Mr. Mysterious In Black (6 page)

Kelsy raised a neatly shaped brow, her interest piqued. “A friend? Do I know this friend?”

“No, I met him last night.”

“Him?”

“Yes, Kelsy. The new acquaintance is a ‘him’.”

“And do you normally blush like that when you talk about
friends
that are ‘hims’?” she asked, her raised brow residing. “I’ve never seen you that scarlet when you talk about Tev, and I’d kill you if that happened.”

With a roll of my eyes, I confessed, “Okay Kelsy, I admit, I’m attracted. He’s damned hot. And I mean panty-seat-goes-wet-on-the-spot hot!”

“But?”

“He just wants to be friends,” I shrugged.

“Oh.” Kelsy frowned. “Odd.”

“Yes,
oh
and
odd.
” Every darn thing about the man was odd. I wondered if he also had an odd—

The microwave beeped and dragged me from thoughts that were about to take a stroll down naughty lane. I poured hot water in my Ramen cup soup and went to sit beside Kelsy on the couch. She looked distracted. “You okay, sis?”

She shook her head. “Dad’s buying me an apartment. He says it’s time for me to wake up, go out, and learn to live on my own. I’m scared.”

My eyes assessed my beautiful, dark-haired, fraternal sister whose major worry was living on her own. Mr. Mitchell, her father, was a known oil tycoon, her mother prospered in the architectural field and Kelsy sat lazily with her MBA. She’d obediently gone through college and acquired such only to appease her parents. She was, like me, an only child. And she simply lived in luxury. Whatever she desired was dropped in her palm before she even completed a sentence of request. But her father was right, she needed to step out into the world and endeavor to be her own woman. She was highly educated, intelligent and fluent when needs be. But she just didn’t possess an ambitious spirit. Maybe if she had a sibling to contend with, then she might have pushed to do something. Being around a hustler—Tevin—and an unemployed, aspiring designer—myself—twenty-four-seven, gives no inspiration to do better. “Your father’s right, Kels. You’re a spoiled brat.”

She folded her arms and pouted. Point made.

“Your daddy won’t be around forever. You need to learn to make good decisions and so far, you suck at it—just like me. You have the opportunity to choose. Many people, like myself, don’t. I’ve told you in his presence and in his absence that Tev is bad for you.” I set my cup soup on the coffee table and took her hand in mine. “Look at what happened to Cali D. I could have been there and I could have been dead, too. Learn from my mistake, Kelsy. I love Tev to death but he’s unhealthy.”

Tevin had been my friend and brother for six years. He’d been Cali D’s right-hand man when I met him. Because he had been there to keep my company when Cali D wasn’t, we’d grown extremely close. But the greedy ingrate that Cali D was known to be, had eventually caused him and Tevin to become enemies. Tevin and I had retained our growing friendship, nevertheless.

One day while he was giving me a lift from college, we’d seen this bodacious beauty on the roadside who’d looked pissed and annoyed that her CLK tire had gone flat. Tevin had pulled over to her aid, and for them, it was love at first sight. They were instantly drawn to each other and became inseparable. Kelsy and I had grown to become best friends and uncleavable, also.

Kelsy stared at me with wet green eyes, then she swung her arms around me. “I know. I know he’s bad. But I love him too much to give him up. I worry a lot that something might happen, like what happen to Cali D. But I just can’t…I
love
Tev.”

“I know you do. Let’s just invoke a divine intervention for him and hope his interruption to Damascus is near,” I soothed, knowing that was next to impossible. Tevin had made it clear a zillion times that he wanted no other life. There are some bad guys that want desperately to be good and some bad guys that are just…bad guys.

“Will you move in with me when I get the apartment?” Kelsy asked. “Gratis. No rent.”

I laughed. “I’ll think about it. I’m already disgusted with you and Tev here tongue bathing each other around the clock. Living with it? I’d be repulsed.”

“Let’s go shopping. I need to lift my spirit.” She wiped the tears from her brilliant green eyes.

Shopping. Yes, I needed fabrics and a few apparatuses to start working on my profile. “Sure.”

