Page 16 of Always the Baker

Crap. I scrambled to remember any area I’d heard of. “Uh, downtown.” Shit. Ember said that area wasn’t really safe. “Well, kind of like off to the side of downtown. By the arts district.”

“Nice.” He nodded, looking impressed. “I love the energy down there.”

From my stalking… my research, I knew how important energy and good vibes were to Brax. He was big on having only good vibes around him. I remembered this one time a fight almost broke out at his show, and he paused his set to play mediator. That moment made me respect him even more.

I felt a pang of guilt for lying, but I pushed it aside. It’s not like I’d ever see him again, right? We were just two strangers talking in a bar.

As the night wore on, I found myself not wanting it to end. But eventually, Brax glanced at his watch and sighed. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

My heart sank, but I plastered on a smile. My once in a lifetime moment was officially coming to an end. “Of course, no worries.”

He hesitated for a moment, but then he smiled at me again, and I knew he had another question. “Aye, would it be okay if I got your number? Maybe we could grab coffee sometime?”

Ah.

I blinked, stunned. Was Brax Adams really asking for my number? For a while we just stared at each other while I tried to process his request. Once I did, I grabbed my phone.

After we exchanged numbers, he gave me a warm smile that made my knees weak. “It was great meeting you, Billie.” To my surprise, he pulled me in for a lingering hug. My body melted against him. I inhaled his scent as I turned to mush within the embrace. Yeah, he was definitely bigger than I thought, and I loved every inch of him. I loved the width of him. I just… loved him. “I’ll hit you up soon, aight?”

He was so kind. So sweet. So chill. Ugh! Was this really my life? I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As I watched him leave, reality came crashing down on me. What had I done? I’d lied about living here, and now he wanted to meet up again. How was I going to explain that I wasn’t from here if he called after I left? Was I really going to take a two hour drive just to meet him? Hell the fuck yeah!

Feeling dazed, I made my way back to my shabby hotel room. As I collapsed onto the bed, I couldn’t help but wonder if he would really call. And if he did, what thehellwas I going to do?

5

Billie

My phone buzzed,and my heart skipped when I saw Brax’s name. I’d been hoping he’d call, but I didn’t want to seem too eager. The night before replayed in my dreams and on my mind as soon as I woke up this morning. I couldn’t actually believe the night was real. I’d been smiling and humming all morning in disbelief. My first day here and I met the man of my dreams.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hey, Billie, it’s Brax. I was wondering if you’d like to grab a drink tonight?”

“Sure, that sounds great. Where do you want to meet?”

“How aboutMera’s Soul Food & Speakeasy? It’s a newer restaurant and bar on the beach, and the sunset views are amazing.”

“Okay, that sounds good.”

“You free around six?”

“Six works.”

“Good. I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

I hung up and immediately started freaking out about what to wear. After looking the place up and checking out videos to get a vibe, I settled on skinny jeans, a form fitting white tee that I dressed up with jewelry and heeled sandals. I decided to tour the city for a few hours so I wouldn’t obsess over my night with Brax, and I hoped tonight went just as well as yesterday did.

When I gottoMera’s, Brax was already there. He was dressed casually in all black, which looked decadent against his skin. The form fitting tee and loose sweats was a combo that I always found sexy on men. Seeing it on Brax took it to another level. He stood up and gave me another hug. This one ended with a kiss to my neck that made my arms cover with chills.

“You look amazing,” he said.

I blushed. “Thanks. You look handsome.”

We grabbed drinks from the bar and snagged a table on the second level. With glass windows all around, I couldn’t wait to see how beautiful the stars would look shining down on the waves of the ocean. For now, the sun had just started its descent, but it would probably be another hour or so before it started to go down completely. The idea of watching the sun set with Brax made this evening even more special.

“I wanna know more about you,” Brax said. “What’s a typical day like for you?”

I took a sip of my French 75 to buy time. Instead of telling him about my life back home, I told him a version of life I wished I would one day have. “I usually grab a latte from this cute little cafe near my apartment, then head to my studio to work on my latest project.”

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