Creative Love (Ladies of L.U. #1)

by J. Nichole

  While we eat, Chris fills us in on the progress of the expansion here in New York. He's taken our firm, which was doing great in Tennessee, and rebuilt the brand for the market here in New York. As I watch him discuss future plans with enthusiasm I understand why my dad has pegged him as the golden child. "You almost make me believe this is what you want to be doing."

  "If I can't do what I love, I should love what I do." Chris winks at Laila, soliciting another sigh from both Nicole and I.

  I shake my head. "If you get this thing off the ground here, you can hire people to handle the details. With you overseeing, you'll have time to pick up something else."

  I lean back and grab my stomach. The grease from the Chinese food has settled and the mixture with the Hennessy is not helping it digest. "Hazard duty pay," I say looking at Nicole.

  "You didn't like this food?" She says as she stuffs another forkful into her mouth.

  "It's not that I don't like the food, but the food doesn't like me." I put my fork down and stand up, taking my plate to the kitchen. The apartment isn't large enough for a dining table. Instead, we sit around the coffee table in the living room, legs stretched in front of us because our ability to sit legs crossed failed, at least for Chris and I, though Laila and Nicole are sitting, legs crossed, with ease.

  Laila follows me into the kitchen, putting her plate in the sink. She yawns then declares, "I need to get to bed before dawn is upon us."

  "What? You aren't an early bird anymore?" Nicole says from the living room.

  Laila shakes her head vigorously. "No, you ladies killed that for me in school."

  Chris follows Laila into the bedroom, leaving Nicole with me. Laila throws a blanket out to Nicole and the both of us look at the couch with skepticism.

  "Wait. The funk may have worn off, but there's no way I'm sleeping in these clothes. I need a shower." She grabs her bag and knocks on the bedroom door. I'm tempted to join her. Would get us out of their bedroom sooner. Laila does have to work in the morning. I scan the room for my bag but decide against it. I'd hate for her to reject my idea.

  Instead I sit on the chair with my head rested on the back.

  "Bryan." She nudges my shoulder. "You can go next."

  I open my eyes slowly and find Nicole in front of me in the skimpiest of pajamas. As my eyes adjust to being open, I blink and I'm pleasantly surprised when my focus narrows in on her breasts, her nipples standing at attention. She turns away before I can fully enjoy them.

  "Thanks. Your shower must have been long. Didn't realize I was that tired."

  She grabs the blanket and stretches out across the couch fluffing the blanket over herself. "I'm exhausted." She looks back to me and says in a gentle whisper, "Thanks again for today." Through a yawn she continues, "I enjoyed myself." I grab my bag and leave her to rest.

  Chapter Six

  Nicole

  My phone dings with a text message.

  Laila: Breakfast in the kitchen. I'll be back by lunch.

  Stretching over my head my shirt reveals my nipple and I cover it before anyone can see. Then I search for the person I expected to be stretched out nearby. Bryan. Where's Bryan?

  A beep from the kitchen draws my attention and I see Chris opening the microwave. "Good morning," he says with a groggy voice.

  "Good morning." I slip from under the covers and walk toward him. "Don't tell me you have to work today too?"

  He looks down at his clothes. "No, I wear suits to the gym." He laughs. His gray suit with a subtle yellow tie fits him well. "Sorry. Too early in the morning."

  "No problem. If it weren't so early, I'd have a nice comeback for you but I need coffee." He points to a container on the counter.

  "Guess the hospitality wore off last night,” I say as I round the counter and grab the container.

  "You guessed right. You are no longer a guest in our humble abode. You are family. Help yourself to anything you need." He grabs his keys from the counter. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

  Before the door closes behind him I shout, "Hey where's Bryan?"

  He peeks his head back into the doorway and says, "He wanted to give you space to sleep. Not sure where he went though."

  I finish making my cup of coffee and with a handful of grapes I return to my makeshift bed. Scrolling through my news collection from my social media accounts I think about Bryan's offer to get me laid for the weekend. It's not a bad idea. It'd be better if he were offering.

