“Oh, he is,” Shawnee confirms. “He’s a platinum realtor. Top five in the city.”
“Wow,” Anthony adds, as if he didn’t already know that. “And what do you do?”
“Photography. It’s more of a hobby.” She sets me up for the brag. God help me.
“Don’t listen to her. She’s one of the most sought-after photographers on the East Coast. Google her, Shawnee Kimathi. Her work is amazing.”
“Kimathi?” His brow knits and it becomes real. “No way. Is your dad Dr. Adamu Kimathi?”
“Oh my God, yes. How do you know him?” Her eyes widen and I take a step back.
“I sat in on a lecture of his, a couple of years back. He was doing a series on success in business and the connection it has with athletes. It was fascinating. He’s a genius.” Anthony doesn’t know this, but he has done the very thing that will endear him to Shawnee for the rest of her life. “His life story is captivating too. Being born in Kenya but adopted into a Canadian family and ending up here. His adopted parents’ family has roots to the underground railroad.”
“My great-great-great-grandpa helped get people across the border into Canada,” Shawnee adds.
I take another step back.
This scenario started as a possible hookup, maybe one-night stand considering there is an eight-year age gap, but now I’m seeing so much more than a casual encounter. They are clicking.
The Deep‘n Delicious cake calls to me from the bag in her hand. I contemplate her need for sex and my need for cake and make a weak choice. I’m a bad friend.
“I have to run upstairs. Let me just grab these.” I hurry over, interrupting but they’re so enthralled they don’t notice me.
When I step into the elevator, my heart swells.
I just watched a perfect meet-cute.
Even in the time of plague, death, and chaos, people can fall in love.
There is hope for the world.
And maybe hope for me.
But until I’m ready for that, I have cake and a cat.
I’m luckier than a lot of people.
And today is one of the days I can see that.
Chapter 26
April 30
It’s been almost four weeks since the placenta previa and Rod incident.
Four weeks since Sam last spoke to me. His ability to avoid running into me is remarkable. No more mail in the wrong box or random elevator meetings.
I’m just glad I never told Liz or Shawnee about accidentally having sex with him, or we’d be discussing the situation nonstop.
“Can you get me some water, Lil?” Liz asks. She’s back at my place because she needs the elevator. We’ve spent two weeks together, with James coming and going. It’s been nice. Like being kids again without needing to be told to go to bed.
“Of course,” I pause the show on the new big screen TV on the wall of my bedroom and hurry to the kitchen. I get us both a water as Romeo meows at my feet, circling and purring. “Do you need food?” I ask, but instead of going for his bowl, he runs for the door.
He stands on his back legs and scratches at the wooden door.
“What are you doing?” I ask and walk to him. “Do you want to go in the hall?” I open the door for him, a bit confused on what he thinks he will find out there.
Sam’s door opens at exactly that moment. Our eyes meet but the attention is quickly diverted to the cat sprinting in his direction. “Why hello, little man.” He scoops Romeo up and scratches his head. “Letting him roam the halls now?” he asks, not meeting my gaze.
“No, it was weird. He started scratching at the door. I’ve never seen him do that before.” My voice is small and my stomach flutters with nerves.
“Maybe he missed me.” He nuzzles his face into Romeo’s fur.
“I miss you,” I admit. It’s a big thing for me. “I’m sorry I never told you,” I blurt, not meaning to but I hate this.
His eyes flicker to mine, revealing that haunted emotion is still there. “No,” he says softly, “I’m the one who should be sorry.”
“I should have talked to you and told you what happened. I see that now,” my voice cracks. “And I wish I could take it all back. Do it differently.”
He walks over, holding my cat. “We still can, Lil.” He comes closer than I expect. “Because I have never gotten over you.”
My heart bursts. I imagine it’s like a mini light show with fireworks in my chest. “Me either,” I confess.
He lowers his face to mine, whispering a kiss on my lips. It’s hesitant in its desperation, but the cat in his arms starts to struggle. “Come on,” he says and pulls me to his door.
“I have to tell Liz I’ll be right back.” It’s hard to walk away from him, but I do it, taking the cat with me. I put him down when I’m inside and walk for my bedroom.
“Where’s my water?” Liz asks as I go into the bathroom and strip off my clothes. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to Sam’s for a bit!” I shout at her as I jump into a cold shower and begin soaping up, ensuring my hair doesn’t get wet. I don’t bother with shaving anything, it’s Covid times. Surely, he can look the other way on some leg hair and an old-fashioned bikini line. Really old-fashioned. Au naturel.
“Oh my God!” Liz yells. “Sam’s?”
“Yeah.” I’m shivering when I hop out and towel off roughly. I pull on similar yoga pants and another white tee shirt and gray hoodie. It’s close to what I was wearing three minutes ago.
“You’re just leaving the bush as is?” she asks when I hurry from the closet. “I’m having a baby in a matter of weeks and my vagina looks better than yours.”
The comment makes me laugh but I don’t even have time for a retort. I wave and run away, trying not to heave my breaths as I close the door gently and walk to his place.
My hands are shaking and my heart is hammering in my chest, but I exhale and lift my hand to knock.
The door opens before I can. He smiles. “Hi.”
My stomach flips and flops and tingles. “Hi.” I sound giddy. Shit.
“Wanna come in?” He steps back, revealing the inside of his apartment. Something I have never seen. It’s nice. Identical to mine but with different furnishings. It’s cleaner than I remember his place being in college. His TV is stupidly large.
“It’s nice,” I say and wonder how this will happen. Are we going to small talk or jump each other or slowly start kissing?
“Can I get you a drink?” he asks and closes the door.
“Sure,” I offer pleasantly. “Happy belated birthday,” I add.
“Thanks. Spent it working. It was not how I planned it to go but what can you do?”
The tension in the air is so heavy it makes me sweaty. Or maybe that’s the shower mist still on my face.
He walks to the kitchen and pours two glasses of red wine from a bottle he has on the counter, freshly opened. He brings it to me and lifts his as I take it. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” I say and clink my glass against his. He sips but I let the wine slide down my throat, finishing the glass in one shot.