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“Oh, here you go,” I tease, and we both smile.
“Are you going to answer my question?”
I sigh. “He’s my ex… Let’s just say things didn’t end well and leave it at that.” I press my lips together then search the crowd to avoid his stare.
“Okay. We can leave it there. Are you currently single?”
“I am,” I say confidently.
Jackson prepares to add to our conversation, but the echoes from the speakers grabs his attention. We face forward as Maxwell and a beautiful middle-aged African-American woman, who I recognize as Mila Grant, takes the stage. With mic in hand, she proceeds to thank everyone for trusting in their vision and for working so diligently to build the best businesses we can. I especially love that she focuses primarily on diversity and creating opportunities for persons and businesses run by people of color. Mila’s speech is strong and empowering, and while I love the message she’s delivering, my mind is clouded.
Stealing a quick glance at Jackson, who’s engrossed in her words along with everyone else, I shake my head, trying to wrap my brain around what I’m feeling. I don’t know what changed from yesterday and this morning till now, but I must admit that I’m growing more intrigued by him with each passing interaction. His cocky demeanor doesn’t necessarily read attractive, and certainly doesn’t do much for me mentally—well, maybe just a little on a sexual level—but we aren’t there. What does win him some cool points is his brain. Sitting next to him tonight and listening as he engaged with the others at our table, sharing his wisdom on investing and mining the market, put things in a whole new perspective for me. There’s nothing sexier than an educated man, and Jackson’s mind definitely turns me on. That’s partly what makes this so awkward for me because I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of getting his way.
I’ve been pursued by men like Jackson. Shit, he and D'Andre are very similar in that regard. Aggressive and arrogant guys who swear they can have whatever they want, whenever they want it. I guess that says a lot about me and my taste in men, but for some reason, I can’t help but feel that maybe there’s much more under the surface here.
I continue to watch him, taking in his features. A wave of lust washes over me, and my breath catches. It’s been a while since I’ve desired any man as much as I do Jackson right now. I don’t know much about him, anything really, and that doesn’t sit well with me. Sure, I can ask, and judging by his actions thus far, I doubt he’d hesitate in telling me what I want to know. But that isn’t why I’m here, and I have to remember the pact I made after ending things with D'Andre. I vowed to swear off men and relationships until further notice.
Dancing with Jackson was nice, and it does feel good to have the attention of a man that’s not only attractive, but beautifully ambitious and smart as hell. I should be excited about that, and be willing to give it a chance, but I didn’t come here to get to know anyone.
So instead of hanging around and feeding my curiosity, I quietly excuse myself while Mila wraps up her speech. The elevator comes, and I board with one more glance over my shoulder to make sure no one notices me slipping away. I realize that I will most likely run into him tomorrow. And he will probably want to know why I left unannounced. Maybe I’ll have an answer for him or maybe I won’t, but tonight, I just need to clear my mind and settle my desires.
