I should’ve been avoiding her at all costs.
Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Imani mix our drinks. A smile rested on her lips as she measured and poured tequila in two glasses. I pushed out a breath, then turned around, resuming the email draft I was sending, Janelle, the curator of my exhibit. She asked for an update this morning, and I sent a picture of me working to appease her. I knew it was only a matter of time before she asked to see my collection for the exhibit. After sending her an update, I sat back in my seat, questioning what I was doing with Imani.
My plan was to go to the club, see a band, get inspired, then go back to the studio. Inviting Imani was an impulsive decision. After she spent the entire day out of the house and out of my way, curiosity got the best of me. I was disappointed to find that she’d left out early this morning. I brushed the feeling off quickly, remembering I shouldn't have been checking for her. But I couldn’t help myself.
When it came to her, it was easy to get caught up in everything about her. Throughout the day, thoughts of Imani and the last three years filled my mind. While I worked on my painting, all I could see was her. The things she said about my work in progress kept me going when I questioned myself. Somehow, her praises turned into me, wondering if she’d thought about me as much as I did over the years. I hoped she understood why we had to part ways and how it was better this way.
Just because I made the call to put us on pause didn’t mean I wasn’t hurt, too. Imani wasn’t trying to hear it back then. I hoped she would be more receptive to hearing it now. Even if we never rehash what happened, I wanted to let her know I loved her.
I still love her.
Feelings that deep didn’t go away. Once I got over the anger of losing her, I recognized my feelings for her hadn’t changed. I dated other women, even tried a relationship–albeit unconventional. Still, none of them came close to Imani Pressely. She was smart, beautiful, caring, and she was fun to be around. There was never a dull moment or sad face when Imani was in the room. Everyone enjoyed her company, often stealing the spotlight from Chris.
When everyone wasn't clubbing until sunrise, Imani and I were in my room talking. We talked about life, friendship, and our dreams. Most nights, she’d fall asleep in my room. Eventually, we stopped playing games and my room became hers during her stay. Everything happened so seamlessly that I didn’t catch myself. One day, I realized I had fallen for her.
I shook my head at the tightness in my chest. Just thinking about everything that transpired between us brought back feelings I needed to stay buried. I knew the more time I spent around her, the harder that would become.
“Here is your Paloma,” Imani announced, joining me in the backyard. She smiled brightly while handing me the small glass she had garnished with salt and a lime on the rim. I accepted the drink, holding her gaze.
“Not bad,” I told her after taking a sip.
Imani laughed. “Please. I may not work as a bartender anymore, but I still know how to make an excellent drink.”
She sat on the side of her lounge chair, facing me. I moved so her legs were between mine. Imani took another sip of her drink. Amusement and lust glimmered in her eyes. After a moment, she placed her glass on the table beside us and leaned back. She braced herself by placing both hands on either side of her.
“Tell me about this complicated situation you’re in.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What is it you want to know?”
“I don’t know. Where did you meet him? How long has it been going on?”
She rolled her neck, then sighed. “We met at work, and it’s been going on for four months now.”
“That’s not long. What makes it complicated?” I brought my glass to my mouth for another swig.
“It’s complicated because he’s my boss.” She chuckled. “Messy, I know. But it just happened. I’m ending it when I get home, so yeah.”
My eyebrows met. “Why?”
“You’re inquisitive tonight,” she replied with a smirk.
“To be fair, you overheard my breakup.”
“I didn’t mean to!”
I laughed. “I guess you’re right.”
Imani eyed me for a second, then explained. “I’m ending things because one, it’s just sex and after a while, it gets old. Two, he’s a sneaky snake who gives away projects I deserve. Last, I have an interview with a better creative agency, and when I get the job, it’ll make putting in my two weeks’ notice much, much easier.”
I nodded. “Ah, I see. So you haven’t been in a relationship since…”
“Yup. Since Ian. Why do you remember that?” Her laugh made me smile. “Nevermind, don’t answer that. I know it’s because I posted our relationship all over the internet.” She palmed her face and giggled. “Never Again.”
“What happened with him?”
“Guess,” she insisted.
I asked Chris about it when it happened, and he laughed at me, then told me to ask Imani if I wanted to know her business. Chris was a pain in the ass sometimes.
“He cheated?”
“With his ex. I didn’t even cry when I found out. I just broke it off and never looked back.”
I took a gulp of my drink at that. Never looking back seemed to be a regular thing for her.
“I started therapy last year,” she revealed moments later. “After the breakup, I questioned if I could be loved, and wondered if there was something wrong with me, blah, blah, blah. I figured talking to a professional would offer me the insight I needed.”
“Has it helped?”
She shrugged. “I think so. I talked about my childhood, past relationships, and the rocky relationship I have with my parents. It felt good to vocalize all the feelings I’ve bottled up over the years.”
