“We ‘bout to go outside and blow it down,” one of his people said, sliding out of the booth. “Pardon me, Miss.”
The rest of the crew followed, while Aura remained seated. Odd, but I shrugged it off and worked around him. They’d made my job easy by stacking their plates and pushing them to the middle of the table. I was so used to working fast from muscle memory that I slipped and pushed my sleeves up without thinking.
“What happened to your wrist?” he questioned like it was his place to do so.
My body went cold. “What?” I replied, and he reached out, swiping his finger over a fading bruise that I thought I’d hidden well with a little concealer. I snatched my arm back as if he’d burned me.
“Is it the same reason you’re rocking that turtleneck in this heat?” He asked another question before I could come up with an excuse for the first.
“I…” My voice got caught in my throat. “I’m anemic.”
He cracked a smile and nodded. Standing, he held the signed check up to me, along with a $100 tip. “You know, there ain’t nothing that a .380 and good aim can’t handle, shorty. You make sure to get that anemia checked out. I know my sister got a good insurance plan for her employees. Use it.” Gently pulling my right sleeve down, he walked off.
I watched his back as he left the restaurant. I felt so exposed. Embarrassed. And a couple of other words I couldn’t think of in the moment. But one thing I didn’t feel was judged.
From then on, whenever Aura came in to the diner, he watched me silently. I noticed and kept a professional distance once I realized that he was seeking me out. I thought my avoidance would push him away, but it only made him moreintentional about interacting with me. It never felt weird. In some ways, I appreciated it, but I never let him know. I was dealing with too much at home to let him know that I saw him see me. And he didn’t pressure me about it either. He didn’t cross lines – just made sure I was good in his own little Aura way.
And then things changed about a year into me working at the diner. My ex had gone to his final resting place after silently wreaking havoc in my life. Suddenly, I felt like I could breathe again. The genuine spark I had about life had finally come back. It just so happened that Aura noticed too, and when he did, he stopped quietly pursing me. He spoke to me openly, letting everyone know that I was his, and dared anyone to challenge it – even me.
The car pulling into the spot next to me pulled me back to the present time. I fished for my phone in my purse and took it out to text him.
Me: Thank you for the flowers. But you really gotta stop tracking me down through your family. They gon’ start lookin’ at me crazy and think I’m leading you on.
Mr.DoTheMost: Ain’t nobody lookin’ at you crazy witcho dramatic ass. The card said about all I’ma say regarding your whereabouts though. I’m busy. I’ll hit you back in a few.
I rolled my eyes while typing back.
Me: This message wasn’t an open invitation for that.
His reply came fast.
Mr.DoTheMost: I’m busy, bae.
I stared at the screen for a second before locking the phone and tossing it back in my bag. Unbuckling my flowers, I picked up the box and stepped out of the car. Aura got on my nerves so bad, but it didn’t stop me from accepting all the gifts he sent my way. I deserved them. He knew it, and I knew it too.
I parkedin the lot of an Italian restaurant in lower Manhattan where I agreed to meet my date. I had overslept and was running a few minutes behind our scheduled time. Being late made me anxious. Being anxious made me rush, and I hated rushing. I was seconds away from cancelling when Dwayne sent a message saying he couldn’t wait to see me. With my outfit already laid out, I decided what the hell. Sometimes, you had to wait on the main attraction.
I’d never been to this restaurant before, but by how packed the parking lot was, I imagined that it was a popular place. It was Dwayne’s pick, a lowkey spot that he’d heard good things about. He’d offered to pick me up, so we could ride together, even commenting that he knew women usually liked to be chauffeured. Unfortunately for him, all I heard from that was, ‘I wanna know where you live’, and that shit was out of the question. I didn’t do pickups on the first few dates. He laughed it off but said he respected my rule.
Stepping out of my car, I adjusted my coat and caught my reflection in the car window beside mine. Tonight’s fit was sexy with a little reserve. A pair of black jeans from Zara hugged my hips just right. I wore a fitted blazer over a black lace bralette that gave a quiet sexy without flaunting too much. The cleavagewas glistening too thanks to the BSB body oil I’d rubbed into my skin.
My Tom Ford heels added an extra inch to my height and paired well with my Tom Ford clutch. The bag was big enough to fit my phone, debit and credit cards, some cash, and a butterfly knife for safety measures. My hair was on point too. Water wave curls cascaded down my back. The leather coat I had on hit my ankles, making my walk extra dramatic as I proceeded up to the restaurant door. To complete the fit, I threw on a pair of shades to shield my eyes from any hating bitches that may have been lurking nearby. All in all, once I stepped inside, it wouldn’t be hard to spot my fine ass in the room.
Inside, the host smiled as I approached the podium he stood behind. “Good evening. Do you have a reservation?”
“Yes. Part of my party is here. Reservation should be under Edison.”
He glanced down at his tablet and nodded. “Oh, yes. The seven o’clock. Right this way.”
I felt like he was lowkey trying to take a jab at me by mentioning the time, like I needed a reminder that I was late. I walked behind him and spotted Dwayne before we reached the table. He sat there, scrolling through his phone, not paying attention to his surroundings.
“Sir,” the host called for his attention, and his head shot up.
He smiled when he saw me. Dwayne was handsome and dressed well. Like me, he’d worn all black – a polo, black jeans, and a pair of black Pradas on his feet. His hair looked freshly cut, and his jewelry was modest with the exception of the blinged out pinky ring that sparkled under the lights.
Before standing to greet me, I watched as he turned his phone face down.
Red flag,I thought but kept my face neutral, so he didn’t know my true feelings.
