Page 3 of Somebody Else Will

“Hmph. I know that’s right,” I said. “Where is the venue?”

“It’s downtown.”

“Okay. I can meet you around ten. Is that too early?”

“No, ma’am, it’s perfect. Is there a number I can text the address to?”

I smiled slightly. I didn’t have a business mobile. My personal line was dry as hell. The only personal calls I got consistently were from Will, my mama, and my grandmother. “Yes.”

I proceeded to give him the number. Once he’d sent the text, he said, “I can’t wait to see what magic you create. My mama will be so excited. Her sister recommended you since she lives in Beaumont. Her name is Jocelyn Bridges, if that will give her brownie points.”

I smiled big. “It absolutely will. Thank you so much for choosing me for such an extravagant occasion. See you Wednesday at ten.”

“Yes, ma’am. Is it okay for me to call that same number if anything comes up?”

“Absolutely. It’s actually my personal line, so I always have it on.”

“Good to know. Talk to you soon.”

He ended the call, and I literally wanted to pass out from holding in all my excitement. Once I made sure that I’d ended the call as well, I screamed. I grabbed Jamia’s hands, and we jumped around like little girls. When I finally exerted enough energy, I huffed. “I guess I better get to work.”

Jamia giggled, then said, “I’m so happy for you. No one works harder than you. You deserve this, boo. See you when you get back.”

I smiled at her then hugged her. Receiving compliments was hard for me. I often felt awkward, not knowing what to say in return. “Thanks.”

I quickly turned on my heels and made my way to the van. That one phone call had brightened more than just my day, but probably the entire week. I couldn’t wait until Wednesday.

“Zeke,can you bring back some milk? I don’t know how I forgot to get some.”

“Aunt Jocelyn, you know I will get harassed in a grocery store if someone recognizes me. Can’t Josie go to the store?”

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I just forget that you’re a famous actor. You’ve always been Zeke to us. Let me call her right quick.”

She ended the call as I slowly shook my head and chuckled. Today was my mama’s birthday, and we were doing a small gathering among family. She would be totally surprised by the party next weekend. My aunt was baking desserts and left off a major ingredient of banana pudding. Like, how did you forget milk when running down the ingredients for banana pudding? I chuckled as I headed to the venue.

I was somewhat excited to meet the florist that I talked to the other day. Her voice had mesmerized me. The depth andrichness of it said grown ass woman. If her looks matched her voice, she would have a hard time getting rid of me. Then she messed around and gave me her personal number. I was gon’ wear that shit out if I felt an attraction once I saw her. I was already attracted to her voice.

When I arrived at The Astorian, I scanned the parking lot to see if she had beat me here. I was slightly early, because I wanted to go inside and look around before she got here. My cousin had told me about the elegance of this place. Doing something extravagant for my mother hadbeenin the works. My dad wanted to do it for their anniversary, but I told him that would make it about both of them, and I wanted to do something nice forher, not them.

My dad was a hard man. I was his only son, and he thought I should have had a more manly job. He was pissed when I took an interest in theater. My mother chose to nurture my talents. Once my father realized how good I was at it, he learned to accept it. He was supportive by the time I was in high school, but I found that I still held a little animosity toward him for trying to alter my dreams.

Had it not been for my mother, I would have probably ended up working a dead-end job like him. There was nothing wrong with working hard and earning an honest living. However, I saw more for myself, especially after watching Denzel Washington and many others grace the screen. The man was so talented and a very convincing actor. Nobody couldn’t tell me that he wasn’t Malcolm X. As a kid, for the longest, I really thought he was Malcolm X, no matter what other movies he was in.

So, I chose to honor my mother as much as possible. While I hadn’t reached the heights I was striving for just yet, I knew I wouldn’t have ever pursued this career had it not been for her encouragement and support during the early years. She deserved all the good things life had to offer.

As I made my way to the entrance, I saw a van pull into the parking lot. When it turned and I saw Happily Ever After Floral on the side, I knew it was her. Instead of going inside, I waited for her to emerge. I was anxious to see her. My life was full of women throwing themselves at me, but those were the ones I chose to ignore. I wanted to be the aggressor. If I allowed her to be the aggressor in that sense, I felt like it would give her permission to be the aggressor in every aspect of our lives.

I refused to be in a relationship where my input wasn’t valued, and allowing her to run shit was the beginning of that. I’d seen it too many times with couples in the industry. I stayed far away from women in the industry. When my agent tried to turn things personal, I dropped her as soon as our contract was done. Mixing business with pleasure was a no-no in my book.

Now, if we were in a relationship first, and she chose to pursue a career in the same business I was in, that would be a horse of a different color. I would be supportive, but I would also be sure our relationship dynamic was intact.

Once she parked, I could see her staring at me. She quickly grabbed something from the passenger seat and opened the door. When she got out and closed the door, my lips parted. I immediately licked them when I scanned all the thickness and curves her body offered.Damn.I made my way to her as she smiled. Her dimples winked at me and caused me to smile back. Her milk chocolate skin tone was mesmerizing, and her septum nose ring only enhanced her beauty. Those brown eyes were big and expressive.

As I approached her, I extended my hand. “Hi, Denishia. It’s nice to meet you.”

She smiled bigger as she stared up at me, her eyes narrowing to slits from her lifted cheeks. “Likewise, Mister Wheeler.”

I twisted my lips to the side and said, “Ezekiel.”

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