She thought about the day and everything that had happened. Strangely, at this point, it felt like she’d made the right decision. Somehow, everything was going to be okay.
Aisha let her fingertips dance over Greg’s collarbone. “What time is it? Don’t you have to go to work tonight?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Aisha snuggled in closer. “A rare free night.”
“Actually, from now on, all of my nights are going to be free.”
“What?”
“I said, from now on, all of my nights are going to be free.”
Aisha raised up to look at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, you aren’t the only one who recently quit a job.”
Aisha stared at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. “What? You quit?”
He nodded. “A few days ago.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “Look, I know we haven’t been seeing each other long, but I really care about you, Aisha. I haven’t been in love for a long time.” He sighed. “In fact, I can barely remember the last time, but being with you over these past few weeks has awakened a part of me again—the part of me I had to shut off in order to do my job.” He kissed her lips softly. “Now, I can’t go back to that life, and I want to find out if I’m still capable of falling in love.”
Aisha touched his face. “Oh, baby.” She kissed him again. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“Well, because I wanted to make sure you wanted to be with me for me. The guy who entertained women for a living. Because the fact is, that’s a part of me, and after ten years, there are thousands of former clients out there. One day we might run into another one and then another one and then another.” He raised his eyebrows. “And like Heather, some of them might say something about my technique. Are you going to snap every time that happens?”
“No,” she said emphatically. “Absolutely not. What you do…did…for a living is a part of who you are. And I’m crazy about you. Every single part. Besides,”—she smiled—“that is how we met, remember?”
“Yes.” He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “It is.”
Aisha sighed and lay back down in the crook of his arm. “So, now that we’re both unemployed, what do we do now?”
“Well, actually,” he said and smiled slowly, “I have an idea.”
Chapter Thirteen
“I checked in with Malcolm, and the website will go live in few hours.” Aisha ticked the points off on her fingers. “The radio spot will start running next week. I’ve called my contacts at The Trib , The Sun-Times and The Reader and all three will be sending someone over in the next month or so. They come in stealth mode, so everything at all times has to be perfect—the food, the service, everything. At all times.”
Greg cracked several eggs over the griddle and began to scramble them. “It will be, baby. Don’t worry.”
“I’m serious. A review in the paper can make or break your business. And you really need to talk to Monica. Sometimes she can get a little attitude with the customers.”
“I will.” He flipped the perfectly scrambled eggs onto the plate, added a few strips of bacon and two fluffy pancakes and set the steaming plate down on the counter. “She’s got some stuff going on at home. But I’ll talk to her.”
“Okay.” Aisha pulled out her phone and checked her calendar. “Oh, and the new awning is being delivered tomorrow. And…” she put her hand on her hip, “I really wish you would let me order a new sign. You know, one that isn’t handwritten with a marker. The one up there is so…bootleg.”
“Absolutely not.” Greg wiped his hands on his apron and picked up the catfish filets. He dipped them in milk, dredged them in cornmeal and placed them gently in the hot oil. “That stays. Auntie Rita would kill me if I took it down.”
Aisha sighed. “Okay, fine. Oh, and one more thing…”
“What’s that?” Greg stirred the large pot of grits and spooned
Aisha let her fingertips dance over Greg’s collarbone. “What time is it? Don’t you have to go to work tonight?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, that’s great.” Aisha snuggled in closer. “A rare free night.”
“Actually, from now on, all of my nights are going to be free.”
“What?”
“I said, from now on, all of my nights are going to be free.”
Aisha raised up to look at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, you aren’t the only one who recently quit a job.”
Aisha stared at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. “What? You quit?”
He nodded. “A few days ago.” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “Look, I know we haven’t been seeing each other long, but I really care about you, Aisha. I haven’t been in love for a long time.” He sighed. “In fact, I can barely remember the last time, but being with you over these past few weeks has awakened a part of me again—the part of me I had to shut off in order to do my job.” He kissed her lips softly. “Now, I can’t go back to that life, and I want to find out if I’m still capable of falling in love.”
Aisha touched his face. “Oh, baby.” She kissed him again. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“Well, because I wanted to make sure you wanted to be with me for me. The guy who entertained women for a living. Because the fact is, that’s a part of me, and after ten years, there are thousands of former clients out there. One day we might run into another one and then another one and then another.” He raised his eyebrows. “And like Heather, some of them might say something about my technique. Are you going to snap every time that happens?”
“No,” she said emphatically. “Absolutely not. What you do…did…for a living is a part of who you are. And I’m crazy about you. Every single part. Besides,”—she smiled—“that is how we met, remember?”
“Yes.” He pushed a strand of hair away from her face. “It is.”
Aisha sighed and lay back down in the crook of his arm. “So, now that we’re both unemployed, what do we do now?”
“Well, actually,” he said and smiled slowly, “I have an idea.”
Chapter Thirteen
“I checked in with Malcolm, and the website will go live in few hours.” Aisha ticked the points off on her fingers. “The radio spot will start running next week. I’ve called my contacts at The Trib , The Sun-Times and The Reader and all three will be sending someone over in the next month or so. They come in stealth mode, so everything at all times has to be perfect—the food, the service, everything. At all times.”
Greg cracked several eggs over the griddle and began to scramble them. “It will be, baby. Don’t worry.”
“I’m serious. A review in the paper can make or break your business. And you really need to talk to Monica. Sometimes she can get a little attitude with the customers.”
“I will.” He flipped the perfectly scrambled eggs onto the plate, added a few strips of bacon and two fluffy pancakes and set the steaming plate down on the counter. “She’s got some stuff going on at home. But I’ll talk to her.”
“Okay.” Aisha pulled out her phone and checked her calendar. “Oh, and the new awning is being delivered tomorrow. And…” she put her hand on her hip, “I really wish you would let me order a new sign. You know, one that isn’t handwritten with a marker. The one up there is so…bootleg.”
“Absolutely not.” Greg wiped his hands on his apron and picked up the catfish filets. He dipped them in milk, dredged them in cornmeal and placed them gently in the hot oil. “That stays. Auntie Rita would kill me if I took it down.”
Aisha sighed. “Okay, fine. Oh, and one more thing…”
“What’s that?” Greg stirred the large pot of grits and spooned
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