by J. Nichole
“I think I’ll book a flight for Saturday.” Chris claps his hands and I say, “Want me to book yours too?”
“Yeah, I’m missing my girl like crazy. And now that I know Ma is ready for us to get gone I can get home and try to get back to my routine.”
When Chris leaves my room, I book our flights back to New York, grab my keys and head to my condo. I need pictures of the art I’ve created over the weeks. I’ll leave the pieces here till I have more details about this exhibit I’ll pull together. Looking at the piece still on my easel, I remember the artist Nicole and I met in Atlanta. Her exhibit was breathtaking, and inspiring. If I could produce the same ambience my exhibit will be a success.
I’ve never planned an exhibit because most of my art has been sold to individual buyers through word of mouth. I open my notepad app on my phone and take down a few things I need to look into, people I need to contact. Then I call Nicole.
“Look at you calling like you said you would.”
“Of course I’m calling. You’ll get tired of hearing my voice soon enough.” I laugh into the speakerphone. “I’m headed back to New York this weekend.”
“For real?” Nicole’s voice raises an octave. “Already?” I tell her about my conversation with my mom, minus the piece about her. “Sounds like your mom is doing better than expected. That’s good to hear.” While Nicole was in Tennessee she didn’t spend a ton of time with my mom, but the time they did interact was enough to leave an impression on both of them.
“Now that I’m going back to reality I need to sell some work before I’m a starving artist for real.” Nicole laughs. “Unless you’re willing to share your apartment with me.”
“I did say my bench was getting cold.” Nicole laughs. “Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you though.” Nicole’s willingness to help me with my dream amazes me, especially after seeing Shelby and being reminded how much she doesn’t believe in me as an artist.
“Actually, do you have the info for the artist we saw at the exhibit? The one where you bought the art?”
“Yes. I do. I’ll text you the details.” She catches me up on the past weeks, and before we hang up I promise I’ll call her daily. I’d rather see her then talk to her on the phone. Like her I’m not sure if I can maintain a long-distance relationship. I already feel like I’m going through pussy withdrawals.
On our flight back to New York I rattle off a list of things I could use Chris’ help with coordinating. My mom gave me a good idea for the exhibit and now I just need to execute. “Are you ready for all of this?” Chris asks.
Looking at him like he’s talking out of the side of his neck I reply, “Are you ready for all of this?” Grabbing our bags from baggage claim we are surprised to see Laila holding a sign that reads ‘Clark Brothers.’ I know Chris is excited to see his girl, but I’m strangely excited to see her too. Maybe because I know we are getting back to our routine. With me as the third wheel on this cart of love, I happily follow behind the two of them.
Laila turns to me and says, “My bad, Bryan. I almost forgot to give you a hug. I was too excited to see your brother.” She wraps me in her arms and I know she genuinely loves my brother and by default has love for me too.
“I won’t blame you this time.” I tap the top of her head. “As long as you can pull off your part for this exhibit I won’t hold it against you.”
She points to herself. “Consider it done. My job is easy.” She looks between me and Chris. “Y’all two have much more to get done.”
“And we have to make sure it’s all a success. I just spent too many weeks with you to have you back on our couch,” Chris says with more enthusiasm than necessary. Success or fail, this exhibit will be the start of something amazing.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nicole
Bryan has kept his promise, or slight threat, to call me daily. Some days he calls multiple times a day. After weeks of not talking to him, hearing his voice excites me but not seeing him is making our phone conversations difficult. I can only sext and listen to him seduce me over the phone for so long. I’ve changed the batteries in my side table toy enough times for batteries to be a staple on my grocery list.
When Bryan told me he decided to have his art exhibit in Atlanta I had to change my panties. I’m excited to see his art, but even more excited to get him in my bed.
The knock at my door startles me and I run to peep through the hole before pulling the door open. “Laila?” I open the door and she wraps me in her arms.
“Thought if I surprised you I could catch you before you made plans to ditch me for payback.” She laughs and throws her duffle bag on the floor.
“You and your people are infamous for these surprise visits. What are you doing here?”
“I didn't want to miss Bryan’s first art exhibit.” Her smile is suspect. “We have a room downtown near the exhibit but I wanted to see you before then.” I haven't seen or heard from Bryan today but I assumed I wouldn't see him until tonight although he's been in town all week. He declined my offer to help get things set up and it's probably for the better. I doubt I would have been able to let him focus, at least not until I've had my fix.
“Chris is with Bryan?” I lead Laila to my couch and I take a seat. Laila stands staring at the art on my wall, the art Bryan created and hung last time he was here.
“He's very talented. He shouldn't have a hard time selling all of his pieces tonight.” I hope he is successful tonight, although his alternative of crashing with me wouldn't be too bad either.
