#cecewrites

A hunger induced rumble from Keana’s stomach briefly cut through the lo-fi music that she had been playing while she completed her work tasks for the day. Her lunch wasn’t for another ten-minutes. Keana chose to ignore the gnawing in her stomach and lock in to finish up her reports.

Keana’s office door opened just as she was getting into her groove. Peeking over the top of her desktop computer, her eyes found her favorite co-worker and best friend, Sofia. Keana met Sofia as an incoming freshman at University of California, Berkeley. An icebreaker activity during orientation amongst new students gave Keana and Sofia the opportunity to meet and they’ve been two peas in a pod ever since. The two shared similar goals of entering the field of tech and luckily, their paths have always aligned, and they found themselves as analytic managers for the same company.

“Hey girl, heyyy!”

Where Keana was cool and to herself, Sofia was lively and outgoing. The perfect “yin” to her “yang”.

“Hey, boo.” Keana replied, still focusing on her computer screen.

Sofia crossed her office to flop onto the loveseat Keana had placed in there for moments when she wanted to relax for a bit. “Where’re we going today? I was thinking Daebak. I’ve been craving some Korean BBQ.”

“I’m down with whatever. As long as it’s good.”

Keana had five minutes left and was almost done. She multitasked by listening to how Sofia’s workday had been so far and putting the finishing touches on her report then sending it off to the team of higher-ups.

Keana exhaled all the tension she had been storing in her body, relaxing in her chair. “Finally. That shit had me stressed.”

“Monthly updates?”

“Yeah.”

“You usually do those early.”

“I know,” Keana swung back and forth in her chair, “Shit has been going, girl.” Her mouth curved into a cunning smile.

Sofia quickly went from laying across the loveseat to standing on her two feet, curiosity coloring her eyes. “You’ve been holding out on me? Oh hell no, let’s go.”

Keana laughed at her exaggerations before standing to grab her purse, follow Sofia out to her own office to get her tote, and then leave the building to hop into Sofia’s 2023 Infiniti QX60. The five-minute drive turned out to be three minutes. Sofia was feigning to know what had been going on with her bestie. Sofia couldn't be that surprised that she was missing out on some new developments in Keana’s life. They were co-workers so most of their conversations were work related. In addition to Sofia’s new relationship, there hadn’t been much time for them to catch up on each other’s personal lives the way they used to.

Sofia found a parking spot directly in front of the entrance to Daebak. There was a lunch crowd present, but Keana and Sofia were still able to be seated in a timely manner. Their waiter left them with a food menu and a drink menu and time to look over both to decide what they wanted. Sofia had already settled on sweet chili potstickers as an appetizer and a teriyaki beef lunch special and after a few moments, Keana chose soy garlic wings as a starter and calamari steak as an entree.

“Spill it, bitch.” Sofia said as she stacked their menus together and set them on the edge of the table, making it easier for their waiter to grab them.

“I got myself into a little situation.”

“You know I need more than that.”

Before Keana could tell it all, their waiter appeared to take their orders, and then left to go put them in. Back alone, Keana told Sofia everything regarding Langston and Teagan. Sofia hung onto Keana’s every word, her eyes widening with fascination.

“I feel really good about this.”

“And that’s all that matters. As soon as you start to get bad vibes, make your exit.”

Keana’s reply was interrupted by the savory smell of her and Sofia’s meals. Their waiter carefully placed their plates in front of them and set their glasses of cold water next to it. Their waiter didn’t even take three steps before Keana and Sofia tore into their food without needing to speak between bites.

They had twenty minutes left after they finished eating. The bill was paid, their leftovers were packed up, and Keana and Sofia traveled back to their workplace to finish off their lunch in Sofia’s office.

“How are things with you and Josh?” Keana asked, taking a seat in one of the accent chairs Sofia had decorated her office with.

“We’re doing good. He’s amazing,” Keana could attest to that. Her first time meeting Josh, Keana knew immediately that he was perfect for Sofia, “Just taking things day-by-day.”

Ping!

Keana pulled her phone out of purse to see a new text notification.

Langston: hope your day is going good. we’ll call you tonight ❤️

Keana couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her face at his sweet message and the use of the word “we”. She typed out a reply.

“Must be your lil’ couple checking up on you.” Sofia stated with a smirk.

