He laughed and so did I. Reminisce and I spent a while longer in the café talking back and forth before I needed to begetting home to my dog and he claimed he had something to take care of. I also needed to find out what I was wearing. I had been trying too hard to decipher the vibe of the evening, but at every chance Oden shut me down. He claimed all I needed to know was when and where to show up. I wasn’t used to that, considering I was always in charge of things. Rarely was I in the dark about plans.
When I walked in my house, I wasn’t surprised to see fresh water out for Chauncy and proof that Ava had either been here or she was here. Ava handled everything, including the puppy I probably shouldn’t have gotten because I was so darn busy all the time. It helped tremendously that she lived a few floors down from me as well.
“So, you have clothing laid out. Where are you headed, Ms. Mamas?” She turned the corner from my dining room at the same time my puppy rushed my feet. He was the cutest little something. The moment Rennix called me and said Harlem was looking to sell him, I had to have him. I've wanted one since G bought one for Beyah. I wondered if I only bought him to soothe the baby fever I kept getting cases of.
“To dinner. Which outfit is the best?”
“For what type of dinner?” she countered.
“That’s the thing I don’t know. He won’t tell me.”
“He who? Jade, what are you not telling me? Per our last conversation, the date with Preston was a bust. What am I missing?”
I explained my run in with Oden as well as how I knew of him, which was familial ties. By the time I was finished, all she could offer was a toothy grin.
“So, he’s a chef?” she asked as we walked into my bedroom.
“Yes, and his food is so good.” I closed my eyes, my mouth watering at the thought.
“I bet, and him feeding it to you made it even better. Go with the bandage top. You have phenomenal shoulders, so you should show them.” She winked.
I nodded, grateful for her input. “Cool. Now what are you doing this evening?” I didn’t want to be her life because of course I wanted her to have a life outside of me and school.
“Dinner with my mom. We’re gonna discuss her life choices and my inability to help her out of yet another hole she has put herself in behind a man. In the same moment I’ll be reaching for the check, because of course I know if she’s asking to borrow money then she can’t possibly afford to pay the check.” She gave me a tight-lipped smile that bothered me.
“That’s fucked up. Honestly, if you need me, just call me.”
She nodded. “Not happening. I want you to enjoy yourself. It’s not often we have fine chefs feeding us. As a matter of fact, for me not ever. Once in a lifetime thing, which means since it happened to you, it’s not happening to me, pooh. So, please enjoy yourself for the both of us.”
I laughed. “Fine, but I’m still gonna check in on you. Do you think I should keep these pants or find something with more of a flow?”
She looked the pants over, then shook her head. “Um no. Keep ’em tight. I mean, unless you have intentions of coming out of them in a hurry tonight.”
“You are a fool. No. I don’t. The only intentions I have are to enjoy his food and company.”
She laughed, throwing her hands up in surrender. “Fine. You could also enjoy his company by doing that too, but I get it.”
The address Odensent me wasn’t to his restaurant, but a condo near lakeshore drive. It was in one of those expensive ass, Gold Coast buildings. I could tell it cost a grip as I found myself in thetempered glass elevator going up. The view was beautiful, the lap of straight up luxury if you asked me.
He met me at the elevator, dressed in black pants and a grey polo as though he hadn’t just cooked an entire meal. Shit this man was gorgeous. He had tight, irritated eyes and even tighter lips. Unlike any man I had ever been attracted to, he had a beard and goatee. It was neatly trimmed and maintained unlike many others I had seen. He was the color of fresh cookie butter with a sharp jawline and flat cheekbones. On his left cheekbone right below his eyes, easily able to be missed, was a beauty mark.
Before I could step from the elevator, I was pulled into his space. The type of hug I had only dreamt of awaited me. Shit, him and these big ass arms had the potential to be my weakness.
“You smell good.” He kissed my temple before his hand gripped mine and pulled me in the direction of the open door.
Had I been any lighter, I swear I would’ve been blushing. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome.”
From the moment I entered his condo, my stomach had been grumbling. It smelled so good in here I just knew I would be leaving here stuffed. “It smells delightful in here.”
He didn’t let my hand go until we stepped into the kitchen, where he washed his hands and went for a spoon. Seconds after he dipped it into one of the large pots on the stove, he held it to my lips. “Taste it.”
Our eyes locked and I accepted the spoon full of whatever between my lips. The moment was erotic and so sensual that I had to look away while I chewed.
“Do you always feed your guests or am I just special?”
He set the spoon down. “Yeah, you're special.” Then, like pure fucking sin, he winked and turned to stir another pot. I swear I didn’t know how I was gonna survive this night, but I’d try. There was definitely no bitch in my blood.
