Page 8 of Summer in London

A’ja thanked the driver with a smile as she paid him and exited the cab when he pulled up at Lark. A’ja texted Celine while she ignored a few cat calls. She didn’t care that the divorce wasn’t final, in her mind, she was single, but that didn’t mean she was looking to pass her time with just anybody. It had been so long since she dated anyone besides Kenyatta or gave her body to anyone besides him that she almost felt lost. She wasn’t about to be out in the streets on her hot girl shit. She wasn’t above having a lil’ fling, but she would be very selectivewith choosing. One thing she loved about the men in London were their accents. Almost anything they said made her panties moist but when they used the term, ‘bruv’ it did something to her. There were some gorgeous men in London, but A’ja was reserved and guarded. A man needed to have much more than good looks to get her to let her guard down.

“A’ja boooo,” A’ja looked up and saw Celine and Marlow walking up the sidewalk. Celine had a wide smile on her face, and she looked amazing in white jeans that looked painted on and a white, lace bodysuit. If it was one thing basketball did, it had the ladies looking right. Celine was in such good shape after she had her son that her stomach was back flat literally three days after she pushed him out.

“Hi,” A’ja hugged Celine and waved at Marlow.

The small group entered the lounge and was seated right away. It was pretty full but not packed to capacity. They ordered drinks and hookah, and A’ja scanned her surroundings.

“I spoke to Diane before I left. She said Keasia was acting stank, but she was still coming.”

A’ja rolled her eyes because it wouldn’t be surprising if she didn’t come. Diane and her wife Keasia were the most toxic couple that A’ja knew. Keasia was jealous of any woman with a pulse. Diane must’ve been a true pussy hound because she damn sure wasn’t that pretty that her wife shouldn’t want her around women period. It didn’t even matter if the women were straight. If Diane and another woman so much as made eye contact, it set Keasia off. Being around them was draining and embarrassing. If Keasia was coming, then A’ja hoped Diane wouldn’t show up. She’d rather just be a third wheel.

“Ah hell nah let them stay home,” Marlow declared, and A’ja snickered. He felt the same way she did.

They had barely even gotten their drinks, and Celine was already grinding on Marlow and doing the most. That was herman, and that was her right. But it was also why A’ja hadn’t really wanted to come. She continued to eye the crowd while she sipped her drink through a straw, and something caught her eye and made her drink go down the wrong way. A’ja set the cup down and damn near coughed up a lung while she gasped for air like a fish out of water. Celine handed her a napkin because tears were streaming down her face. Thank God the music was loud because she would have been embarrassed as hell for half the lounge to be gawking at her.

“Damn. You okay?” Celine asked concerned when A’ja could finally breathe.

“Yeah. My drink just went down the wrong pipe.” She dabbed her face with the napkin.

A’ja looked up and fine ass Naasson was looking at her. Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she busied herself with the waitress that came over to the table with the hookah in tow. A’ja took that opportunity to order another drink and by the time the waitress walked away, Naasson was nearing the table. Her breath caught in her throat as he approached with a smirk.

“Small world for real.”

A’ja offered him a smile. “Yeah, it is. I’m assuming there’s a reason that we keep running into each other.”

“I’d have to agree. London isn’t exactly small, but we keep crossing paths. It has to be for a reason. May I?” he asked, nodding towards an empty seat.

“Sure.”

“I was planning on calling you but to be honest, I don’t know. I just didn’t want to come off as thirsty. I was still trying to figure out when a good time to call would be.”

A’ja finished off her drink, and she was a little tipsy and less reserved. “It’s cool. If I’m being all the way honest, I appreciate the fact that you’re moving kind of slow. I’m actually in the middle of a divorce, and I’m still going through the grievingprocess. Like, I want some motion to prove to myself I still got it, but I’m kind of scared of motion if that makes sense.”

Naasson chuckled. “Ain’t no way you could have thought you ever lost it. I’m sorry to hear that, but baby, you’ll always be able to have motion. Believe that,” he licked his lips, and A’ja smiled.

“Thank you. You have to know you’re handsome. Handsome as hell. If there’s anything that helps a woman’s heartbreak, it’s being approached by a gorgeous man.”

“Gorgeous?” he showed off his straight white teeth. “Not sure if I’ve ever been referred to as gorgeous before, but I’ll take that.”

“I’m being rude,” A’ja countered. She looked over her shoulder. “This is my teammate, Celine, and her husband, Marlow.”

Pleasantries were exchanged, and A’ja and Naasson got back to their conversation.

“How long have you been single?” she asked as the waitress brought the next round of drinks over.

“Not long.” Naasson admitted. “Me coming to London was very last minute and spur of the moment. It caused me to miss a pivotal point in my girl’s life, and she’s kind of tired of the BS. I can’t even blame her. I can’t be what she needs me to be right now, so I kind of look at it as setting her free.”

A’ja found herself staring at Naasson, and he raised his brows when she didn’t respond to his comment.

“What?”

“Nothing because I don’t want to project. It’s just that sometimes, men and women are different. You may look at it as setting her free. She might look at it like you didn’t care enough to fight for the relationship.” A’ja tried to watch her tone because the last thing she wanted to be was a hot, sniveling, defensive, mess.

“You’re right about that, but some things aren’t black and white or cut and dry. A person has the right to want what theywant, but it may not always be possible for what they want to occur just like that. When that person doesn’t want to be patient, setting them free would be the correct move in my eyes.”

A’ja nodded her understanding. They were in a hookah lounge, and she didn’t want to kill the vibe with heavy conversation about relationships. The waitress came over with A’ja’s drink, and Naasson ordered another one.

“Put her drinks on my tab,” he instructed the waitress.

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