Page 46 of Where Is the Love
I smiled and followed him to the massive kitchen. My mama and Aunt Chrissy would be in hog heaven in here. It was extremely spacious. There were two sink areas, four huge ovens, two microwaves, a fancy ass refrigerator, and a huge cooktop. “My mama would have a field day if she had a kitchen this size in her home. She’d never stay out of it.”
He smiled and led me to a bar stool. He helped me up to be seated then kissed my forehead. “I’m so happy you’re here. When the season is done, your mom is welcome to come cook in here anytime.”
I smiled again as I watched him get the food from the oven. My mind seemed clear for the moment. I’d taken today to get reacquainted with myself. I pampered myself all day long. I went to a spa and got a massage, facial, wax, a mani/pedi, and got my hair done. The day was peaceful. While I was mentally trying to convince myself that I was doing what was best for me by ignoring Brix, I knew that I would have to talk to him eventually, like I did to Decklan, to truly be at peace with how things turned out.
After exercising, I soaked in my tub in lavender oils and crystals until I damn near fell asleep. However, when I got out and had moisturized my skin and got dressed, I felt good. I’d even gathered the nerve to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist. I would be seeing her Friday evening before I headed to Dallas for the weekend. I’d told Nate that I would love to spend the weekend with him.
He’d bought me a plane ticket to meet him there Friday night, and he said he had lavish plans for us Saturday. I was really looking forward to it. There had been no talks of us being together. Nate was just going with the flow of things. In a short time, he knew me well. We’d established a friendship, although it started off in a different direction. He wasn’t the one who’d taken it there though. That was all me. I had a feeling that things would be different tonight.
He set a plate of seafood pasta in front of me, and my mouth watered. It smelled so good, and I loved alfredo sauce. This only added to his points with me. He hadn’t done a thing to offend me in any way, and he was cautious about how he approached me and spoke to me. It wasn’t in a nervous sort of way but one of total consideration. The man was perfect so far, and that spoke volumes to me.
“This looks really good.”
“Yeah. Chef G. Garvin doesn’t miss.”
“G. Garvin?” I asked as my eyebrows lifted.
“Mm hmm. He was in town and did me a solid after I promised him two tickets to the game in Dallas tomorrow. We talked about him before, and you said how good his food looked. So I wanted you to find out how good it tasted too.”
“Damn, Nate. That’s so sweet. Thank you.”
He sat next to me and grabbed my hand to say grace, but I stopped him by putting my hands to his face, pulling it to mine, to offer him a tender kiss on the lips. When I pulled away, his eyes remained closed as he hummed softly. “I’ll get that nigga to cook for you every day if I’m gon’ get to taste those sweet lips as a thank you gift.”
I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “This is perfect.”
Everything from the top of his braided head to the sole of his size eighteen feet was perfect. I knew his feet were huge when I saw those boats. It was one of the first questions I asked him when we established a friendship. He’d laughed and said he could tell I’d been dying to ask that question. We’d laughed about it for a few minutes before we could move on to a different topic of discussion.
“Get to your food before it gets cold, baby. We can do this for the rest of the evening. Plus, you smell so damn good I’m getting distracted. You can make me lose focus on everything else.” He stroked my cheek. “You’re so beautiful, Jess… inside and out.”
I smiled as my cheeks heated up while I stared at him. “And you’re handsome as hell.”
He smiled back and kissed me again. The kiss started to get more involved as I held him tightly. I slid my tongue to his, and he moaned into my mouth before pulling away. “See what you starting… food. Eat.”
I laughed and so did he as he grabbed my fork and started to feed me. I closed my eyes and savored the flavor. This food tasted even better than it looked. “Mm. Nate, that man’s palate is blessed. This food is so good. You are the real MVP for getting him to cater this meal. Damn.”
He gave me a one-cheeked smile and fed me more. I picked up his fork and fed him as well. He did the same as me, closing his eyes and moaning, mocking my response to G. Garvin’s food, making me laugh. I playfully swatted him and began feeding myself. “So, we didn’t talk about how the talk with your mom went,” I said.
“That’s because we didn’t have one. I don’t think I’m ready. Too much anger about the situation is still inside of me. I need to give myself time to calm down about it and maybe see it from her perspective better. Otherwise, I’ll probably disrespect her in some way. Then I won’t be able to live with myself afterward.”
I nodded repeatedly as I gave him a tight smile. “I totally understand. By the time I talked to my mom, I’d worked through it on my own. I guess I’ve always been that way too. I see we have that in common. No matter how angry we feel or how wrong we think we’ve been done, we still consider our loved ones’ feelings before our own, especially our mothers. I believe that practice can be good and bad. However, in this instance, I think it’s a good thing. Have you talked to Noah since the game?”
“Yeah. We talk often… maybe every other day.”
We continued eating in silence until Nate asked, “You want something a little stronger to drink? I’m about to pour some Hennessy.”
“Yeah. I’ll take a lil bit. Thank you.”
I ate the rest of my food in silence. Even after Nate came back with my drink, I thanked him and went back to my food. He killed his, too, then sipped his drink. After putting our dishes away, he came back to me and helped me off the stool. I could tell the alcohol had him feeling nice. He looked slightly tipsy. The way he caressed my curves with his eyes didn’t go unnoticed though. It would take more than one glass of alcohol for me to lose my inhibitions, though, if I wasn’t comfortable. That let me know he didn’t drink often. He was a lightweight.
When we sat, I slipped off my sandals and tucked my feet under me. I leaned into him as he put his arm around me. This felt good, but for the first time tonight, Brix entered my mind. I closed my eyes, wondering what he was doing and how he was feeling. I missed him.He got you fucked up though, Jess. You accept that type of behavior, you’ll always be accepting it. He needs to know that it’s not acceptable.
“You good, baby? You quiet,” Nate asked as he lifted my head by my chin.
“Yeah. What about you?”
“Mm hmm. Any time in your presence is a good time.”
He kissed my lips, and I thought I saw God. The man was gifted in so many ways. He knew I would deepen this Hennessy flavored kiss. Before I even realized it, I was lying on the couch, and he was on top of me.Jessica, what in the fuck are you doing?My mind was wearing me out about moving too quickly, but I ignored it and kept going. When his hand went under my shirt and pulled my nipple from my bra, my eyes rolled to the back of my head.