Elijah’s arm draped over my shoulder as we crossed the street. I leaned into his side, feeling a slight buzz from all the sangria I’d consumed throughout the night. My heart was full after spending the evening at Mrs. Kimble’s house. She prepared a full spread of grilled chicken and fish, several salads, and desserts. I hadn’t eaten since the morning, so I overindulged in a little of everything. Listening to everyone’s first impressions of Chris and Elijah was a pleasant distraction from the argument I had with my mother.
Whenever the spiraling thoughts arise, Elijah was there pulling me back into the conversation. Even when his attention should’ve been elsewhere, he focused on me. I peered up at him, smiling when he dropped a kiss on my forehead. The fleeting feeling of his touch sent warmth through me.
“You tired?” he asked as we neared the driveway.
“Nope. You?”
“Nope,” he replied with a smirk. “Remember that bar–”
“Yes! Let’s go,” I interjected.
He pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked his car. “After you,” he said, opening my door.
Once I was inside, he went to his side of the car. Ten minutes later, we were in line, awaiting entry at Cali Dreams Bar and Lounge. Elijah stood behind me, typing away on his phone. I assumed he was texting Janelle from the exhibit. Seeing how much time and energy he put into his work was such a turn on. The years of dedication he’d put into his craft paid off.
“Has Janelle said anything about Yemaya?” I asked.
He put his phone away while nodding. “Yeah, she sent notes, but overall, she loves it. I need to figure out this last piece.”
“It’ll come to you.”
Elijah grinned. “I’m thinking about staying for another week or until I’m finished.”
“Yeah, you should. You don’t want to lose your steam,” I said.
The line moved forward and five minutes later; we were inside the bar. Elijah grabbed my hand as he led the way to the bar. I looked around, noting the neon strobe lights, dance floor, and traffic to the bar. The flux of people moving back and forth to the music was hard to maneuver.
When we finally reached the bar, Elijah ordered himself a beer and a margarita for me. We hung out there and waited for our drinks to be prepared. I watched people dance and laugh as the DJ played an old school mix. The music wasn’t as good as it was when we passed by last week, but everyone here seemed to enjoy themselves. Elijah sat on a barstool, and I settled between his legs. His arms draped around my waist, holding me close. I angled my head to the side as he ran his nose along my neck and shoulder. Goosebumps peppered my skin and heat coursed through my veins. I pressed deeper into him, melting in his warm embrace.
“Why didn’t you tell me the new job was here?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I didn’t think it mattered.”
Elijah chuckled throatily while releasing me from his hold to get our drinks. He took a long swig of his beer with his eyes on me.
If he hadn’t caught me crying at the beach, I probably wouldn’t have told him the job was in California. Not because I didn’t want us to be together, but because I didn’t want any added pressure of getting the job. I was a ball of nerves over this upcoming interview. This position could literally change my life in more ways than one.
“It matters,” he said moments later. My stomach flipped as I tore my gaze away from his pensive stare.
“I don’t want to get your hopes up.”
Or mine.
I didn’t want the fate of us to lie in whether I got a job. But I was still unsure of how we’d last once I went home. The distance was one reason we didn’t work out the first time. Not thinking about the future made it easier to enjoy my time with Elijah. I understood this wasn’t healthy and planned on addressing it during my next therapy session. As my departure date neared, a small part of me wanted this to continue. I wanted to make this work.
“What if we didn’t let a potential job stop us?” His eyebrows rose, and a smirk played on his lips. “I don’t want to go back to talking to each other.”
My heart fluttered at his admission. “We couldn’t do that if we tried.”
Elijah chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. This time is different, Imani. I’m not losing you again. So, if I have to fly to Maryland every other weekend or fly you out here, I’ll do it.”
“You’re ready for all that so soon? It’s only been a week since…” I trailed off.
Our time together had been great, but I couldn’t ignore his recent breakup. He didn’t seem too down about it right now. However, once we returned home, things could change and he might need time. I wanted him to know that I was okay with giving him space.
He shook his head. “No, but I want to date you the right way. We can take our time and get to know each other again. We aren’t the same people from three years ago and two weeks isn’t enough time to unpack it all.”
“I like the sound of that.” Bringing my drink to my mouth, I concealed a growing smile.
I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. My heart raced with excitement.
Elijah’s fingers brushed under my chin, and he winked. “This song remind you of anyone?”
The corners of my lips lifted into a smile when I realized the DJ was playing a dance mix version of “Lowkey Love Song” by Rex Life Raj. Chris played this song nonstop the summer I stayed with him. Elijah and I doubled over in laughter as I recalled Chris’s obsession with this song.
I pulled out my phone and recorded me and Elijah singing the song. After sending the video to Chris, I pulled Elijah from his seat to dance. He finished his beer before joining me on the floor. We danced, laughed and reminisced until we were tired.
Just as we arrived home, my phone rang. “It’s Chris,” I told Elijah before answering.
“I haven’t heard that song in years,” Chris said with a laugh. “Where were y’all?”
