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“Why you so happy about being my friend?”
“I like you, duh.” She said it so casually it caught me off guard. Clearing my throat, I took a sip of my water as her smile faded. “Not romantically. I mean, I like you as a friend. You’re very layered, and I’m curious about you. But I don’t mean I like you like you.”
“Yeah, okay.” Now, she was the one flustered as I relaxed into a confident state of having more of her attention than she wanted me to have. “We can get to know each other, Neo. What’s the first thing you want to ask?”
“Who’s waiting at home for you when you leave me?”
“My son.”
We mirrored each other’s smiles as she leaned closer. “There’s a tiny you roaming this earth? I bet he’s adorable. Tell me about him.”
I did. Telling her about Marz led to me telling her about my family and upbringing. My friends. My education and career. She shared the same. We talked about our love for music and how we both paid homage to it in similar ways. I used to play for artists while she highlighted them. Some of my best memories were of me going on tour or playing in a band for singers and rappers alike. I could play drums, piano, and violin. Neo could play guitar, piano, and the harp.
We left the restaurant and went to a music store, where we played one instrument after another together. We did that shit for hours, not preparing to leave until the store was closed. I noticed the shift in her mood and figured she didn’t want to go back to the mansion, so I pulled the manager aside and asked him, “How much is it going to take for you to let me and my girl stay here for another hour or so?”
He squeezed the back of his neck and checked the time on his watch. “My wife is waiting for me, big brotha.”
Pulling out my wallet, I peeled off ten hundred-dollar bills. “Will this make her a little more patient?”
His eyes widened as he nodded. “It sure will. I’ll be in my office. Stay for as long as you want to.”
“Aight, ’preciate ya.”
I made my way back over to Neo as she twirled a thick loc around her finger. In a different world, I’d have her ass barefoot and pregnant six times over. She wouldn’t have a care in this world. I’d give whatever it took to make her happy. In this world, we could only be friends, and even that felt like it had a timeframe on it. Bully seemed to be serious about Innvy, but love was fickle these days. It didn’t last forever the way old folks said it would.
“Well, I guess it’s time for us to go, huh?” she asked, trying to mask her disappointment.
“Not just yet.” Taking her by the hand, I led her over to the baby grand that she’d first fallen in love with. We sat down and I told her, “We got some more time.”
With a squeal, she gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek before pulling out her phone and setting it up to record us. That wasn’t usually my style, but I didn’t mind the idea of her having something to remember this moment by. Maybe I’d get her to send it to me too.
“What should we play?” she asked, running her fingers across the keys and making me wish they were my skin.
“Whatever describes how you feel right now.”
When she started to play a mashup of “Loved by You” by KIRBY and “Someone’s Lady” by Jessie J, I liked her a little more.
Not just because of her artistry but because of the way she expressed herself. I joined in, and we continued to play until the sun came up. That was the first time I’d ever done something so intimate, and the shit felt better than sex.
Instead of taking her back to the mansion, I found myself taking her to my home, which was a first. She’d fallen asleep on the way, so I picked her up and carried her to my bedroom. I put her in the center of my bed and gave her a kiss on the forehead that caused her to gently stir, but she didn’t wake up. I didn’t get in with her as much as I wanted to. I crashed on the small sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Chapter
Ten
Neo
When I woke up, I knew immediately I wasn’t at Rey’s mansion. Sitting up in bed, I looked around the room. My eyes landed on Merc. His large frame was hanging off the small couch in front of large windows on the side of what I assumed was his bedroom.
It had classic bachelor vibes—large bed and TV, black and brown décor. Plants were in every corner of the room. He had the softest pillows and sheets I’d ever felt.
Getting out of bed, I checked the time on my phone that was on the nightstand next to my purse. It was just after three in the afternoon, which didn’t surprise me because it was early morning when we left the music store. I couldn’t remember the last time I had that much fun.
I made my way over to Merc and gave him a soft kiss on the side of his mouth. Before I could walk away, his hand grabbed my waist. His eyes slowly fluttered open and settled on me.
“Mornin’,” he said, and the raspiness of his voice made my pussy throb.
“It’s actually afternoon.”