“That’s wassup, Mani,” I replied with a smile. Hearing about the steps she’d taken to ensure positive growth was commendable.
“Thanks.” She smiled softly. “That’s another reason I'm ending things with Devin. Being with him is regressing. I don’t feel good about him and I hate sneaking around. It’s too much unnecessary stress. I haven’t even told my therapist about him, and I tell her everything. I have told no one, really.”
“You have told no one because he’s your boss?”
“No, because I know better, and my therapist would be the first to remind me so.”
“Touché.”
“So, what's up with you and your ex? What happened?”
“The spotlight is on me now?”
“Uh, yeah. You’re all up in my business, so it’s only right. ”
I pushed out a breath, then placed my glass on the table next to us.
“Well, we had a fight before she left the country for a month. While she was away, she spent a lot of time with her exes.”
Imani’s face contorted, and head tilted to the side. I held up my hand to stop her from interjecting.
“Before you say anything, our situation wasn’t normal. We never used the terms boyfriend or girlfriend, and technically, we weren’t exclusive. I thought we had a mutual understanding that we’d let the other person know when we wanted to see other people, but it didn’t work out like that. Anyway, we had another fight the day she came home because I hadn’t agreed to move to Paris with her.”
“Paris!” Imani shouted with wild eyes. “You were moving to Paris with her?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I wasn't, which was why we were arguing. I left for Encinitas the next day. Later that night, she was cozying up with another ex at favorite restaurant. A friend of mine saw her and reached out to me. When I confronted her about it, she blamed me, saying I made her feel unwanted. She was moving too foul for me. I’m glad it’s over.”
Imani leaned forward and rubbed my knee. Her warm, reassuring touch hit me in my chest as I met her gaze. I moved closer to her, placing my hand on her thigh. Her eyes lowered, and she licked her lips.
“You know the remedy for a broken heart?” she questioned, her hand slowly crept up my thigh.
I smirked. “I don’t have a broken heart, but I’m still interested in hearing about this remedy.”
Scooting closer to me, Imani’s hand moved further between my legs. I smirked at the desire dancing in her eyes.
“What happened to staying out of each other’s way?” I teased.
Imani’s cheek lifted into a half-smirk. “You know you could never leave me alone.”
Her hand was in my lap now, palming and stroking my dick through my shorts. My dick throbbed, eager for more. She removed her hand from my lap to straddle me. Hiking her dress over her hips, I gripped her ass, pushing her on the erection she caused. We smiled at the same time.
The gesture made my chest tightened because how were we still in sync like this? Why did having her this close to me make my heart feel like it was about to beat out of my chest?
Imani’s lips were inches from mine, begging for me to kiss them.
“And you could never leave me alone,” I told her while brushing my mouth against hers.
“You’re so right.” She nodded, then pressed her lips against mine.
Our mouths melded together like it hadn’t been years since they last touched. Imani’s lips were soft and juicy just as I remembered. She captured my bottom lip in her mouth, sucking slowly while letting out a quiet, sexy moan. My tongue danced at the seams of her lips, eager for a deeper kiss. She parted her lips, obliging me with her tongue. We kissed hungrily, needfully. There was so much desire and longing spilling between us. I held her tighter, kissed her harder, swallowing every moan and whimper she released.
The sound of my phone ringing in my pocket made Imani stiffen in my arms. I continued kissing her neck, uninterested in whoever was calling. The longer the phone rang, the harder she nudged my shoulders for me to stop. I let out a groan when she moved from my lap completely. Peering up at her, I licked my lips at the sight of her pebbled nipples.
“You should probably get that,” she suggested while heading inside.
I kissed my teeth when I saw it was Janelle. Not only had she effectively killed the mood, she was probably about to get in my ass. We mostly communicate through email and text. She only called to deliver bad news or to scold me. I hoped it was the latter.
“Wassup, Janelle?”
“I know it’s late, but I need to hear your voice. The email you sent has me feeling a little uneasy about your submissions for the exhibit.”
I stood up and paced back and forth in the backyard. “What do you mean? I told you I’m almost done with my first piece.”
“Yeah, and the deadline is in a month. I could get you an extension, but I don’t know if that’ll help if it took three months to get one painting done.”
I headed inside toward the studio. “I will have them done in time. I’m at the beach house I told you about, and I’m not leaving before I finish this collection. Janelle, I promise you that.”
After turning on the lights, I walked over to the incomplete pieces I lined against the walls.
“Trust me, Janelle. This isn’t an opportunity I want to fuck up.”
“I hope so because I had to fight to get you in this year’s showcase. Please don’t let it be in vain.”
“It won’t.”
“Good. We’ll chat soon.”
Once the call ended, I dropped my phone into a crate of my art supplies. While running my hand over my face, I sighed.
“Everything okay?” Imani asked from the doorway.