“Cali dreams,” Elijah answered. “The bar by the jazz club.”
“I remember that spot. Mani, you cool?” Chris asked moments later. “I mean, you look pretty happy in the video, but I just wanted to double check.”
I giggled. “I’m good. Although I still haven’t forgiven your assistant for double booking us.”
As we exited the car, I took the call off speakerphone. I waited behind Elijah while he unlocked the front door.
“You might need to send her a ‘Thank You’ gift since she reconnected you with the love of your life and all.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “Oh, shut up. Leave it to you to ruin my good mood.”
“What are older cousins for? Did Eli tell you we talked today?”
“Nope. And I don’t want to know what y’all talked about.”
I appreciated Chris supporting me and Elijah’s relationship, but I didn’t need his opinions impacting what we were doing. The first time around, I went to Chris for advice often. Later on, I learned Elijah had done the same thing. I didn’t place blame on Chris for us breaking up. However, his advice could have contributed to Elijah’s fears of us neglecting our dreams for love. Back then, everyone was in grind mode and had so much to lose.
“Fine. I gotta get back to set. Call me when you get home.”
“Will do. Love you, big head.”
Chris chuckled. “Love you more, Mani.”
After slipping off my sandals, I joined Elijah in the living room. He’d just returned from the bathroom. I sat across from him, smirking when his head tilted to the side.
“Why are you all the way over there?”
I shrugged. “Because these chairs aren’t big enough for two people to share.”
“True,” he replied with a grin.
He stood from his seat and sat on the coffee table facing me. “I’m going to miss you.”
“You have me for three more days.”
He groaned. “That’s not enough time.”
“I’ll be back for your exhibit.”
“Oh, I know. I’ll have a ticket waiting for you.” Elijah ran his hands up my thighs, pushing up my dress. I sat back and spread my legs for him. A salacious smirk covered his mouth as his fingers inched up my inner thigh. I sighed when his thumb pressed against my clit, earning a throaty chuckle from him.
My stomach knotted and breaths quickened as he moved his thumb in slow circles while staring deeply into my eyes. I bit my lip, eager to release. I gripped the arms of the chairs when he slipped two fingers between my folds. My head fell back and eyes closed as I settled into the slow movements of his hand. He replaced his thumb with his tongue, pulling a whimper from me.
“Elijah,” I moaned, caressing the back of his head. He hoisted my legs over his shoulders, pressing his face deeper into my wetness. Tingles jolted down my spine. I didn’t know how much more I could take. His tongue worked against my clit as I rocked against him. The sound of the chair creaking made us chuckle, but Elijah didn’t stop his tongue lashings until I came.
I appreciated his dedication. It had been a while since anyone had shown my pussy this much attention. Devin wasn’t big on foreplay, and the one time we did oral, it left me unsatisfied. Elijah enjoyed eating my pussy. I could tell by the way he took his time kissing and sucking until I begged him to stop. There was no way I could go back to mediocre foreplay after him.
Once he got his fill, he stood to his feet, removing his shorts and boxers. With a cocky smirk, Elijah stroked his dick. I licked my lips as I admired his girth. Peering up at him, I aligned my mouth with his dick. I kissed the tip, then lapped up the pre-cum that oozed out. Elijah’s groan hit me in my center as I took him in my mouth. He rocked slowly while cradling the back of my head.
“Damn it, Mani,” he grunted.
I moaned every time he throbbed in my mouth, feeling emboldened by his reaction. There was nothing more beautiful than seeing him unravel before me. The sight of his pinched eyebrows, searing gaze, and flared nostrils made my stomach flutter and pussy ache.
I wanted him inside of me badly.
Elijah pulled out of my mouth abruptly and pushed out a sigh. “Get up,” he rasped. I did so without a second thought. After removing our clothes, he took my seat and pulled me on top of him. We moaned when our bodies connected. His hands found my waist to pull me closer. I shrieked when his mouth latched onto my nipple. The sensation of his tongue paired with his slow, languid strokes was intoxicating.
I held him tighter as waves of pleasure shot through me. There was no way we could go back to being strangers after this encounter. He released my nipple and looked at me. The deep longing in his eyes made my insides twist. I bucked my hips harder.
“Ahh,” I mewled, throwing my head back. Moments later, Elijah lifted me from his lap. I stroked his dick with delight as he came all over my hands. He grunted a chuckle, watching me through heavy lids.
After gathering our clothes, we showered together before bed. There weren’t any Martin reruns on tonight, so we settled on an old movie and cuddled. Several hours later, I awoke to Elijah’s kisses and the sun peeking through the curtains. I turned to face him. He had the biggest smile on his face. “What do you have planned today?”
“This.” I pressed my lips against his lips, melting in his arms. It wasn’t long before the kiss turned into him on top of me. His hardened dick was at my opening while his thumb worked my clit.
Elijah simpered. “You need to cancel your plans for the rest of this trip.”
I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. He pushed his moistened thumb in my mouth, and I sighed.
“Consider my plans canceled,” I told him moments later.
Elijah chuckled throatily before thrusting into me.