“I can't wait to see the rest of the pieces. Before him I wasn't as interested in art as I am now.” Laila sits beside me and looks at me with her goofy grin again. “Okay, what's up? You are horrible at keeping secrets.”
“No secrets here. Just happy you finally decided to give Bryan a chance. All these random dudes.” She rolls her eyes. “Wasting your time.”
“Yeah we’ll see. Little kitty isn't enjoying this long-distance situation. It's one thing to not have anyone around worth sexing but to have someone I can't get to on the regular.” I smirk at her. “You remember how that was.”
“You’ll be good.” Laila stands up and walks toward my bedroom. “Give me a tour.” My apartment is larger than Laila’s quaint New York space but not by much. In my room she stops in front of the outfit I have laid out on my bed. “Is this what you are wearing tonight?” I nod my head. I decided to wear a geometric print, mid-knee dress with a pair of calf length boots and a pair of tights that match the print of the dress. “Artsy.”
“Felt appropriate. What are you wearing tonight?” She describes her skinny jeans and off shoulder sweater with heels that I'm sure she'll rock like she's straight out of New York. Since graduating, her style has evolved and I'm happy because that plain Jane motif she had at L. U. was wack. “I think we should have a celebratory glass of wine.”
In the kitchen I open a bottle of Moscato and pour us both a glass. “The only thing missing is Jennifer and Monica.”
I run to the couch and grab my phone. “They can be here in spirit.” I video call Jennifer and tell her to get Monica on her phone. With all of us in the room we make plans for a reunion trip in the new year. We also promise to call them tonight when we get to the exhibit.
After a last look in the mirror, I pat my stomach. For some reason my nerves are getting the best of me. My outfit looks amazing, my hair is perfectly coiled, and my make-up is flawless, but I feel like something is missing. Laila looks over my shoulder and says, “Butterflies?”
“Don't think I've ever felt this nervous about seeing a guy.”
Laila pulls one of my coils and says, “That's understandable. It's been years since you've been in an actual relationship.” I scrunch my nose. “Or whatever the two of you want to call what y'all are doing.” Laila’s phone rings and she claps her hands. “Our ride is here.” I sigh and grab my purse.
“Our ride?”
“Just go with it.” I follow Laila
out of the apartment and after locking up, follow her down the stairs to a waiting black town car. The driver opens the door and Laila instructs me to scoot into the car.
“All this for an art exhibit?” Laila shrugs. “I could get used to this treatment though.”
The parking lot of the art gallery is packed. “Wow. There are a lot of people here.” The driver opens the door and my nerves are on overdrive.
Unlike the last time I was here in the gallery, the ambience is much more romantic. Last time the mood was more realistic with images of everyday life. The lighting was bright and street music was playing. Now the lights are dim, and I can hear R&B playing softly. Chris greets us at the door and leads us into the main section of the exhibit. Looking around the gallery I realize the art looks familiar, at least the main subject of the art. With my eyes squinted I ask Chris, “Are these all of…”
“Of you?” Bryan wraps his arm around my shoulder. “My favorite muse.” I look at him with my mouth agape. “Do you like them?”
“They are gorgeous.” Bryan wraps me in his arms and leads me around the remainder of the gallery. I recognize the background of many of the pieces. “When did you have the time to do all of these?”
He looks down and says, “When I wasn't talking to you, you were the only thing on my mind.” I throw my arms around his neck and pull him into a kiss.
“Hey, we don't need live action art.” I release Bryan and see David standing behind him. “Everyone is already raving about the pieces.” He points toward Chris who looks like he's managing a few people. “You've already sold half of the pieces.”
Bryan smiles and kisses my forehead. “I won't have to crash your place after all.” My frown gives away my disappointment before I realize I'm pouting. “You don't look happy about that.”
“Guess having you nearby wouldn't have been the worst thing that could have happened.”
“Let me show you my favorite piece.” Bryan grabs my hand and leads me to a crowded space. He excuses us through the people standing around. When we get to the front his mother turns and smiles.
She reaches out to me and I walk into her arms. “Mrs. Clark, how are you?”
“Tonight I'm doing great. Bryan did an amazing job with all these pieces.” She points to the wall, “This one is my absolute favorite.” On the wall hangs a painting of me leaning over his mother with my hand on her shoulder. We were in the hospital the day his father passed away. I didn’t realize Bryan was around during that moment.
“I agree.” We stand admiring the painting until we hear noise behind us causing both of us to turn around. He’s there on one knee with a box outstretched and all the people crowded around start clapping. My hand shoots to my mouth and my eyes grow wide.
“In this moment, as we celebrate Our Reason, I want you to know that you are my reason.” Chris takes Laila’s hand in his and continues to describe his love for her while tears stream down her cheeks. From the corner of my eye I spot Laila’s family watching intently. “Will you marry me?”
