For the first time tonight, I reached across the table and my hand covered his. Silence settled between us. It wasn’t an awkward silence; it was a healing one. When the waiter approached with our food, the conversation turned lighter. He asked me about my family, the gym, and where I grew up. I told him funny stories about growing up in the country and sad stories about life after my mother passed away. He was so easy to talk to, and I found my mind shifting from just wanting to fuck him to being genuinely interested in the words that came out of his mouth.
He was funny, smart, and passionate about healing people from the inside out. Hearing him talk about the importance of health and renewing our minds and bodies made me appreciate the work that was being done at the gym by my members. I suddenly felt guilty about creating a juice bar in the gym just to compete with him. I didn’t plan to do half the research to create something healthy and sustaining, I just planned to throw some juice in a blender and call it a smoothie.
The more we talked the less I started to see him as competition. I planned to cancel the plans for the juice bar in the gym and let him continue to do the work that his late wife was passionate about. Zumo told me about life growing up in Mississippi, he was the youngest of ten kids and he came from a big family. He had nieces and nephews, and aunts, uncles, and so many cousins that when he showed me pictures from his family reunion my jaw dropped. There was definitely more to Zumani Welsh than what I thought. After an amazing dinner, and a few more drinks, I followed him to a nearby club, and we danced for what felt like hours. By the end of the night, I was exhausted, full, and ready to get home to get in bed.
Zumo walked me to my car and opened the door for me so I could get inside before speaking, “Now that I’ve treated you likethe lady you are, I’m ready to slut you out because I know that’s what you want. So, should I follow you to your place or would you like to come to mine?” he questioned as he stood in the door. I smiled nervously and my pussy pulsated in anticipation.
“You can follow me to my place and thank you for being a gentleman,” I retorted sweetly. The entire ride home, I contemplated calling to tell him that maybe we shouldn’t do this. I had gotten a taste of the man he was, and I wasn’t sure if I could still fuck him no strings attached. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw him following behind me in his ugly truck and dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed my mind. I could handle a meaningless fuck and my body needed this.
Chapter Eleven
NY’Airy Buckle
I snacked on granola and Chobani yogurt as I updated a client’s profile. The subtle changes in my diet had occurred naturally. After being in the gym for three weeks, I noticed little things like my skin being lighter, my breathing being less heavy, and I no longer had the urge to eat the things I used to enjoy. I hadn’t eaten ice cream, cookies, or chips in a while and I didn’t even miss it. I now understood why people said that it was a lifestyle change and not just a quick fix. After completing my week’s workout with Co, I was back working out with my accountability partner, and I found our workouts easier to keep up with the days went by.
“NY’Airy, did you already speak with the client for the Emerson case? He received his summons in the mail by now because the county clerk’s office sent us our copy. We need to get him prepped,” my coworker Renee asked me as she walked past my desk. I nodded and pulled out a sticky note so that I could make a mental note to give the client a call.
“I’ll reach out to him today,” I assured her as I minimized my screen and went over to our client directory to get his contact information. Even though the office was a little more hectic than working from home, I loved my in the office days. They were fewbut I enjoyed chatting with my coworkers since we didn’t get to see each other in person every day and mostly chatted through email.
“Perfect, thank you,” Renee said then as if she suddenly remembered she turned back to my desk.
“Did you find your dress already, because I am struggling,” she whined. I looked at her like she lost her mind and her eyes went big.
“Your dress for the Mayor’s Ball NY’Airy. You know our firm is getting awarded at the ceremony, so we all have to be in attendance. The email was sent out notifying everyone about this three months ago,” she exclaimed and I groaned. Time flew fast when you weren’t watching the seconds tick. I had seen the email about the annual Mayor’s Ball and knew that I wasn’t going. It was thrown every year at a different venue by the city of Atlanta. Judges, attorneys, elected officials, and donors all attended this extravagant event. One of my bosses from the Law Office of Cook and Crenley, Phomoria Crenley, had gotten nominated for lawyer of the year. I had planned to come up with some elaborate excuse and maybe even go to the hospital to complain about back pain just so I could get out of going. Unfortunately, I had let July creep up on me and forgotten about my plan.
“Girl, I know exactly what you are talking about, I was just playing. All these years we have been working together, and you still take me seriously,” I laughed fakely and she laughed along with me.