  The knock at the door startles me. I ignore the first couple of knocks because clearly this isn’t my place and neither of the residents are here. They also didn’t mention they expected visitors, or a package, or a delivery of some sort. The doorknob jiggles and I still my breathing. Maybe they heard me and know I’m in here. Shit. I walk to the kitchen and grab the empty bottle of Hennessy.

  On my tippy toes I look through the peep whole then snatch the door open. With the bottle at my side I say, “You almost got knocked out.”

  Bryan laughs and walks past me, placing bags on the counter. “Good thing I didn’t use my key.”

  Next to his bag, I sit the empty bottle down. I raise my eyebrow at him as I walk back to my seat and grab my phone. I’d love to know where he went last night. Love to ask a million questions about why he didn’t stay, but that’s not my place.

  “Did you sleep well last night?” He says as he ruffles the bag on the counter.

  “As well as one could on a couch.” I look over at him in the kitchen. “The liquor probably helped. But I’m not sure how you’ve been sleeping on this thing for the past few weeks.”

  “Right. Exactly why I’m looking for a place today.” He walks over to the couch and hands me a container. “Did Laila mention my apartment hunt she volunteered you for?” I open the container and the smell of eggs and bacon makes me smile. Much better than the few grapes I just had.

  “Thanks for the food.” Moving the covers to my side of the couch he sits beside me with his own container. After a bite I say, “She didn’t mention it.”

  “I volunteered her, then she bowed out because of work and passed to you.” I shrug. “You don’t mind?”

  “Nope.” He looks down at my clothes and I say, “After I finish eating I’ll get changed.”

  He laughs. “You can wear that sheer shirt if you want.” He swallows a bite of food and continues, “I may be distracted all day though.”

  Following his eyes I realize my nipples are perfectly perky and giving him a full show. “I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of nipples before.”

  He chokes on his food and puts his hand up. I pat his back until his coughing subsides. “I could see all the nipples the world has to offer and still get excited by them.”

  I shake my head and roll my eyes. Taking another bite of my toast I close the box and stand up. Crossing in front of him I grab my bag and walk toward the bedroom. Behind me I hear him say, “Let me know if you need help. I can get those hard to reach places for you.” As much as I would love to fuck him in the shower, or on that couch, I resist and close the door behind me.

  Rummaging through my luggage, I finally find an outfit that matches the occasion. While packing for the trip, I didn't plan for many sophisticated events. I imagined me and Laila exploring the nooks and crannies of the city, eating at small restaurants with big followings, dancing at a low-key lounge, people watching in Central Park. Although that would have been my idea of a perfect weekend, the alternative is beginning to redefine my meaning of perfect.

  “Ready to roll?” I ask Bryan as I step out of Laila’s room.

  With his head down he responds with a barely audible, “Yup.” He slides his phone into his pocket then stands up from the couch. When he finally looks up at me his eyebrows arch and he says, “Wow.”

  I look down at my dress snug around my chest but flowing loosely from my waist to just above my knee. When I bought it, the yellow flowers caught my eye. I don't usually pick up blue clothes but from the look on Bryan’s face I'm glad
I grabbed this one from the mall. I shrug and say, “Too much for apartment hunting?” Bryan looks at me without responding. “It’s either this or festival wear.”

  “Festival wear?” He asks with his eyebrows knitted together.

  “Yeah cut-off shorts and a tank top.” I laugh then walk to the door. With my hand on the knob I say, “Not sure it’d fit the grown man vibe you are on today.”

  Close behind me I hear him chuckle. When we reach the elevator, I reach for the down button but Bryan reaches around me and presses the up button. I turn to him and squint my eyes. The elevator doors open and we step in to ride the elevator up a few floors. When we step off Bryan checks his phone before guiding us to a door.

  As we wait for someone to answer his knocks I lean against the wall beside the door. “Like this building enough to stay?” Bryan’s smile returns sending my hormones into overdrive.

  “My brother has good taste,” he responds as the door swings open.

