Turned Out – Part 1

Her workout gear set everything off. Her body was right, brown skin glistening.

She dug hard into each step, the resistance high as the elliptical churned. 

A few dudes nearby wagered who had the nerve to holler. No one did. 

She did her time, wiped sweat from her face and dark curly hair. 

He watched her go into the female locker room, where she changed, shaming the women inside. 

Later, he was chilling in Harlem Coffee. It was quiet, and the service was good. 

She came in, fine as ever but casual. The jeans, sweater, flats and backpack were easy compliments to her healthy thickness.

She was in range, just a table away. Good thing HC was a small spot.

She pulled her hair into a ponytail and took out a book and glasses, killing the sexy intellectual look.

At first he played her off. He wasn’t about boosting female egos. Besides, two thirsty simps took a table in her vicinity, even apologizing for crowding her to get a response.

The amateurs disgusted him. When one positioned to make a play, he stepped in.

“How was your workout?”

She peered at him over the rim of her glasses, as the simp backed down. 

“It was good.” She went back to her book for a hot second, then added. “And yours?”

He smiled, easy and relaxed. Dude wasn’t extreme, average really. But he possessed an intriguing mix of confidence and intelligence. 

There seemed to be more to him than revealed. This tantalized females who wanted to get to the core of his nature. 

The simps whispered among themselves, cutting him hating looks.

“What’s that?” He asked.

She showed him the cover. It was E. Lynn Harris’s Not A Day Goes By.

“You like drama?”

She smiled, speaking a little too loud over arriving customers. “Not really. A friend recommended it.”

He gestured to the chair at his table. 

“Come here. I’m saving you.”

She was perplexed. “What?”

His eyes referenced the simps next to her, and more guys coming and going shooting her looks.

She collected her things, moving into the chair. 

“Rick.” He said. 

“Dominique… I didn’t need saving.”

“You’re here.”

“Convenience.”

“Really?”

“I’d rather one than twenty.”

“You’re full of yourself. I just wanna talk. That’s it.”

She gave a cynical look. “Ok, sure.”

“It’s like that? Then go back.”

She was stunned. Men rarely talked to her that way, unless it was a lame she ignored on the street. 

Without a word, she slid back into her old seat. The simps lit up with anticipation. 

She pretended to ignore him.

After paying, he caught her outside. 

“All that wasn’t necessary,” he said.

Her jaw tightened with indignation.

They silently walked. 

Turning a corner and passing a crevice between buildings, he took her hand and pulled her close. The kiss was warm, tasty. 

She stepped back hard with disbelief. “Are you crazy? You don’t touch me.”

He was cool, empty. “No disrespect. It just felt right.”

“It wasn’t.”

“I don’t hide what I feel.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I feel like I do… we have everything in common. Look, gimme your phone.”

His command was such, she couldn’t resist. He punched in the numbers and gave it back to her, pushing call to get hers. 

“Later.”

She glared as he walked away. The nerve of this guy, she thought. She’d ignore his number when he called. 

She wanted a nice guy, not an arrogant bastard. She’d been down that road before. It was a dead end.

End of part 1/4