Better Than Okay (7 page)

“Well, you’re seriously welcome.”

They stared at each other for long minute. His eyelashes were
really long. Had they always been that long?

“Your eyelashes are really long,” she blurted.
 

He grinned and shook his head. “You should lie down.” He grabbed
her hands and pulled her off of the wall toward the bed.

She followed without protest and sat down, scooting so that her
back was against the headboard. She watched as he walked into the bathroom. He
emerged a few seconds later with a plastic cup of water.

“Drink this,” he said, handing her the cup as he sat down next to
her.

She nodded obediently and picked up the cup, taking a large
swallow. It was cool and sweet on her tongue and she knew she was probably
slightly dehydrated.

“Thank you,” she said. She blinked because his face was getting
blurry and smeary again and she handed the cup to him, watching as he sat it on
the nightstand.
 

“I’m gonna go,” he said.

“You can stay if you want... HBO is here.” Her eyes drifted
closed.

He was quiet for so long she opened her eyes to see if he was
still there.

“I really should go,” he said when she looked at him.

“You sure?”

“No,” he chuckled and she peered at him, confused, watching as he
ran a hand over his head.

“Destiny… you don't even know…” He stopped and shook his head.

“Know what?” she asked, her brain to muddled to really process
much.

“Nothing,” he said, his voice sounding strained. He pushed out a
breath. “I’ll see you in a week.”

She nodded, her eyes still closed. “Brian?”

“Yeah?”
“I can’t believe we kissed.”

He chuckled and she opened her eyes again. He stared at her with
that intense look then leaned forward and kissed her cheek, lingering for a
long second.

 
“I’ll call you later,
okay?”
“Okay,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

“See you in a week.”

She opened one eye as he brushed his finger down her nose and then
pushed off the bed and walked to the door.

“Text me when you get on the plane,” she called out as she closed her
eyes and snuggled up to her pillow.

The sound she heard was the door clicking closed.

Chapter
4

Destiny flipped onto her back, stretching her legs out on her
purple futon. She dropped the remote control she was holding soundlessly onto
the floor, and gazed up at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. Nothing was on
TV. She had an assignment from
Pitch.com
but didn’t feel like writing it, and she’d finished writing her piece on the
Jazz Festival a couple of days ago. It was ten-thirty on a Friday night and she
was at home. Alone. How lame.

The week had flown by after she’d gotten home from New Orleans.
Things at work were pretty much the same. The only good thing was Gabe had
informed her that her Jazz Festival coverage would be the lead music feature for
May. It was her first major feature and she almost broke out into the cha-cha
slide when he’d called her into his office to let her know. Even Philly
couldn’t kill her vibe that day.

Now it was Friday night and she was at home, bored. Usually she
tried to work. There was always some show or work related event to attend.
Occasionally she would grab a drink with Jason or Amy from work, because Dorian
usually spent his Fridays with whatever girl he was seeing at the moment. She
thought about calling Amari, but honestly didn’t feel like being bothered with
him. He was probably out already anyway.

She released a sigh and tapped her foot against the futon. She was
restless. And she knew why. Brian would be in Miami tomorrow. She’d woken up in
utter panic the day after he left. They’d kissed and nothing was going to be
the same again ever. Even now, she squeezed her eyes shut, her cheeks heating
at the way that she’d acted with him. In the nearly fifteen years she’d been
friends with him, they’d never even remotely come close to crossing the line.
And now… well, she didn’t even know.

Her phone buzzed and she reached blindly for it under the futon
where she had dropped it earlier. She brought it close to her face and read the
text.

“
Gangstas don’t die they get
chubby and they move to Miami, I moved to Miami…”

She laughed aloud, even as her heart started beating faster. She
wondered if Brian was actually already in town. He wasn’t supposed to be
arriving until Saturday. She quickly returned the text.

“Brian. Don’t ever quote Lil
Wayne to me ever again in life. Seriously. Ever. Where are you?”

She lay flat on her back still staring at the ceiling, trying to
will her breathing to slow the hell down. She’d decided earlier in the week,
after he’d called her and talked to her like nothing had happened, that she
would just try to keep it casual too. Maybe they could pretend like they hadn’t
mauled each other in New Orleans. She still couldn’t believe they’d kissed. It
was a drunken kiss in the middle of the club, but they’d kissed. Their
relationship thrived on the fact that no lines were ever crossed. That they
were really just friends, no matter what anyone else assumed. But now that
wasn’t the case. They’d kissed and things were going to be weird between them.

