My heart caught up in my chest when he lifted a mic to speak, setting off another round of boisterous applause, and a few “I love yous” around the packed room. “We’re going to do things a little unconventionally tonight, if that’s alright.” He grinned, and waited for the audience to finish with their cheers and propositions before he continued. “The homie Roman and his band are going to provide the tunes, while I provide the visual. Anybody ever did this here before?” he asked Roman, and Roman shook his head.
“First time,” he said into his mic, and Eddie nodded.
“Aiight then. First time. Song is about five minutes long, so that’s all the time I’ll have for my drawing, and I… kinda need to get this right, because it’s dedicated to somebody. I can’t mess up, cause that sends the wrong impression, right?”
The audience laughed, and I… forced myself to breathe before I passed out.
“Let’s get this started.”
The lights came down then, but a brighter one remained focused on Eddie as the music started. It was familiar, but I couldn’t place it – something I attributed to my attention being so strongly focused on Eddie’s pencil as it moved fluidly across the page.
“You’re beautiful,” Roman started, and I gasped as the song choice clicked into place. The Internet’s You Don’t Even Know appeared on damn near every playlist I curated for myself, I was just that obsessed. Eddie had undoubtedly heard me play it.
My eyes began to water as Roman sang those lyrics, with lyrics written to a lover who was oblivious to how their partner felt about them. The words weren’t sappy, or corny – it wasn’t even quite a love song, but almost.
Was that how he felt? Like it shouldn’t have even been a question in my mind that he felt something for me? Because if so… maybe he was right.
Obviously I’d been enjoying our time together, but I was also trying not to read too much into it. The sex, the yoga, the showers, the baths, the just… being, in each other’s spaces. Perfect vibes, mutual exchanges of energy…
Maybe I should have already known.
Maybe I did already know.
Maybe I was just too scared to believe it.
As the song went on, the image came together. Eyes, lips, nose, hair. My eyes, lips, nose, and hair. This was for me, his way of showing me I wasn’t, actually, “out here by myself”, and he’d done it… publically, in front of everyone. No ambiguity.
Of course when the song ended, and he was done with his drawing, the response from the audience was deafening. But even as he had people patting his shoulder and wanting to shake his hand, etc… his eyes found me.
“Astrid, oh my God!” Syd gushed beside me. “Do you see that?! How the hell did he draw it so fast?! And it looks just like you girl, this was sweet as hell, and somehow…. Kinda swaggy.”
“It so was,” Quinn added, turning to grin at me. “What did you think?!”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, and then shook my head. “I… think I need a drink.”
I eased out of the booth and went straight for the bar, pushing my way through the thick throng of people. I tried to get one of the bartender’s attention, but it kept getting pulled away. Suddenly, I felt an arm – the right arm – around my waist, and a much deeper, more commanding voice than my own rang out.
“Excuse me. The lady needs a vodka and cranberry. Sorry – Rain vodka, Lakewood cranberry. Please.”
My heart was pounding as I turned around to look into his handsome face. He didn’t smile at me, but his expression was pleasant, not mad like I’d feared. After that talk with Sydnee and Quinn, I’d spent the hour and a half it took to get home, shower, and get ready to come out, thinking back over that short conversation where I’d broken things off with him.
While I hadn’t come to some magical decision that his interaction with those two people that night was okay with me, I did feel like my reaction was a little unfair. And dramatic. And immature. I’d read plenty of romance novels that left me screaming “Oh my God just talk to them, this can be solved with a fucking conversation!!!!” at the characters.
Guess it was much easier to see the situation clearly when you were on the outside looking in.
“Hey stranger,” he said, before his eyes dropped away from my face to look me over. I hadn’t really felt like doing much, but I was suddenly glad for the cropped lace top and maxi skirt Quinn and Syd had talked me into. Eddie seemed to like it.
“Hey yourself,” I replied, once I’d finally found my voice. “Your performance… a live drawing… I’ve never seen anything like before. It was amazing.”
He gave me a deep nod, gently tightening his hold on my waist. “Thank you. I was wondering what you thought.”
“How’d you know I’d be here?”
“Because you’re always at Open Mic. I’m not the only one who can be a little predictable sometimes.”
I grinned. “Yeah, I guess not.”
We settled into a quick silence before he reached past me to retrieve my drink.
“On the house,” the bartender told him, but Eddie still reached into his pocket for a tip before he handed the glass to me.
“I think we need to talk,” he told me, and I drained my vodka and cranberry in one gulp before I nodded my agreement.
“That would probably be good.”
“Is now okay?”
My eyes went wide. “Now? Umm… I don’t know. My friends are—”
“Going to be just fine,” he interjected, pointing to where Harlan and Cason had made themselves comfortable at the table. “Not that you have to come and talk, I’m just saying.”
I shrugged. “No, I… I we can talk.”
“Walk down to the shop with me?”
I nodded, and he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the crowded building.
Outside, the fresh air made it a little easier to breathe, and I focused on that instead of saying anything. Eddie was quiet too, for whatever reason, waiting until he’d pulled me through his packed, high-energy shop, and into his office to say anything.
