Page 101 of Chemistry: The Chemist

The table grew silent, everyone staring in Makai’s direction. It was apparent he was the life of the party, the one to bring joy and laughter to the incredibly serious and highly sensitive nature of his family. And I enjoyed that.

“Yeah. Eclipse.” I laughed. “Mountain. My name is Eclipse.”

“Ahhhh. A sense of humor. I like her, ugly ass nigga,” he claimed, speaking to Chem.

“Niggas been dropping ’bout liking her. I don’t think that’s the one to like, Makai.” Chemistry shook his head as he fired off with a warning.

Oh God. Please, I begged inside.

“It’s Mountain,” he teased. “Standing tall– wide a–”

“My safety is not on, Makai. Don’t fuck with me.”

“She said it. I didn’t.”

“Fuck you.”

“See, I knew I shouldn’t have had that drink. I’m feeling a little woozy and you hollering out suspect ass shit like that. Milo, please don’t let him take me home. You hear that bass in his voice? I’m going to have a long night if he doe–”

“Makai, please.” Anna sighed. “Eden, forget everything he just said. Makai is the… special one of the bunch.”

At once, he quieted. The utmost respect being for the woman at a table full of men had my cheeks aiming for my eyes.

“Now that he’s quiet, we should all toast to Chemistry and his very interesting venture,” she announced, holding her drink up into the sky.

“That’s not going to cut it, baby. We need a few bottles. Shit like this doesn’t happen often,” Malachi stated, immediately searching for a server to put in the request.

“You’re right.” Anna lowered her glass.

“Has it always been that bad?” I whispered to Anna, wondering why it was so hard for everyone to believe Chemistry was seeing someone and things were serious enough to be introduced to part of the family.

“Worse,” Anna shared. “And I mean that with love. Chemistry swore he’d never fall for a woman, let alone trust one with his heart again.”

“Again?”

“Catherine.”

Nodding, I digested everything she’d said. Gazing at Chem, I gushed at the pure contentment on his face. He was in his comfort zone. He was happy here.

With pursed lips, I blew an air kiss. His teeth peeked through his bashful smile. In a swift motion, he grabbed the kiss I’d blown, mid-air, and placed it on his chest, right over his heart.

Bottles in buckets of ice sat beside each man at the table. At once, the corks were removed and the champagne glasses were filled from one end of the table to the other. Silently, the servers waited for our glasses to lift.

“To Chemistry and Eden,” Anna chanted.

“To Chemistry and Eden,” everyone else joined.

“To us,” I mouthed, facing the man himself.

“To us,” he repeated.

Empty glasses barely hit the table before they were filled again. Chatter began and didn’t end until dessert was cleared and we began dispersing from the table. I didn’t have a single complaint. The appetizers, entree, and dessert were all pleasant.

I found it hard to leave the people I’d shared the last two hours with when it was time to depart. I clung to Chemistry’s arm, trying to stop my head from spinning as we made our way out of the door. My head leaned onto his shoulder when we finally made it to the valet station where the truck we were in was being pulled around, along with the cars of the others in our party.

I watched Malachi and Anna speed off into the darkness.

I want that type of love. Visions of Chem and I ten years from now felt irrational, but they still played in my head as the tail lights got further and further away from us.

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