Still smiling, I ease off the four poster, king size bed and take another tour of my suite before getting comfortable on the plush sofa, finding a movie on the television, and ordering room service. The nachos and popcorn I ate at Blast! has vacated my stomach. While I wait on my garlic butter lobster pasta, capresesalad, garlic knots, and lemon drop, I put my hair up in a high bun, change into my sleep shirt, and just relax on the sofa.
My cell chimes with a text. It’s Xai. When I feel my smile returning at the sight of his text, I decide to do something different. I’m all alone, chilling, and want to hear his voice. Instead of texting back, I call him. I swear he answers before it even rings.
“Hey,” his deep tenor says.
“Did you even let it ring?” I question, laughing.
“It rang, barely,” he admits. “We’ve been texting all week and I’ve been dying to hear your sweet voice. Shit, I saw your name and snatched it up.”
“I’m not interrupting, am I?”
“Nah. I’m at my new spot trying to visualize the remodel. The company gave me markups but I’m a visual person. I have to see it.”
“This late?” I ask because it’s almost eight.
“Yeah. I was at my main location until five then came out here. I’m heading out in about fifteen.”
Xai is truly about his business and I like that. He wants his own and works hard to get it. Every day we’ve texted, he has been busy between his current car detailing place and his new one. He’s a business owner, works hard, and enjoys it. He doesn’t take; he earns. I try hard not to compare him to Rushmore but that contradiction is glaring.
“What’s on your agenda after you leave?” I ask.
“You, if you let me. Have you eaten yet? I can take you to dinner.”
“I just ordered room service. It should be here soon. I’m good. First night without the girls, so I think I’m going to just eat, watch a movie, and sleep.”
“As much as I want to see you, I get it. You need your time. How long you gon’ be there again?”
“I check out Sunday,” I say, then inhale. My next words fly out before I can think. “Maybe we can do lunch before I get them.”
“That’s a bet,” he says, then I hear a noise in his background.
“What’s that sound?”
“Me, closing up. I’m going to go ahead and bounce.”
“I hope I’m not making you leave early.”
“Nah. You not. I’ve been here a minute.”
“Well, what are you about to do?” I ask. Then there’s a light tap on my door. “Hold on. I think this is my food.”
“You got that. I’ll lock up while you handle that,” he says.
After placing my phone on the sofa, I jump up and open the door. It is my food. I direct the young man to the living room and he places the platter and my drink on the table. I sign the check and he leaves. When I pick the phone back up, Xai is still on the line.
“You waited?” I ask, a little surprised.
“For you, of course. What did you order?”
“Lobster pasta.”
“That sounds good and you need to eat it while it’s hot. Just hit me when you finish eating.”
“I just might,” I admit with a smile, then end the call.
After taking a sip from my lemon drop, I uncover the platter, say a quick prayer, and dive in. The portion sizes are actually better than I thought. I kill the delicious pasta and half of the good ass salad. I didn’t even touch the garlic knots. I’m good and full. By ten-thirty, I’m stretched out in bed and knocked out in ten minutes. I don’t know if it was the delicious food, the comfortable ass bed, the quiet, or all three, but I don’t open my eyes until nine hours later.
My spa appointment isn’t till eleven, so when my eyes open around seven-thirty, I don’t get up right away. After stretching, I grab the remote and turn the television on. I search the guideand settle on a movie. An R&B singer whose music I love has a small cameo in it. I’d actually gone to elementary school with her before she got famous. I’m two years older than her though.
