A Tale of Two Cities Read online

  Adorable ass.

  After ordering another round of mimosas and requesting some hot sauce to go with my tower of chicken and waffles, we were ready to dig in; Savannah asking me to snap a picture of her holding the pancake by her face to post on Instagram before she took a bite.

  She was a few bites in when she finally decided to post it, typing in a caption as she asked, “If I give you photo credit on this picture, I’m not gonna have some crazy ass girls in my inbox, am I?”

  Shrugging, I stuffed my mouth before I answered, “Shit, you might. I can’t make any guarantees.”

  Flashing her eyes back up to mine, I couldn’t help but laugh when she replied, “On that note… delete, delete, delete.”

  ‘I’m just messin’ with you. Go ahead and give credit where credit is due. And let these niggas know who you’re kickin’ it with in the process.”

  While I wasn’t even sure where that territorial shit had come from, I was surprised when Savannah’s head snapped back once she repeated, “These niggas? Who are these niggas you speak of? Where are they hiding at? Cause Savannah has zero.”

  Brushing her off, I insisted, “I already know you bullshittin’. You’re way too fine not to be.”

  I mean, it was either she was bullshittin’ or the niggas from her hometown were bullshittin’ by letting her stay single. But it sounded like a combination of both once she explained, “My time and attention are far too valuable to give them to just anyone, Lincoln.”

  “Yet, here you are… with me.”

  “So glad you noticed,” she replied with a smile before shoving a bite of her pancake into her mouth.

  For whatever reason, watching her lips slowly swipe against the fork had me adjusting in my seat since… damn, did she really have to make it look so sexy?

  “This must be that brunch drunk shit I’ve heard women talk about before…” I decided in my head, doing my best to shake off my apparent lack of sobriety along with all the lewd thoughts about what else she could do with her mouth when I asked, “Hey, what happened to us sharing?”

  Giggling, she nodded towards my plate as she answered, “Uhhh.. your hungry ass happened to those chicken and waffles.”

  “Baby, your pancake plate is half-empty. I wasn’t the only one starving.”

  “Baby?” she repeated, her eyebrow piqued teasingly as I quickly tried to recover, “My bad. It slipped.”

  “Did it really, though?” she challenged with a smirk, bringing her fork to my plate to grab a piece of chicken and shoving it into her mouth.

  Again, I caught myself adjusting in my seat, hiding it underneath a shrug when I replied, “I mean, I guess it depends on how much you were rockin’ with it.”

  It would be just my luck to overstep, strike a nerve, do something to fuck up our damn near perfect vibe. But I was grateful to see Savannah’s smirk remain as she said, “I wasn’t not rockin’ with it. It just surprised me… in a good way.”

  “Well you surprised me in a good way. Cause I definitely wasn’t coming on this trip to drink... mimosas with a beautiful stranger.” Or for these mimosas to have me rambling at the mouth...

  The shit was honestly getting out of control, making me wonder just how much champagne they had put in these things. But it appeared I wasn’t the only one feelin’ it considering the extra glaze in Savannah’s eyes when she asked, “Are we really still strangers, Lincoln?”

  “We don’t have to be, Vanny Marie,” I answered smoothly, gnawing into the corner of my lip as I gave her a hard blink that made her lick her own lips in a way that had my heart pumping even harder.

  Those damn lips.

  I wanted them.

  I wanted her.

  But before we could pay the bill and make a move to make that happen, we were summoned by our intended company for a day at the pool.

  Savannah

  It was the picture that did it.

  If I hadn’t taken that picture - shared that picture - I probably wouldn’t have had everyone and their mama in my business about my breakfast date with Lincoln. First, it was the bride-to-be and her crew teasing me about letting Lincoln beat my cakes - my pancakes - once I made it back to the hotel to get my stuff for the day party by the pool. Then, it was Lani texting me emoji eyes about who the man with the private Instagram was since she couldn’t investigate on her own. And then, it was Russell joking with me about doing stuff in Vegas that won’t stay here when I called to check-in about how Lani’s tournament was going.