“Shut up.” Keana laughed.

The remainder of her workday couldn’t have ended any faster. Keana clocked out and went home immediately to shower, put on her pajamas, tie up her hair, and warm up her leftovers to eat for dinner with Love Island reruns keeping her entertained while she waited for Langston and Teagan to call her. This dynamic Keana was entering was still so new and different. She was equally attracted to both Langston and Teagan and it was clear they were attracted to her as well. Keana was excited to see how this would all play out between the three of them.

Keana was tucked into bed with a new book and was fifteen minutes into reading it when her phone rang on her nightstand. Keana answered to Langston and Teagan in bed also, in their pajamas, Teagan in her bonnet, and Langston in his durag. They had passed the stage of trying to look presentable on FaceTime calls. Besides, Keana appreciated their cozy look. It highlighted their beauty as individuals and as a couple.

Keana felt like the luckiest woman on the planet.

Keana, Langston, and Teagan did their usual greetings and how each other’s day had been. The premise of the call was revealed when Teagan asked, “We have a vacation home out in Sedona and we were wondering if you wanted to join us for Valentine’s Day?”

“Hell yeah.” Keana answered without a second thought.

For the next few minutes Teagan and Langston advised Keana of their non-negotiables; they must show recent results from sexual health screenings, clear communication, and establishment of boundaries. Keana was all onboard with theirs and gave one of her own for this trip; everyone had to share their location with Sofia. It had only been a month since Keana began getting to know Langston and Teagan and she’s heard too many true crime stories to not have her safety in mind.

During the short amount of time, Langston and Teagan had earned a bit of Keana’s trust but it was better to be safe than sorry. Sofia was Keana’s choice because Sofia was the only person in Keana’s close circle that knew the truth about the three of them. Besides Sofia, Keana decided to share her location with her parents for the sake of her mental health. She would pacify them with the idea that she was spending Valentine’s Day weekend at a spa resort as a self-care, solo-trip. Keana absolutely adored her parents and lying to them was the last thing she wanted to do but it had to happen. She wasn’t ready to tell them about her situation yet.

They continued to flesh out the rest of the details and ended the call just a few minutes before the clock struck midnight. Keana reached over to put her phone on the charger, turned on her tv for some background noise, and settled into bed with eagerness for next weekend to come coursing through her.

a/n: thank you for reading! likes, reblogs, and replies of any kind are appreciated! part two is here.

taglist: @d1gitalb4rbie @maddyf22 @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @theesunkissedsweet @vibrantlymellowknight @plan3tch1ld @contentfiend @wabi-sabi1090 @honggihwa @thatoneleox @blk-afrodite @nccu-rnc @shamansha @dashhoney25 @cocobean1709 @niasolari @healthenature @mia-faith

Things were bound to change as time went on. Media, clothing, the way people spoke to each other, the way people interacted with each other, etc. That also included the dynamics of romantic relationships. Keana was familiar with polyamory from a few of the books she had read and in those cases, the sex was the main focus. For Keana, a relationship was way more than just sex. It was the ability to connect on all aspects; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

For seventy-two hours, Keana thought over what life would be like as a new addition in Langston’s relationship with his girlfriend. She bounced between focusing on the pros and cons and at the end of those seventy-two hours, she had her answer. A phone call or text message wouldn’t suffice so Keana decided she wanted to tell Langston her stance in person.

In her living room, only her television showcasing an episode of “Bad Girls Club” provided enough light for Keana to locate her phone on the side table next to her couch. She unlocked it and went to open her and Langston’s text thread. Three days of no contact wasn’t a lot but it still produced an empty feeling that Keana didn’t like experiencing. Meeting Langston introduced light into her dull life and taking a step back brought back that tedium that Keana had been trying to steer away from.

Keana: hey. can we meet up somewhere to talk?

Not even two minutes later he responded.

Langston: yeah. what time works for you?

After comparing schedules for a few minutes, Keana and Langston settled on meeting up the next night at Amethyst, a global restaurant that was in the heart of Bunker Hill. Keana had heard of the restaurant and the raving reviews of their dishes but she hadn’t made time to go out and visit. Maybe if she did she would’ve met Langston earlier on. Amethyst was Langston’s pride and joy. The idea for the restaurant came to him as a teen and he spent years putting his all into bringing it into fruition. The success of Amethyst was beyond what Langston imagined and while word-of-mouth was a contributing factor, social media was the driving force for its popularity. 

