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Del slid a glass my way and I shook my head at the annoyed look she gave me behind Val’s comment. I made my way back through the crowd offering up promises to those who flagged me down as I did my best to clear a path through the chaos.
When I reached his booth, pushing the bottle his way, he didn’t acknowledge me right away. In fact he didn’t acknowledge me at all until I spoke.
“Del, said forty per shot or the entire bottle for four hundred. It’s the only one she’s got.”
“I’ll take the bottle,” he mumbled, unfazed by the price tag.
I assumed he wouldn’t be because I also noticed he could afford it. The hints were subtle like the watch on his wrist that, although plain, was very expensive.
The limited editions on his feet that I was sure were damn near impossible for the average person to get their hands on came with a hefty price tag if you were lucky enough to secure them.
To the average person, he looked like he was slumming it in jeans and a t-shirt but I’d been exposed to enough to know labels, to know money when I saw it.
He leaned to reach for his wallet but I shook him off. “Pay at the bar before you go. Tips can be left on the table.”
“You’re trusting me with this? What if I walk out?”
“The Bottom functions on an honor system and you could try but wouldn’t get very far.” I pointed to the door where Bug and Hover were posted at the end of the bar, their big bodies relaxed but ready to react if required. For now they were content keeping watch in case things got too rowdy.
“Honor system,” he mumbled to himself. “No way in hell would that work where I’m from. Niggas would rob you blind.”
I scoffed at the reality. “Not here. Respect and loyalty go a long way.”
“Not where I’m from. It basically doesn’t mean shit.” His statement dug a little deeper than paying for drinks at a bar but I chose not to pry and instead said, “Sounds like a pretty shitty place to live? Where are you from?”
He hesitated like he didn’t want to say, but eventually rattled off, “Crescent Falls.”
“Never been there but if it’s anything like New York then I can imagine it’s pretty bad.”
“It is. You from New York?”
“No. Born and raised here. I was there for a little while but now I’m back home. How long you visiting?”
His body went stiff and his mood shifted in a matter of seconds. “A little while. I’ll let you get back to it. Thanks for this.” He tipped the bottle to me and ended the exchange.
I wasn’t sure what I’d said but apparently he was over me and the conversation so I didn’t linger where I wasn’t wanted, mumbling, “I’ll be around if you need anything.”
For the rest of the night I managed to stay busy enough not to obsess over the man who was tucked away in a booth that held six alone. It would have been damn near impossible to do so because the drinks kept flowing and the customers kept ordering.
By the time the show was done, half the patrons took over the dance floor, emptying a lot of the tables. I finally had a minute to slow down. It wasn’t until then that I realized his booth was now empty and sitting dead in the center was a stack of large bills.
Seven to be exact and they were held down by a bottle that was still two-thirds full. I quickly looked around but the culprit was nowhere to be found.
I was slightly disappointed that he’d managed to slip out unnoticed and that he hadn’t thought to let me know that he was leaving, but why would he?
He didn’t owe me a damn thing other than the tip he’d left in his absence. I took it as a sign that the universe was intervening because a man like that would surely crash through a woman like a category five storm, never once looking back to see the damage left in his wake.
three
Sol.
I had been physically home for a few hours but my mind was still at The Bottom. The place encompassed a vibe that had me inspired enough to write, only I couldn’t focus enough to tap into my creative side.
No matter what excuse I came up with, I knew what the real problem was.
Her.
The distractingly beautiful woman with chocolate and honey eyes and caramel hued skin that occupied my mind so intensely that the open page of my notebook was still empty.
