Page 19 of Verse Two
I couldn’t help how hard I was cheering, just like I couldn’t help the nonstop butterflies going crazy in my stomach. This man had me higher than cloud nine, and I couldn’t lie. I wanted this feeling forever.
“I’m so happy for you, D. Any man concerned with the details of my bestie’s life is good in my book. That man broke into your phone and called me to get your breakfast order. That’s husband energy, and I’m so here for it.”
My teeth grazed my lip. I almost forgot about that, but it was just another reason I knew I was in love with him.
“Yeah, I’m here for it too,” I said with a sigh. “I just hope it lasts well past this snowstorm.” My chest got a little tight at the thought of this not being a forever thing.
“It will, D. Y’all were made for each other.”
“I hope so.”
As I walked past the ceiling-to-floor windows toward the front of the lobby, I squinted my eyes and leaned closer.
“Girl, snow is still falling,” I said, surprised.
“Chile, tell me about it. It’s gon’ be another day in the house for me, because I can barely function with how high the snow is now. If we’re getting more, I’m about to hibernate. Wait, where are you? Why aren’t you with your man right now?”
Her calling Brick ‘my man’ found my smile. “He has virtual meetings and stuff this afternoon, so I came downstairs to explore the hotel. I’ve never been here before.” As I said that, my eyes widened because of our conversation from the night before.
“Bitch, how the hell did you know what hotel I was in last night?”
Wilde burst into laughter. “Girl, relax. You know Craig used to try to do the most to keep me. We had a couple of staycations there.”
I rolled my eyes, thinking about her most recent ex. I hated Craig because he was a cheater who couldn’t get right. Not even wanting to waste time speaking on him, I changed the subject. Wilde and I talked for at least an hour as I explored the spacious hotel. There were three nice restaurants, a spa, and a few boutiques. You really didn’t have to leave the hotel if you didn’t want to, because everything you needed was within reach. I didn’t even want to know how much it cost per night.
Of course, Maria called me shortly after I hung up with Wilder. She needed to give me her daily dose of complaints and requests. There was no telling how long that phone call lasted, but I just sat on one of the love seats in the reading lounge I found until she was done.
By the time I had covered every inch of the main floor, a few hours had passed, and I figured it was a good time to go back up to the room to see what Brick was up to. As I was about to turn the corner to head to the elevator, something in one of the boutiques caught my eye.An arts and crafts section.
Without a second thought, I entered the store and grabbed a shopping bag. Initially, I was only looking for nice markers. Coloring was one of my favorite pastimes, and for some insane reason, I brought my coloring book with me, but nothing to color with.
Once I found some, though, I continued pursuing. As my eyes scanned everything they had to offer, an idea hit me. Impulsively, I grabbed more writing utensils, scissors, glue, glitter, construction paper, and a pack of mini poster boards. I felt excitement bubbling in my core as I moved to the snack aisle and grabbed some things. Once I felt I had enough to bring my vision to life, I took the items to the checkout counter.
To my delight, there were racks of magazines and the city’s main newspaper at the counter. I added some of those to my purchase and practically skipped out of the store.
Brick and I had talked about how we had been feeling stagnant in our careers, and he commented on both of us getting back to the things we loved to do. What better way to get a jumpstart on that than to make vision boards together? We were snowed in for another day, so I felt it was as good a time as any to do some manifesting. Hopefully, he was down for it, because I was too excited about my little idea.
I hopped on the elevator, and there was an older couple already on. I greeted them politely as they observed the many bags I had acquired at the boutique. With a smile, the woman said, “Looks like you’re planning a party, young lady.”
I grinned at her. “Something like that.”
Seven
Brick
As soon as I closed my laptop, I leaned back in the desk chair and closed my eyes. I had just endured hours of business inquiries and two writing sessions, and I was feeling drained. Out of all the potential clients I talked to, there was only one singer I felt good about working with.
She seemed genuine, and she was a writer herself, so she respected the art form. She also wanted to sing about something of substance, and that was a breath of fresh air, for sure. Just about everyone else my manager and I talked to were on the same bullshit that I had just told Dy I was sick of dealing with.
Dy.
It had been hours, and she hadn’t come up to the room even once. I knew the hotel had plenty of things to do, so there was no telling what she had been up to, but I was more than ready to find out.
Grabbing my phone from the desk, I unlocked it and went to dial her number.
Damn . . .
It wasn’t until then that I realized we never exchanged numbers. I laughed at how ass backwards that was. I was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Dylan Ivie. I had touched, tasted, and indulged in every inch of her for the last day and a half, and I had never even asked for her phone number.
