Xavier continued the speech, pausing as needed for applause or questions. By the time it ended, the room was in an uproar. Many of the attendees pressed forward toward the front of the room to offer their support and a friendly handshake. He accepted their support gladly, offering his genuine thanks in return.
As Xavier and Tyrone left the center in Tyrone’s sedan, Xavier looked out the window, watching the scenery of his beloved hometown roll by. He always felt somewhat thoughtful after he gave a speech. More than anything, he wanted to win, so he could deliver on the promises he’d made to the people of Raleigh.
“You killed it, Xavier. That was one of the best speeches I’ve ever seen you give. I’m proud of you, man.”
He glanced Tyrone’s way, noting the broad grin his buddy wore as he navigated the car. “Thanks, man. You really think I got my message across?”
“Of course you did. You keep making appearances like that, and I guarantee the polls are gonna turn in your favor.”
“We’ll see.” He tried not to think too much about the polls, as he’d been trailing Givens by five to seven points ever since he’d announced his candidacy back in January. Now, they were well into fall, and the campaign season would be over in a matter of weeks. If they didn’t turn the tide, and quickly, he could kiss his chance at the council seat good-bye.
“Remember why we got in this race in the first place, Xavier.”
He flexed his fingers. “Because Raleigh deserves better than Givens.” To Xavier’s mind, it was the gospel truth. Aaron Givens was selfish, shortsighted, and power hungry. Xavier’s intense desire to get rid of Givens and free the citizens from his subpar leadership formed the bedrock of his campaign.
“Exactly.” Tyrone took one hand off the wheel long enough to give him a thumbs-up. “Buck up, man. We got this. Trust me.”
Settling back into the leather seat, Xavier nodded but said nothing.
For the sake of his hometown and his neighbors, he sincerely hoped Tyrone was right.
“Oh, by the way, I meant to tell you earlier, but I can’t go with you to Reedy Creek this weekend.”
Xavier felt his brow furrowing. “Man, you’re canceling our run?”
“I’m not canceling anything. I just can’t go. Georgia’s parents are gonna be in town this weekend, so husband duty calls.”
Xavier chuckled in spite of his annoyance. “Well, at least I know you won’t be having fun without me.”
“Shut up, Xavier.” Tyrone rolled his eyes. “Hopefully it’ll be just this once that you have to run alone.”
Xavier turned his gaze back to the window. “I’m not going to run alone. As a matter of fact, I have the perfect partner in mind.”
Chapter 6
Imani tugged at the elastic around her wrist, dragging it around her hair to secure it in a ponytail. Taking a seat on the wooden bench near the trail, she double tied the laces of her all-white sneakers.
Xavier stood a few feet away, near the Reedy Creek trailhead. Tapping his foot and making a show of impatience, he asked, “You ready yet, Imani? I want to make it back here before dark.”
“Hush, Xavier.” Getting to her feet again, she zipped up the jacket of her purple velour tracksuit. “I’m ready.”
“Do we really have to walk? You know I usually run this trail with Tyrone.” He shifted his weight to his right foot as he lifted his left behind him to stretch.
“Yes, Xavier. Like I told you, I’m not a runner.”
“Fair enough. I do appreciate you agreeing to come out here with me, so we’ll walk it.”
Imani took in the sight of him, wondering how he could be out in fifty-five degree weather in that getup. He wore a long-sleeve gray shirt, and a pair of black shorts instead of long pants. While she didn’t mind enjoying the view of his long, muscled legs, she still didn’t understand his attire. “Aren’t you cold?”
Shifting his weight again to stretch the other leg, he shook his head. “Nope. I guess I’m what you’d call hot natured. Once I get moving on the trail, I’ll be sweating.”
“Eww. Don’t walk upwind of me, then.” She pinched her nostrils together, feigning disgust.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Come on, woman. Let’s hit this trail.”
She took her time approaching the trailhead, smirking at him as he looked on in mock impatience. Once she reached him, he started heading down the path.
At first she had to jog, until she finally got next to him. Doing her best to match his long-legged stride, she chided, “Slow down. We’re not running, remember?”
“Sorry.” He shortened his steps a bit. “Better?”
“Yes. Thanks.” Now able to comfortably keep up, she began pumping her arms.
The morning air was crisp but refreshing. The light breeze held the scent of pine and carried the sound of the water lapping at the banks of the creek that bordered the namesake trail. She rarely did things like this, but when Xavier had called her two nights ago to ask her to join him, she’d accepted. Being out here with him gave her a sense of peace and tranquility she hadn’t felt in quite some time. It was a wonderful respite from her long, activity-filled days at the practice.
“Tell me about what you were doing while you were away at college.”
His request simultaneously drew her back to reality and pushed her mind to unpleasant memories. Clearing her throat, she kept her tone light as she responded. “Sure. What do you want to know?”
“I know you and Georgia were pretty tight back then, when y’all were at Spelman together. She pledged Sigma Delta Alpha. Why didn’t you?”