The internet was a force that brought people out in droves, especially when it came to food. That much was true when Keana drove down the street where the restaurant was housed and noticed the packed parking lot and the lengthy line for valet. Her patience wouldn’t allow her to wait for valet so she chose to circle the parking lot until someone left and a spot opened up. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait that long. The SUV pulled out and she pulled her car in then entered the doors of Amethyst. Upon entry, Keana was impressed with the interior design. Neutral tones colored the mixture of modern luxury and Mediterranean design. Ambient lighting sets the perfect cozy mood. A few statement pieces were littered throughout to add to Amethyst’s uniqueness. 

Behind the hostess podium was a college-aged black girl with a beautiful curly mane, dark brown skin, and a friendly smile that displayed her white teeth with a gap between the two front ones.

“Welcome to Amethyst. Do you have a reservation–”

“She’s with me, Tanya.” 

The man of the hour emerged from a hallway behind Tanya, bright-eyed, and matching Keana’s soft grin.

“Hey.” He said once approaching her.

“Hi.” The softness that coated the word was foreign to Keana but she understood that it was because she was back in his presence and it had an effect on her.

“I got us set up in the back,” Keana took his extended hand, “don’t want everybody all up in our business.” 

Langston guided her toward the back of the establishment that was cut off by a dark curtain. Behind it was almost an entirely new restaurant. It was clear that this section was reserved for private gatherings. Langston had them sit across from each other at a round table with four chairs surrounding it. Two glasses of water and a menu was placed on top.

“You can look through it and let me know if you want anything.” Langston said, motioning toward the menu in front of her. As much as Keana wanted to do so, there were more important matters at hand.

“I think I’ll wait on that,” Keana reached for her glass of water and took a sip to build the anticipation that was interrupted by one of Langston's employees pulling back the curtain and peeking through.

The employee cleared his throat to catch Langston’s attention before saying, “Sorry to disturb you, boss, but Miss Teagan is here.”

Oh shit.

Keana expected this to be a moment between just the two of them. Towards the end of her spiel, Keana planned to set something up with Langston so that she would be able to officially meet Teagan but that time seemed to be right now.

“You can send her back,” Langston addressed his employee before turning back to face Keana, “she probably just got off of work and stopped by.”

“No problem. I guess we can get this over with tonight.”

A few moments passed before that dark curtain parted and in walked Teagan. Voluminous, highlighted, corkscrew curls framed her gorgeous, almond-colored face that held goddess-like features that were enhanced with makeup. Her navy pantsuit did an amazing job at highlighting her curvy figure. The heels on her feet weren’t that tall so Keana knew that when she took them off she still had some height on her. Keana’s blue, pink, and purple lights were shining bright and the alarms were blaring. 

Keana watched as Langston stood from his seat and went to greet his girlfriend with his arms encircling her waist and his lips pressed onto hers. The seconds-long interaction was enough for Keana to note the love that existed between the two of them. It was suffocating, in a good way.

Langston pulled away to introduce the two women. “Teagan, this is Keana. The woman I’ve been telling you about. Keana, this is my girlfriend, Teagan.”

Under Teagan’s inquisitive gaze, Keana’s skin warmed up.

“Hi.” Keana waved, her fingers moving back and forth quickly.

An innocent disturbance came in the form of another one of Langston’s employees. Langston’s attention was needed with a situation in the restaurant, pertaining to the business aspect so he had to step away and leave Teagan and Keana by themselves. Teagan ahead and took Langston’s seat across from her.

“It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Same.”

“I’m sure he told you everything.”

“He did.”

“And you’re okay with it?” Teagan asked.

“I am.” Keana replied while eyeing Teagan unapologetically.

Keana and Teagan engaged in small talk, getting to know the basics about one another. The energy festering between the two fed on their rapt stares and cheeky banter. Teagan was undeniably gorgeous with an amazing personality. Finally meeting Teagan intensified Keana’s excitement and had her standing firmer in her position when it came to Langston who returned a few minutes later. He took a seat in one of the chair on the side, putting him at Keana’s right and Teagan’s left. 

Teagan asked him, “Everything alright?” 

