“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were stalking me, Dani,” he says once we’re finally within earshot.
“Good thing you do know better, Micah.”
“Good thing. Just a fair warning, I know Bailey has a lot of ideas in mind, so be prepared for her to talk a mile a minute today.”
“That’s fine,” I say curtly. Omari doesn’t know Tanya passed away or what I’ve been tasked to do, and I want to keep it that way for no other reason than it’s none of his business. So, whatever Micah has to say about today can wait until we’re supposed to be together.
He seems to catch on to my brush-off, eyeing me up and down before turning to Omari. “My bad, bruh. I’m Micah. I’m Dani’s—”
“He’s my friend’s husband’s friend,” I cut him off. Why is he trying to get this man all in my business? I should stomp on his big toe right now. From the corner of my eye, I can see Micah cast a side glance in my direction, and I can’t lie, that makes me smile a bit. “And Micah, this is my … Omari.”
Why did I stumble over the wordfriend? What the fuck was I about to say? Was I about to shove Omari into a box he doesn’t belong in just to have something to say?
It’s time for Micah to go.
“Nice to meet you, Myomari.” Micah holds his hand out for Omari to dap him up.
Smartass.
Omari steps closer to Micah. “Omari,” he corrects. “Yeah, you too, man.”
The two of them chop it up for longer than necessary, leaving me standing there wondering what I did to deserve this dumb shit.
Enough is enough. “Omari, do you mind dropping me at home? I got some stuff to do before some meetings later.”
Unfazed, Omari turns to me. “Yeah, that’s no problem.”
He says his goodbyes to Micah before ushering me to his car. When I look back in Micah’s direction, his eyes are firmly planted on me.
Chapter Eight
Micah
THE DARK AND LIGHT SQUARES START BLENDING INTOeach other on the board.
My hand hovers over the beautifully crafted wood pieces, trying to figure out what feels right.
“You always did take forever to make your first move.”The slight rasp in her voice settles my spirit.
When I look up from the chessboard, she looks exactly as I remember her, down to the mole under her left eye. Her hairline is mostly white, while the rest of her tight curls are a blend of black and gray.
She’s smiling at me with a glint of mischief twinkling in her gaze.
“Coming to me in my dreams now, Tanya?”I say, allowing myself to take one more look at my pieces before focusing on her.
She hums.“Seemed like you needed me.”
That’s more than a little true. Ever since Paris and Penelope brought up their proposal again, I’ve been warring with myself.When they first asked me, I shut it down and never thought about it again. Now, it’s all I can think about.
Why are they so insistent on just handing me things when I haven’t earned them?
What have I done for them or for Our Place that would warrant such a gift?
I make my first move, looking to Tanya for any reaction. As usual, she doesn’t have one. She simply surveys the board and quickly decides on her return.
“You know what your problem is, Micah?”
I chuckle.“No, but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”
