Page 118 of Curvy Girl Summer

Ahmad tapped the bar. “I’ll get those drinks for you.”

Distractedly, we saidthank youin unison.

For the next three hours, I hung on to every word Lennox said.When we called it a night, I felt more positive about this date than I had about any other date all summer.

“Let me take you to your car,” Lennox offered as we stepped outside of the bar.

A group of people were making their way down the sidewalk, so he shifted us to the side. Taking my hand, he moved me out of the way. Even though we were no longer moving, he didn’t let go of my hand. The heat from it traveled up my arm and flushed my cheeks.

Over the time we’d spent at the bar, we’d brushed against each other and touched here and there. But his fingers intertwining with mine was the first deliberate touch we’d shared. And the way he did it was so smooth, it made me smile.

“No, it’s okay. I didn’t park far.” I tilted my head to the side as I looked up at him. “But I appreciate the offer. Thank you.”

“If you won’t let me be a gentleman and ensure you made it safely home, will you at least promise me that you’ll allow me to do it next time?”

“Next time?”

“I’d like to see you again, if that’s all right with you.”

My lips curled upward. “I’d like that.”

“Good. Because like I said before, what the lady wants, the lady gets.” He took my hand and lifted it to his lips. “Anything.”

From the way his eyes pierced me, I knew he wanted to kiss me. And the way my body swayed forward made it clear I wanted him to kiss me. So, I wet my lips and waited.

The orchestra of city sounds consisting of people, vehicles, and music came to a halt when he tipped my chin. I let my eyes flutter closed, and I waited two long seconds until his full lips covered mine. Lennox kissed me gently at first. It was almost teasing as he wrapped his arms around my waist and deepened it. Kissing him back, I felt desire coil in my belly.

I needed to be kissed.

I needed to feel the warmth of hands on my body.

I needed to feel the urgency and desire in lips against mine.

But when his tongue slipped into my mouth, Ahmad’s face flashed into my mind.

What?!

Startled, I pulled out of the kiss. I tried to blink away the image as I stared up at the eligible bachelor in front of me.

“I look forward to seeing you again, Aaliyah,” Lennox whispered, stroking my cheek. “Text me and let me know you made it home.”

“I will,” I murmured.

He leaned down and let his lips lightly brush mine. “Good night.”

“Good night,” I breathed.

I was standing in front of a good-looking man who had the most potential to be elevated to boyfriend status of anyone that I’d gone out with all summer. He was single, educated, and entertaining. We hit it off, had lots of chemistry, and our conversations lasted for hours. He was on his way to making it to the elusive second date with me.

So why am I thinking about Ahmad?

17

Visions of Ahmad when I’d masturbated was one thing. I hadn’t had sex in a while, and he was the last man I’d seen. It was an honest subconscious mistake. But thinking about Ahmad while kissing Lennox unsettled me. I was actively kissing a man, so there was no logical reason for me to be thinking of Ahmad when Lennox wasright there. But after a good night’s sleep, I came to the conclusion that because Ahmad was the only man I’d connected with and had great conversation with over the summer, the lines blurred. It meant nothing. And to prove it meant nothing, I made my time with Lennox more intentional.

And it worked.

Even though I knew we were in the getting-to-know-you stage, I felt like I’d known Lennox for years. There was so much about his life that he’d shared with me. Between texts and video chats, we were on the phone constantly. The more I learned about him, the more I wanted to know. I was so interested in him that I stopped engaging with other men from the app. I still set up a date for the last Friday before my birthday weekend, but I didn’t talk to him much. That was my in-case-of-emergency-backup-last-ditch-effort meetup. My birthday was eight days away, and I was almost certain that I had found what I was looking for.

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