#missmoh

The Long Weekend (on Wattpad) https://my.w.tt/IaJel54qFU Jazmine uses the long weekend to visit an old friend in a new city.

 Fast-forward more than ten years and a friend of mine decided to throw a little mid-summer kickback and invited a few people over some I knew, some I didn't. I had been there about an hour, just sitting down having regular conversation with my friend when he called this guy over and as if conjured from my fantasies this brown version of a Greek god stood directly in front of me. I was momentarily speechless, completely caught off guard. He extended his hand and without thinking I took it and stood. "Nice to see you again Mohnique, it's been a long time" he said, then turned to say something to my friend. I have no idea what he said because my complete focus was on my hand that was still engulfed in his and he was stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. My friend snapped me out of my revelry and asked how we knew each other, Shannon told him it was a long story that he would tell him someday and let go of my hand. Curious, I asked my friend the same question. "We were stationed on the same base in Afghanistan." I turned to Shannon "you were in the  Army?" "No ma'am, Marines RECON." My mind immediately produced images of him in and out of his dress blues that I promptly filed away in the back of my mind for later use. Shannon and I spent the rest of the party catching up. He had left school shortly after I did and enlisted in the Marines, he "retired" and has been a firefighter ever since and loved it. We exchanged numbers and called it a night. The next morning I woke up to a text from him "Good Morning, I wanted to hear your voice again but I figured I wouldnt get the favorable response I wanted at 4am lol. Have a great day. I cant wait to see you again and I'll be thinking about you until I do." I read it three times and felt myself cheesing like a teenager. "Girl get ahold of yourself you don't know anything about him." I text him back with a simple "You have a great day too, let me know what your schedule looks like this week." We got together that weekend and every weekend after (he has some rank so he is off on the weekends). Hanging out with him was more like chilling with an old friend. There was no pressure to be anything else and I appreciated it. Over the next few months we really got to know each other. One evening we were at his place, as we often are because he has a balcony with beautiful view of the city and I love a balcony. He was out there leaning on the railing, whisky in hand. I was in the kitchen getting a refill, he didn't hear me come out, so I took the opportunity to stand in the doorway and watch him. At the angle he was standing his profile was backlit by the city lights I took in his 6'2 230lb frame and even in stillness there was a sense of strength and power about him, it emanated from him like an aura and surrounds anyone in his immediate vicinity. He took a deep breath and I guess he registered my presence and tuned to catch me looking at him. He didn't say anything, just tilted his head to the side, and raised an eyebrow. I walked out and asked him if he was ok, he said he had a lot on his mind and couldn't make sense of any of it. "I've found that we often already know what the answer is to a problem or issue we're having, the key is finding someone whose opinion you trust and talk it through." I went back to lounging and sipping my wonderful wine, he has great taste in wine. He turned around and sat next to me and started "well this is whats going on.." "Whoa wait, me?" I asked. Yea he said with an "obviously" look on his face, he continued "Listen, when I'm with you, you always seem so at ease and you put me at ease, which isn't as simple as it sounds for a guy like me." "A guy like you, what do you mean?" Mo, I've seen things as a Marine and Firefighter that I would pay every dollar I'll ever make to unsee, but for whatever reason (looking me directly in my eyes) for the last few months things have been easier. I don't know why but spending time with you helps. You also give great advice and refuse to sugarcoat or water down your thoughts and opinions and that not a common trait these days." I sat there for a moment, then got up and looked at him. It was his turn to ask if I was ok. "Two years ago I was rushed to the hospital and put on a ventilator because I couldn't breathe on my own, three weeks in the ICU later I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease that there is no cure for and would have to manage for the rest of my life. It was a really, really rough time both physically and mentally, but I remember how much being around my friends that are basically family helped. How spending time with them, laughing and forgetting about everything for just a little while made such a difference. Once I got better I prayed that I could do for someone else, what was done for me." I explained with tears in my eyes. "Well you can cross being a lifeline off your bucket list" he smiled flashing those dimples deep enough to swim in. He stepped closer and wrapped me up in his arms. "Ugh, I'm such a crybaby" I said. He said that's ok with me, he wiped a tear off my cheek and laughed. I could feel the low rumble of that laughter in my chest. He was so warm, I could feel the heat down to my bones. We stood just like that for several minutes, then he let go and I immediately missed his closeness but not for long. Shannon took my hand and led me to the couch where he sat first then pulled me into his lap. He again wrapped his arms tightly around my shoulders and rubbed my back. This was it, I was home. I buried my face in his neck and inhaled , he smelled like Ralph Lauren Double Black on top of Cedar. I heard a low groan and I couldn't tell if it was from me or him. I felt safe, protected, and completely relaxed. He tightened his hold on me and placed light kisses on my neck just below my ear and this time I knew the sound I heard came from me. The whole world could have been burning outside the door and I wouldn't have cared. Neither of us said anything or made any attempt to move, suddenly his google home system started "Can U Handle it?" by Usher in the middle " Can you handle it, can I go there baby with you...."  I sat up and looked at him, he looked down at me like he was waiting for something "Well...can you?" he asked licking his lips.

Them: Congratulations *moves hand*

Flaky Andouille and Callaloo Hand Pies with Red pepper sambal and tomato soup.