don’t think you can just invite yourself over any time you want.”
“And why can’t I? For the past week, I have. It’s too late. We’re past that phase now. I got some for that smart ass mouth of yours when I see you.”
“It better be something good. I only accept love in the form of food, gifts, and extreme affection.”
“Trust me. It will, and I got you. I’ll be there after a while.”
“Okay. Be safe. You know Atlanta traffic is crazy during this time of night.”
As detached as I was, whenever I was feeling a guy, my level of care went up a few notches. I didn’t want to do too much too fast, but I allowed my intuition to lead me right then, and so far, it hadn’t steered me wrong.
Once the call ended, I checked the order and submitted it. The app said it would be ready in twenty minutes.
I grabbed my cup of tea and gulped the last bit of it, then went to the bathroom to throw on some eyeliner and lip gloss. I peeled the under-eye patches off and decided not to put any press powder or tinted moisturizer on because I refused to be overdone in my home when I didn’t have to be. Don’t get me wrong. I loved makeup, just not all the time like some women. I didn’t mind that Dre had seen me bare face, no lashes, and all natural. I took my brown rattail comb and undid my low pony just to do it over and refresh my edges. When I didn’t have on makeup, I at least made sure my skin was glowing and hair was flowing. It was a must.
I finished up in the bathroom and sprayed my favorite “at home” perfume a few times all over myself and went back to the couch to wait for Dre and the food. Instead of putting a movie on like I’d planned before, I prepared for the food and Dre. I scrolled Pinterest to pass the time and ease my growing nerves. Being around men didn’t normally make me nervous, but Dre had such a take-charge demeanor that it just did something to me, and the week we’d spent back and forth with each other wasn’t enough for me to be all the way comfortable yet.
After some time scrolling through Pinterest and filling my cart on one of my favorite websites to shop on, Dre was at the door.
“Look who finally made it.” I greeted him with a kiss on the lips and a hug.
He walked in with a small, black gift bag that my eyes immediately went to first. Shit, I’d forgotten he said that he picked something up for me last week.
He set the food bag down, and I opened it to make sure everything was right, and it was. I had some parchment paper for baking, and I rolled out a massive amount of it to cover mycoffee table so we could eat our seafood boils without having to worry about messing anything up. My apartment looked like a showplace for sure, but the foundation of it was comforting. Above all, I had to be comfortable. I chuckled to myself because in my early twenties, I didn’t give a damn about any of that. My life was strictly about making money and making a man trick on me.
Looking back, I had only subjected myself to the bare minimum and didn’t even realize it. After my last encounter with the freaked-out pervert from New York, I knew I needed something different.
“I’m here, beautiful, live and in the flesh. Now, come here,” he commanded.
He stepped all the way into my place while I closed and locked the door. Dressed in an all-black button-down and black chino pants, Dre looked like a million bucks. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, showing his tattooed chest and neck. He was so damn fine. It truly didn’t make any sense. Then, his scent was so heavenly and masculine.
I stood in front of him on my tiptoes and brought him close to me by grabbing his collar. My nipples pressed against his chest as I breathed him in.
