Page 40 of The Best Man: Unfinished Business

Chapter Twenty-one

Harper

Malibu is beautiful. Waking every morning to the ocean and the sun, I see why folks move here.

What a spectacular view of natural vastness.

Having Jordan’s naked body next to mine is unreal.

We actually sleep well together! The only reason I’m up is because I’m still kind of on New York time.

I love waking up next to her. She’s so beautiful and as long as i’ve known her, I’ve never been this close to her.

Just being able to look at her, rub her, feel her curves.

I love waking her up with the dick. She loves it too.

She be sleep but she ain’t that sleep. And I haven’t needed any Viagra!

My joint just be ready. The newness and the familiarity is all its own aphrodisiac.

It is exciting, mind-blowing sex. but it’s also been incredible just being with her.

Spooning, fucking, making love, talking, watching the morning news, bathing each other.

Having coffee at this spot in Santa Monica.

We are never more than one room apart at all times, and yet we both still have enough space.

We eat meals together without pretending I don’t want to kiss her.

I can’t get enough. In the mornings I get out on her balcony and not only do my brain dump, but I’m making real progress on this Unfinished Business outline.

I’m no longer in a creative rut. jordan’s presence is an additive not a deterrent.

She respects the process. I am locked in on Kendall and Jackson.

I wonder why. hah! No duh. i know where kendall and Jackson are now!

That shit is unlocked and I’m getting the hang of this movie pace. maybe it’s the California air. Hah!

I facetimed Mia at the end of her day again. I think she’s okay with our end of the day calls. She’s definitely more of a morning person. I’ll try to do a midnight call one of these days…that’s if I’m not FUCKING…!

We been taking walks on the beach, hiking up in the mountains, we did Solstice canyon loop twice.

We been holding hands, window shopping, grocery shopping.

farmer’s market. Did I mention the sex was incredible?

it just all feels so natural. But also surreal.

I mean everything is easy. Can it really be this good?

Can it last? STOP. just settle in it, Harp.

go with the flow. Everyone should feel this good.

I still can’t believe it. Where are we going with this?

i don’t know but it’s not stressing me. I don’t have to move.

LA is nice but that new york energy fuels my creativity.

FUELS ME ! Plus, most of the publishing houses are there.

but the movie studios are here…still, i couldn’t do this year-round.

ocean, mountains, sun all the time. i like that change of seasons.

I’d miss it. Plus, getting to Accra and Mia would be a lot tougher in LA. But I do like it here.

Jordan would be the only reason i’d be here so probably. i don’t see me committing to screenwriting and tv writing like that. But maybe…? Why even consider it? I wouldn’t have to move. Neither would she. We could do that bi-coastal thing.

“hey j, i have a meeting, i’m just going to stay in the brooklyn spot. i’ll catch the last flight. oh you’re coming out. oh cool. you have a few meetings too? yeah, quentin is throwing a party. we gotta go. hang with the crew…”

holy shit. why not? I wonder what she’d be like to live with? We’d need two homes to hold all of her wardrobe. Ha! she doesn’t cook. but she likes good food…

stop, harp. enjoy this.

this is Jordan and this is you.

if there’s a problem we can work it out. open and honest communication is the key. why wouldn’t we be anything else with one another? We have no expectations of one another other than friendship. and love. I love jordan. and she loves me. it’s not all about love, but what a start.

Quentin hit me up yesterday. Undoubtedly Shelby let him know what was happening with me and j. he wants details. I sent him a selfie of us walking in the Canyon we look like a bougie-ass black California couple. we look happy. fuck it, we are happy. I know i am. and she seems happy.

“good shit, joe.” he texted. Shelby said it’s giving #couplegoals. it’s not a secret, right?

Harper stopped writing, his pen hovering over the page.

He looked up and above, contemplating his last written question.

Is it? Sade’s “Mermaid” could be heard crisply through Jordan’s outdoor speakers.

They’d been playing Love Deluxe on repeat since their first night together, living the lyrics.

It just seemed like such a fitting soundtrack.

The closing song’s mysterious open melody, simple, with no words, left to interpretation was very much the road ahead for Harper and Jordan.

Open, a mystery, a deep love filled with yearning and hope, deep like the ocean beyond with its crashing morning waves.

Harper set the journal on the side table and placed the pen on top.

He pulled up his phone and looked at the selfie he snapped of himself and Jordan.

Harper inhaled with a small smile and exhaled deeply.

They looked good together. Suddenly Murch’s face appeared on his phone with an incoming call.

