“It’s just something I need to do, and I want you there with me. I know I’m a hard person to try to get to know. I know I’m quiet, and I don’t talk a lot about myself, but the best I can do is show you who I am without the words.”
“That’s okay. I’m looking forward to your actions then. Are you going to tell me where we going?”
“What kind of surprise would that be if I tell you?”
“Okay. Well, I have an early day today, so I’ll be done around noon. Will that work?”
“Noon works fine. I’ll make sure I set it up.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you at noon.”
“See you at noon.”
I kissed Shanet on the cheek before I left out her door and tried to get home before my teenaged son woke up.
Stone had shownme his business plan, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do to bring his boxing gym to reality. We were going to look at four different buildings today so that he could decide which one was right for him. They were all scattered on different sides of the city and varied in size.
We’d looked at pictures on the way to the first stop. I thought that I had the right one in my mind, so I was hoping he would pick that one. Still, I’d support him in any choice he made.
I couldn’t wait to see him bring his dreams to life, and I was happy he was bringing me along to decide on a building. I thought it was romantic.
“You ready to go in?” Stone asked as soon as we got there. I could tell he was excited. Stone was having a lot of big momentsin his life, one after another, and I was happy I was getting a chance to witness them.
“Yep. The outside looks nice.”
He came around, opened my door, and then stuck his arm out for me to grab hold of it. I did so instinctively as we walked hand-in-hand inside. The smile plastered on my face could only be wiped off by one person.
I knew it was him from the back. I knew his silhouette better than I knew anyone’s. It was my ex, Devonte. I dated Devonte on and off for six years. He was not only my high school sweetheart, but also my first and only everything until Stone.
I thought Devonte was the best, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Stone had twisted and folded my body in more ways than I thought anyone ever could. I had never experienced a man like him.
Devonte was staring out of the window with his arms folded, so he hadn’t turned around to look at either of us. I didn’t know if he heard us come in, but as our steps grew closer, he finally turned around, and we locked eyes. There was a sinister smile on his face that I knew he wore because he thought he had the upper hand.
In this situation, he didn’t. I didn’t care to see him, which was why I had been dodging him ever since our breakup ten years ago. Devonte had gone through every possible outlet to get a hold of me, and every time, I dodged him. I wanted no parts of him after the way we ended, and that hadn’t changed. With or without Stone, I still wouldn’t be interested in him.
“Mr. Stone, nice to finally meet you in person,” he said as he stuck his hand out to shake Stone’s. Stone returned it.
“Nice to meet you too. This is my girl, Shanet.”
“Nice to meet you, Shanet.” He stuck his hand out to me next, and even though I didn’t want to, I grabbed it. I felt that if I told Stone who Devonte was at this moment, it would ruin everythingwe had. We were here on business, and I didn’t want to bring my personal life into this situation.
“Nice to meet you,” I said before I politely took my damn hand back.
“Well, this is the first building that I wanted to show you for obvious reasons. This view of the ocean is perfect for what you’re trying to do. Imagine this, your ring in the middle of this floor with your patrons looking out over the ocean. It’s perfect, don’t you think?”
“I could see that, but show me the rest of it.”
Stone wasn’t easily impressed, so we toured every inch of the first spot before we went off to the next one. It wasn’t until we got to the third building that I was completely impressed. It was the one I knew was the perfect one from the pictures. It was something about the decor and the atmosphere that just screamedStone.
It was perfect for him, and I hoped it was the one he chose because I didn’t know if I could sit through another visit with Devonte. I felt like he was undressing me with his eyes. I didn’t want to be under his gaze any longer than I had to.
It was a little after five, and we had toured all the spots Stone wanted to look at. Ultimately, he chose the third building, which was the one I’d originally fallen in love with. I purposely didn’t tell Stone which one I liked most because I wanted to see if we had the same taste, and we did.
When the tour came to an end, Devonte and Stone were all smiles. Devonte was smiling because he was about to get a huge payday from the sale. Stone was smiling because he was finally getting ready to see his dreams come to fruition. I was trailing behind them, seeing what Stone and I could have built flash before my eyes.
I knew after this day came to a close, I would have to tell Stone about my relationship with Devonte. It was the last thingI wanted to do, but it was also the right thing to do. Now that Devonte was walking us out of the building, the clock was winding down on us.
“Hey, Stone. Walk me to the car. I got something in the trunk I want to give you.”