  Honestly, everybody was getting on my nerves. And the only person who wasn’t getting on my nerves was the person who had them all talking.

  Lincoln.

  If I was on a solo trip and Lincoln was just some man I met on-the-go, he probably would’ve already gotten the goodies by now. I mean, this was Vegas, so that would’ve been totally on-brand with the culture. But the fact that we really only had the rest of today and tomorrow morning to get acquainted with each other before we’d be going our separate ways had me pressed to capitalize on everything him.

  It was now or never.

  So when me and the girls finally made it to the poolside cabana, I wasted no time heading straight over to where he was lounging on one of the plush-white couches having another drink. He was already serving me a dimpled-smile by the time I asked, “You didn’t learn your lesson at breakfast about drinking too fast, huh?”

  He shrugged. “Vegas vibes, shorty. Have some.”

  Extending his glass to me, I thought about turning him down since I honestly hadn’t learned my lesson at breakfast either and knew I was going to be paying for it tomorrow. But with his little tag about, “Vegas vibes” in mind, I accepted it, taking a quick swig before I started, “That is…”

  “Better than those damn mimosas? I know. It’s my signature drink,” he replied with a smirk.

  Glancing into the glass, I thought about stealing another sip, instead deciding not to be greedy when I asked him, “What’s in it?”

  Again, he shrugged. “If I tell you, I gotta kill you like that chainsaw cartel you’re so afraid of.”

  “Oh, shut up!” I squealed with a giggle, stealing another sip after all since he wanted to be funny before finally handing him back his glass.

  Instead of taking a sip of his own, he sat the glass to the side on a table nearby, standing to size me up as he said, “Yellow is definitely your color. Shit looks amazing on you.”

  While I wondered if it was really the color or the fact that my push-up bikini top had my titties looking worth a damn, I still couldn’t help but smile when I gushed, “Thank you, Lincoln.” And just like the first time I laid eyes on him in the hotel suite, I found us having one of those moments of taking each other in like we were the only ones around; a potent gaze that unfortunately only lasted until I heard a familiar voice behind us tease, “Why don’t y’all just go ahead and fuck already?!”

  Snapping out of my trance, I turned to find Ariel, Jasmine, and Jennifer all giggling at Jennifer’s insistence; Lincoln laughing too until I turned back his way with a scowl. He quickly held his hands up to defend, “Don’t look at me. I ain’t the one who said it. Those are your friends.”

  He had a point.

  It was my grown ass friends pestering me about my sex life, and it was my grown ass friends who were about to get a taste of their own medicine when I turned back their way to reply, “Maybe we would’ve already fucked by now if y’all would just mind your own business.”

  I was immediately pleased by the surprised look on all of their faces, Jasmine the first to respond with clear amusement in her tone. “Okay, sis. Heard you.”

  Ariel only chuckled as Jennifer agreed, “Consider my business minded, honey. Live your best life.” Then the three of them got situated on the pool chairs in front of the cabana, giving them access to the sun as I finally turned back to Lincoln who was patiently waiting with a smirk.

  Now that I had to face my words - face him - I honestly felt a little embarrassed, being quick to a
pologize, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put you, or your dick, on the spot like that.”

  Instead of just accepting my apology, he wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me closer, my chest pressed flush against the top of his thick abs when he asked, “You really think I’d trip off that? Shit, I’m actually glad you said it out loud so I can finally stop playin’ nice about it.”

  “Playing nice about what?” I asked, though the way he licked his lips pretty much answered my question. And hell, my response to him licking his lips answered my question too.

  Still, Lincoln had no problem making it plain as he gazed down at me to answer, “Playin’ nice about how bad I want you, Savannah.”

  The way he said Vanny Marie typically came off in a playful manner. But the way he said my full name? I’d be damned if I wasn’t ready to pull the drapes of the cabana shut and make it happen right then and there off that alone.

  It was so sensual, so sexy. He was so sexy. And even if he didn’t know it yet, I already knew how tonight would end when I asked, “Just how bad are we talkin’, Lincoln?”

