Page 71 of Still Made For You

“I’ll be checking out your website this week, girl. I’ve been searching for a new braider for a while now. These girls act like they don’t want to work anymore,” Schlaun complained.

“I hear it all the time when clients come to my shop. The industry has become about nothing more than fast money and cutting corners. Emergencies do happen, but I’ve heard quite a few horror stories. If you have any questions when booking your appointment feel free to reach out to me. I’ll definitely be getting with y’all about ladies’ night. I have a feeling this won’t be your last time around our crazy family.” Ciyani glanced over at me.

Once everyone said their goodbyes, I offered to walk them to their car. I’m not sure why I was hesitating when I knew I needed an answer right away. A part of me thought about backing out, but I’ve never been one to back down from what I wanted.

“Are you going with me or him?” Schlaun asked, I paused for a moment remembering we’d talked about her spending time with me tonight. I thought it might be best to ask her about the trip before I took her to my home.

“Can I holler at you about something before you give her an answer?” Asha looked back and forth between the two of us.

“Okay, give me a second,” She told her sister before walking closer to me. Schlaun waived goodbye to me then headed over to her car.

“Did you change your mind or something? I noticed your energy shifted while we were inside. What happened?”

“It isn’t anything bad. My brother gifted me with a trip to Tulum. I know we don’t know each other well, but I was wondering if you might consider-”

“Yes!” My eyes shot up to look at her. I asked twice to make sure I’d heard her correctly.

“We only live once, right?” She smiled boldly.

“Okay bet. I don’t know if you have anything specific you want to take with you, but you won’t need to pack any clothes. Everything’s on me.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Well, let’s do this then!” Asha grabbed my hand as I led the way to my car.

She waved goodbye to her sister, letting her know she’d be leaving with me. I wondered if she planned to tell her about our trip. I know if one of my sister’s told me they were going out of the country with a random man they met at a club, I’d be carrying her back to my car kicking and screaming. Although, I’d never lay a hand on Asha to harm her, the circumstances would cause valid reservations.

I helped her get in on her side then hop in my ride. Tonight, hadn’t gone at all how I planned, but I decided to embrace whatever life brought my way.

***

“Doyouthinkit’spossible to fall in love with someone in a matter of days?” Asha’s question caught me off guard. I sat my clothes on the bed before walking over to her. Her sexy frame stood in front of the sliding door of the balcony. The view in our suite was incredible; I’d never seen anything so beautiful.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I held her body close to mine. The body scrub she used this morning smelled like a mixture of vanilla and brown sugar. My dick stretched in my shorts from having her this close to me.

“What did you say?” I heard her the first time, but I wanted to hear her ask again. Asha giggled when I nuzzled my face into her neck.

“I said do you believe it’s possible to fall in love in a few days?” The bright colors in the sky were mesmerizing. I’d been so accustomed to only seeing the gloomy ones from within the prison walls, I’d forgotten about the beauty of nature and God’s creations.

“I believe it’s possible to develop a deep connection with someone, but I can’t say whether it’s possible to fall in love. I believe love comes with time. It requires learning, building, and investing. It’s a powerful emotion that requires more than a physical attraction. It’s life-changing and everlasting; much more than a feeling.” She lifted her head up, staring into my eyes. For a moment, I lost my train of thought, gazing into her orbs. Unlike my siblings, I’m spiritual, meaning I’m in tune with energies and spirits. Asha's spirit brought a sense of peace and warmth I hadn’t experienced before. There was this magnetic pull around her, and it drew me in. It’s the reason I extended the invitation to her.

“Have you ever been in love before?” She asked.

“No,” my response took very little time to think about. I believed in love, but I hadn’t met anyone who made me want to give that kind of commitment.

“What about you? Have you ever been in love?” She turned her body bringing us face to face.

“I thought so, but I realized it wasn’t love at all. Love isn’t supposed to hurt. If it’s real, you won’t have to beg your partner for what you need.” Her thoughts were similar to mine. A part of me avoided organic relationships due to the way I saw my parents operate within theirs growing up.

Conflict and drama turned me off, and for a while, I thought those were the components of a real relationship. Instead, I decided to keep most of my interactions strictly transactional. Even my situation with Demya had been rooted in those same principles.

“What do you need?” I probed. Internally, I questioned whether I’d be able to give her the things she needed.

“Love. Real love. The kind I can feel secure in and not have to second guess my place in it. I want a love I can be proud of. A life-affirming love that changes the way I see the world. One where it’s us against the world instead of each other. I may be asking for too much though.” Her pretty brown eyes ignited a fire inside of me I haven’t experienced before.

“Naw, you deserve whatever you desire in your heart. There’s a man out there willing to give you what you deserve. You won’t have to settle for less.” Her facial expressions were unreadable, but I knew she was in deep thought.

“What about you?” My eyebrow furrowed from her question. “What do you need?” I froze momentarily, trying to think of an answer.

It wasn’t something I considered since most of my life has been spent running the streets, chasing all mighty dollar. For a long time, I believed money was all you needed to be happy. Emotions seemed to come with more complications than they were worth and back then, I didn’t have time to take anyone else’s feelings into consideration. My mind only thought about finding ways to make more money. With my newfound freedom, I craved all those things I’d missed out on, including love.

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