 
Her phone rang and she
saw his name pop up on the screen.

 
“Since when don’t you
like Lil Wayne?” Brian asked the second she answered.

“Are you here?” she asked, ignoring him.

“Yep, got here a couple of hours ago.”

He had rented a truck and driven down from Phoenix. She was
supposed to be going over to Dorian’s to help him set up when he got into town
Saturday. She sat up on the futon and frowned at the blank TV screen.

“Me and D and Nathan just finished moving everything in.”

“Oh, okay” she said, lying back down on her back. Nathan was
Dorian’s co-worker and he hung out with them a lot. She looked at the ceiling,
willing her heart to be calm. This wasn’t so bad. Maybe they really could
pretend like nothing happened.

“You’re probably tired,” she said, biting her lip.

“Actually, I’m kinda
wired.”

She sat up again, and
swung her legs off of the futon.

“Really?” she asked disbelievingly. He’d just driven for two days
and he was wired?

“Yeah, kinda. What are you doing?”

“Just sitting here, bored out of my mind.”

“Feel like going out?”

“Where?” she asked warily, standing and walking down her narrow
hallway toward her bedroom, passing the pint-sized kitchen on her left and
bathroom on her right. Her place was really small, but comfortable.

She flicked the light on in her room, bent over and picked up a
pair of shorts she’d lazily thrown on the floor, tossing them in the laundry
basket that was sitting in her open closet.

“Does it matter?” he asked, chuckling. “You should just be excited
to see me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know I am overwhelmingly, exceptionally,
super-duper, extra excited to see you, Brian,” she said exaggeratedly. “I’ve
spent all week doing nothing but eagerly anticipating your arrival.”

He laughed. “Good.”

“So, where are you trying to go?” she asked, perching herself on
the edge of her bed.

“Dorian said something about some K-Bar or L-Bar or something.”

She hesitated. She was bored, but she really didn’t feel like
going to a bar, especially on South Beach, and being bothered with a bunch of
people. And she didn’t know what it would be like when she saw him.

“We’re coming to get you,” he said abruptly when she remained
silent.

“I dunno, Brian…” she fretted.

“Tweet, I’ve only been here for two hours,” he said sternly, “you
can’t start flaking on me already.”

She grinned and shrugged as if he could see her through the phone.

“Fine. But I’m not drinking any strawberry daiquiris.”

He chuckled. “We’re on our way.”

She hung up and rushed to her closet to find something suitable to
throw on. Dorian only lived ten minutes away, so she didn’t have time to be
indecisive. She grabbed the pair of jeans Raven helped her pick out on her last
visit (because Raven said they made her ass look hot) and a black spaghetti-strapped
shirt she usually reserved for barhopping.

She quickly took off the old, oversized sweats and t-shirt she’d
been wearing and got dressed. She put her hair up in a bun, leaving tendrils to
hang down the back of her neck and put a pair of small studs in her ears. She’d
barely finished with a light application of makeup before she heard a loud
knock at the door. She slipped into her sandals and went to open the door,
peering through the peek hole before flinging it open.

“I’m not staying out really late,” she told him, placing a hand on
her hip and stepping aside so that he could come in.

He grinned and shook his head, shutting the door behind him.

“You really need to learn the proper way to greet me,” he said,
with a crooked grin, his eyes sweeping over her.

“What’s the proper way?” she teased, trying to remain casual even
though her heart was in her throat.

The light blue polo he had on made his chocolate complexion look
even smoother. His NEEMA tattoo was peeking out from under his sleeve. He grinned
and reached out, pulling him to her before she could even react and wrapped her
in a tight hug. His light stubble scratched her cheek and he smelled so good,
like soap and man and just… him. His fingers teased down the back of her spine,
and she inhaled, warmth spreading through her. He released her after a few long
seconds and she backed up, a little shaken. His expression was intense as he
stared at her. Shit. This was going to be weird.

“That’s a little better,” he said finally, his baritone husky.
“You ready? D’s waiting in the car.”

She released a breath, still studying him. “Yeah, let me grab my
purse. Nathan isn’t with you guys?”

“Nah, I think he had a date or something.”

She moved away from him toward her bedroom.