A modicum of relief came over her. That’s a question I can answer, thank God. “I never really got into the whole Greek culture, you know? Pledging was about the only thing Georgia did without me, because I just wasn’t into it.”
They crested a small hill and adjusted their gaits as they began moving down the other side of the slope.
“What is it about Greek life that turned you off?”
She thought about it for a moment, trying to decide how to phrase her opinion. “I was superfocused in those days. I did three things: went to class, worked, and studied. I didn’t feel I had the time to be involved in sorority shenanigans.”
At the bottom of the slope, he stopped to retie one of his sneakers. “Shenanigans? You know Greek organizations are all about community service, right?”
She shook her head as she paused to wait for him. “I know that now, but I didn’t then. All I saw on campus was the stupid stuff they made the pledges do to get in. Like the year Georgia pledged, the Sigmas made her wear the same ugly brown jumper for a week and referred to her as a lizard. It just seemed like too much to go through just so I could wear matching jackets with a bunch of girls in the student union.”
When he was done with his shoe, they started walking again.
“I guess it all depends on the chapter.” He kept his eyes on the trail ahead as he made the comment. “When I pledged TDT at Central, we didn’t have to do anything too bad.”
“Really?” She felt a growing curiosity about his experience. “What did you have to do to get in?”
“For two weeks, we washed our big brothers’ laundry, carried their books from class to class, and made them breakfast.”
“Sounds like a lot of work for guys who are supposed to be studying and going to class.”
“It was. And did I mention we had to wear dresses and frilly aprons when we served breakfast?”
Her mouth fell open. “For real?”
He nodded. “Yep. And I’d do it all over again.”
She scrunched her brow. “Why on earth would you sign up for that kind of humiliation?”
“What you see as humiliation was really about humility. Our big brothers were helping us build character, instilling in us the value of hard work and brotherhood.”
She hadn’t thought of it from that angle. “And you were happy about it?”
“Hell no. Those were the hardest two weeks of my life. But when it was over, I was brought into a brotherhood that’s benefitted me at every stage of my life since.”
She looked at him but didn’t say anything, as she sensed he wanted to keep talking.
“I wouldn’t trade my TDT brothers for nothing. Ty, Bryan, O, and Maxwell can be crazy at times, but I know they have my back. I don’t have any natural brothers, but after everything we’ve been through, I consider them as good as blood.”
“Wow.” She stayed quiet, thinking about what he’d said. Up until then, she hadn’t thought men formed the kind of close friendships women did. But listening to the way Xavier described his boys made her rethink that stance.
They rounded a bend, coming to the halfway marker on the trail. There, the path jutted out a bit, to a rocky overlook. He approached the edge of the overlook, which was about four feet above the banks of Reedy Creek. She joined him there, looking out over the rippling surface of the water.
“If I’d known all that, I might have pledged back then.” The wind kicked up, and she brushed a few wayward strands of hair out of her face.
“You still can,” he said sagely. “There are local chapters you can join right here in Wake County, and you don’t have to be a student.”
She turned his way, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up into his face. “Is anybody going to tell me what to wear or call me lizard?”
He laughed. “I doubt it. The folks in the chapters are too old for shenanigans. Your dignity is safe with them.”
“I might look into it.” Holding his gaze, she offered a soft smile. “Thanks for bringing me out here. It’s beautiful, and to be honest, I needed this break from thinking about the practice all the time.”
He moved a little closer, gave her shoulder a squeeze.
There was nothing sexual about the gesture, but when the warmth of his body touched hers, she felt a sensual tremor shoot through her entire being.
“I figured that. When Tyrone ditched me, you were the first person I thought of to come out here with me.”
“I’m flattered.” She kept her eyes down, worried that if she looked up at him, he would see how much she was enjoying his touch.
He released her, taking his warmth a few steps away.
She felt bereft but kept her disappointment to herself.
He formed his big hands into fists and started jogging in place. “All right. We’ve still got two and half more miles to cover before it gets too late.”
She turned back toward the trail. “Cool. But don’t leave me.”
His expression earnest, he said, “Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you behind, Imani.”
In response to the truth she sensed in his words, her heart somersaulted in her chest. As far as she was concerned, he’d already proven himself to be a great friend.
Moving to his side, she grinned at him as they returned to the path to complete their walk.
* * *
“Where are you, man?” Xavier spoke the question into the cabin of his car so it could be picked up by the vehicle’s Bluetooth system.
“I’m in the Starbucks in terminal two,” Bryan’s voice announced through the car speakers. “Where are you?”
“Looking for a parking space. I can’t believe you’ve got me out here dealing with airport traffic when I’m not even flying.” He scanned the huge lot he drove around, searching the nearby lanes for an empty spot.
“You know you love me, man.”
“Whatever. Look, I’ll be there as soon as I get a spot.” He disconnected the call, placing his full focus on the tedium of circling the lot. After about ten more minutes of making laps, he found a spot. Depositing his car there, he took a Park and Ride shuttle to the terminal and, once there, entered the building to meet Bryan.
