“No, Baby, I’m just trying to make sure that you keep your heart and libido in check so that your pocketbook doesn’t get hurt again.”
“That was a one-time mistake. Besides, nobody said anything about dating. I just said that he?—”
“Pulls you in,” Palmer repeated, finishing my sentence.
I watched as she locked up, and we both jogged down the stairs.
“Listen, I only dropped by to get your advice on whether I should go or not, not to get a lecture.”
“You dropped by hoping to convince me to go along with your little shenanigans.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. I can tell by how you’re dressed in your sexy little outfit. How many times you’ve gone to meet someone for coffee with your tight, olive-green leather shorts, showing off those golden, thick thighs, and your fitted couture blouse. Did you know you can see your nipples poking through it? Seriously, sis, they are!”
“Girl, shut up!” I hissed, buttoning my brown suede crop jacket over my nipples.
“Them boots with the fur.” She sang Flo Rida’s “Low” as she pointed at my brown, six-inch, fur boots.
I laughed so hard. “Girl, I can’t stand your ass.”
“Ba-by! Them boots got that booty sitting up fat and high like a donkey’s ass, looking so delicious, you know that nigga’s gonna wanna bite. Hell, I want to bite, and I don’t roll that way, friend. You look fine as fuck, and you know it. You just wanted me to see you all dressed up and tell you that this is a great idea,” she replied, throwing her hand at me to indicate my outfit.
I held my brown and olive-green handbag up and twirled myself in a circle. “I look good, friend?”
She laughed and shook her head as she covered her mouth with her hand. “You could’ve at least tried to pretend for five seconds you weren’t trying to get fucked.”
I widened my eyes and stopped twirling. “Is that what I look like?”
“No, but that’s what you’re acting like. Dial the thirst down a few ounces, and you’ll be good, friend.”
I rolled my eyes. “I mean, it really is just coffee. He owns the barber shop across the street, and since I’ve been there, I see a lot of people hanging out there. He’s got influence in the community, and I think making a good impression on him will go a long way for me in the community, as far as people accepting me, I mean.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I’m serious. Besides, you know that I always love to look cute when there’s a good-looking guy in the vicinity. I might not be trying to be picked up, but I’m just a girl who does like to be admired.”
“Go be admired, Baby.” She waved her hand dismissively at me.
We hugged and said our goodbyes before I hopped into the car and drove to the other side of town where my shop was.
I dropped my things off in the shop, checked in with the contractors, and then headed across the street to the coffee shop. I was surprised to find that he was already inside when I entered. He was sitting at a table, waiting for me. I would admit that I was impressed. I had arrived ten minutes early with a tight belly, worried that he might not show up after all.
Harlem looked great in a pair of distressed black, baggy Levis, a black and tan ombré Levi hoodie, and black Forces. I noticed how the gold chain around his neck looked good against his dark, cocoa-colored skin, and the Rolex with diamond numerals glinted fashionably against his dark coloring. He had a fresh lineup compared to yesterday’s haircut, and he was freshly shaven.
I liked a man who made a good effort to impress me, even if it was only for a coffee date. That made me feel better about all the hassle I had gone through to find the perfect outfit for him this morning.
His face lit up into a beautiful smile when he saw me, and his dark eyes gleamed with delight. I walked to the table, and he stood up and held out my chair for me.
“I already ordered our special order since I know it’s the only thing you ever order. If you want something else, I can get that too.”
“No, that is fine. Where is our order?”
“I asked them to make it fresh when you arrived. Let me go check to see if they’re starting,” he stated and stood.
I watched as he walked away, and I took in his broad shoulders, muscular body, and the tats that decorated his arms and neck. The man was fine, but I knew that I didn’t need to start anything new at this point in my life. There was nothing wrong with appreciating a dark, gorgeous man when he was in the vicinity, and I definitely appreciated Harlem.
He returned to the table with our orders, and he hit me with that brilliant smile that instantly made me melt. I had never met a man who I was immediately drawn to the way that I was drawn to Harlem, which would make my entire effort to be his friend a struggle. He seemed to have an aura about himself that a person could tell him everything, and he would hold it close. I wasn’t about to jump into the deep that way; I barely knew him.
