"This is your place?" I asked Matthew as he led me into his home. His apartment gives me so much aesthetic vibes, it's killing me. It's like physically being in a YouTuber's home. There's black and white everywhere.
He lives in Manhattan. The most expensive place to live.
"I thought you-"
"I moved back." He looked down shamefully, wobbling the keys in his hand.
"So, you're not leaving at all?"
"No, I needed a reason for you to come out with me."
"You're so confusing." I disclosed, before plopping myself on a couch.
"Not really," he offers me a bottle of water." I can't tell you everything on the first night. We just met."
"Please, boy. Your home looks nice by the way."
"Thanks. Hey, there's food in the fridge if you're still hungry," He says pointing at the fridge."Thanks for coming out with me to Coney Island. I haven't had that much fun in a long time."
Matthew strips off his shirt. Lord knows, how many times I mentally threw myself at him. His abs were making me melt. Plus, he's flexing so it's obvious he wants me to see all his human meat under his gorgeous French vanilla ice cream pale skin. Throw a bit of beans in it too because he has cute little spots all over his chest.
Is he trying to tease me because it's working but I must control myself.
"I'm going to take a shower." He walks in his room. The door was halfway open. Oh my God, he's doing this on purpose because each time he passed by, I can almost see his naked body.
Then, his body got closer to the door and it looked like he was searching for fresh wear.
He continued to look around but I firmly turned my head away because I was afraid of making eye contact with him through the mirror. He moved away from the door. Ugh, finally I can stalk comfortably. Just as I was about to slide an inch closer to the edge of the couch so I can get a better view of him, he appeared, in nothing but flesh. I was staring at his naked frame through the mirror. My my!
He opens the door but his body was hidden behind it. But he wasn't careful enough because I can see something dangling by his thigh. . .
"Hey, can you get me the bar of soap? It's in the closet over there." He points towards a door near the main door. I jumped up as fast as I can trying to avoid seeing his dick reveal itself.
I looked inside the closet, clumsily because my anxiety was ticking.
Finally, after cowardly embarrassing myself, I ran to the bathroom were he had gone to give it to him. He was humming the Harry Potter theme song.
Weird. . .
I slightly slid my hands by the shower curtain and signaled. The soap slipped from my hand when his wet fingers met mine.
"Sorry," I started crackling at myself.
"It's cool. I got it. Thanks."
_____
What seemed like an hour passed by, Matt comes out in workout gear, except, he has no shirt on.
"Woo," he joins me on the couch. I cover my mouth with my fingers demurely avoiding his gaze. The gleams in his eyes were painstakingly brutal. I've never felt so nervous to be next to him. I was never nervous like this. What the hell is wrong with me?
"So?" He carries on. "Do you like college?"
"It's a University and it's great."
"Oh, yeah? What major you declared?"
"Psychology." He curves the side of his mouth.
"People and psycho majors. What's so interesting about it?"
"You learn why people do the things they do."
"Boring," He touched my lap when he noticed a serious expression on my face. "You seem to like it I see?"
"I love it. I want to work with criminals. I want to work on psychiatric cases with the world's most crazies." Matthew looks at me like I've lost my marbles.
"So that's why you're watching Criminal Minds?" I nodded my head.
"New York Undercover, Martin Mystery, Archie's Weird Mysteries, CSI, CSI:NY, CSI:MIAMI, All the Law and Orders. I love anything death related." He looked at me awkwardly but it didn't stop him from losing interest.
"You're favorite serial killer is Michael Myers, I'm really not surprised." Oh my God, he still remembers.
I'm going to cry.
"You remember that?"
"Always. Do you still binge watch all his movies?"
"Not as much as I used to. I still love him, though."
"You guys should get married." I actually did fantasize about that once.
"He'd rather kill me instead. I wouldn't mind, though. It's fucking Michael Myers."
"You're a wacko." He grabs my thigh playfully. As he did that, his ocean scent made all the nerves in my body go haywire. The smell was so strong but wonderful at the same time. He smells delightful.
"Not really," I punched him on the arm childishly. "What about you, big head?" Whyyyyyy did I call him that? Calling a boy big head is flirting words.
"I'm not a wacko, if that's what you're asking."
"Duh, I know, but are you in school?"
He thumps the side of his head.
"Oh, that? Fuck school." He said bluntly as he took my legs and rest them on his. I was feeling him. His hands tenderly slither themselves up and down my ankle.
"Seriously?"
"I don't need it. I'm making a living out of my clothing brand. A degree is the last thing I need right now." We stopped talking for awhile and focused on the television. I was hypnotized with suspense until he volunteered to break it.
"Why are you so far?" He brings me playfully towards his chest. I lay on him with my thumb halfway in my mouth acting like a baby.
"You smell good." I complimented as the scene cuts to commercial.