Xavier’s jet-setting fraternity brother had called him the previous night, inviting him to come hang out with him before he boarded his flight bound for Paris. Crossing the tiled concourse, Xavier strolled over to the coffee shop, which occupied a storefront just outside of the security checkpoint. Spotting Bryan at a small table, with his black leather, rolling carry-on parked next to him, Xavier walked over to join him.
“You’re the only person I know who likes hanging out at airports,” Xavier remarked as he sat down in the chair across from Bryan.
Bryan took a swig from his cup of coffee. “No, I don’t. I just hate missing flights, so I tend to come early.”
“Yeah, but four hours? That’s overkill.”
“Whatever. You came out here, didn’t you?” Bryan ribbed him.
“I came because it was an excuse to get out of the office on a Monday morning. Don’t get cocky, Bryan.” He stifled a yawn.
“Anyway, do you want a coffee or something?”
After a morning spent doing spreadsheets and running the airport gauntlet, he felt less than perky. “I could use a little pick-me-up.”
Reaching into the inner pocket of his sport coat, Bryan handed him a shiny card. “Here. Use my gold card. Get whatever you want, man.”
Taking the card, he got up. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to get the most expensive thing they have.” He walked away to the sounds of Bryan’s insults, knowing they were all in jest.
At the counter, he ordered a dark roast coffee and a croissant. With his beverage and food in hand, he returned to the table and gave Bryan back his card. “I was just playing, man. It only cost like five bucks.”
Bryan tucked the card away. “The board is sending me out on the road again. They want to roll out a new line in the spring, but we don’t have a designer on deck yet.”
“Is that why you’re flying to Paris today?”
He nodded. “I’m meeting with two designers while I’m there, then visiting the company headquarters there for a bunch of boring-ass meetings. Really looking forward to that,” he groused.
“Come on. I know the notorious B. R. J. isn’t going to spend his entire time in Paris alone. I know you’ve got at least a couple of honeys there.”
Bryan scoffed. “Of course I do. It’s me, baby! But I gotta get through those meetings before I can see any of them. I’m going on the company’s dime, so work comes first.”
“I feel ya.” Xavier knew that even though Bryan traveled to Europe and Asia on the regular for his family’s company, Bryan’s father rode him constantly about doing his best work.
“Hey, you never told me what happened with Imani. Y’all got together at the wedding, right?” Bryan eyed him expectantly.
“Not exactly.” Xavier had no plans of going into detail about what had happened between him and Imani that fateful weekend. “We have been hanging out since then, but we’re taking things nice and slow.”
“Oh, so Ms. Imani put you in the friend zone, then?” Bryan grinned as he chided him. “Tough break, man.”
Xavier rolled his eyes. “Nah. She doesn’t want to get serious right now, and I’m cool with it.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, bro.” Bryan turned up his coffee cup, draining what was left of his drink.
Xavier knew Bryan was kidding, but he didn’t really appreciate it. “Whatever, man. Just make sure you keep your girls’ names straight, before one of them goes all Fatal Attraction on you.”
“You could take a few pointers from me on how to get a woman to be more than friends. So don’t hate. Appreciate.”
Xavier was about to hit him with a stinging retort, but his attention was drawn to a buzzing on his hip. Pulling out his phone, he checked the screen. A smile spread across his face.
“What’s up?” Bryan took a moment to toss his cup in the nearby trash can before turning his attention back to Xavier.
“Imani’s texting me.” He tapped the screen, sc
rolled to read her message.
“What, does she want you to pick up her dry cleaning? It’s the friendly thing to do.” Bryan chuckled, apparently amused at his own joke.
“No. She wants me to come over to her house and watch a movie with her.” He took a moment to shoot back a reply. “Still think I’m trapped in the friend zone?”
Bryan looked impressed. “I stand corrected. Go work your magic, bro.” He extended both fists, bumping them with Xavier’s.
“Don’t worry, man. I plan to.” Xavier tucked his phone away with a smile. Something told him Imani was finally starting to come around.
* * *
With a big bowl of freshly popped corn in her arms, Imani padded barefoot across her living room carpet. Setting the bowl down on her coffee table, she returned to her apartment’s small kitchen to grab a second bowl, this one smaller and filled with candy-coated chocolates.
She’d just set the second bowl down next to the popcorn when the sound of someone knocking at her door drew her attention. Straightening the long-sleeved, lavender, boatneck top she wore with matching wide-legged pants, she went to answer the door.
Xavier stood on the cement stoop outside the door. Dressed casually in a tan sweater and dark denim jeans, he wore a ready smile. “Hey, Imani. Thanks for the invite.”
She returned his smile, noting how often she smiled when she was in his presence. “Come on in. What’s in the bag?”
He handed over the plastic grocery bag as he entered the house. “I brought over a bottle of wine. Consider it a hostess gift.”
She closed the door behind him before taking a peek at his offering. “Nice touch,” she commented before setting the bottle of 2013 Clos du Bois California Merlot on the counter. “And it’s chilled already. Thank you.” She felt touched that he’d remembered her favorite wine, and that she liked it cold.
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