Page 84 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

Jade takes her hand and leads her much taller wife to thestairs. “Let’s get our suits.”

“Or we could swim without them,” Kenya teases.

“Not if I’m out there.” Yari laughs. “I don’t need to seeall that.”

“There’s a theater in the basement,” Banner says, yawning.“We were gonna go watch a movie.”

“I have a feeling that movie will be watching you, Ban.”Jared pulls her into his side. “You’re tired.”

“Making a baby has that effect on me.” She widens her eyesmeaningfully. “Something I didn’t have to hide this trip thanks to your bigmouth.”

“Movies, you said?” He opens the door leading to thebasement, lips pressed against a grin.

Iris, August, Lotus, and Kenan decide to play spades out onthe terrace.

“We set them twice last time,” Iris tells me, rubbing herhands together. “It stings their pride that these two girls whoop their asses.Wanna come watch?”

“I think we’ll take a walk,” Naz interrupts, looping an armaround my waist. “There’s olive and lemon trees in the grove. If you want,Kira?”

I glance up, mesmerized by the look in his eyes. It’s notjust passion or desire, but adoration. I don’t know how it’s possible for thatlook to be real in less than two weeks, but I trust it. I feel it, too.

“A walk sounds good,” I say, my breath shallow.

“Okay.” Kenan gives us a knowing look. “Enjoy your walk.” Heputs walk in air quotes, making us laugh, but neither of us deny that we couldget up to something out there.

We set off for the garden, walking in silence for a fewminutes with our fingers entwined, the only sounds splashes and squeals fromthe pool, shouts and good-natured bickering from thecard game on the terrace, and the click of our footsteps on flagstones leadingus deeper into a copse of trees. The scent of lemonswafts thick in the air, their yellow skins gleaming on sturdy branches in themoonlight. The water shimmers in the distance, moonbeams shading it midnightinstead of the bright sapphire blue of day. Embedded into the cliff, the lightsof Positano’s shops and restaurants sparkle like crown jewels overlooking a seaof glass.

“It’s breathtaking.” I stop to absorb one of the mostcaptivating views of our trip. Of my life. “It’s hard to believe it’s real andI’m here.”

“We are definitely here.” Naz takes my hand, leading medeeper into the grove to a wooden bench situated between two olive trees.“Let’s sit.”

When I kick off my sandals, Naz scoots to the end so I canrest my head in his lap and swing my legs over the bench arm.

“This feels very Notting Hill.” I tip my head backto catch the faintest of night breezes. “You know that closing scene?”

“The one where Julia Roberts is pregnant?”

“Not that part. Not for a long time.” I shake my head. “Igot too much to do.”

He lifts one of the long braids left loose from my chest,toying with the end. “What do you want? In the future, I mean?”

“To have an A-list clientele. So few of the Black stylistsand makeup artists in Hollywood work consistently with A-list clients. My workdeserves to be seen on any red carpet and at every premiere.”

“I love your confidence,” he says softly, bending to kiss mytemple. “What about your personal life? Obviously you said no kids yet.”

“Not yet, but I do want them. My parents have been marriedover forty years. They had trouble getting pregnant at first, and Janice came afew years into their marriage.”

I giggle, tipping my head back to catch his eyes. “Mama saidonce her womb got the hang of it, she couldn’t stop.” I sober. “She lost twobetween Janice and Cliff, but then she got pregnant with me almost as soon asCliff was born.”

“And you two have always been close.” He says it as fact,not question.

I nod, a touch of sadness invading the garden, disturbing mypeace. Soon I may have to hurt one of the men in my life who mean so much tome.

“Is there a place for me?” Naz asks, the timbre of his voicedeepening, caressing. “In your future?”

I sit up and turn to face him, tucking one leg beneath me.“Do you want one?”

He gives me a wry look. “I made a fool of myself to get youon this trip, Kira. What do you think?”