A Million Reasons

Chapter Eleven: Domestic & Shit

Spring in New York City always seemed magical to Aaliyah. It was as if the entire city bloomed along with the tulips and the Yoshino Cherry trees of Central Park—everything was alive, as if for the first time, and she cherished every moment.
  While the temperatures hadn’t risen to her likening, she managed to keep warm in her favorite wool cardigans and in the arms of the man she loved.
  As the months progressed in their relationship, he had become a permanent fixture at her place. She didn’t mind. She loved the idea of falling asleep and waking up beside him. She even took the initiative of clearing out a whole drawer for him in her dresser. As one drawer became half of the closet and a couple of boxes in a corner, she suggested they’d have more room if she stayed at his place, but he refused. His reasoning—too many memories. He wanted a fresh start. Putting his place on the market, he insisted she help him pick out his new apartment—their new apartment. Until then, he seemed perfectly content shacking up in her studio apartment of love.
  Squeezed into the alcove, in-between her man’s muscular thighs and the window, she exhaled as she watched him attempt to trace a heart in the frosted glass.
  “Voila.” He beamed in admiration of his masterpiece.
  “Is that? Is that your attempt at a heart?” She teased.
  “What?” He grabbed her by her rib cage and tickled without mercy. “I’m a damn good artist, admit it!”
  “Ok, Okay! You’re the best. Better than Picasso.” She curled forward and screamed.
  “Damn straight,” he pulled her back into his arms and placed a heated kiss on her lips. As he entangled his fingers with hers, she forgot all about Ryan and Kaitlyn, and the fact that they would be arriving for dinner in a few minutes.
  “Have you forgotten we have dinner guest, Mr. Lord?” She whispered between their pressed lips.
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten about a damn thing.” He began nibbling on her neck, driving her to the brink of insanity.
  “They’ll be here any minute. We don’t want to start something we can’t finish.”
  “Oh, I intend on finishing. Just give me five minutes.”
  “You—five minutes?” She pushed her way out of his grasp and headed to the kitchen. “More like forty-five! You’re a lot of things in bed, baby, but quick is not one of them.”
  “And you like it that way.” He stalked toward her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and shoned that lazy grin that left her breathless.
  “Oh yeah.” She kissed him over her shoulder as the sound of her insane friend, pounding frantically on the door, interrupted them.
  “Remind me why you two are friends again?” He strolled over to the door and opened it.  “Ryan, Kaitlyn. Come on in.”
  “Nate, you’re looking as good as ever.” Kaitlyn eyed him with no remorse as Ryan pretended not to notice.
  “Hey girl,” Aaliyah called from the kitchen, turning the burner low as she stirred the marinara sauce.
  “We brought the booze!” Ryan held up a bottle of some twenty-dollar pinot noir, trying to impress Nate.
  “Wow, Ryan. You shouldn’t have.” Nate smiled and took the bottle. “I’ll just put this in the fridge to chill.”
  “Look at you two—all domestic and shit. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were married.”
  Liya’s eyes grew to the size of dollar coins as she stared her friend down in disbelief. “Thanks Kat.” 
  “I’m just saying.” She placed her purse on the counter, sat in one of the tall black stools, and watched them.
  When Nate’s eyes met Aaliyah’s, she knew he was thinking the same thing. ‘This was going to be a long night.’
  

****
  “I practically had to drag this girl out every Friday night. She was perfectly content being held up in the dorm, nose deep in a textbook. I’m the only reason she had any kind of a social life.” Kaitlyn laughed as she told stories of their college days.
  “Yes, I have you to thank for all my nights of drunken debauchery. Now, change the subject please?” Aaliyah rose to clear the dishes from the table.
“No. I like hearing about your college days. Go on.” Nate winked at her as he lifted his glass and took a sip of wine.
“Well, Liya had this dance she would do when she was wasted. It went something like this,” Kaitlyn rose to her feet and started gyrating her hips and flailing her arms around like a mad woman, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
“I did not!” Liya threw a kitchen towel at her best friend in reproach. “Those were your moves, not mine.”
“Then she’d stop, prop her ass in the air and jiggle, like this.”
“Ok.” Liya quickly rushed to her friend’s side and forced her back into her seat. “Anyone ready for dessert?” She smiled and hurried back into the kitchen.
“I’m just teasing you gurl.” Kaitlyn rose to her feet and wrapped her arm around Liya’s neck. “You know I love you.”
“I love you too, but enough.” Liya gave Kaitlyn a serious look and she backed off.
“So, Ryan…” Nate graciously managed to break the silence. “I hear you work with computers?”
“Yeah, I work for an IT management company that develops apps for Android/IOS.”
“Cool.” Nate smiled as Ryan rambled on and on about the technical aspects of his job. Liya tried not to laugh, she could tell by the look on Nate’s face that he had no idea what Ryan was talking about. Her baby was a real estate and finance genius, but computers were not his thing. He like to say he was more tech dependent than tech savvy.
The rest of the night went on without a hitch. She even had to admit that they had a good time. She was worried at first that Nate and her friends wouldn’t have anything in common, but she was wrong. He and Ryan even agreed to meet for a game of basketball next week.
Shutting the door behind her guest, Liya collapsed against the wall. She was exhausted but happy. Watching Nate as he cleared the last of the dishes, she thought about Kaitlyn’s observation— ‘all domestic and shit.’ She had described them perfectly. Smiling, she joined him; drying off the plates after he washed them.
“This is good, huh?” She whispered.
“This is perfect.” He planted a kiss on her lips, and they continued cleaning up in a blissful silence.