Love like Beal

Take Me Home

"Beal, I'm not feeling too good," instead of him listening to me talking about whether I can come over to his spot, I went to make sure I was okay first. He walked with me out of the club, and as soon as we were far enough from people watching, he picked me up. I appreciated it; I didn't want to be seen as the too-drunk girl who had to be dragged out of the club.

"Do you need a ginger ale, some crackers? What do you need?" He said, still carrying me to his car. I was literally enjoying being picked up; I was up pretty high, but being in this man's strong arms, drunk and feeling like having fun tonight, I was trying to get myself together to not be sick.

We reached his truck, and he put me down for a second to get his keys. As I reached for the door handle, he lightly tapped my hand, smiling, before opening the door for me. "Thank you," I said. He drove us to the nearby 7-Eleven. I assured him I was okay to go in by myself, but he wasn't having it. Once again, he lightly tapped my hand as I reached for the door. It seemed like it was going to be a long night.

"Excuse me, where's your bathroom?" I asked the lady, and she pointed to the back. "Do you need me to go in with you? I don't want you sitting your bare ass on the toilet or your face damn near in the bowl 'cause you're a little too lit," he joked. I shot him a look. "I'm feeling nice, I'm not drunk, but the answer is no." He still followed respected my wishes and stood outside the restroom.

When I appeared, he was at the cash register, and I grabbed some snacks. Placing them on the counter, the cashier rang them up, stating the total, and I reached for my wallet. "I got it," he said, and I put my wallet back. "Thanks," I sighed. "The least I can do. I don't want you feeling bad," he replied

"Your body tonight spoke louder than your words while we were dancing. You're so quiet," he remarked as we strolled towards his Hummer. "Are you from D.C.?" he inquired. "Texas," I replied, and he promptly opened the passenger side door. "Get in. Oh, really?" he exclaimed, and I complied, sliding into the seat as he closed the door, rushing to his side. "Big ass truck," I muttered.

"Well, did you want us to drive in a mini coop?" he teased, flashing a smile that only exacerbated the turmoil my friend down there was feeling. "Where are you staying? I hope not in the same room as Lyna" he pressed. "Why you say that. Let me call her," I explained, and he shook his head.

"Lyna's at the hotel with Wall, but I don't think you want to be where she's at right now. You know she's occupied. I can check if they have a vacant room; I can arrange something for you," he offered. All I could think about was laying my head down and going to sleep.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded in affirmation. "I'm not gonna lie, I thought you were trying to hook up when you said, 'take me to your spot,'" he confessed. "I'm not drunk enough to even consider having sex with you. I just wanted to get to know you," I retorted. My entire mood shifted. Even if I had been contemplating it, why did he care so much? At this point, I was ready to go home. Suddenly, my phone started ringing incessantly, and I answered it.

"Jordan, so you're not gonna answer your phone? I know you're in town, girl," came the aggressive tone from Teague's tongue. "What do you want? Most importantly, who are you talking to like that?" I replied, and Beal glanced at me. "So you're just gonna do me like that?" Teague laughed. "I really don't even know you like that," I responded honestly, but he continued to laugh.

"Now you don't know me, alright, that was cute." I began to feel irritated; the conversation was going nowhere. Beal tapped me, ensuring I was okay. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Who you talking to, Ma? You got one of your little girlfriends around?" I shifted in my seat, looking out the window. "You still not answering my damn question, T. What is so important to be calling me back-to-back? You have yet to tell me what you want!"

"My bad, I just wanted to take you out, maybe tonight, whenever you know, take a break from that clown-ass team," he said, laughing through the phone.

"See, you don't know how to talk to a lady. I'll let you know if I'm free, but right now, I'm busy," I stated firmly, about to hang up the phone when he asked, "Where you at now? You with your friend, ma?" His voice was so seductive; I could feel myself melting in my seat. "No, I'm out with-" I glanced at Beal, and he interjected, "Who's that?" I had forgotten I was in the car with him. He shifted in his seat, looking quite annoyed about me being on the phone.

"You're out with my man Beal, aww," Teague remarked over the phone, clearly having heard Beal's presence. "Um, T, ugh... I'll talk to you later. Goodnight," I said quickly, hanging up and throwing my phone into my clutch.

"Hmm, who is T?" Beal snickered as he pulled off, and we were now approaching the hotel. At this point, I sunk into my seat, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Nobody," I smirked, hoping to brush off the question. But he looked at me skeptically, silently urging me to stop lying. "Jeff," I mumbled, and he heard me loud and clear. "Jordan, you don't have to hide anything from me. I don't care what you've got going on or if you're seeing other people," Beal said earnestly as I got out of the car.

"It wasn't even like that—SAVE IT!" he interrupted me sharply.

At this point, I had two incredibly attractive men vying for my attention, and I found myself pondering which one to choose. Jeff was incessantly blowing up my phone, urging me to come to his hotel after what he deemed a "cheap date" with Beal. However, Beal's actions stood out to me; he prioritized my well-being, ensuring I was okay, avoiding the public eye while not immediately pushing for intimacy.

"I didn't mean to yell. Can you just come sit right here? I want to talk," Beal requested. We settled at the water fountain in front of the hotel.

"Jordan?" he said, and I would glance back into his eyes before returning to fiddling with my fingernails. "Yeah, I'm sorry," I finally made eye contact again.

"Is it me?" he laughed, and I mumbled, "Lord, yes." I suppose he was watching my lips because he started to smile. It was so damn awkward. I pulled my phone back out.

He gently took my phone out of my hands. "Jordan, I'm trying to have a heart-to-heart. I'm not trying to make you nervous," he said softly, then glanced at my messages.

"You didn't save my number, huh?" He looked back at me. "Didn't have a chance to," I retorted, feeling a bit defensive as I rocked side to side.

"For one, how did you even get my number?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "I got connects," he replied with a smirk.

"So..." I started, and he looked at me as if expecting me to say something more. I busied myself fixing my hair in his glasses that he had put back on. "You look fine, stop that," he said gently, holding my hands. I slowly pulled my hands back to my body, feeling a mix of discomfort and appreciation for his reassurance.