Page 2 of Aug

TWO

Refusing to consume any more space than necessary, Tiana’s hands were stuffed between her thighs. Her head rested against the front of the seat. And, her eyes were closed.

I circled Windridge aimlessly, wishing I didn’t have to wake the sleeping beauty.

I hiked the heat up slightly to bring her more comfort.

The week had been long for us all. Roulette had dragged the girls from one end of the coast to another, finalizing her bachelorette week with a private party at her establishment.

The city’s lights danced on Tiana’s brown skin. She was petite and pretty and poised and perfect. Beside the rest of the girls, she was tiny. Her five-foot-six frame would’ve likely matched the average friend group. But, the Childers were far from average.

Countless thoughts about countless ways to reveal my interest to her ran through my mind. I couldn’t settle on anything. Nothing felt good enough for her. For me. For us.

Dinner plans were too common.

A picnic was too boring to kick things off.

Massages were too personal.

A chef at the crib seemed too desperate.

I wanted to begin our journey with something that represented us both. Something active. Something exciting. Something that would surely give us both a thrill.

I didn’t have the words to talk for hours on end. Not yet. So, avoiding incredibly intimate situations was in my best interest. Or, at least until the ice around that beating organ of mine melted.

I peered in Tiana’s direction. She was at peace. So was I. Her presence was gentle.

Easing.

Calming.

Comforting.

Consoling.

Tender.

“Solace,” I whispered.

I kissed the skin of my teeth upon realizing I couldn’t drive around forever. The gas hand was near the empty sign, and I still had to get back to Mt. Clarke where I resided.

Light flickered, illuminating her skin as I made a U-turn in the middle of the road. Her delicacy was on full display, reminding me of the fragility she’d inherited as a woman. She was entitled to it based on her chromosomes alone.

XX .

Don’t disturb her if you can’t handle her with care.

I instantly took heed of the warning I’d given myself. Unlike any other situation, I’d approach this one with caution and with care. Tiana deserved that, and for once, so did I.

Being employed by Balle had taught me a lot about women, their desires, their hearts, their heads, and their tenderness. While life had hardened so many women I’d encountered over my lifespan, there were so many that remained or eventually became delicate.

Like flowers.

Like glass .

Tiana was one of those.

I pulled into the gated community and lowered my window. I typed in the four digits that I knew so well from constant visits with Balle.

7632#

We were granted access immediately. I made the necessary turns to reach Tiana’s building. Near the entrance is where I backed into a parking spot. I rested my arm against the door, angling my body in the sleeping beauty’s direction.

She was poetic.

Consuming.

Like words of reassurance.

Like a sign that good still exists.

Like a blanket on a cool day .

Releasing a long, regretful breath, I exited the SUV and headed around to the passenger side. Upon arriving, I opened the door, slowly and quietly as possible.

Tiana’s forehead creased with lines. Her eyelids pulled together, tightening and creating small line patterns.

Waking her was something I wished I could’ve avoided, but being stuck on the side of the road without gas or blinding her with gas station lights were the only other options.

Neither would suffice, so getting her into her apartment would have to.

I tucked my arms underneath her and lifted. Carefully, I pulled her out of the vehicle. Her head rested against my chest. Makeup smeared on my shirt. And, for the first time, I didn’t give a damn about staining my threads. I flattened my foot against the door and slammed it shut.

Instant regret nudged me. Those forehead creases returned. I stilled until they relaxed. It wasn’t until peace found her again that I continued toward the building that led to her unit. Brightness met me at the door’s threshold.

Fuck .

Lobby lights jarred Tiana from her sleep. Long, exaggerated blinks helped her regain consciousness.

“Aug–”

“Shhh,” I demanded. “Go back to sleep.”

But first, say it again .

“I’m sorry,” she groaned, removing her head from my chest.

I stepped onto the elevator with my head moving from one side to the other. Tiana patted the place her face had been, leaving its mark.

“I’ve ruined your shirt.”

I was still trying to find my footing. Hearing my name fall from her lips was encompassing.

“It’s all good.”

“I can walk,” she explained, “I promise.”

A yawn widened her mouth. My mind went to another place. A darker place. A filthy place. It wasn’t until her feet hit the ground that it returned.

