My eyes landed on his toned body, and my breathing hitched once I locked eyes with none other than JJ. As my gaze traced his face and broad frame, I recognized he looked just as good in joggers and a plain T-shirt as he did in his work scrubs. Two diamond studs sat in his ears, and his lineup was still fresh. This man was so damn fine, and his demeanor made him irresistible.
“Is this town really that small?” My lips lingered at the rim of my glass as I peered up at him. The smell of his cologne was more intoxicating than my drink could ever be. “Since you’re here, maybe you will let me buy you a drink?”
With his hands in his pockets, he said nothing as he stared down at me. I was nervous under his glare, but I felt compelled to maintain my composure. There was an aura about him that pulled me in just like every other time we’d been in close proximity. I’d never felt that way with anyone, especially TJ.
“Raincheck…” he stated in that raspy voice that sent shivers down my spine. “I was about to head out, but I couldn’t leave without saying hello.” He pulled one of his hands from his pockets, pulling me from my stool. “Let me get a hug.”
On my feet, I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck as he gripped my waist and pulled me into him. I couldn’t help myself when I nuzzled into his neck, taking a big whiff of his cologne. My nipples hardened as he pulled me into his firm body. The longer I held onto him, the more I realized his upper body wasn’t the only part of him that was hard.
“It was good seeing you…” I panted, pulling away from him. “Maybe next time, I can get you that drink?”
“Trust me.” He smirked as he lifted my chin. His eyes stayed trained on mine as he lifted my hand, grazing the back of it against his lips. “You can quench my thirst any time you want, inany wayyou want. See you later, baby.”
Stuck in a trance, I watched him swagger toward the other end of the bar, place a few bills down, and leave. The people nearby stepped aside to let him pass as if he were royalty. His scent lingered behind him, and I wanted nothing more than to melt into it.
“Damn, friend. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you found the man you want to give that honey to.”
Blinking rapidly, I licked my dry lips and turned toward an amused Stacy. I picked up my glass, downing the rest of my drink, before slamming it down on the table harder than I intended. I’d never been this flustered by a man before, and Iwas feeling things that I should have been ashamed of, fresh out of a relationship.
“It’s nothing like that,” I tried to assure her, not even believing it myself. “He came over to speak and turned down a drink. JJ is just a nice guy I enjoy talking to.”
“Girl! That man was looking like the only thing he wanted from you was a shot of pussy juice.” I couldn’t help but burst into laughter from her comment. Stacy could have been a comedian in her past life. “Come on, and let’s finish our night. We have a lot to do in the next couple of days.”
For the next two hours, we joked and laughed about all the fun we were going to have on our upcoming cruise to the Virgin Islands. Ironically, Stacy had picked the location, but I was excited to go, no matter if it was a pun at me. I wasn’t going to be as reckless as she suggested, but I was looking forward to having fun and letting loose. I had no doubt that this vacation and time away from Milly Grove would be one to remember.
Placing my phone in my bag, I walked toward the mirror to make sure I was presentable enough to be around others. Stacy and I had boarded the cruise ship and were more than ready for this vacation to begin. All the troubles from home were placed on the back burner because I was sure they would be there when I returned.
“Okay, baddie!” she stated, snapping her fingers at my attire in approval. “Try not to hurt them too badly on this ship today.”
I giggled as I ran my hands along my dainty curves. Dressed in a two-piece blue-and-brown swimsuit with a matching mesh cover, I knew I looked cute. When TJ and I vacationed, he hated for me to show skin, and I was so happy to be free of thatnow. Today wasn’t about showing off my assets, but more about finally doing what I wanted.
“We’re going to have so much fun!” Stacy beamed as she and I made our way to the upper deck. A day party was taking place, and we were ready to drink, dance, and catch a vibe. “We really need to make this an annual thing, friend. There is no reason why we’re not enjoying life more. We work too hard not to enjoy the fruits of our labor.”
As the sounds of the “Cupid Shuffle” grew louder, I agreed with everything she said. I’d been such a homebody because of TJ. I never had a reason to go anywhere due to him not having time, and I stopped doing things and going places on my own because I wanted to be available to him. The more I thought back on everything that had transpired during that relationship, the more pissed off I became at myself. I’d let that nigga knock me off my square. Never again!
“Here, take this.” Stacy wasted no time handing me a drink.
I giggled as I sipped the golden, fruity-tasting cocktail. I was sure Stacy was going to feed me more drinks as the day went on. I needed to be careful and pace myself because I knew the liquor would sneak up on me.
“Now remember what we talked about… We’re going to let our hair down and enjoy ourselves. Now come on and hit the dance floor with me!”
Not giving me time to argue, Stacy grabbed me by the wrist and led me to the middle of the dance floor. The skies above us were the clearest blue I had ever seen, giving the sun complete access to everyone on the deck. There was a slight breeze, but nothing strong enough to cool the slight glisten on the hundreds of people all around us. I surveyed the crowd, impressed that there was still so much room to move freely on the deck. This was my first time on a ship, and while I was scared out of my mind, I was enjoying myself.
Moving and grooving to the “Electric Slide,” I held my drink in one hand, throwing my head back in laughter as Stacy tried her hardest to teach the white man beside us how to do it. I didn’t know if he was drunk or had two left feet, but he was fighting for his life.
“You have the most beautiful laugh.”
Still swaying my hips to the beat, I glanced over my shoulder and locked eyes with a nice-looking man. Dressed in an all-white linen button-down with matching shorts, his chocolate skin radiated under the sun. His head was bald and shiny, with his beard well moisturized.
“Thank you.” I smiled softly, turning to give him my attention. “I have so much to be happy about.”
“I hope I can add to that.” He smirked, stepping closer. I tried to hide my frown once his cologne hit me in the face. I wasn’t sure what it was, but the smell reminded me of clothes that were beginning to mildew. “I’m Joey.”
“Blossom.” I lightly shook his hand. Drawing back, I put a little distance between us. “I hope you enjoy your trip.” I glanced around until I was able to locate a restroom. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Wait.” He grabbed my wrist, stopping me from walking off. “You single, right? Let me get your number or something.”
“I’m actually coming out of a relationship,” I spoke honestly, trying to release myself from his grip. “I’m not looking for a friend or conversation, to be frank.”
