ran my finger around the rim of my empty glass while I thought. “Some. Nothing too heavy. Doesn’t seem like the time for that.”
“Does that mean there’ll be other times?” Terrell added, grinning like a kid on Christmas.
I couldn’t help but to chuckle. “Nah…that’s not what I’m saying. I only meant that this type of setting, with everything going on this weekend, hashing out the details of our past is not what’s important.”
“But you should keep in touch with her, though. I mean, you know…in my opinion. There’s no reason y’all can’t be –“
“Don’t even say it,” I interjected, smiling at how naïve Terrell apparently thought I was. “You know as well as I do that Sam and I don’t have the capacity to be ‘just friends’ .” Without having to come out and say it, Terrell filled in the blanks. What happened out there on the dance floor was a prime example of what a ‘friendship’ between Sam and me would look like – a whole lot of awkward moments where one or both of us would have to walk away hot, bothered, and horny as hell with no possibility of getting our rocks off. It was easy to deny that there was still a sexual attraction to her before because I hadn’t been forced to face it. But now? I knew without a doubt that those urges were alive and kicking regardless of what negative energy still has a place in my heart after having her walk away from me before. Clearly, at least one part of my anatomy hadn’t gotten the memo about her no longer being a prospect.
“Well, I still say there’s some thing there worth exploring,” Terrell concluded, pushing his chair in when he stood. “And if you ever need an alibi to get away for a weekend, you know I got you. Just sayin’….”
I shook my head at him and ignored the offer. I wo uldn’t need any alibis, because after this, I wouldn’t be speaking to Sam anymore. In fact, I’d already decided that, if and when our paths did cross again, it would be at some other random event hosted by one of our mutual friends…not by any doing of our own.
When I saw Kira emerge from the restroom, I cleared my throat and made sure my eyes stayed solely on her as she walked in the direction of where I sat at the bar. I forced a smile and returned her embrace when she tucked her small frame beneath my arm and stood there, watching couples on the dance floor.
“We should go out there and show them how it’s really done,” she joked, knowing good and well that she didn’t have an ounce of rhythm.
Dancing was the furthest thing from my mind , but I didn’t know how to tell her that. At the moment, I was fighting off the barrage of feelings – some new, some familiar – that had basically just fallen into my lap. Either way, I couldn’t seem to control it.
“Come on,” she insisted when another slow song came on.
Trailing behind a bit, I went.
We stopped in the middle of the floor and Kira’s arms came to rest on my shoulders as she laced her fingers at the back of my neck. A long breath helped to center my thoughts somewhat. Well…kind of.
‘ Don’t even look over there’ , played on repeat over and over again in my thoughts like a chant.
“Your heart feels like it’s about to leap through your shirt,” Kira commented, staring at my chest curiously.
I peered down at her and hid behind a smile. “That tends to happen when I dance with a beautiful woman.”
She deemed that an acceptable answer, although I knew there was more to my elevated pulse than the fact that I was holding Kira. On cue, I let myself steal one more look. When I did, Sam and her guy were coming out to dance too. They were way on the other side of the floor, but I still had a clear view of the two of them. He held her waist and pulled her in close. Real close. She held his shoulders and leaned her head over slightly when he placed a kiss on the side of her neck, followed by
“Does that mean there’ll be other times?” Terrell added, grinning like a kid on Christmas.
I couldn’t help but to chuckle. “Nah…that’s not what I’m saying. I only meant that this type of setting, with everything going on this weekend, hashing out the details of our past is not what’s important.”
“But you should keep in touch with her, though. I mean, you know…in my opinion. There’s no reason y’all can’t be –“
“Don’t even say it,” I interjected, smiling at how naïve Terrell apparently thought I was. “You know as well as I do that Sam and I don’t have the capacity to be ‘just friends’ .” Without having to come out and say it, Terrell filled in the blanks. What happened out there on the dance floor was a prime example of what a ‘friendship’ between Sam and me would look like – a whole lot of awkward moments where one or both of us would have to walk away hot, bothered, and horny as hell with no possibility of getting our rocks off. It was easy to deny that there was still a sexual attraction to her before because I hadn’t been forced to face it. But now? I knew without a doubt that those urges were alive and kicking regardless of what negative energy still has a place in my heart after having her walk away from me before. Clearly, at least one part of my anatomy hadn’t gotten the memo about her no longer being a prospect.
“Well, I still say there’s some thing there worth exploring,” Terrell concluded, pushing his chair in when he stood. “And if you ever need an alibi to get away for a weekend, you know I got you. Just sayin’….”
I shook my head at him and ignored the offer. I wo uldn’t need any alibis, because after this, I wouldn’t be speaking to Sam anymore. In fact, I’d already decided that, if and when our paths did cross again, it would be at some other random event hosted by one of our mutual friends…not by any doing of our own.
When I saw Kira emerge from the restroom, I cleared my throat and made sure my eyes stayed solely on her as she walked in the direction of where I sat at the bar. I forced a smile and returned her embrace when she tucked her small frame beneath my arm and stood there, watching couples on the dance floor.
“We should go out there and show them how it’s really done,” she joked, knowing good and well that she didn’t have an ounce of rhythm.
Dancing was the furthest thing from my mind , but I didn’t know how to tell her that. At the moment, I was fighting off the barrage of feelings – some new, some familiar – that had basically just fallen into my lap. Either way, I couldn’t seem to control it.
“Come on,” she insisted when another slow song came on.
Trailing behind a bit, I went.
We stopped in the middle of the floor and Kira’s arms came to rest on my shoulders as she laced her fingers at the back of my neck. A long breath helped to center my thoughts somewhat. Well…kind of.
‘ Don’t even look over there’ , played on repeat over and over again in my thoughts like a chant.
“Your heart feels like it’s about to leap through your shirt,” Kira commented, staring at my chest curiously.
I peered down at her and hid behind a smile. “That tends to happen when I dance with a beautiful woman.”
She deemed that an acceptable answer, although I knew there was more to my elevated pulse than the fact that I was holding Kira. On cue, I let myself steal one more look. When I did, Sam and her guy were coming out to dance too. They were way on the other side of the floor, but I still had a clear view of the two of them. He held her waist and pulled her in close. Real close. She held his shoulders and leaned her head over slightly when he placed a kiss on the side of her neck, followed by
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