“Cozart!”
We both turned and my boss stood a few feet away from us looking like a supermodel. Thinner than a wafer in a shimmering gold gown, Phomoria Crenley looked like a goddess. The bitch had no waist, like she had eaten hopes and dreams for breakfast. She crossed the room with confidence that could only come from someone who knew she was beautiful. Her dress hugged every curve, diamonds sparkled around her neck, and she smiled directly at Cozart like she already knew the answer to whatever question she planned to ask. She hugged him too long for it to be friendly and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Afterall, she was my boss, Cozart was her client, the client that I had turned her on to.
“Cozart Walker,” she purred. “You clean up very nicely.”
He smiled politely. “Good to see you, Phomoria congrats again on the nomination tonight,” he nodded his head towards her. Her eyes slid to me before returning to him.
“Ny’Airy sweetie I’m so glad you could make it,” she smiled at me fakely, leaned over and air kissed me like we were in Paris instead of in ratchet ass Buckhead Atlanta. There wasn’t jealousy in her voice, but there were definitely some curiosity and competition.
“Are you two here together?” she asked me with a fake gleaming smile.
Before I could answer Cozart did, “Yes Ny’Airy is my date,” he said causing my stomach to do that flutter thing again.
“Isn’t that the most adorable thing,” she said while smiling at Cozart like a female dog in heat. It was bad enough all of the women in the gym wanted him, even my boss wanted him. It was his fault for being so damn attractive. I looked at Phomoria who was staring at him, then looked over at him, and he was staring at me with the same look that she was giving him.
“Well, I won’t keep you two,” she smiled. “Enjoy yourselves.”
“Congratulations again,” Cozart said.
“Thank you.”
She walked away with effortless confidence, but something told me she wasn’t nearly as unbothered as she pretended to be.
Chapter Fifteen
Ny’Airy Buckle
“I’m sorry Ny’Airy I need to borrow your date one more time dear. They are about to announce my award for Lawyer of the Year, and I need a fine man to escort me on stage,” Phomoria gripped Cozart’s bicep and bit her bottom lip while daring me to say anything against it.
“Go ahead, take him he was boring me anyway. All he talks about is the gym and his muscles,” I joked. Deep down inside I was annoyed. All night long Phomoria had been whisking Cozart away to meet this person or to talk to that person, if the bitch wanted him to be her date, she should have asked him and saved me the trouble.
“That’s not true.” Cozart opened his mouth in surprise and touched his chest pretending to be offended, “I also talked about how Beyonce wanted me to train her for her last tour, but I told her I was too busy because Rihanna needed my services after her 8thbaby.” He placed an imaginary piece of hair behind his ear, and I laughed loudly while swatting him playfully.
When Cozart told me I would have more fun with him than any other man I had ever dated, he wasn’t being cocky. Not only was he the perfect gentleman, he made sure I had a drink in my hand, he kept me laughing, and he never left me hangingin awkward conversations. When one of my bitchy coworkers who usually didn’t say two words to me in the office asked what happened with my divorce, he swooped in like Superman and politely told her we didn’t talk about losers we left them in the past. I almost spit out my champagne I laughed so hard, and my coworker just stood there looking like she had sucked a sour lemon. When women tried to flirt with him in front of me, he made it a point to include me in every conversation. The more he let his personality shine through, the more attractive he became to me. He was definitely different outside of the gym. If only I could get my hot in the ass boss to stop snatching him away from me every five minutes, then I wouldn’t have any complaints.
“You are so silly Cozart,” she blushed and hit him on his arm playfully causing me to cringe inside.
“Are you sure it’s ok?” He asked me as Phomoria looped her arm through his and rubbed her breast against his shoulder subtly. The bitch was being so thirsty I was tempted to ask her if she wanted some of my drink.
“Of course it’s ok. She’s a big girl, she’ll be fine,” she said, as she pulled him away. I wasn’t sure if she was talking about my weight or my age but either way it went, I knew she was being shady.
“Just remember she writes your checks,” I told myself as I took a deep breath and walked in the opposite direction.
The mayor’s mansion on the inside was just as extravagant as the outside and the who’s who of Atlanta were definitely in attendance. I spotted platinum selling rapper Ludacris talking to a councilman and even saw a few Atlanta Falcon’s football players huddling around drinks and women. I walked through the crowd confidently, feeling better than I had in months as the effects of the champagne kicked in. I grabbed a filled flute fromthe tray of a waiter and placed my empty one on a nearby table as I explored the grounds. The ballroom area was huge, and it led out to a massive outdoor pool. It was lit up, and looked like paradise surrounded by beautiful flowers. I walked out of the double glass sliding doors, to enjoy a little fresh air just as my phone buzzed.
Feeling like I could walk and chew gum at the same time, I pulled my phone from my clutch and opened the message and smiled when I saw it was from Cozart.
COZART: Please save me from this annoying ass broad. I don’t know how you work with her, she won’t shut up
I laughed loudly as I texted him back.
ME: That’s why she’s so good at her job.
The minute I pressed send, I collided with something and my phone went sailing in the air one way and my drink flew the other way.
“SHIT!” I exclaimed as I immediately bent down to try to grab my phone.
“It’s ok, shit happens,” he replied and the sound of the voice sent chills down my spine. I knew that voice better than I knew my own. That voice had talked me through orgasms, cheered me up through disappointments, and sung happy birthday to me badly for fourteen years. That voice was etched in my heart, and I couldn’t forget it if I tried.
