He stared but didn’t respond and she released a sigh. “That’s a lot of weight to carry.”
“Then don’t let me down.” He winked and spoke so coolly, as if the demand meant nothing.
“No pressure at all, right?” she said through a sigh.
Asao chuckled and removed his phone. After swiping the screen to pull up the Munchies app, he handed it to Samari.
“Pick what you want.”
She accepted the device and immediately began swiping through restaurant menus in search of ideas to satisfy her hunger. “You’re not going to give me any suggestions.”
“Nah, I’m straight with whatever you decide. You cool with us chilling here today?”
“I don’t have stuff.”
“You were damn near crying to stay last time and I’m pretty sure with all those bags in my Jeep you can find what you need to survive the night. I’m also not opposed to you being naked while you’re here.”
Samari’s body heated because she definitely wasn’t opposed to being naked while here.
18
The next morningSamari was up by five, sitting outside with coffee she’d ordered from Brewed Bean, typing away on her phone. Lyrics were flowing and she wasn’t sure if they were a side effect of the way Asao had shown love to every inch of her body last night or the calmness and peace that came with being near water.
Both…
A smile surfaced on her face before her eyes rolled and she typed out the last verse of the song she was creating. The fourthone that morning and she felt sure she could write a hundred more.
Once satisfied, she locked the device and leaned back, tucking her knees under the hoodie she’d found in the closet tossed on a shelf above the racks of clothes with tags still affixed to them. T-shirts, hoodies, jeans, and sweats, all basic but expensive and new. The one she was in held the light scent of cedarwood.
She dropped the phone next to her and leaned to the side, lifting the coffee. She cuffed it in her hands and smiled, embracing the perfection of the moment. Coffee on the beach first thing in the morning could easily become her favorite thing.
After staring at the ocean for an endless amount of time, she lifted her phone again, sat up, and snapped a few pictures of the view. Once she selected her two favorites, she pulled up Skroll and navigated to her personal page, @LoveVibes. She managed to keep it private and disassociated from the one set up for her career. The posts were personal and simple—food, places she’d traveled, and quotes. It had been a while since she’d posted anything, but today she felt inspired.
The photos were uploaded with the caption: Beautiful, new beginnings #happyplace #inspired #creativeflow. She smiled and locked the device then narrowed her eyes when a notification appeared on screen from an account she should have blocked. After she tapped the screen, Samari frowned at the message.
@BallersworldMase: I caught your interview on Beauty and the Beats. I’m glad things are good for you now. I need to holla at you about something. I know you don’t really fuck with me after how things went down but I need to talk to you.
Talk to me?
Was he crazy? There is nothing to say.
Her hands were shaky as she clumsily tapped and swiped the screen, loading the Skroll app. Samari moved to the message, tapped his name, then blocked his account. She wished she had thought to do it after everything had gone down but she pushedhimand everything that’d happened to the back of her mind.
Samari had completely forgotten that they even followed each other’s personal accounts. At the time it was cute, intimate and special. A way for them to share their worlds privately without letting others in. Now it was a reminder of how her trust had been shattered.
“Mari, you good?” Asao’s voice caused Samari to blink away the memories of her clouded past. She lifted her eyes to find his intense gaze locked on her face. After she nodded and tucked her phone at her side, Asao’s eyes followed the motion and fastened to her face.
“You sure?”
She forced a smile. “Yes, I’m sure. I got you coffee.”
He stared for a moment longer, making her insides flood with anxiety, assuming he wasn’t going to let it go. Then smiled as his gaze swept her again.
“I saw that. I also see you’ve been in my closet.”
A smile blossomed on Samari’s face. “You want it back?”
“Nah, you got that. It looks good on you.” He extended a hand. “But I need you out of it for a minute. Come take a shower with me. I have a few moves to make before we link up later.”