  He moved to whisper a response in my ear, but his words unfortunately got cut off by Rod’s annoying ass showing up. “Wow. A nigga tries to be a Good Samaritan by going to pee in the bathroom instead of peeing in the pool like I wanted to, and this is what I come back to? Loyalty is dead, on my mama.”

  Derek was only a few steps behind him, his fiancée already tucked under his arm when he looked between the two of us all hugged up and chuckled. “When the hell did this happen? We ain’t even been here for twenty-four hours yet.”

  “You know the clock in Vegas moves a little differently, baby,” Jennifer insisted with a grin, something I had to nod along with since it definitely felt like we had already been here for a few days; felt like I had already known Lincoln for a few days - maybe longer.

  Regardless of the time frame, it wasn’t enough to stop Rod from groaning, “Yeah, and niggas you thought were real ones apparently move differently too…”

  Derek laughed even harder. “Bruh, leave Vanny alone. If cuzzo got her, he just do.”

  Turning to Lincoln with wide eyes, I teased, “Oh, so that’s what this is? You got me?”

  He shrugged, gnawing into his grin as he answered, “For the moment, yeah.”

  “And then what?” I challenged, wrapping my arms around his thick neck as his hands drifted lower towards the top of my ass.

  I wanted him to keep going lower.

  He didn’t, though, keeping it audience-appropriate when he suggested, “We’ll figure that out when we get there. If that’s alright with you?”

  Typically, it was the exact kind of thing I wouldn’t have been okay with. I wasn’t a fan of the unpredictable, wasn’t a fan of spontaneity, and God forbid someone try to change what was already solidified in my head. But something about the circumstances, or maybe it was just the look in Lincoln’s eyes that had me feeling giddy to reply, “Actually? It is.”

  Lincoln smiled wide in response, leaning in to press a kiss against my cheek that felt like punishment since he knew good and damn well I wanted more than that. But I suppose it was all a part of his plan to build anticipation for later since he called himself doing little things like that all afternoon.

  Kisses against my shoulder blade as I stood between his legs in the pool, one of his palms gently squeezing my thigh to keep me close whenever I stood under the cabana and he sat, his eyes all over my body whenever I spent time with just the girls, referring to me as his “baby” instead of Vanny Marie. All things that had me wanting to skip out on the Halloween party Jennifer had finally decided on for tonight even though it was what she considered the main event.

  For that reason and that reason only, I left the pool with them to go get dressed, the walk back to the hotel somehow turning into a gas Savannah up rally since they all couldn’t wait to talk about Lincoln and I.

  Jennifer had an arm tossed around my shoulder when she gushed, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to turn my wedding into a collab event.”

  Glancing her way with a frown, I asked, “Girl, what? Relax. We’re just having some fun. Enjoying each other’s company. It’s not a big deal.”

  It sounded good, but I knew better than to believe the butterflies I had in my stomach from just thinking about Lincoln weren’t a big deal. Still, I had to play it cool, even when she insisted, “Maybe not to you, but Lincoln is obviously smitten. Don’t you go hurting my future relative’s feelings, Vanny.”

  “I’m not! Well, not on purpose. This shit has me in a vulnerable spot too, Jen,” I defended, hoping that would help her understand my true perspective.

  I mean, of course I had already agreed to be down for whatever would happen over the next day and change. But beyond that, when Lincoln and I were back into our own worlds, I wasn’t sure how I would feel. I wasn’t sure what would happen nor how open I really was to exploring the possibilities.

  For now, though, I was staying in the moment. And Jasmine seemed to be on my side when she concluded, “Well whatever it is, it’s super cute. Y’all are cute. Kind of reminds me of when Ariel and Jamison first met**.”

  “God, what a night,” Ariel groaned as if the memories weren’t as pleasant as Jasmine made them out to be.

  “Taxi Cab Confessions headass,” Jasmine muttered with a giggle that had Ariel quick to push her in the shoulder and squeal, “Shut up, Jaz!”

  Laughing even harder, Jasmine said, “What? No need to be embarrassed about it now. You certainly weren’t embarrassed about showing up late to graduation because you were too busy throwin’ ass the night before.”

