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“Whatever has you here instead of the party you appear to be dressed for.”
I looked down at my attire and cackled. In my haste to leave, I’d completely forgotten about my dress. Overdressed and out of place were both understatements. The early August weather was still fairly warm, so I’d chosen a cream-colored bodycon dress with a ruffled bottom. My five-inch heels were gold, matching my clutch and accessories. Because I knew lots of pictures would be taken, I did a full beat on my face, and my bra strap length sew-in was in 70s curls with a deep bang that framed my face.
“Not really. I would like to forget about it.”
“I feel you. I’d love to give you something else to think about.”
Between his playful tone and serious expression, I couldn’t tell if he meant sexually or not. My eyes scanned his seated frame without my permission. He was dressed simply but nicely in a red and black graphic t-shirt, black jeans, and red, white, and black Nikes.
“What did you have in mind?”
He looked around, leaning forward. With a whisper, he asked, “Can you play pool?”
I giggled, pulling my drink forward. “I can, but I thought you were referring to something else, honestly.”
“Sex?” I nodded. “I was, but I figured I’d work my way up to that.”
My head shook as I chuckled. Figures. I couldn’t blame him. At least he was honest. I wouldn’t suggest I’d never had a one-night stand before, but they often ended in disappointment. Either they were too quick, or the man left me unsatisfied. Instead of replying, I took a sip of my drink. His attitude would determine if I took a chance on him.
As the night progressed, Vontae and I continued to drink, play pool, and talk. We kept the topics light, but we did share a few facts about one another. He was an entrepreneur, and I thought it was pretty cool that he had mobile gaming trucks. There weren’t any sparks or anything to make me want to go home with him, so by the time I’d started to feel relaxed from my drinks, I decided to call it a night. I never drove tipsy or drunk, but I was teetering on tipsy. If I had a bottle of wine when I got home, that would leave me just right.
As I prepared to leave, I made sure Vontae was okay with paying for my salad and drinks. He assured me that he was as he walked me to my car. Our steps were slow, and I prayed he didn’t approach the subject of sex again. Though I wanted it, I didn’t want it from him. While I unlocked the door of my Honda Civic, Vontae leaned against it. Not wanting to show my irritation, I inhaled a deep, calming breath.
“You heading home already?” he checked.
“Yeah, these heels are killing me.”
His eyes lowered to my feet. “How about I trail you home and give you a foot massage?”
“I appreciate that, but you don’t have to. I’ll be good once I take these shoes off.”
Pulling himself off my car, Vontae closed the space between us and wrapped his arms around me. “You sure I can’t trail you home? Make sure you get home safely…”
“I’m a big girl, Vontae.” I kept my tone light as I gently pushed his arms down and stepped around him.
“That you are.”
I saw him eye the back of my frame out of the corner of my eye. “Have a good night, okay? And thanks for the distraction.”
“No problem at all. It doesn’t have to end here. You know that, right?”
“If I change my mind, I’ll look you up.”
I hoped my gentleness would keep him from getting angry. Too many reports of men attacking women because they were rejected swirled around these days. As I opened the door, Vontae put space between us, and I silently thanked God for that.
“Do that,” was what he said, but when I got into my car and pulled out of the parking lot, I noticed he was heading out and following me.
It could have been my paranoia, so I didn’t freak out immediately. When seven minutes of driving passed and he was still behind me, I began to get worried. I’d specifically taken the street way home, and Vontae made every turn I did. Sometimes he’d keep a car between us, others, just distance. My gut told me he wasn’t going to take my no as easily as he wanted me to believe, so I called Carter, my ex. It was nearing midnight and I figured my dad was asleep. If Carter was busy or didn’t answer, I’d drive to the nearest police station to make sure Vontae didn’t know where I lived.
“Hello?” Carter answered, causing me to release a sigh of relief.
“Carter, are you busy?”
“Nah, I’m just at home chilling. What’s wrong?”
“I just left the bar a few minutes ago and this guy that bought me drinks is following me. He made it clear that he wanted to have sex. I told him I didn’t want to, and he said okay, but I know he’s following me.”
“A’ight. Pull up. I’ll handle that.”
