Page 79 of You've Got a Place Here, Too
“You sure?” she asks.
Malcolm hops over the counter, heading to the door. He turns the open sign to the closed side. “She’s sure.”
Amusement spreads across River’s face. “My plan worked.” She points back and forth from Malcolm to me. “Finally!”
“Goodbye, River.” Malcolm pulls the string on the shades, dropping them down. River bends to be visible, giving me thumbs-up and goofy smiles until the shades are fully drawn. Malcolm turns back to me. “Now, where were we?”
I swing my legs over the counter, and Malcolm positions himself in between them, drawing me back into his body. “Right here,” I say, grabbing his face and planting a kiss on him.
Reluctantly, he pulls back. His thumb lingers on my face, delicately brushing my cheek. “Come on. I still have something to show you.”
“What about closing?”
“I’ll worry about that later.” Malcolm guides me through the kitchen and into the storage area. I’m unsure where we’re going until he pushes open a door that readsRooftop Staircase.
We climb the stairs, and once we reach the top, I see why we’re here. My breath stalls from the immaculate view of the campus stretching to the sunset on the horizon. Normally I wait until the last minute to leave the café, so seeing the sunset during this time isn’t unusual.
However, I’ve never seen the campus from this perspective before. My gaze extends from the Aggie Village in front of us all the way to the other side of campus, where the financial aid office peeks out from behind the Academic Classroom Building. Students flow out, emptying nearby parking lots and filling the sidewalks as the streetlights come on. While the clock tower stands in the middle of it all, ringing in the new hour.
I take it in, thankful for my time here and all it has given me. I intertwine my fingers with Malcolm’s as he directs me close enough to the roof’s edge for the perfect view without peoplebelow spotting us. He wraps his arms around me, the sides of our bodies glued together.
“Oh my god, Malcolm. This is spectacular.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Likeis an understatement. The sunset melts into the horizon. Splashes of orange, purple, and pink paint the sky. It’s the type of sight you’d expect in a movie.
The golden glow of the sun illuminates Malcolm’s face. This is the first time I’ve seen it cast over his gorgeous brown skin, and I’ve never been more attracted to him.
I open my mouth to tell Malcolm as much, but he beats me to the punch. “I’ve always wanted to tell you that when I catch the sunset here, it makes me think of you.” His eyes linger over my face, drinking me in.
Suddenly, I’m hot, and it’s not the sun’s doing. There’s always been something between us. But this is more than a meresomething.It’s a feeling I’ve never shared with anyone else. A craving to be around him again when we’re apart. An affection that I hear only when he speaks. A warmth that follows after his touch, no matter how quick it is. Butterflies consume my stomach.
“We should forget about the cohort thing and not let others’ experiences define us.”
I turn around in his arms to face him, our chests so close that our breathing syncs up, and I can feel his heart beating. He’s taking a leap of faith, and while I’ve been reluctant to jump before, this mini date hints at a hopeful future. All the what-ifs play out in my head, but they’re outweighed by how secure he makes me feel. Sorry to my mama, but this Aggie is finallydoing.“I like that plan,” I say, peering up at him.
He beams from ear to ear, eager for more. “So, I get a second date?”
“Kiss me one more time, and I’ll let you know.”
Malcolm doesn’t hesitate to fulfill my request, and a renewed, vibrant energy courses through my veins like a shot of espresso.
“Mmh, you got plans on Saturday?” I ask.
“Yeah…you.”
As the sun continues to fade away, so does the rest of the world, because it feels like no one else exists in this moment—just our hearts beating to the same tune of a promising future ahead of us, as if this is our own rom-com.
One Little Lie…
Christine Platt
As Cleo “Leo” Pickett lay awake in his room in Young Hall, silently cursing the mattress he was certain wasnotan XL twin, he stared up at the ceiling and thought about how he’d never been the type of man to lie. Not about where he came from in Oklahoma. And certainly not aboutwhohe came from. In fact, Leo could not recall a single time he’d lied to anyone…until now.
Damn Lion Camp.
The mandatory weeklong session for Langston University’s incoming freshmen had finally ended, and for that, Leo was grateful. Because even though Lion Camp had made him feel more prepared for his freshman year, unfortunately, it had also exposed insecurities he didn’t even know he had.