“Ayyy, man,” Harper answered.

“Hey, Harp. Sorry for the delay,” Murch said, still sounding busy. Harper was momentarily confused by the apology. What was I calling him about?

“No problem, Murch. How’s everything? You alright?” Harper asked, trying to buy time to jog his memory.

“I’m good. I’m good. Busy week. You know how it is. Where are you? Still LA? Weren’t you headed to Hawaii?”

“I’m still in LA. Yeah…” Harper considered how much information to reveal.

“I can hear the ocean. Where you staying?”

“Umm…I was at a spot in Santa Monica. Really nice. Been getting some work done. It’s been good. I see the appeal.”

“Oh boy. We already lost Jordan to the West Coast. Are you becoming a convert too?” Murch laughed. Harper forced a laugh from his side as well.

“Haaaaa. Hahaha ha ha. Nahhh. Not yet…”

“Not yet? Oh no. Say it isn’t so, Harper Stewart.

The man’s going Hollywood,” Murch declared.

What the hell did I ring him about? Harper stood up and began pacing Jordan’s deck.

He really wanted to steer the conversation the way he wanted and something about Murch knowing where he was made Harper a little nervous.

Then the patio door opened revealing Jordan in her flowing blue kimono. She and Harper made eye contact. She smiled and mouthed, “Coffee?” Harper nodded quickly in response. Jordan jerked her chin toward Harper’s call. Harper mouthed, “Murch,” as subtly as he could.

For a moment Jordan stood with furrowed brow.

After a beat, she mouthed, “Who?”

Harper repeated, “Murch,” with more silent enunciation. Jordan shrugged again, shaking her head. Harper sighed and decided to make it clear by turning the phone to show Murch’s image on the screen.

“Ahhh,” Jordan said quietly, getting it instantly. “Ohh, tell him I said hi.”

Harper nodded quickly and barely whispered, “Okay,” before quickly bringing the phone back to his ear. Jordan slipped back inside, sliding the patio door closed behind her. And then he felt the slightest bit of panic. He wasn’t prepared if Murch asked…

“Who’s that?” Shit. Harper ran many scenarios through his head during a longer than necessary pause for a response to Murch’s question. It’s not a secret, right? He’d never reached an answer to the question from his journal. Isit?

“It’s um…it’s…it’s Jordan,” Harper finally eked out.

“Oh, you guys connected. That’s great. You meeting up for breakfast?” Murch asked, sounding excited.

“Ummm, we haven’t decided yet” was the best close-to-truth that Harper managed to muster.

“Cool. Well, please tell her hello from me and Candace. Those flowers she sent for her birthday lasted for a while. I need to know who her florist is.”

“Yeah, I’ll let her know.”

“Anyway, you had asked me about Kwesi,” Murch said. Harper cocked his head, crinkled his brow, and thought, Kwesi? Who’s Kwesi? But all that came out was “Uh-huh…”

“So, I hear he’s an entrepreneur of some sort.

Mostly in real-estate development—it’s big there—chocolate too and something about a vineyard, I think.

Anyway, he’s successful, speaks multiple languages, is about six foot four, and Robyn’s happy,” Murch reported.

Vineyard…? Multiple languages…? Six foot…

? Ohhhhh, the dude Robyn’s dating…. Jesus, I’m getting old.

What the fuck? Now, finally remembering the purpose of the call that had set this in motion, Harper began to process what Murch had just said.

“Oh, oh, oh. Right. Right. Yeah…” Harper intonated an escalating understanding of what Murch had told him, which was… a lot.

“Yeah. That’s what I know,” Murch said. Through the patio doors Harper watched Jordan use her built-in very fancy coffee system, grinding fresh beans to make Harper’s cup of morning brew.

The lustrous rhythms in Sade’s “Mermaid” aided his dreamlike daze, reminding him of the depths of his own good fortune.

“So, she’s happy, huh?”

“Seems to be,” Murch responded. Harper nodded while looking at Jordan in that kimono as she pulled creamer from her Sub-Zero.

Nah, Harper thought. It’s not a secret. He filled with a swell of confidence. “That’s great,” he said to Murch. “You know what? I’m happy too.” Harper switched Murch to speakerphone.

“That’s great,” Murch said congenially. “And it’s very mature, Harp.” As Murch kept speaking, Harper immediately found what he was looking for. “Wishing Robyn well is good growth,” Murch continued. “You said yourself you guys were in a good place as co-parents and maybe even—”

“Where are you right now?” Harper inquired, cutting him off.

“I’m home.”

“You alone?”