“Yeah, just some stuff with the shipments I had to handle.” The tension that engulfed the space had him glancing between the two women curiously,“Everything’s good?”

“Yeah. Before you left, I wanted to tell you that I do want to keep getting to know you,” Keana’s eyes swept between Langston and Keana with clear captivation, her shoulders pulled back, voice clear, confident, and honest, “Both of you.”

a/n: thank you for reading! likes, reblogs, and replies of any kind are appreciated! part two is here.

taglist: @d1gitalb4rbie @maddyf22 @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @theesunkissedsweet @vibrantlymellowknight @plan3tch1ld @contentfiend @wabi-sabi1090 @honggihwa @thatoneleox @blk-afrodite @nccu-rnc @shamansha @dashhoney25 @cocobean1709 @niasolari @healthenature @mia-faith

The office didn’t see Keana today thanks to monthly maintenance and repairs that the data system needed to undergo. Instead of her alarm waking her up from sleep, the Sun filtering in through her window and brightening her room caused her eyelids to part. Instead of getting up to get ready, she stayed in bed and enjoyed an episode of Bob’s Burgers until her bladder called her to the bathroom. There, she did her oral and morning skincare routine before journeying to her kitchen to make herself breakfast.

Fluffy cinnamon roll pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, and crispy bacon were placed on a plate with a fork and a homemade mango smoothie was poured in a glass tumbler and all were taken back to her bedroom. Keana set her meal on her nightstand so that she could grab her bed tray, climb into bed, and gather her food to set it onto the tray so she could eat without the possibility of spilling anything and staining her bed set. Keana continued her tv show while indulging in her filling breakfast. During a commercial break, Langston popped up in her head. She thought of their daily conversations that moved from text messages to FaceTime calls. Keana found herself thoroughly enjoying his company.

Keana abandoned her meal to grab her phone, pulled up her and Langston’s text thread, and typed out a text.

Keana: good morning ☀️ you still up to take me to get my books? 🫣

She sent it and was supposed to set her phone aside while she waited on his reply but she kept it in her hand, eyes on the screen, and waited for those three dots to appear. They did just a few moments later.

Langston: morning ke ❤️🌞

Langston: im catching up on some work rn but i’ll be done in a little bit. be ready at noon?

Keana: see you then!

She sent him her address before noting that she had an hour and a half to get ready. Her dishes were cleaned before she returned to the bathroom to shower. After, she dried off her body before Canvas Beauty’s “Honey Stucked” body glaze was applied to her skin, leaving every inch of skin properly moisturized and smelling good with notes of pink peonies, jasmine, and vanilla.

Keana searched through her drawers for the perfect outfit and settled on a pair of dark wash wide-legged jeans, a black, fitted crop top, and her mocha low dunks. Back in the bathroom, gold studs were placed in her ears and her name plate was clasped around her neck. Light makeup was applied to her face and her “Brown Cow” bonnet from Kembeckled was removed to reveal her hair that was separated into sections banded with several silk scrunchies. She removed each one carefully to expose her defined 4a curls so that she could properly fluff them out so that they all fell into her desired shape.

Keana finished spritzing on her perfume when her phone lit up with a text from Langston that let her know he had arrived. She shut everything down and locked up her apartment before leaving out to take the elevator down to the lobby. The moderate spring temperature felt good but not as good as Langston’s eyes on her as she exited the front door to her building. Along with a gentle grin, Langston sported a plain black hoodie with matching black sweatpants and white ASICS Gel 1130s that covered his feet. Subtle silver jewelry around his neck and in each of his ears became visible the closer she got to him.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

He leaned in for a side hug, just one arm curled around her waist was enough for her to want both of his perfectly muscled limbs around her. To pull her in closer, their bodies melded together, and close enough to—

Control it, Keana.

Langston opened the passenger door to his black 2025 BMW 3-Series and waited until Keana was comfortably inside before closing it and entering the car through the driver’s side. Brent Faiyaz’s new album and light conversation accompanied the two on their way back to Page & Pen. Angeline wasn’t in since she was usually scheduled for evening shifts but Keana, and Langston, were also cool with Kyle, the employee that greeted them. Perks of being regular customers.

