Page 11 of Beautiful Beginning

Nia sauntered into the living room and flopped down across from us. “Who are we talking about? Lover boy?”

Lauren nodded. “The man who is about to have our girl wrapped around his dick.”

“Finger. The saying is finger.” I laughed.

“I said what I said.” Lauren held her head high as Nia co-signed.

“Whatever.” I mumbled. “I’m going to get dressed.”

I laid out a black t-shirt dress, a pair of sandals, and pulled my hair into a ponytail. I put on a little makeup and tried to think of every scene I’d ever watched in a movie. The ones where cute dates happen in a poetry lounge. Tried to compare my planned outfit with those. “It’ll work.” I nodded after puckering my lips.

I didn’t have long to get dressed. Only a few minutes if he was punctual. I was stepping into my sandals when I heard the knock at the front door. Lauren’s voice screaming my name.

“Coming,” I yelled in return. I shook my hands before leaving my room. When I pulled the door open, Chaz stood before it freshly shaved, a button-down shirt, and a pair of jeans. And he looked even more fuckable than he did on campus with his t-shirt and sweats. “Hey.”

“These are for you.” He stretched his arm out, and the large bouquet of flowers dangled before me.

“Wow.” I looked over my shoulder as I grabbed them. “Flowers.” I wriggled my brows at Lauren and then Nia. “They are beautiful.”

Lauren mumbled, “And she’s gone.”

“Come in.” I walked the flowers to the kitchen and found a vase to put the flowers into. We had a few. Only from the times we showered ourselves. “Flowers add a little umph to our place.”

Nia mocked, “Umph. Do we need umph?”

“Can’t hurt,” Chaz responded without making eye contact with her.

“Welp, there you go.” I laughed as I reached for his hand. “I’m ready.”

I didn’t expect the warmth of his hand to heat me like the sun in the middle of the day. I gulped as I led us out of the apartment. And as we walked down the stairs to his car, I wanted to fill the space with conversation. But the silence we were in felt comfortable.

He opened the passenger door for me and waited until I sat comfortably. Then he got behind the wheel. “You are going all out tonight.” I mentioned when he started pulling out of the parking spot.

“Mama taught me well.” He reached for the control on the radio and asked, “What type of music do you listen to?”

“Anything that’s trending. Rap, R&B, pop, whatever is being played non-stop at the club.”

His cheek crinkled when he frowned. “Give me a song.”

“Okay.” I tried to catch a beat, a lyric, hear a verse. Nothing. “Guess I can’t think of anything,” I finally said.

“Brain turned into mush all of a sudden?” He looked at me with his thick brows bunched together.

I pulled my lips into my mouth then said, “Something like that.” I didn’t admit it wasn’t a sudden response. My brain stopped functioning earlier when I saw him on campus. “There’s something about you that has me intrigued. So much so, I can’t think of anything else.” I hunched my shoulders although his eyes focused on the road ahead. “I guess.”

“Has to be hard for someone who has classes. Cheerleading. And anything else you have going on.” Then he stopped. “You know, I assume you don’t or you wouldn’t be here. But is there someone who’d be mad I’m taking you to a poetry club? Someone who would get pissed if I stood on stage and highlighted your beauty?”

It was laughable. Or pathetic. One of them. But the answer was a strong, “No. And I’m not sure if that’s notable or not.”

“For me, it makes my path forward a little less challenging.”

“You think?”

He turned toward me, and his eyes were answer enough. Still, he said, “At least I don’t have to convince you I’m better than another man. I only have to show you I’m worth your time.”

“Worth my time…” I mouthed and the words felt heavy on my lips. Weighed on my shoulders and beat on my chest. “Last thing either of us wants to do is waste our time.”

“Exactly.” He pulled into the parking lot of Speak Out. Before I could open my door he already banked an extra few hours of my time. “I got that.”

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