I turned at the sound of her voice and waved for her to come inside. She walked over to me, carrying two fresh drinks. After accepting the glass, I took a swig and glanced at the canvases.
“I have a month to finish these.”
“I guess you better get back to work then, huh?” The disappointment in her tone matched the sadness filling her eyes. “Well, I’ll let you get to it.”
“Hey, what time are you leaving out tomorrow? Maybe we can grab breakfast at the coffee shop or something.”
She smiled. “We’ll talk about it when you come to bed.”
The mention of the bed made warmth spread in my chest.
“I’m probably gonna be here all night.”
With a nod, she replied, “Understandable. I guess I’ll see you in the morning, then.”
After Imani left the studio, I pulled out the supplies I’d need for tonight. Once everything was set up, I searched for a playlist. If I were at home, I’d blast something face-paced and lively. Since I was in a quiet neighborhood, and I had an unexpected guest, I settled on a jazz mix. Once I set the vibe, I retrieved my coveralls from the closet, changed into them, and got to work.
* * *
“You really didn’t come to bed,” Imani said as she joined me on the patio. I turned to her with a smile and shook my head.
“I just finished about thirty minutes ago. Where are you going?” My eyebrows furrowed as I took in her appearance. She wore a two black piece bikini with a cropped mesh top and matching shorts. “We still on for coffee this morning?”
“Yes,” she droned. “I’m going for a swim.”
Imani smiled at the confused expression on my face. I tore my gaze from hers and looked toward the beach.
“I read about the benefits of swimming early in the morning and wanted to try it,” she explained after a moment. “You’re more than welcome to join me.”
A few seconds ticked by before I replied, “Let’s go.”
“You don’t want to change?”
I unzipped my coveralls and stepped out of them. Underneath them, I had on my clothes from last night. After removing my shirt, I motioned at my shorts.
“This is all I need.” I turned behind me and reached for the camera I found in my art supplies. This was the same camera I used to capture our summer together. I used it to take pictures of the backyard. “Remember this?”
“Does it still work?” She reached for my camera to inspect it. Without warning, she took a picture of me. Playfully, I snatched the camera from her while laughing.
“I guess you got the answer to your question, huh?”
She smiled, then grabbed me by the wrist. “Come on.”
I watched in awe as Imani ran to the water. On her way, she pulled her shirt over her head, then stepped out of her shorts. I took a few shots of her, getting the rosy sky in the background. Imani turned to me, with her arms in the air, and I captured the moments before she motioned for me to come over. I carefully placed our things together before joining her in the cool water.
My body tensed at the coolness of the ocean. I continued walking until it was deep enough for me to dive underwater. The only way to get over the cold was to immerse myself in it. Imani floated on her back while I swam around her. I pulled at her toes, making her giggle. When she had enough, she kicked her legs, splashing water on my face. I went underwater and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her down with me. She twisted and turned in my hold until she was free. Once we emerged from the water, we were face to face. She swam away from me. A satisfied smile formed on her lips when she was out of my arm’s reach.
“What about the article made you want to try this?”
Imani moved closer to me, our fingers intertwined and gazes met.
“Early morning swims can help boost endorphins and it's a cool way to connect with nature and be grounded.”
I looked at the sky and mulled over her words.
“And garner inspiration,” I added as I pieced together my next painting. So far all I’d done was to outline the silhouette of my muse and the flowers covering her head and face. The mix of pink, blues, and oranges in the sky inspired her background. I decided on the name of my next piece, Sunrise in Encinitas. She would be bright, vibrant, alluring, like the sunrise.
“Exactly,” she said after a moment.
We swam for a few more minutes before returning to shore. Before heading back to the house, I captured pictures of the sky and Imani on the beach. Seeing her happily running along the shore did something to me. I tried not to think about the last time we were together. All that did was make me want to right my wrongs, and I wasn’t sure if that was an option.
The chemistry was still there. It was obvious our feelings for each other hadn’t changed, but did that mean we should give this a second chance? I continued snapping away as my mind whirred with thoughts. As Imani ran my way Baywatch style, I couldn’t help but laugh and play along, taking more pictures than necessary.
“You’re so silly,” she said once she reached me. “What are you going to do with all those pictures?”
I shrugged as we started our short walk back to the house. “I don't know. Frame them, make another photo album, maybe. I’ll see how I feel after they’re developed.”
“You still do all that by yourself?”
“Yup. I made the second bedroom of my condo into a darkroom for that reason.”
“You’re so cool and artsy,” she said, pushing my arm playfully.
My gaze lingered on her mouth, and a flashback of our kiss came to mind. I wondered how far we would’ve gone if Janelle hadn’t called. I was still trying to make sense of the situation we were in, trying to find the silver lining in being with my ex, the only woman I ever loved. Pushing away those thoughts, I held open the gate for her to enter first.
I smiled. “Let’s shower, then grab some food.”