Rife with shopping bags, we lugged our tired selves back into the apartment. Whisked. I’d forgotten how draining it could be when shopping with Kelsy. “Did you really need to get all those stuff?” “Yes,” she chirped. “
Now
I’m happy.”

Flopping down on the sofa in exhaustion, I jerked when my cell phone went abuzz. The number wasn’t one I recognized.

“Hello?”

“I knew I couldn’t trust you to call me,” a deep, melodic voice said on the other end with no preamble whatsoever. I didn’t recognize the voice either.

“Uh, I’m sorry, who is this?”
Please say ‘Natalio, from the club’
.

“It’s Devon. I met you at the coffee shop yesterday? You told me you’d call, but you didn’t.”

Hope balloon deflated.

It was that handsome guy from Starbucks. I’d forgotten all about him. “How did you get my number? I didn’t give it to you.”

“I gave it to myself,” he replied simply.

“Huh?”

“It’s an old trick, Sadie. When I entered my number into your phone, I rang it. So that’s how I got it. I had a feeling you wouldn’t call and I didn’t want to lose contact with you. You have me mesmerized.”

“Oh,” I said, wondering how I’ve never heard of that trick before. How presumptuous.

“Sadie,” he said, in all seriousness. “I really like you and I would love to see you again. Is that possible? Please don’t say no.”

“You tricked me into getting my number. How did you know I wouldn’t swear at you and tell you to take a hike?”

“Because you are too sweet for that. Your lips are much too beautiful to do abominable things like swearing.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Devon.” This guy had some of the most rinsed-out, clichéd lines. No one ever taught him how to woo a woman?

He chuckled. “I’m an aging squirrel and you’re a tough nut to crack. Let me try again.” He cleared his throat. “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m deeply attracted to you, but you think I’m full of…poo?”

A smile crawled onto my face as I shook my head. This guy
…

“I can sense you smiling on the other end,” he said in a sing-song tone. “So how did I do? Well enough get a date with you?”

“Yes,” I agreed. I had no plans beyond sketching, I dreaded a dull evening and I needed a diversion from the plaguing thoughts of that Natalio figure from the club.

“How about dinner this evening?” he suggested.

“Will it be at some fancy restaurant?”

“Um, yes.”

What was it with guys always trying to be impressive, being pretentiously romantic? Only to turn out being complete dick-heads in the end.

“Then no,” I clipped.

He was silent for a moment. “Where would you like to go?”

“Somewhere ordinary. A nice chill spot would be good.”

“Okay. I know just the place. I’ll pick you up at eight?”

“Sure. I’ll text you my address.”

I ended the call, smiling.

“Who was that?” the inquisitive Kelsy asked as she tested her new wild cherry lip gloss, puckering her lips in the make-up compact.

“A handsome guy who’s interested in being more than just
friends
.” My answer was a tad bitter, and I realized that it was because I was still seething at my rebuffing from Mr. Mysterious in Black.

Devon and I were seated in the far corner of a swanky chill bar. Designed of stainless steel and glass, with neon blue lights and white seating, creating a luxurious ambience. At the last minute, I’d changed from my first choice of casual jeans and tank top to a purple close-fitting V-neck dress. Had I not done so, I would’ve been underdressed for this sporting. Devon had commented, repeatedly, on my dress and my beauty and my legs. Nice. But for some reason, his compliments didn’t aggrandize my confidence.

I sipped on Blue Label and Coke, while he sipped Crown Royal on the rocks. As the evening progressed, I learned that Devon Morris was single with no kids, and owned a construction company. Everything else was just boring, boring, boring, mundane banalities, while I responded to his monotonous chatter with the occasional “Hmm,” “Really?” “Impressive”, “Ah, I get it”, “Interesting”. I resisted succumbing to my boredom twitches, which were: inspecting my nails or rubbing my neck.

Devon was unquestionably handsome, sweet and flattering. The pull-your-chair-out kind of guy. He embodied all that a woman would tick the box for in a man. But for me, he was…innocuous. Nothing beyond his physical appearance attracted or intrigued me. I’m a girl who’s, strangely so, inclined to people that are a bit out of kilter. Don’t ask me why, I just am.

