Page 37 of Cuffed By Your Love

Kam opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly closed it again.

I locked eyes with him until he flinched, then signaled to the bartender.

“Get him out of here,” I said. “I don’t want to turn poetry night into paperwork.”

Kam turned on his heel and stormed off, muttering under his breath.

I turned back to Jonay, picked up my drink, and raised it in a slow toast.

“To peace,” I declared.

She clinked her glass against mine and said, “To blocking dumb decisions.”

We laughed, and just like that, the tension broke.

After Kam was kicked out like the clown he was, the mood inside Brick & Ember softened. Jonay exhaled slowly, as if she had been holding her breath for months and finally remembered how to let go.

“You good?” I asked, standing beside her as she pulled her phone out of her clutch.

“I’m straight,” she replied, her thumb flying across the screen. “But I’m not waiting ten minutes for this damn rideshare. I should’ve let my sister drop me off and stay.”

“You aren’t driving?”

“Nah, I didn’t want to bring my car in case the vibe was off. Plus, I was trying to protect my peace, and parking in Self Ridge on a Friday night is a whole spiritual battle.”

I nodded in agreement, acknowledging her point. “Let me take you home.”

Jonay looked at me sideways, her eyebrow raised as if she were trying to gauge my motives. “Are you trying to be funny?”

“Not even. I’m trying to make sure you are safe. This isn’t about me trying to push up on you, Deputy Gorgeous. It’s just me being a man, a protector, who don’t trust these streets with your pretty ass this late at night, mama.”

She paused.

“You gon’ play Eric Benét to my Tamia and drive me home singing ‘Spend My Life With You’?”

I chuckled. “Only if you sing the ad-libs.”

She rolled her eyes, but a smile spread across her pretty face. “Alright then, Detective Gentleman.”

The ride back was pleasantly quiet. I kept the music low, just enough to help her relax, and drove as if I had somewhere to be, but without any hurry to get there. She leaned back in the passenger seat, scrolling through her phone without really reading anything, her eyes drifting out the window every few blocks.

I observed her out of the corner of my eye, not in a creepy way, just taking mental notes. I noticed the slope of her cheek as she leaned into the door, how her gold hoops caught the light, and the slight furrow between her brows, like she was still trying to talk herself out of trusting me too quickly.

“You okay?” I asked, glancing over as she gazed out the window.

She nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m just not used to anyone stepping in for me like that.”

“You don’t have to get used to it, Deputy Gorgeous. Just expect it.”

She gave a weak laugh. “Don’t go making promises you can’t keep.”

“I don’t just make promises. I take action.”

When we arrived at her place, I didn’t turn off the engine right away.

“Safe and sound,” I said, shifting in my seat. “Told you I wasn’t on no funny shit.”

Jonay turned toward me, slowly unbuckling her seat belt. “You proved that tonight. I appreciate it.”