Jamison
Iwas trying to impress her.
That's why I had invited Tallulah to my condo and offered to grill a meal on my balcony. When I saw her standing outside my condo, her appearance snatched my breath. Instead of her usual colorful ensemble, she was dressed simply, but the effect was still devastatingly impressive.
A blush-colored slip dress skimmed her body, with thin straps resting on the sweep of her shoulders. The fabric caught the light as I ushered her inside, clinging in the right spots to hint at her delicious curves.
She wore her locs sculpted into a high bun, allowing my eyes to feast on the beauty of her eyes, her nose, and the fullness of her lips in a neutral brown color. Large, gold statement earrings brushed her jawline and matched the solitary gold ring on her right hand. Beaded bracelets in different colors were stacked on her wrists, including a rose-colored piece that matched the rose-colored sandals on her feet.
I presented her with a glass of white wine, which she accepted.
"Thank you."
"I hope you like cilantro," I said.
"Love it. I love all kinds of herbs."
"Perfect. Dinner will be ready soon."
She followed me out to the balcony where I had the grill set up and two ribeyes sizzling on the hot grates. She sat in one of the lounge chairs while I tended to the food.
"The city sounds far away. It's nice up here," Tallulah commented.
"I agree. We currently have contractors working on the rooftop to turn it into a space we can all use. Owners without balconies are especially looking forward to having the outdoor space."
She groaned softly. "I bet the president of your association loves organizing that project."
"Guess who's the president of the association," I said.
Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me it's you," she said, a burst of laughter spilling from her throat.
I loved the sound of her laughter and temporarily forgot to respond. When I first saw her at Knife & Fork, I noticed her attractiveness, but getting to know her and seeing her relaxed and happy made her more than attractive. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.
"You guessed right," I finally said.
"You couldn't help yourself, could you?" she asked with amusement.
"Planning is in my blood." I placed broccolini on the grill. "What did you tell Blossom you were doing tonight?"
"I didn't have to tell her anything. She's been MIA the past few days, spending all her time at your son's place. She sent a text letting me know she'll be back tonight, and I told her that depending on what time she came home, I might be out having dinner, but I'd see her later."
She paused, playing with a chunky aqua-blue bracelet. "I take yoga on Monday nights at the wellness center. I like thecamaraderie, and it keeps me mindful of my form and so on. But most of the time I do yoga and meditation at home. I turned an extra bedroom into an exercise studio and meditation room. Blossom uses it too, and sometimes we exercise together. Not as much as we used to since we both have our own lives now."
I heard the sadness in her voice. "You miss those times with her."
"I do. I selfishly believed when she returned from college we'd go back to life as usual."
"I can relate," I said, easing the steaks onto a plate and covering them with foil. "Manuel and I used to go to the gym together. Then when he went off to college, I lost my gym buddy. Now that he's back, it's obvious he no longer wants to hang with his old man. He has his own friends, younger guys he goes to the gym with now. We do very little together anymore."
"What else did you used to do together?" Tallulah asked, taking a sip of wine.
"Not as much as I'd like, to be honest. I allowed work to be more of a priority than it should've been."
"In what way?"
"You turned your spare bedroom into an exercise studio and meditation room. I turned mine into a home office so I could work from home."
"The one thing my ex-husband and I always agreed on was keeping work out of our house. I was adamant about that, and he agreed. The separation was also a priority when I opened Simply Well. I didn't want to disturb the energy in my home—and don't youdaremake a smart remark." She pointed a finger at me.