“Girl, you got me good! So, do you have your dress? Who are you bringing with you? Because people are usually coupled off at these events.” The minute the last word came out of hermouth she immediately looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole.
“Oh, right. I’m sorry I forgot,” she apologized like she had suddenly remembered that I was divorced and single. Everyone at the office knew that Larry and I had gotten divorced. I hated the glances of pity that I sometimes got from my coworkers. Like because I was divorced, I was a Leper with a skin disease.
“You don’t have to be sorry girl people get divorced, if they didn’t, we wouldn’t have a job.” I joked and she laughed and pointed at me.
“You are right about that,” she agreed.
“As for who I’m bringing, he’s a friend and he’s really handsome. I have my dress, it’s gorgeous and I can’t wait for you to see it! Make sure you get yours because time is winding down it’s coming up this week,” I told her as I shrugged.
“Yes girl, this Friday to be exact and today is already Tuesday. I’m going to a few stores as soon as I leave the office, I hope that I can find something and I can’t wait to meet this new handsome mystery guy,” she winked at me as she walked away from my desk.
“I can’t wait to meet him either sis,” I muttered under my breath.
I had allowed peer pressure to convince me to write a check my ass couldn’t cash. Now I had to find a dress and a man in three days. After sending an email to our client Emerson, I minimized my screen and went over to Nordstrom’s website. I scrolled through their dresses and shoes nonstop hoping that something would stand out to me. I didn’t have the biggest budget, so I needed something affordable, and something thatwould fit. I hadn’t worn a dress in months, so I wasn’t even sure of my size. I decided to put a few options on hold for me to try on when I left the office today.
“That takes care of the dress, what about the man?” I whined as I finished placing the dresses on hold . I wished I could just go on a website, shop for a nigga, and rent him for a day. Unfortunately, life just couldn’t be that simple. I contemplated saying too hell with what I told my coworker and just showing up alone, then I thought about those pitiful ass looks I was going to get from everyone while they were coupled up with their person. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about all of the couple gatherings Larry and I used to do together. I hadn’t attended a company event since we got divorced because I didn’t want to show up looking like the single loser, while everyone else showed up with their husbands and boyfriends.
I picked up my phone and rolled my eyes before scrolling down my contact list. I had been married for most of my adult life. I didn’t have flings. After my divorce I hadn’t given a man the time of day. I heard cat calls in the grocery store and I ignored them. I ignored male advances because in my eyes they were all Larry. There was no point in getting with someone new and starting over when they would eventually do what he had done to me. I focused my attention on becoming the woman I was so that I could get my man back, he was the only man that I wanted.
Suddenly my phone pinged with a text message from my fitness group chat. I opened it and saw pictures of a group completed workout. In the group there were six people total, four of them were women, two were men, and the last person was Cozart. His face was sweaty, a huge smile on his face, his eyes were lit up like a kid on Christmas, and of course he was shirtless. I swear that man was allergic to shirts. I was glad thatafter our initial meetup, I was able to persuade his other trainees to come back to work out with him. His personal life had no effect on how great of a personal trainer he was.
The gym was back open, front window fixed, but the group was standing in Piedmont Park, underneath that same tree that Co and I had initially rested against and took the first picture I sent to the group chat. What had started as just a way to keep training while the gym was closed, had now become a weekly workout staple with the group regardless of if they were working out with their accountability partner that week or training with Cozart, once a week we decided to meet in the park and get a group session in together.
I smiled at the picture as an idea flashed in my head. I placed my phone down and quickly went over to our client directory. I typed in his name and sure enough Cozart had filed with one of our attorneys Phomoria Crenley. Not only was she beautiful and incredibly smart, she was the baddest divorce lawyer in Atlanta. She had a few celebrity clients on her payroll who swore by her. She got Porscha Williams out of both of her marriages, and she worked with more than a few wives of trifling Falcon’s players who couldn’t keep their rich dick to themselves. Phomoria was a bulldog in stilettos. I scrolled through all of the paperwork that had been filed so far and smiled. I was really proud of Cozart. He was focusing on being the best trainer he could be, his divorce was going to be finalized in no time with Crenley on the case, and he looked happier than when I laid eyes on him a month ago.
I picked up my phone and sent a text message over before I could talk myself out of it.
ME: For Christmas I’m going to buy you some shirts because clearly you don’t own any.
I laughed at my own joke, and before I could put my phone down three bubbles popped up showing that he was texting back.