"You too. Your hair smells like lavender and raspberries."
He sniffs my hair, oscillating my scalp with the tip of his fingers. I love it when people play in my hair. I fall asleep in an instant!
He hoists me up closer to his jawline. My head is on his shoulders and all I'm thinking about is making out with him.
You can't do that. He's your ex.
His head slowly comes down to meet mine. Then, suddenly, we make eye contact staring desperately into each other's eyes hoping for a happy ending.
I could feel his breath linger on my skin and our lips getting closer. What felt an electronic shock struck us both. My phone started ringing and we both turned away. He pushed his head back, frustrated that it didn't happen.
I WAS SAVED BY THE DAMN BELL!
"Whea' you at shorty?" Rakim asks. I can hear a crowd full of people cheering in the background. "Zoe's performing in thirty minutes." I let Rakim know I'll be on my way.
Hurriedly, I put back on my sweater.
"What's wrong?" Matthew gets up.
"Zoe's show. I'm such a dumbass, how could I forget." I grab my purse.
"Let me drive you." He offered, while looking for a shirt to wear.
"That won't be necessary. I'll take the subway."
"It's pretty late. I'll come with you." Finally he finds a shirt to wear. I almost drooled.
___
Luckily, Matthew's house was not too far from the Hard Rock Café.
It took us six train stops to get us to Times Square so I made it in time before Zoe got on stage.
I pushed through a crowd of people. Apparently, Times Square is like the most cluttered area in New York City. People are always walking into you. It's worse when it rains because umbrellas just bump into each other and it's freaking annoying saying excuse me all the time.
I finally reached inside looking for Rakim. He was sitting with a group of his friends who came fashionably prepared. Thank God he noticed me.
"You made it!" He said giving me a pound. He and Matthew bumped shoulders. He greeted the others around him the same. I held hands with Matthew waiting for Zoe to show up.
She shows up and says her speech in front of what looks like hundreds people. There could possibly be more. The setting was dark and groovy. The lights were dimmed and it smells like alcohol and burgers.
"I recorded this song in one session while in the studio with my good friend, Rakim," She says on the mic while pointing at him. He jumps on his chair and draws attention to himself. He looks down at me and grabs me up to stand with him. The pink spotlight glows on us as the crowd went nuts.
"Look at my best-friend, Jaide. Ya'll are crazy as fuck," She adds giggling.
"Let's turn the fuck up." She yells on the mic while waiting for the audio to play.
_____
After Zoe's brief concert, we stood outside waiting for her.
She rushed into Rakim's arms and kissed him. I could tell it was the first time because his reaction was priceless. His lips were trembling. He looked at her, flabbergasted. He did not see this coming. Aw, how cute.
But what silenced her was the man standing next to me. Zoe kept shaking her head no and started screaming with joy when she recognized Matt.
"No fucking way? Eatmadik? Bro, how long has it been?" She crashed into Matthew's arms and hugged the shit out of him.
"It's been a while." He responds.
"You look good mate." She shoved him jokingly. He did the same picking her up once more.
"Jaide?" She looks at me with a 'what's going on between the two of you?' kind of look.
"Let's go to BBQ'S and fuck up some ten piece Hennessey Wings." I licked my lips to the thought of burying my face in the dish full of wings. They all followed me there.
____
"Matthew, thanks for coming." Zoe says giving him a hug.
"No problem. You were dope. I'll definitely come to the next one." Zoe got in a car with Rakim.
"I'll call you in the morning!" She waved as the car peeled off the curb. I stood in front of my building really wishing Zoe didn't leave me. I was hoping we'd celebrate but I'm not complaining. Plus, these Hennessey wings really got to my system.
I think the toilet and I will be celebrating instead.
Matthew oogles me.
"Tonight was fun. You didn't tell me Zoe has a boyfriend, yet alone talent?"
"Surprise?" I laugh.
"Goofy ass." He punches my arm.
"You want me to walk you up?"
"No, thanks. I got it from here." He childishly punches me again.
"I'll walk you up."
We head up back to my apartment. I stood in front of my door trying to open up as fast as I can.
The door unlocks. I turn to him and give him a hug.
"I haven't been to Coney Island since I was like fifteen. I haven't been to a concert like that. I really enjoyed hanging with you. You're actually cool." I poke him.
"Me too." Silence. Silence loves to make an appearance.
"I should go now," I say.
"Alrighty then, goodnight." He kissed my forehead. Gosh, it was relaxing. I picked my head up slowly as his hands were coming up to cup my face and then it happened. The kiss I was dying to feel, taste, adore, admire.
I was not going to drift from it because I miss kissing him. We kissed passionately until my head thumped on the door.
We laughed about it but went back to the kiss. The kiss was so alerting, I let him in the apartment.
I'm committing a terrible sin.