Page 22 of Somebody Else Will

“Only if you want to go somewhere in public.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll change just in case.”

“Okay. See you in thirty minutes.”

I ended the call, excitement flooding my being. Doing my best to disguise it, I went to my luggage and pulled out a pair of distressed jeans and a graphic T-shirt. I accented it with a long necklace, large hoop earrings, and some Vans.

“Okay! I see you, boo!” Jerzey said as I combed my straightened hair.

I rolled my eyes at her as my grandmother smiled. It seemed they could all see that Ezekiel was making me happy, simply by his presence. I didn’t know whether I was happy or just temporarily distracted and flattered by his admiration of me. Time would tell just how sincere he really was and what I was truly feeling. I couldn’t get an accurate gauge on my feelings right now, with everything that was going on.

After applying cherry lip gloss, I left the room, amidst their words of praise, and made my way to the lobby. Sitting on a chair near the entrance, I fiddled with my clothes, wondering if I should have dressed nicer. I quickly dismissed that thought. If anything, I wanted to be comfortable. If he couldn’t get with that, then he was barking up the wrong tree. My days of trying to impress someone simply by what I wore were gone. They could go to hell. If I liked it, I wore it. Plain and simple.

I was worthy of love and loyalty. I was worthy of attention and devotion. However, waiting on the right person to supply those things was what was frustrating, not to mention knowing who the right person was. Again, they all felt right in the beginning.

I glanced out of the window to see him in a car with his window down. There were still quite a few people at the bar, so I didn’t want him to have to get out and risk being recognized. I didn’t think he would be mauled or anything, but I felt like he would get approached for autographs. He was about to headinside until he saw me walk through the doors. Instead, he went to the passenger side and opened the door as he smiled at me.

“Hey, baby. You look beautiful.”

“Hey,” I said softly, not bothering to say thank you.

I supposed my thoughts of genuineness were all over the place. I already didn’t really know how to accept a compliment, but it was worse when I felt like it was only formality. He closed the door and quickly made his way around the car, back to the driver’s seat. When he got in, he drove off. He glanced at me and slid his hand to mine. “Despite everything, did you enjoy some of the party?”

“Yes. It was really nice. I’m sure your mother was surprised and extremely happy that you would do this for her.”

He squeezed my hand slightly and took a deep breath. “I know it was hard for you. I just want you to know how much I appreciate your dedication to your obligations. However, it wasn’t necessary. I would havestillrecommended you to colleagues. You had no control over what happened, Denishia. You are going to have to learn to take care of yourself and your needs first. You can’t burn the candle at both ends.”

I only nodded slightly. No words needed to be said in response. He was right, but reprogramming my brain to think that way was a totally different beast. I never reneged on my obligations. If I said I would do something, came hell or high water, I did it. This weekend was no different. I exhausted every avenue and ounce of energy within me to be sure of that. This party was tough, especially being that him honoring his mother was the focal point. Had it not been for that, I didn’t think it would have been as difficult.

When he reached a red light, he turned to me. “Are you okay?”

I turned to him, giving him a tight smile, and said, “Yeah… not really. I’m in my feelings.” I closed my eyes and asked, “Can we go somewhere private?”

“Of course.”

I could tell he was trying to figure out the right words to say to help me feel better, but he quickly realized the dilemma. I wanted to believe that he’d put himself in my shoes and imagined if that had been his mother. He’d probably be inconsolable for a while, judging by how close they seemed to be.

Ezekiel kept driving, and when we reached what looked to be a loft, he entered the code and drove through the gate after it opened. Surprisingly, I didn’t have an ounce of hesitation in me. My nerves had stayed put. I just wanted to relax in his arms. I wanted the tenderness and intimacy.

When he got to a garage, he parked then got out and came to my side to help me out. We walked in silence for a minute or so. Doing my best to socialize my way out of my head, I asked, “Did the party go as you expected?”

“It did. I was happy with how everything turned out, especially the flowers and the food. And I’m not just saying that because you did them. They were really beautiful. You’re so talented.”

“Thank you,” I said and looked away from him, paying attention to my surroundings.

“I enjoyed dancing with my mother, and I enjoyed dancing with you, holding you close. I can tell that you need that right now, and I promise to give you whatever you need in this moment.”

I nodded. He opened the door by inputting a code above the doorknob, then held it open for me to walk through. This place was beautiful. I expected it to be, simply by the outside, but he clearly had a professional decorate this. I couldn’t fathom that he was capable of executing this himself. As I lookedaround, smiling at the decorative canvas prints as well as the photographs on the wall, he appeared behind me.

“Your loft is gorgeous.”

“Thank you. I’m rarely here. Even when I’m in Houston, most times I end up staying at my parents’ home.” He slowly shook his head. “I guess I’m spoiled.”

“You guess? You mean you don’t know for sure?” I asked sarcastically.

A smirk formed on his lips as I stared up at him over my shoulder. Before I could get away, he began tickling me, causing me to laugh loudly. He didn’t stop until I was practically screaming.

“Let me stop fucking with you before these people ’round here call the cops, thinking I’m killing somebody in here.”

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