Keana led the way to the romance section, immediately spotting the next few books in the series that she wanted. She grabbed each one and headed to the register. This time, Langston let her pay for her books because he would be paying for her lunch at the nearby cafe that was just a three minute walk from the bookstore.

Langston approached the door to Chai Chime first, opening it to allow Keana to step in then he followed. There were quite a few people occupying the space, some college students who were studying and completing assignments and others were workers at nearby establishments who wanted a little snack before finishing the rest of their work day.

“Hi! Welcome in! Let me know if you two have any questions.”

Keana and Langston took a few minutes to look over their menu that was plastered on the wall above the register. Coffees, teas, pastries, and lunch options. It all looked so appetizing but Langston settled on an iced ginger peach tea and New York club sandwich with a Caesar salad. To Langston’s amusement, Keana decided to try their donut burger with a side of fries and an iced passionfruit tea to drink . As their food and drinks were being prepared, they found a small booth near the window to sit at.

“It’s so nice and cozy here,” Her eyes bounced around taking in the classic Tuscan decor that was modernized to fit the times. "It's so close to the store but I’ve never thought to stop in.”

“I always come when I’m in the area. Everything here is amazing.”

Langston’s name was called out by the employee that took their order. He left Keana in the booth to gather their drinks and bring them back then went to get their food before sitting back down across from her. Between bites, Keana and Langston conversed about her latest read, gushing over the story, the writing, and the upcoming drama with the other main characters in the series with some flirtatious banter woven in. Looking at them, no one would be able to tell that the pair had met only a week ago. Keana and Langston gave off the impression that they’ve known each other for years and it felt like that to them.

The delicious meal filled her belly, the fruity iced tea she was washing it down with was cold and refreshing, her social being was satisfied from engaging in good conversation, and a man that she could only dream of was across from her with a shared attraction emanating from him.

Their talk about Black characters in fantasy media was interrupted by Langston’s phone turning on with a call. “T ❤️” shown clearly near the top. Keana’s good mood was instantly deflated.

“Sorry, I’m gonna take this real quick,” Langston looked from his phone to Keana’s face that was painted with hurt and irritation, “I’ll explain. Just stay. Please.” Langston stood and went to step into the men’s bathroom.

Somewhere in her mind, a voice told Keana to get up and leave. Being a side-chick was something that she never wanted to be and it wouldn’t start now no matter how interested she was in Langston. However, the voice wasn’t loud enough compared to the one that told her to stay and hear him out.

He lucky he fine as hell.

A few minutes later, Langston emerged from the bathroom and returned to his seat. Keana’s intrusive thoughts jumped out before she could let him speak.

“Girlfriend checking up on you?”

“Yeah,” At least he was an honest cheater, “She’s on a trip right now and let me know she was about to board her flight back home.”

“Tell me what’s going on so I can know whether I need to call my Lyft or not.” Her brashness was warranted.

With ease, Langston started, “Me and my girlfriend, Teagan, are in an open relationship and have been for about a year.”

“When were you going to tell me this?”

“Before I told you how I really feel,” The normal rhythm of Keana’s heart faltered for a beat, “Keana, I really like you and I want to keep getting to know you with the intention of this growing into something more. I know my situation isn’t ideal and I’m happy to give you the time and space to think about continuing on with this.”

Keana took a pause to take in his straightforwardness. “I like you too and I do want to see where we could go,” a tiny thread of hurt wrapped around her chest and tugged as she continued, “but I think it’s best that I take some time to think it over. I want to make sure I’m making the right decision by getting involved with you.”

“I completely understand.”

Now, unease clouded over the contenment that Keana and Langston lived in while in each other’s presence. They worked together to clear their table of trash and used utentisils and dishware. Keana grabbed her bag of new books and followed Langston back to his car that was silent besides Larry June’s riding on a mellow west coast beat while Langston drove her back to her apartment.

Keana didn’t want to leave Langston with the air of awkwardness so potent between them. After she climbed out of his car, she gave him a hug. It was a real one with her arms around his neck and both of his arms circling her upper body. The feeling was just as soothing and emboldening as she imagined. If only she could stay there for a little while longer. With a soft smile, Keana thanked him for the date and promised to talk to him later.

She felt his heated gaze following her until she disappeared behind the door of her apartment building. His stare was traded for her raging thoughts that followed her journey all the way into her apartment building. For the rest of the day, Keana debated her decision. Sharing was caring but when it came to her romantic partner, Keana could give two less than a fuck about caring. What was hers, was hers.

