“Not exactly,” she said with a wink, referencing the courthouse meeting.
“You know what I mean,” I said with a laugh. “Come on. Grab your shit. I don’t want to be late.”
About thirty minutes later, we were pulling up at The House of Nova Ray. A smile spread wide across my face as I took in the outside decor. The building was beautiful. It’d come a long way since the first walk through. Shit, I’d come a long way. It was crazy. They were placing building blocks for the property, meanwhile I was placing building blocks for my life. I didn’t know it then, but that’s what I was doing. Inching closer and closer to where I was today. It’s been interesting to look back on.
“This place is going to do numbers,” Tamia said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
I nodded. “Hell yeah. I told him that too. The idea was genius.”
“Are you going to miss it?”
“Miss what?” I asked, undoing my seatbelt.
“Working with him,” she said with a smile.
I shrugged. “I mean… I haven’t really been working with him much these days. I don’t think there’s much to miss.”
Months ago, after the passing of Crescent’s mother, I popped up at his house with roses and a card. I know… bold of me, right? But I did it and that was the last time I saw him in person. Every in person meeting I had was done with an associate of his. Sometimes Judah, other times Rahmir, or Orion, or another associate on his team. Never Crescent. We rarely even met over Zoom. The only time we did meet was at the end of the month for a review. They were his rules. It stung for a very long time. I felt a ton of rejection. Sometimes the shit felt like heartbreak but after a while, I just accepted it for what it was. I put us in the space we were in. There was no need to cry over spilled milk, right? I felt like it was meant to go that way. I was meant to focus on myself during this time in my life. Having a man in the middle of this ‘storm’ wasn’t necessary.
Crescent was only a distraction. A very, very good distraction but a distraction, nonetheless. And I didn’t need that. I neededto focus. I needed to heal and that’s what I’d been doing. I thought about him often though. Missed our back-and-forth banter and the amazing sex we had. But what I missed more than any of those things were the tingles. I hadn’t felt anything remotely close to that since we parted ways. But, I was in a season of accepting shit for what it was. Crescent and I happened and my God did I have a time. I went from fantasizing about the man like crazy to having him. I’d say God looked out. Wouldn’t you?
I looked up at the building with a deep breath, wondering if he’d be inside. He had to be, right? It was the final walk through. If he wasn’t here, that would be insane and would really further confirm my suspicion. He was avoiding me. Big time. I tried to take my personal feelings out of it and just chalked his absence up to him being busy. But deep down I felt like he just didn't want to see me. If I walked in today to Judah or one of them other niggas I’d know for sure then.
Because I always wanted to make sure there wasn’t a hair out of place and that I looked good, I flipped the sun visor down to check. I was rocking a long, middle part wig. I had it installed yesterday. I looked damn good. My eyebrows were freshly tinted, and I’d just gotten a refill on my lash extensions. My makeup was as naturally flawless as it always was, and I opted for clear gloss with the brown liner instead of my usual tinted gloss. Because this was the last walk through and essentially the last meeting with Skylight Industries, in terms of THONR, I was dressed to the nines. I had on a cream-colored Donna Karen suit and red Loubi pumps. I looked damn good. The suit was tailored and clung onto my curves with perfection. I felt just as good as I looked. I wasn’t putting on. Wasn’t pretending to be a bad bitch. I was that. In every sense of the word.
Once I was satisfied with my look, I grabbed my bag and we got out of the car. I probably should have grabbed my peacoat.Summer was quickly transitioning to fall and the cool breeze that swept over me gave me goosebumps. Instead, I wrapped my arm over the other as I strutted up to the building. Tami rambled about the craftsmanship of the building, marveling over the landscape. I listened. Halfway. My mind was on him. My heart raced with anticipation. I wanted to see him. I wanted to see him bad.
I sighed and pulled the door to the building open. When we crossed the threshold my heart sank at the sight of Orion, his brother. I felt… low. My mood definitely dropped a few notches.
He walked towards me with his hand extended. “Good morning, Ms. Mills.”
I softly smiled. “Good morning.”
Orion turned to Tamia and shook her hand too. I pulled my lips into my mouth as my emotions began to rise. He wasn’t here. He really didn’t want to see me. I felt… slighted. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t come to our final walk through. Was it that bad? Did he hate me that much for ending things? I mean… I’d only done what I felt was right. Right for me. I was in no position to entertain a man. I was emotionally fucked up. I wasn’t in a happy place. I was using him. I told him this. I explained it all and he just didn’t give a fuck.
Should I care? Nope. Not when I did something for myself. Not when I did what I thought was right for my mental health. If he chose not to fuck with me at all anymore because of it, then so be it. That was easier thought than done though. I missed Crescent. I missed him so got damn much.
With a deep breath I looked up at the vaulted ceilings as we walked further into the building. Tami and Orion talked amongst each other about the design. Complimented the marble countertop at the check in desk, talked about the gold accents and how it looked good against the hues of green. I was in myown little world. So heavy in my own world that when I collided with someone, I was completely caught off guard.
“Sorry—” I started to apologize until my eyes met theirs.
It was him.
Crescent fucking Carter. And my God he looked good. He…wow. Had he always been this fine? Did I forget what he looked like in person? Had to. I didn’t remember his jawline being so chiseled. Couldn’t remember his beard being so thick. Had his butterscotch skin always been so… blemish free and smooth? Damn he looked good.
“You should watch where you’re going,” he said with a smile.
“I was caught up in the ceiling. They did a fantastic job,” I said. “Hi Crescent.”
“How you doin’, Mo?”
Butterflies filled the pit of my stomach. My God it’d been so long since I heard that name. Everything over the computer—when we did meet—had been so… business like. Ms. Mills this, Mahogany that. I hadn’t been Mo since he was upset with me the night I ended things. Today his tone was friendly.
“I’m good,” I said with a smile, actually meaning it for the first time since we met. “I’m really good.”
He nodded, his eyes locked on mine. “I see. That’s good to hear.”
I took a deep breath and pulled my lips into my mouth. He grabbed the back of my elbow and tingles shot through my body. I smiled. Bigger, brighter. The smile on my face was so big that my cheeks started to hurt. I was so overwhelmed with the feeling that tears filled my eyes. With furrowed brows, I looked away, putting my focus on the floor to ceiling windows on the right side of the room.