“I don’t want to beat around the bush,” he started, taking a seat on the edge of his desk. “I want to say that I “like” you, but… that’s such a childish-sounding way to put it that it doesn’t feel right. A grown ass man saying he “likes” somebody.” He shook his head. “But… maybe that’s just what it is. I like you. I like your energy. I want to be around you, want to be inside of you. And I don’t feel like that about anybody except you. I can’t say I won’t flirt, I can’t say people might not flirt back. But I don’t have a problem making sure shit doesn’t cross a line, keeping it respectful… if you and I are going to be serious. Are we going to be serious?”
My lips parted, but I faltered for a moment over what to say. A few days ago, I’d been so sure that he wasn’t thinking about me as more than a booty call, and now… this.
“So… full disclosure?”
He nodded. “Obviously. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”
“Really?” I cooed, before I could catch myself, and he laughed.
“Yes, really. You’ve never, ever been afraid to speak your mind, be perfectly frank with me about your feelings on something – until this, apparently. And the shit confuses me, honestly. You can look me in my face while I’m being rude as fuck and tease me about it, but… you couldn’t say, “hey nigga, I’m really, for real, feeling you”? What’s up with that?”
“What’s up is that sometimes I am afraid to speak my mind. Usually I push through it anyway, but… this just felt so foreign. I never like anybody. So for the first person to be you, so unexpectedly, so organically, so deeply, so fast… I didn’t know what to do. I’m working from zero experience here. So I freaked out at the first sign of it possibly going bad.”
He raised his hand, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. “I get that. But you called me bad for you. Called me poison.”
“I did.”
“That shit kinda stung. And you cried.”
“I did.”
“I didn’t like that shit. At all. At all.” He stood up, approaching to take my face in his hands to look me in the eyes. “I don’t ever want to be the person to take you there, okay?”
“Okay.”
He leaned in, brushing his lips over mine, something I didn’t realize how much I’d missed until right at that moment. “This night is in serious danger of being corny as fuck,” he said, and I broke into giggles, joining in with his heavier laugh.
“Sometimes it’s necessary though,” I said, when we finally calmed down.
He gave me a subtle nod. “Yeah, it is. So… what do you say though? How do we move forward? What’s the new plan?”
“I have some questions first,” I told him, and he looked me right in the eyes, ready to listen, and I smiled. “Is this just about us having sex again? Have you been drinking your smoothies? Did you miss me like I missed you?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “You would hit me with some questions like that, wouldn’t you?”
“They’re really simple,” I shot back, and his grin spread.
“You’re right, they are. So… no, it’s not just about sex, which I think you know. No, I haven’t been drinking my smoothies, because I was annoyed with you, and the shit just didn’t feel right. And… I don’t know. We’re two different people, Asteroid, but… I definitely missed you. Did I get it right?”
I nodded. “Yeah. You definitely did.”
“So…” he dropped his hands to my waist, pulling me in close. “Where does that leave us? What do you think we should do?”
I sighed, tipping my head back to meet his eyes. “Well… I think we should resume our mutually beneficial exchange of energy… on an exclusive basis. What do you think?”
He leaned in, pressing a soft, passion filled kiss to my lips. His eyes promised more, as he backed me toward his desk. “I think… that’s an excellent idea.”
- the end.
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I’ll be at Indie Love Atlanta in June
& Behind The Pen New York in August!
Christina C. Jones is a modern romance novelist who has penned more than 25 books. She has earned a reputation as a storyteller who seamlessly weaves the complexities of modern life into captivating tales of black romance.
Prior to her work as a full-time writer, Christina successfully ran Visual Luxe, a digital creative design studio. Coupling a burning passion for writing and the drive to hone her craft, Christina made the transition to writing full-time in 2014.
Christina has attracted a community of enthusiastic readers across the globe who continue to read and share her sweet, sexy, and sometimes scandalous stories.
Most recently, two of Christina’s book series have been optioned for film and television projects and are currently in development.
Other titles by Christina Jones
Love and Other Things
Haunted (paranormal)
Mine Tonight (erotica)
Hints of Spice (Highlight Reel spinoff)
The Truth – His Side, Her Side, And the Truth About Falling In Love
Friends & Lovers:
Finding Forever
Chasing Commitment
Strictly Professional:
Strictly Professional
Unfinished Business
Serendipitous Love:
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Didn’t Mean To Love You
Fall In Love Again
The Way Love Goes
Love You Forever
Trouble:
The Trouble With Love
The Trouble With Us
The Right Kind Of Trouble
If You Can (Romantic Suspense):
Catch Me If You Can
Release Me If You Can
Save Me If You Can
Inevitable Love:
Inevitable Conclusions
Inevitable Seductions
The Wright Brothers:
Getting Schooled – Jason & Reese
Pulling Doubles – Joseph & Devyn
Bending The Rules – Justin & Toni
Connecticut Kings:
CK #1 Love in the Red Zone – Love Belvin
CK #2 Love on the Highlight Reel
Something Like Love (Serendipitous Love Book 6) Page 18
