“I think that you should provide the paper magazine at a premium subscription, of course. There are still people who value holding a magazine in their hands as opposed to looking at it online.”
“I know. I just need to interview a couple of designers and three other positions before I can finalize anything. I’m so excited about this, Tangie.”
My best friend laughed. “Girl, I’m just excited that you’re back home.”
“Me too. Once I get settled in, we’re going to have a mandatory girls’ day.”
“No, Nyako. We’re going to do that before you settle down. Once you’re settled in, you’re going to be extremely busy. I’m claiming a day before you even buy the house.”
Laughing, I replied, “Okay, girl, but let me hop off this phone and get started on my breakfast.”
“It’s not like you have much to do. Pull a few leaves off the trees, borrow some seeds from the squirrels, and?—”
“Girl, shut up. Bye, babe.”
“Byeee. Eat a real meal. Love you.”
“If that makes you happy, I’ll do whatever it takes. Love you too.”
I clicked the call off and smiled. I loved my best friend so much, but she could be overly motherly at times.
“Your boyfriend?”
I jumped at the sound of his raspy voice behind me. I turned around and saw Navy standing there looking more scrumptious than anything that I could prepare. How the hell would I be able to survive this week with this man looking this good?
He rubbed his red eyes as he yawned. I took in the tattoos on his arms and chest. A coiled cobra, looking like it was ready to strike, and the snarling bear who stood on its hind legs, decorated his left pec, and on his right one were crossed hockey sticks and a puck in the middle with what I guessed was his jersey number, seven. Tribal bands decorated both arms along with the warrior African tribal tattoo sleeves on both arms.
Although it looked like it was time for him to shave, it looked sexy and endearing on him. A pair of red and black basketball shorts hung dangerously low on his hips, giving me a glimpse of the soft, wavy hairs that dipped down below. His feet were bare, and he wore no shirt.
My thighs clenched, and I recalled the two nights and one day that we shared just a couple of days ago. I also recalled that we promised that weekend was all there was.
“I cooked. Hungry?” I asked, looking at him and trying to keep my eyes on his. I was having difficulty doing that, because his gaze was dropping to various points on my body.
“Depends on what you’re offering.”
He pointed at my nightgown, and I dropped my gaze to see that my nipples were poking through. I pulled my robe closed and apologized. “I’m sorry.”
“No need,” he replied in a husky tone. “What did you cook?”
“Uhm, Spanish omelets, Canadian bacon, and French toast. It’s homemade.”
“I’ll definitely have some. French toast is my favorite.”
He moved around me in the kitchen, grabbing plates and glasses for both of us as I placed the bacon on paper towels to drain the grease. When he moved beside me again and handed me the plates, his arm brushed the side of my breast. That immediate contact made my nipples grow harder.
“What are you getting into today?” I asked.
“Relaxing. Unwinding before I let my family know that I’m here.”
“Are you not looking forward to seeing them?”
“Yeah, I am. I love my parents, and I always look forward to spending time with my sister and brother. I also know that I’ll have to hear my parents’ mouth about Natika and her wedding and that shit she pulled a year ago.”
I walked into the kitchen with him behind me. We took a seat on the couch in front of the TV to eat.
“Did they like her?”
“For the most part, they did, but they didn’t think she was the right girl for me. They both warned me against it. Natika always thought my mom didn’t like her. When I asked her why she felt that way, she said she had that usual black mama’s mentality where no woman is good enough for her boys. She claimed that my daddy didn’t really like black women; he only liked the lighter ones like my mom. She thought she was too dark for my white daddy’s taste.”