  “Come on in.” The apartment manager steps aside, inviting us in with a wave of her hand. With her hand outstretched, she introduces herself and shakes both of our hands.

  “Nice to meet you, Zya,” Bryan says while looking toward me. “And thank you for the last minute appointment. Like I said, I wanted my girlfriend to see the place before she goes back South tomorrow.”

  Zya looks at me with admiration and it takes all my will-power to remain un-phased by the introduction and Bryan’s ease at feeding her the lie. Instead I say, “Yes, I’ll feel more comfortable leaving if I know where he’ll be resting his head.”

  “Take your time and look around. I'll be here if you have any questions.” Bryan grabs my hand and we walk out of Zya’s sight. The apartment’s floor plan is similar to Chris and Laila’s apartment. The view of the Brooklyn Bridge is available through the large windows and although I admired it in great detail from Laila’s apartment, it draws me in and I stop in front of the windows to stare.

  “Beauty fit for a canvas,” Bryan says. I nod in agreement. “Let’s check out the bedroom.” Bryan grabs my hand and I follow closely behind him.

  “Not much different from downstairs.” I walk toward the bathroom. “What other places do you plan on looking at today?”

  “I think I'm sold actually.” I jump in response to Bryan’s proximity. “Did I scare you?”

  “I didn't realize you were right behind me.” I look into the mirror and watch as he stands over my shoulder. My heart begins to race and I walk away, leaving him in the bathroom.

  “What do you think?” Zya says from the doorway of the bedroom.

  I turn to Bryan and wait for him to respond. “Up to you babe,” I say with a smirk.

  “I think we’ll take it.” He walks over to me and kisses my cheek. The spot turning warm after his lips leave it. Turning to Zya with his hand outstretched he asks, “Is it possible to get the keys tonight?”

  Zya and I both exchange looks and she nods cautiously before answering, “That may be possible.”

  “Great, what time should I come down to pick them up?” Zya confirms a time and we leave the apartment. On our way to the elevator Bryan asks, “Think I could bother you for a few more hours?”

  With my hand on my hip I say, ”Not like Laila will be home soon. What do you have in mind?”

  “I need to pick out a bed.” Thinking about Bryan in a bed sends a tingle up my spine and I adjust my feet before nodding my head and agreeing to tag along with him to find a bed. When the elevator opens, we step in, and I'm thankful for the folks riding with us. Being alone with him on another ride could be detrimental to my resolve.

  Before we reach the lobby, my phone vibrates and I answer the call. “Laila, are you finally off?” I look up to catch Bryan press the button for Laila’s floor.

  “Yes,” she shouts into the phone. “I'm actually already at the apartment. Where are you?”

  The question makes me squirm and I whisper, “I came with Bryan to look at an apartment.”

  “Oh,” she says sounding deflated. “No rush, I’ll be here when you return.”

  “No, it's cool. You caught us as we were about to go out furniture shopping. I'll just come back to the apartment.” As the elevator opens we exit and walk down the hallway.

  I look at Bryan and apologize. He’s filled in when Laila left me hanging and I feel obligated to repay him, but he says, “It's cool. You are here to see Laila. I'm glad she's finally off from work. I'll go find a bed and see if I can persuade them to deliver it today.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “I'd rather sleep in a bed than on a blow up mattress.”

  “Yeah I'm sure either will beat the comfort of their couch.” I knock on the door and before I can move my hand the door swings open.

  Laila wraps Bryan in a hug and says, “Thanks for entertaining Nicole. You're the best brother of a boyfriend a girl could have.”

  He laughs and says, “You can call me brother-in-law.” Bryan releases Laila and looks beyond her into the apartment. “But since you're taking your bestie back, I need Chris to come with me furniture shopping.” He stretches his neck. “Where is he?”

  Chris appears from the bedroom and says, “Did I hear you say furniture shopping?” Bryan nods his head. “Does that mean you found a place and we can have ours back?” He wraps his arm around Laila’s waist as he waits for Bryan to respond. I smile at Laila and the look on her face is sincere. After all the two of them have been through, I'm happy they are back together.

