Page 11 of Somebody Else Will

He grabbed my hand, and I swallowed hard. “You feel that heat? How can you say no to that much chemistry?”

“I’m not saying no. I’m saying not yet. I can’t commit to something like that when I don’t know what kind of fuck shit this nigga gon’ be on when I get home. Excuse my language.”

“I’ve said worse,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I suppose what I’m asking of you is to not completely block me out. I won’t be all in your space. I have an audition to prepare for. I just want to be able to talk to you sometimes. That’s all.”

“But how long will you be satisfied with that, Ezekiel? That will only suffice for a little while. I don’t make commitments unless I’m positive I can keep them. With this shit brewing, I don’t know how I will feel day-to-day. I may not feel like talking to anyone.”

“Can I ask you a question?” he asked.

I angled my body toward his and said, “Yeah.”

“Do you feel an attraction to me? Any chemistry? Or is it that you’re starstruck? I don’t want to confuse what I think you’re feeling for what I want it to be.”

I lowered my head for a moment. “I think it’s both.”

He gently lifted my head by placing his fingers under my chin. “What do you mean?”

“I always thought you were an attractive man, even more so in person. I suppose I’m starstruck because I can’t believe you actually have an interest in me. I don’t have low self-esteem. I just… I don’t know.”

He grabbed my hand again as I stared at him and kissed it. “You do know. Tell me.”

My body heated up tremendously. The man was fine as hell. I didn’t have much to offer. I figured he would want someone inthe business or at least with as much star power as he had. I was a nobody. I wasn’t rich. In fact, I was barely making it with all these bills. My mortgage and the rent on this place alone took nearly half of my profits most months.

“I’m not as accomplished as you. Why would you want someone like me? I’m not as educated either. I didn’t go to college. My grandmother taught me how to take care of plants and taught me about business. The rest I learned along the way. My mama was my first employee. I struggled, and sometimes, I still do.”

“I admire that, Denishia. You have a very successful business. Do you know how many florists are in Houston? Yet people out there are still seeking your services. Your drive is insane. Your potential is limitless, and you’re fulfilling it. I don’t want a spouse in the business. I don’t know how real they are.”

“You don’t know how real I am either. Just…”

“I get it. One day at a time? Can we agree to that?”

I looked away to think about what he said. I didn’t even want to agree to that. I didn’t want to give him false hope. Before I could agree or disagree, there was a knock on the door. It opened, and my mama walked in with a smoothie from Smoothie King.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Denishia. I didn’t know you had a client. Oh shit. That’s Ezekiel Wheeler! Did you tell him your favorite holiday movie wasUnwrapping Your Love: The Gift?”

I closed my eyes. Old people could spill all the damn secrets. When I opened them, Ezekiel had a smirk on his lips. “Denishia, you didn’t tell me you were a fan of my work.”

I rolled my eyes. “Not all of it. Thatisone of my favorite movies though. Thanks, Mama. Bye, Mama.”

She giggled as Ezekiel stood and introduced himself, as if she didn’t just say she knew who he was. It seemed he was as nervous meeting fans as they were meeting him.

“I’m Patsy Boswell. I must say, I’m a fan also,” she said and cut her eyes at me as Ezekiel chuckled.

I was not the type to gas anybody up. If I didn’t like something, I didn’t have a problem saying so… except when it came to Will’s ass. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t tell him he was dead weight. It was almost like he’d become a part of me and who I strived to be. Was I striving to become a better person, a better business owner, a better lover… for him? I should have been wanting to be better for myself.

“Denishia.”

My eyes lifted to Ezekiel’s, then slid over to my mama. “I’m sorry. My mind was somewhere else.”

“I said, I saw Will’s pathetic ass. Since when you start letting him drive your car?”

I frowned and hopped up from my seat, running out to go see if my car was gone. I shoved the back door open to see my car was indeed gone. My heart was racing. I immediately went back inside and called the police. Will’s name wasn’t on anything I owned. Thankfully, I was smart enough not to enter any financial agreements with his ass.

As I reported my car stolen, my mama was standing there wide-eyed. Ezekiel came to me and gently rubbed my back. I hated that he was seeing all this. He was being exposed to sides of me he would have never seen had it been my choice. Walking away from them, I went up front and turned off the open sign and locked the door. After reporting it and them sending an officer my way, I ended the call.

“Jamia, we have to shut down early. That muthafucka took my car. He gotta be on drugs to think that would be okay. How the hell did he get here in order to take my car?”

I wasn’t asking that question to any one in particular. I was just voicing my frustration.

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