Monogamy was what she typically practiced but for some reason, Keana found herself entertaining the idea of experiencing a different form of a romantic and sexual relationship. Who was she kidding? Langston was the reason why she was thinking differently. She really wanted to keep getting to know him and if that involved participating in something new then why not? Besides, up until recently, Keana’s life had been in a state of mundane. She had been hoping to shake things up, to revitalize her life, and bring her back to the present. What if this situation with Langston was the answer to her wishes?

a/n: thank you for reading! likes, reblogs, and replies of any kind are appreciated! part one is here.

taglist: @d1gitalb4rbie @maddyf22 @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @theesunkissedsweet @vibrantlymellowknight @plan3tch1ld @contentfiend @wabi-sabi1090 @honggihwa @thatoneleox @blk-afrodite @nccu-rnc @shamansha @dashhoney25 @cocobean1709 @niasolari

Erik welcomed the fourteenth day of the month an hour earlier than he normally would any other day. He completed his morning routine, dressed himself for work, and was out on the road with hues of yellow, orange, and pink bleeding up into the navy blue sky from the horizon. His commute to work was delayed by a stop at ‘House of Petals’, a local flower shop that Erik had discovered on social media three months prior.

Erik’s first visit to the shop wasn’t to browse around. He was on a mission that the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Everhart, were happy to help him execute. After necessary context was given, they all sat down and helped Erik create a custom bouquet. It sounded beautiful during the design but it didn’t measure up to actually seeing it put together in person.

“I almost kept this for myself,” Mrs. Everhart said as she stood next to Erik, the two admiring the masterpiece, “I hope she loves it.”

Conviction led to his reply. “I know she will.”

After giving Mrs. Everhart a hefty tip and carefully placing the bouquet in the passenger seat of his car, Erik drove ten minutes to arrive at the office, greeted by the natural light from the rising sun that was beginning to fill the space and the silence that held undertones of anticipation of what this new day would bring. Erik’s expectation was a new beginning, for his burning desire to lead him into a new world that he’d been eager to explore ever since it began crafting itself in his head.

taglist: @d1gitalb4rbie @maddyf22 @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @theesunkissedsweet @vibrantlymellowknight @plan3tch1ld @contentfiend @wabi-sabi1090 @honggihwa @thatoneleox @blk-afrodite @nccu-rnc @shamansha @dashhoney25 @cocobean1709 @niasolari

Eight hours of Keana’s day was given to her job as a tech data analyst. When those eight hours were up, she would go home and prepare to do the same exact thing the following day. The excitement of having a new job and adopting a new routine had fizzled out for her. Life’s newfound predictability wasn’t fulfilling to Keana’s capricious spirit and change was mandatory.

At exactly 5:30pm, Keana clocked out and said goodbye to her cubicle for the week. She left the building where numbers were the focus to travel to a place where words were the focal point. The comforting scent of printed pages that had held stories greeted Keana first before Angeline, one of her favorite employees spotted her and welcomed her in.

“Let me know if you need help finding anything.” 

“You know I will.”

Keana hadn’t sat with a piece of literature for quite some time despite it being one of her favorite hobbies. Her tried and true were romance books. Specifically, black romance books. It didn’t matter if it was contemporary romance, romantasy, or urban romance. If the author was Black and had two Black main characters falling in love, Keana was here for it. 

Her black loafer covered feet took its usual route to the romance section where Keana took her time perusing the fully-stocked shelves. She picked up anything that was written by a Black author and piqued her interest. She would pull it out of the row of books and flip it over to read the synopsis on the back to determine whether she would add it to her basket or not. She was in her own world, completely engrossed in picking out books to add to her TBR.

She made it to the “S” portion of the shelf. This book caught her attention with its thick spine that was a deep red color. It was probably the thickest she had seen since she started looking. Her index finger reached out to find the top of the book. Being that it was a larger book, simply sliding it out of its place wasn’t sufficient. 

A tiny amount of force was successful in getting the book out of its place but instead of landing in her hands, it landed on the carpet, right beside her feet. Keana bent down and reached out for the fallen book. She almost had it until another hand scooped it up.