He would ask me out again, I knew. And I would agree. I’d try again because the problem might not be him, but me. At this crappy point in my life, I knew I was distracted on all levels.

“Oh man,” I heard Devon say, dragging me from…wherever I’d drifted off to. “Seems this wasn’t the best to place to chill this evening, after all.”

“What?” I asked, belatedly noticing that the noise level in the bar had turned up.

Devon nodded towards the entrance where a number of guys clad in biker wear and towing along scantily-dressed women poured in. “There was a biker fest down south today. For the affluent. I should’ve guessed that here would be the after spot on their way back.”

“So what’s wrong with them hanging out here? They all look like grown responsible men to me.” And frankly, I was glad for the sudden change of air.

“Nothing. I just don’t—” he stopped. “If you’re comfortable, then it’s fine.”

Huh? Why would he think I’d be uncomfortable?

Devon launched into a story about when he was in college and once rode bikes. I was
actually
enjoying it, until…

There he was, Mr. Mysterious in Black, leaning by the bar, dressed in his favorite shade. Black boots, black jeans, black T-shirt and black biker jacket. His ravened hair messy and strewn about his forehead.

My mouth hanged infinitesimally.

Oh. My. God.

If there wasn’t a chair beneath me, I’d swoon.
Natalio was Y-U-M-M-Y.
My heart flapped around in my chest like a headless chicken.

All his peers were laughing and swigging their beers, but he looked distracted. A scantily-dressed blond was clinging onto his bicep, yet it seemed he barely noticed she was there.

This man…

How do I put the man I spoke with last night to the man who I was now seeing? The man I saw last night was hot, yes, but business-like hot. The man I’m ogling now was biker-boy, rockstar hot; sending electric waves through my veins just by the sight of him.

Dear Lord, help me get rid of this insane lust.

“Sadie?” Devon’s voice pulled me from my most inappropriate ogling.

I blinked at him, unable to speak just yet, for my mouth was lacking moisture and warm heat settled between my legs.

“Do you know him?” Devon asked, eying me curiously.

“Know who?”

“The guy you were gawking at.”

Busted.

“Uh, no. He just looks familiar.”

He glanced over to where Natalio lounged casually by the bar, exuding sexiness, evoking raw, carnal desire, and Devon’s jaw tensed while he drummed his fingers on the table. What’s
his
problem?

“You look uncomfortable. Would you like to go?” he asked suddenly.

This time, without hesitation, I agreed. Not because I was uncomfortable, but because I was suddenly wet and needy and impatient to get home and pleasure myself with fantasies of Natalio above me, on me, kissing me, touching me, tasting me…

Devon rose and held out his hand. I placed my hand in his and we walked rather hastily towards the exit. In hopes that Natalio wouldn’t recognize me, I ducked my head.

“Sadie?” The stern, unmistakable voice called from behind.

At being caught, I winced and turned to see the walking temptation of a man that was Natalio. “Hi.”

“I thought it was you,” he said. His tone was warm but his expression not so much. Again I wondered, how does he do that?

“Um, we were just leaving,” I rushed. “Oh, this is Devon.” I gestured to Devon who was staring past Natalio’s head, not at him.

Natalio glanced at Devon, then did a double take. His eyes widened momentarily, his mouth slightly hanged, and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was shocked or pissed. But why?

He caught himself and resumed his previous stance, only now the warmth had vanished. He nodded at Devon, his sapphire blue eyes glacial. “Devon.”

Finally, I got to see his eyes!

Devon reciprocated, but his eyes were anywhere else except on Natalio. “Nelson.”

Nelson?
So they knew each other?

The scantily-dressed blond was back by Natalio’s side. She rested her chin on his shoulder and he jerked back his shoulder and shot her a cold stare. “Hey! You don’t see me talking here?
Retreat.
”

The blond bit her plush, pink lips and let her hand slide leisurely down his defined arm, before giving a dramatic sigh and sashaying back to where the biker group lounged.