Page 25 of Breeze and Melodie

“You might want to make that the topic of tonight’s conversation. Other than that, how do you feel?”

“I’m still on cloud nine. I know you don’t want all the gory details, but your brother is everything. I’ve wanted him for so long that it’s hard to believe he’s finally mine.”

“I know, sis. That’s why I’m so excited. Do you think Sean and Tia will continue to be a problem?”

“I haven’t heard from Sean since Breeze beat his ass. I don’t think he’ll do anything that’ll cause him to get another ass-whupping. Tia, . . . that remains to be seen, but I won’t make her my problem. Breeze needs to handle her.”

Once the doors opened and our day began, I only saw Raine in passing, and I didn’t see Breeze until I went to the barbershop at the close of business.

I entered the shop to find him finishing up his last client. Everyone else’s station was empty, so I assumed they’d left already. He smiled when he saw me, sending chills down my body.

“I’ll be done in about ten minutes, baby,” he said.

“No rush. Hello,” I said, greeting his client.

“Wassup?” the man replied.

I sat at the station next to his, pulled out my phone, and went straight to Flikstagram to catch up on the latest celebrity gossip. Jahzara Bentley, wife of professional basketball star Dakari Bentley, recently gave birth to their fourth baby.

Jahzara was one of our favorite customers. She and her sister, Yazmeen, who would soon have baby number three with Dakari’s teammate, Bronx Ravens, came in regularly for services. Dakari and Bronx were regulars at the barbershop as well.

The mayor of Onyx City, Aziel Harris, and his wife, Desire, announced they were expecting another set of twins, which would bring the couple's total to five children. I smiled as I looked at the pictures posted onKeeping It In the Closet, a popular gossip blog page.

“What are you smiling at?” Breeze asked.

I looked up from my phone, and he stood about a foot in front of me.

“Nothing. Just the celebrity gossip onKeeping It In the Closet.You ready?”

“C’mere.”

When I stood, the butterflies in my stomach went to town at the idea of being close to him for the first time since this morning.

“How was your day?” I asked as we embraced.

He pressed a kiss onto my forehead and then my lips before responding. “Better now. How was yours?”

“Busy. You hungry?”

“Starving. I haven’t eaten any real food all day.”

“Damn. I planned to have lunch delivered to you, but we had an influx of customers right around that time, and it didn’t slow down until about an hour ago. My bad, baby.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Let’s go grab something. I want to talk to you about a few things anyway.”

“Am I in trouble already?” He chuckled.

“No, but what I want to discuss is important.”

“What do you feel like eating?”

“Hmm, . . . pasta.”

“Pasta it is. Have you been to the new Italian spot around the corner yet?”

“No.”

We kissed again before he let me go. After he turned off the lights and turned on the security system, he locked the doors, and we headed to our impromptu dinner date.

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