She pushed the number six, reminding me that I hadn’t touched a single button. We hadn’t moved an inch.

Tiana retreated, pressing her back against one side of the rectangular cart. My hands gathered in front of me as I did the same, taking the corner next to her.

My eyes were trained on their target. Drunkenly, she chuckled, shaking her head. I wasn’t sure what the fuck was so funny, but her laughter was pleasant. Like the sweetest melody.

Don’t stop .

I never wanted it to end. That sound. That look on her face. The humor in her stance. And, the comfort she exuded.

“Months ago, I couldn’t walk or even use a pen properly.

I was wondering if I’d ever become the woman I was, and it saddened me every day,” she sniggered, “But tonight made me realize I’ll never become her.

And, frankly, I don’t want to. I’m so much better than her.

And, though it was messed up and that girl was bat shit crazy, I needed that.

I didn’t deserve it, but it was part of my story that just had to happen. ”

I observed, longing to wrap my arms around the unraveling woman before me. There was nothing humorous about her revelation. She was simply laughing to keep from crying.

“I don’t know, Aug, and I doubt that you even care.

Sorry to trauma dump on you. I’m just–” she paused, “I’m just so happy to be surrounded by genuine people.

People I don’t have to question. People with no creepy motives.

People who just want to live and get better every day. Ugh. I’m just rambling.”

I do care . I thought, stepping forward. The elevator doors parted. It was time to exit, but Tiana had yet to move.

Keep standing there and I’m going to assume you want to come home with me .

“Tiana,” I said, instead.

“Yeah. Right. My floor. Thank you. Goodnight, Aug.”

I wasn’t sure when she started calling me that shit, but I grew a bit more rigid each time it left her mouth.

Ignoring her dismissal, I trailed her down the hallway. She stopped in front of her unit, just two doors down from the elevator. Her head tilted sideways as she peered up at me.

“Goodnight, Aug.”

“If you think I’m leaving before you’re safely inside, then you’re sadly mistaken, Ti.”

“Ti?” She asked, rearing her head back with the corners of her mouth lifted, “Are we giving out nicknames, now?”

I tipped my head toward her door. Obliging, she placed the fob against the keypad. The door unlocked, giving her access to her unit. I remained in the hallway, watching closely as she dragged her body inside.

She’s going to sleep good as hell tonight .

Though I wished it wasn’t alone, my time would come soon enough. And, when it did, I was certain it would be well worth the wait.

“Goodnight, Aug,” she said for a second time.

I paused and planted my feet firmly on the ground. Her makeup was still flawless. Her smile was wavering. Her cheeks were high. Her eyes were low.

Don’t . I chastised, knowing exactly where this was headed if I didn’t uproot my feet and head in the other direction.

Tiana was for the taking. I planned to take her ass down, too. But, she deserved more than some dick after a drunken night. That would come. First, I wanted to play with her mind. Then, her heart. And, then her pussy.

Not in a way that niggas did women they had no good intentions for.

But, more so, like I’d done with my prized car collection as a young boy.

I made sure to keep them clean, oiled, shiny, tires rotated, and ready for whatever my day tossed at them.

Their engines were always in tip-top shape.

There wasn’t a day they weren’t prepared for the road.

“Goodnight, Ti.”

Her lips curled a little more as she hugged the door. She rested her head against it, peering in my direction.

Her hair is pretty .

Small pieces draped her face, but most of it was up in a ponytail. Every time she moved, the ponytail whipped in another direction.

She is so pretty.

Makeup enhanced her brown features. There was a golden glittery product on the tip of her nose, the dip in her top lip, and on the highest points of her cheeks. It made her glisten, quite literally.

Her aura is so pretty .

Tiana pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and shifted her weight. Though she’d told me goodbye, she wasn’t ready for me to leave. However, she wasn’t sure how to ask me to stay either.

Instead of making the decision to do so harder, I twisted on the ball of my foot and started for the elevator. There would be so much more to our story. Much more than tonight. Much more than our desperation to feel each other on a more intimate level, a sexual level.

I’d taken that route countless times. It never ended how the women imagined it would. So, I was sparing Tiana and me the possibility of this shit blowing up in our faces if we didn’t ease into something that could last a lifetime. Rushing into our thing was beneath us both. Or so it seemed for now.