Laila starts jumping up and down and screams, “Of course.”
As they hug, Mrs. Clark leans into my ear and whispers, “That boy always knows how to steal someone’s thunder.”
Laughing I look around to find Bryan and the smile spread across his face proves he doesn't mind sharing the spotlight. I walk over to Laila’s family and give each of them hugs. Mrs. Jackson kisses my cheek and says, “Maybe the two of you will be in-laws.” I pull away from her and smile. She and Laila think alike and their optimism is cute.
I run up to Laila and wrap her in my arms. Pulling away I grab her hand and admire her new bling. “Congrats, heffa!” I dig my phone from my pocket. “The girls are going to kill me. I should have recorded.”
Laila looks around the room. “I'm hoping someone caught it on their phone.”
Chris joins us and says, “What's wrong?”
“We forgot to record for the girls to see.” I say as I unlock my phone to call them.
Chris smiles and turns around. “In person was probably better anyway.” Laila screams as Jennifer and Monica walk out from the crowd. We hug and chastise them for keeping us in the dark about their visit.
Monica cuts her eyes at me and says, “And ruin all this sweetness.” With her hand in the air she wags her finger. “But we are only here for the night, so although I'm sure the two of you had plans of returning the romance, we need to get out and celebrate.” Jennifer agrees.
“Maybe just a drink or two.” Laila says looking at Chris with a wide grin.
“Have fun, babe. We have forever together.” Jennifer and Monica act as if they are gagging and roll their eyes. Chris laughs. “Too much?” Monica puts her fingers up, mimicking a pinch.
“Let me just fill in Bryan on the plans.” Not like Bryan has to rush off to a job, but I'm not sure how long I have him here in Atlanta.
Bryan is describing a piece to a younger lady. With her eyes full of amazement she follows his hand as he points out different aspects of the art, the most amazing part being he does this all from memory. Once he's done describing the piece, one I remember distinctively, me in my blue dress when I was visiting Laila in New York, I tell him I'll be joining the ladies for a couple of drinks and ask him his plans for the night.
“If it’s fine with you, I'll be at your apartment waiting on you.” I wink at him and he says, “I have to wrap up here but I should be there when you get back.” I peck his lips before I turn to walk away.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bryan
Nicole answers the door wearing a silk robe. Unlike earlier her face is bare and her hair is wilder. She stares at me before inviting me into her apartment. I thought I had the willpower to wait until after I gave her my news to devour her but my body has a mind of its own. My lips crash onto hers in the doorway. I don't even wait until the door is closed behind us. These past few weeks of teasing each other over the phone were tense. I thought I'd have to visit the doctor for a cure to my blue balls.
Her hands grab my head and we kiss intently while I untie her robe and let it fall to the ground. The door slams behind us and before moving I make sure it's locked. Picking her up, I balance her against the door and kiss down her body. I didn't expect her to be naked under the robe but I'm glad I don't have to fumble with her underwear. My fingers rub across her clit and she's already moist. A sound escapes my throat that I don't even recognize. I wrap her legs around me and walk her to the bedroom where I place her onto the bed. I undress, grabbing a condom from my pocket before matching her nakedness.
When I look at the seductive smile on her face, it makes my dick jump. She giggles and I climb on top of her. “Damn, Nicole.” She kisses me, her tongue as deep in my throat as my mouth will allow. I slide into her and our rhythm is frantic, neither of us finding a cadence. I try to slow down to allow us to enjoy the ride. After our wait, I don’t want to rush the pleasure. Then she thrusts her hips into me and I lose my resolve. She clenches her muscles around my dick and I lose it. With my body quivering I collapse on top of her. She kisses me down my neck and I move beside her. With my arm wrapped around her bare belly I say, “We’ll need another round.”
Nicole lays her head on my chest. “I agree. We need a round to celebrate all the great things that happened tonight.” There is definitely plenty to celebrate. The art exhibit was a success, with most of my pieces going at prime asking price but more so, Nicole being surprised by the pieces I chose to display; the smile on my mom’s face, her brief reprieve from her mourning; then the grand finale, Chris proposing to Laila, finally. “You outdid yourself with the exhibit.”
Laughing I ask, “Because you were featured in all the pieces?”
She slaps my chest. “It helps, but the pieces were nothing short of amazing. And I’m so happy everyone who was there was able to witness your creativity.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate your support.”
“How long do I get to appreciate you here in Atl
anta?” She sits up on her elbows and stares into my eyes.
“For as long as you can stand.” Her head turns to the side. “I decided I can do art anywhere. And what better place than the place of my muse.” Nicole’s mouth drops and I cover it with mine. It’s time for another round of our celebrations.
The End
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