Keana stood to her full height to accept the book back from the stranger but when her eyes focused on who had picked it up before she did, she took a pause then took in all of the attractive man that stood before her. 

“Here you go.” 

Keana accepted the book he handed toward her and the way her body reacted to hearing his voice. It was velvety and soothing, something that she would gladly listen to all day.

“Thank you.”

The moment that he was supposed to leave her alone came and went. He was still in her presence and couldn’t find a reason to leave it.

“That’s one of my favorites,” He said, breaking the stiff silence that surrounded them. To the confused dip in her brows, he continued, “Romance is one of my favorite genres.”

“Your favorite, huh.”

“Yeah. I was here one day and I told one of the employees that I wanted to try reading different genres. I’m a historical fiction and manga type of guy,” he held up the stack of books he was carrying that proved his statement true, “they recommended that book and a few others and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Never in her lifetime did Keana think that she would be having a productive conversation about romance books with a fine-ass man. She wanted to stop talking to look out of the window and see if there were fat, pink pigs flying in the sky but her gaze stayed trained on the man whom she came to know as Langston.

Time kept going as Keana and Langston stayed in a space that denied the existence of the outside world and accentuated their newfound attraction to each other. Beyond the walls of the bookstore, the Sun crept down for the night sky to make its daily appearance. The number of patrons in the store dwindled down to just them two.

Angeline found them still in the romance section and interrupted their conversation to tell them, “Hey guys, we’re about to close up in ten minutes.”

Keana and Langston gave their apologies and followed Angeline to the register to check out. Langston put his books up first and then implored Keana to put her up as well. She was about to insist on paying for her own books but she gave her thanks and allowed him to pay for her. Angeline rang up both of their piles and split them into two separate bags before wishing them both a good evening. 

Back outside, the spring weather had cooled down from the mild and pleasant temperatures from the day. Having Langston on her left side, walking with her to her car oddly felt natural.

“This is me right here,” Keana said as they approached her black 2023 Genesis G80, “I really enjoyed our time together and thank you, again, for buying my books.”

“No worries. I enjoyed you too.”

That moment where they were supposed to part came and went again. They both kept ignoring it.

“Maybe I could get your number? I wanna know how you like the book when you finish it.”

He truly meant what he said but Keana couldn’t help the knowing smirk that curved her lips at his intentions that surely lied underneath. Nevertheless, she couldn’t front like she didn’t want a way to contact him again.

“Sure.”

They both took out their phones, put in each other’s numbers and information and finally left each other behind. 

Keana returned to her apartment, ready to spend the weekend catering to herself. Her body soaked in rose scented water with a matching candle burning on the sink and some old DVSN playing in the background. She got out, dried her skin off and replenished it with her favorite body oil. An old, oversized band tee was her choice of attire for her night in. The curly half-wig she wore for the week went back into her wig drawer and her bonnet took its place. She cleansed her face before applying a sheet mask that stayed on while she scrolled on Door Dash for something to eat. Sushi sounded the most appealing at the moment.

The rest of her skincare routine was done, a bottle of wine was cracked open and poured into a glass, and the new episode of “Abbott Elemenatary” was put on while she waited for her dinner to arrive. Ten minutes later, she was stuffing her face with dragon and Philadelphia rolls and washing it all down with her wine. Her episode ended and her time with one of her new books began. 

Keana retired to her bedroom, turned on the lamp near her nightstand then climbed into bed to jump into “Restore Me” by J.L. Seegars. Keana stayed immersed in the story of Sloane and Dominic for the entire weekend. Her annotations and reactions weren’t written in the book or on a sticky note that would reside in between the pages but instead, they lived in the text message thread she had with Langston. Sunday arrived and the last chapters of the book were finished. She had no idea how she was supposed to read another of her other pickups after that.

Keana: i don’t know what to do with myself now.

Langston: 😂😂😂

Langston: you could get ready to read the rest of the series. chris and mal’s story is an interesting ride

Keana: are you serious?! that just made my entire day

Keana: i need to go get the rest of them

Langston: how about i take you to go get them and then we can go get something to eat after? 👀

She paused after reading Langston’s recent message. Her thumbs went to typing out her answer before her mind could catch up.

Keana: i would love that ❤️

a/n: thank you for reading! likes, reblogs, and replies of any kind are appreciated! part two is here!

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