“Can I get a hug before you go?” he asked.
With a small smile on my face, I went toward the bed to give my father a hug. Hopefully, that was the first of many. The only thing I could do was hold out hope.
I didn’t feel like going home right away, and since I was hungry, I ended up at The Sub’s Inn. They had the best subs around. They were one of my favorite sub places to visit. I sat at a table near the window and pulled out my cell phone. I scrolled on TikTok while I ate my food. After that talk with my father, the only thing I tried not to do was think the worse. What if he was only telling me all of that because he was in the hospital? That would really crush me when I was sincere in wanting to build a relationship with him. Only time would tell.
I felt eyes on me and nearly did a double take when I saw the mystery man from the bar. I couldn’t keep calling him the mystery man, so I needed to find out what his name was. Our eyes locked and held, and a feeling came over my body that had me wanting to go to him. I wanted him to let down his guard around me. The more I tried to get him to talk to me, he brushed me off. I hated that and wondered what I had to do to change the way he felt.
He averted his eyes from me and went back to eating his food. There was no way I’d be eating any of my food now. If I did, it would be in front of him. I packed up the stuff and went to sit by him. I had never been as bold as I was now. But with this man I felt like I could be the boldest.
When I sat down in front of him, he scoffed with a shake of his head. The only thing I did was smile at him.
“Hi,” I greeted him, putting my food tray on the table.
“You don’t give up, do you?” he asked.
I chuckled. “Nope. It’s never been in my nature to do so. I’m Chyanne, but I go by Chy.” I guess since I kept running into him, I could give him my name.
“Jamari, but I go by Mari.”
I almost sighed in relief when he spoke his name to me. To me I felt like that was a win. I could remember that was what the little boy called him at the hospital. I wondered how he was doing anyway.
“How’ve you been since the last time we talked?” I asked, opening my sub wrapper.
He shrugged.
I sighed with a shake of my head. “Why do I have the feeling you’ll be giving me a hard time?”
I’d never met anyone like him, but he was very interesting to me. If I could sit here all day and try to talk to him, I would. I’d never went after a man the way this way before. But it was something about Jamari that pulled me in. I wanted to find out what it was. I wasn’t going to give up until he told me to leave him alone. Since he had never done that, I’d continue to push until I was in his life.
“You can feel any way you want to,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes skyward. “Of course, you’d say that.”
Without saying anything else to him for a while, I finished off my sub. It had hit the spot too.
I got some words out of Jamari but not a lot. The next time we talked, I’d make sure he said much more to me. He could act like he was unaffected by me all he wanted, but if I felt something, I had a feeling he did too.
I knewthe minute Jamari walked into the bar. My heart always did flip-flops when I felt he was near. I rotated around and watched as he took his usual seat. It was the scowl on his face that had me wanting to kiss it away. Why did he always have to have his face scrunched up like that? The server, who always took his usual drink order, came around the bar to pick it up. I stopped her.
"Hey, are you taking this to the guy who sits in front of the bar?" I quizzed.
She nodded with an arched eyebrow.
"Let me be the one to take it. I'll make sure you get the tip he always gives you."
She shrugged as if it were no big deal, but it was. Once I got everything I needed, I went to his table. My heartbeat raced with every step I took toward his table. I pasted a smile on my face when I set the tray down in front of him.
"Hi," I greeted.
He lifted his head and pinned me with a glare. "You again?"
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing out loud. He didn't seem to like me, but it was cool because I planned to make him love me one day. I nearly stumbled back at the thought that came forth. I didn't need to be thinking about this man loving me. Not right now, anyway.
"Yes, it's me again. How are you?" I took a seat across from him and rested my hand under my chin.
I could get lost, staring at him. He was a good-looking man with brown skin and eyes that pierced my heart every time he glowered at me. Little did he know, the look he always gave me turned me on.
He pierced his eyes on me, nearly causing me to squirm in my seat. "Why do you want to know? Leave me alone, man."