“Get your iPod too,” he said following her. “If I have to hear
another Rick Ross song I’m gonna throw Dorian’s shit out of the window.”

She grinned. “I like Rick Ross.”

“So do I, but not for five hours straight.”

She laughed. She was all too familiar with Dorian’s unbridled love
for the rapper. “It’s over there,” she said pointing to the small desk that was
pushed into the corner of her room.
 

He reached behind her laptop and grabbed it, stuffing it into his
pocket. Destiny quickly gave herself a once over in the full-length mirror
hanging on the back of her closet door, brushing her hair up with her fingers.
It was already getting on her nerves.

“You look good, Tweet,” Brian said, pulling her away from the
mirror and lightly pushing her out of the bedroom.

She rolled her eyes.

“Thanks, Brian, I feel so much better about my appearance now,”
she retorted dryly, heading toward the front door.

He grabbed her hand abruptly, halting her and turned her to face
him. She paused, eying him. He took a step toward her, still holding her hand.

“I mean it. You look really,
really
good, Destiny,” he repeated deliberately, without a trace of amusement in his
voice.

His eyes swept slowly over her, from her eyes, to her lips, to the
curve of her breasts and the sweep of her hips, then back up.

“Okay?” he asked, his voice low.

Her heartbeat accelerated and she quickly backed up, releasing his
hand. She bit her lip, unable to breathe normally. He grinned, cocking his head
to the side slightly, still waiting for her to respond.

She nodded quickly. She wasn’t completely sure she was able to
speak. Her pulse was still racing and her breathing was hitched. What the hell
was going on? Why was he flirting with her still when they were supposed to be
pretending like New Orleans never happened?

“Come on,” he chuckled, motioning for her to follow him.

Somehow she willed her feet to move. He waited while she turned
and locked up and then followed her down the steps to Dorian’s car.

*
* *

Destiny was silent in the car. Hell, she couldn’t have spoken even
if she’d known what to say. She kept replaying the last twenty minutes over and
over again in her mind, trying to make sense of what was going on with her and
Brian. He was acting cool and casual, like always, but he was flirting with her
too. If he’d just stuck to the unspoken plan and tried to act the way they
always did with each other,
friendly
,
maybe things could get back to normal. But now, she didn’t know what was going
on.

 
She bit her lip and
looked out of the window, watching the headlights from traffic whip by in the
opposite direction. She took a breath and tried to calm herself. She was
panicking.

“Tweet, what the hell?” Dorian was asking her, his dimples
indenting both cheeks as he frowned.

She was seated in the passenger seat and looked over at him.

“Sorry,” she managed. “What’d you say?”

He glanced at her, still frowning before looking back to the road.

“What’s up with you?” he asked, eyeing her again. “And what the
hell is this shit you got me listening to?”

He glanced in the rearview mirror, shaking his head at Brian who
was in the backseat.

“It’s Portishead,” Destiny answered, finally finding her voice.

Dorian rolled his eyes and looked over at her again.

“This emo shit is
not
what you listen to before you go out. You’re killing my vibe.”

Destiny shrugged. It was definitely what she considered “clean up
the house music,” mellow and layered. But she’d been so distracted she hadn’t
even noticed it was on.

He kept one hand on the steering wheel and reached over, snatching
her iPod out of her hand. He skipped until E-40 came blaring out of the
speakers.

Thankfully, they pulled up to the bar about ten minutes later.
Dorian’s driving skills were reminiscent of the homicidal cabby in New Orleans.
They got out of the car and crossed Ocean Drive, which was lined with cars
creeping along since it was officially tourist season.
 
They walked toward the entrance dodging
people who were ambling loudly down the illuminated strip.

Dance music blared from a brightly lit bar on their right. The
waitresses on the outside patio were carrying neon green drinks to already
drunk patrons. She’d been to the bar once and tried a neon drink when she was
hanging out with Jason and Amy from work one night, but quickly found out that
she definitely preferred to stick to Jack or vodka. Despite her romp with that
damned deceptive daiquiri in New Orleans, she wasn’t a huge fan of girly, mixed
drinks, probably from spending so much time with Brian and Dorian.

They made their way down the street to the bar, which was already
crowded. She’d tried to deliberately walk on the other side of Dorian, putting
him between her and Brian, but they were having none of it. Brian frowned and
shot her a look before moving to place her between the two of them. She sighed and
rolled her eyes. Sometimes their overprotective shit was too much.