  “You aren't getting rid of me entirely,” Bryan says. “I'll be a few floors above you.”

  “As long as it's not in this space, I'm good,” Chris says. He walks toward the bedroom while saying, “Let me grab my shoes and I'll come furniture shopping with you.”

  Laila claps her hands with excitement. “That leaves the two of us. There's still time for us to catch the food truck festival.” Chris and Laila grab their things and we exit the building together, going our separate ways when we hit the street, Chris and Bryan leaving in a taxi and Laila and I on foot.

  Alone for the first time, Laila turns to me and says, “I hope you won't hold this weekend against me.”

  “Like never plan another trip to New York to visit you or be too busy for you to visit me in Atlanta?” I laugh then say, “Hasn't crossed my mind. Not even once.”

  Laila taps my arm and says, “I deserve that.” As we continue for another couple of blocks she gives me more details about the article for the magazine, although I'll read it next month when it's released, I've been a subscriber since she started at Millennial Magazine.

  While she continues talking I begin thinking about my time with Bryan, and how I felt when he was in my personal space, how his warm lips made me feel more excited than I've felt with other guys who were doing much more than a kiss to my cheek. But how it all seems to be a game for him, a game I'm not willing to risk my heart to play. Besides, he's already expressed his interest in getting me a dude this weekend, which I can only assume means he doesn't want to be the dude.

  Laila’s arm crosses my face as she points in the direction of a parking lot. “That's the food truck festival. Let’s cross the street here.”

  When we reach the ticket booth we both dig in our purses for the ten-dollar fee, but Laila swats at my hand when I try to hand my money to the attendant. “My treat for skipping out on you.” We walk past the ticket booth and into a swarm of people wrapped in long lines in front of each of the food trucks.

  “There are too many options,” I say with a frown. “Where should we start?”

  “The Jamaican beef patties can’t be a bad first start.” I follow Laila to the Jamaican food truck and we stand in the never-ending line. “So…” Laila nudges me in the side and I already know where this conversation is going. Laila has never been the subtle one, always in somebody’s business. “Do you like Bryan?”

  I roll my eyes at her and say, “He’s cute.” I turn my head toward the menu on the truck.

  “What?” She stands in
front of me, blocking my view of the menu. “That’s it? He’s cute.”

  With a smirk I ask, “What else do you want to know?”

  “He seems like he likes you.”

  “Bryan?” I shake my head. “I’d find it hard to believe there’s a woman alive he doesn’t like.”

  “Think you’ll ever settle down?” Laila is the relationship type. She’s had a few long-term relationships, and had a difficult time being single and dating multiple guys.

  “If I found a guy like Chris or Josh even.” My smile tightens. “Josh minus the cheating.” Josh is Laila’s best friend’s brother, and when we first met I was all over him. Then I realized he only had eyes for Laila and I gave up hope. When Josh and Laila dated, I was a little jealous. I had a close-up of the type of guy he was, the type of love he was capable of giving. He adored everything about Laila, but just couldn’t compete with Chris.

  When he cheated on her I was probably as heartbroken as her. Not only because she’s my friend and she was hurting, but because he was an ideal guy, a guy I thought could do no wrong. When he did, my theory of fucking and leaving was solidified.

  “It’ll happen.” Laila wraps her arm around my shoulder. “And maybe Bryan is the guy who could change everything for you.”

  Chapter Seven

  Bryan

  “Damn, Bryan, you better be glad you’re my brother.” Chris drags his feet through the store. “I can think of better ways to be spending my Saturday afternoon.”

  I look at him and laugh. “I thought you would be happy. I’m getting out of your space.”

  He taps my shoulder and says, “Bryan, happy doesn’t even begin to express my feelings about you getting out of our space.” I touch my chest and act hurt although I understand his sentiment. “Not that I don’t love you, but the place is barely big enough for us.”

  “Yeah this New York living is different from down south.” My condo in Tennessee is spacious. Having a few guests is hardly noticeable.