  From the look on Ariel’s face, I could already tell the details of that day struck a nerve. But it was nice having the attention off of my situation as Ariel whined, “Jasmine, that was literally top five embarrassing things that’s ever happened to me. And you know I’ve been through a lot of shit.”

  Nodding as we stepped into the hotel lobby, Jasmine replied, “Well it worked out in your favor the same way shit is gonna work out for Vanny Van.”

  “I appreciate your vote of confidence, Jasmine,” I told her with a halfhearted smile as we loaded the elevator to our floor and piled out just as quickly.

  While the three of us were dragging after being out in the sun and drinking well beyond our normal limits, Jennifer was buzzing with energy when she made her way to a closet I hadn’t noticed before and started singing, “Okay, ladies. Now let’s get in formation.”

  “Should’ve known your ass would pull somethin’ like this…” Jasmine immediately sighed as Ariel took a step closer to the outfits hanging up and asked, “How much did you pay for this Balmain Beychella sweatshirt, Jen?”

  “What’s up with these bright yellow bodysuits and matching berets?” was my question since things weren’t quite adding up for me. But Jasmine’s original reaction made sense once Jennifer grinned to answer, “I’m gonna be Coachella Beyoncé, and you guys are gonna be my background dancers.”

  “Jennifer…” we groaned simultaneously, though she was quick to defend, “Oh, come on! It’ll be fun!” She even added to her cause by insisting, “Lincoln already said he loves you in yellow, Vanny. And Jasmine, the bodysuit will give you an excuse to show off that amazing ass of yours.”

  “What about me?” Ariel asked, as if not having a motive for her would somehow get us all out of this.

  Jennifer struggled for a minute, but eventually came up with, “The beret will cover the part of your hair that Rod ruined at the pool when he decided to do a cannonball in the shallow end.”

  “That motherfucker…” Ariel groaned in response, pulling her slightly-damp hair out of the bun she had begrudgingly forced it into after Rod accidentally splashed her.

  With a pat to her shoulder, I assured her, “Don’t worry, Ariel. I’ll hook you up. This will be fun. And if nothing else, it’s Jen’s night. So we’re doing it.”

  Of course, Jennifer smiled wide at
that as she started to do the infamous “Uh-oh” dance. And while that only made Jasmine roll her eyes, I couldn’t have agreed with Ariel more when she muttered, “Girl, you are so lucky I like you.”

  Lincoln

  “This might be inappropriate considering the occasion, but I highkey hate Jennifer for this corny ass shit.”

  Glancing at my bright yellow Balmain hoodie in the mirror that was identical to the one Rod had on, I couldn’t help but laugh at his admission since I probably would’ve felt the same way if I wasn’t already on one. It was really only a matter of time considering my ass had been drinking since way earlier this morning with Savannah. But after a quick power nap and a B12 shot, I was back like I’d never left, clinking my glass with Derek’s as he replied, “Happy wife, happy life, bruh. You know how that shit goes.”

  I nodded to agree as Rod took a solo sip of his own drink before he insisted, “Well that shit sounds like a scam to me. Got you out here lookin’ like the brokest Jay-Z I’ve ever seen. And got us out here on some one-band-one-sound Drumline bullshit with these matching yellow hoodies and white gloves on.”

  Laughing at his observation, I started playing my imaginary drum set as Derek fired back, “At least its designer, nigga. Be grateful.”

  “Gonna take my grateful ass straight to Craigslist and sell it once tonight is over,” he muttered like we wouldn’t hear his naturally loud ass. And while Derek simply ignored him, I was back in the mirror when I told him, “I think it’s kinda fresh. I mean, for what it is. But anyway. I’m ready when y’all are.”

  I was still bobbing my head to the imaginary drum solo in my head as Rod insisted, “Man, you only sayin’ that cause you’re ready to get your ol’ happy ass back to Savannah.”

  He might’ve been right, but I refused to give him the satisfaction since it was really none of his business. But of course, that didn’t stop Derek from backing him up when he asked, “For real though, cuz. What’s up with that? Y’all seemed mad cozy earlier.”