Only for the Week (The Forever Falling Series)

by Natasha Bishop

Her shoulders sag. “Nelly, it’s not a big deal. I can just—” I interrupt her. “You’re right. It’s not. That’s why I’m not gonna bother upgrading.” I hear a faint “oop” come from Dani’s direction and then nothing.

“Where is the guy? I’ma boo his ass.”

Boo?

Christian is the host of one of Baltimore’s most popular radio shows, Hot Takes. He likes to say he melts the panties off every Baltimore shorty from seven to nine p.m. every night.

“I need another drink. I had a nice buzz going on and you killed that shit.” “You could get a nice buzz off me instead.” He licks his lips. “Oh, brother! This guy stinks!” Dani shouts.

LMFAO

Micah’s eyes cut to hers, but she doesn’t seem to notice before he homes back in on his drink. Janelle’s focus remains perfectly planted on Amerie, who is looking everywhere but back at her.

I revel in the feel of him stretching me and when our hips connect I take a moment to appreciate the full weight of him inside me. I can feel him in my stomach.

Jesus Christ

“Talk to me, J. What’s on your mind?” Rome asks, staring at me intently.

My head feels lighter, so I reach my hand up to find my silk bonnet covering my braids. I was not wearing this during our last round. He found my bonnet and wrapped my hair? Never mind, there’s definitely a stickiness between my legs now.

I turn my attention back to Rome, whose eyes are now closed again but his hand is still rubbing circles on my thigh.

One of his eyes pop open at my statement and I point to my bonnet and my phone on the charger. He seems to wrestle with his response before an easy smile settles on his face. “I got you, J.”

His jaw tightens even as he nods his head.

“Rome…” “Hear me out. Please.” Rome always speaks with a calm confidence, but the slight hesitation in his voice here gives me pause.

“Didn’t you eat at the hotel earlier?” The hotel offers an American breakfast or a la carte options. I missed breakfast because I spent my entire morning under Rome and my stomach is trying to make me regret that now. Thank God the spa left us a fruit platter and champagne to gorge on while we wait or else my stomach would’ve already embarrassed me. Evie scoffs. “I didn’t realize we were only allowed one meal a day, massa. My bad.”

“Yeah, thanks, D. Maybe I should’ve made you my maid of honor.” You could hear a pin drop after she let those disrespectful words fall from her lips.

Oh bitch

The silence stretches between us, every second incinerating yet another thread of Ri’s and my delicate relationship. Looking at the indignant glint in her eye, I fear we may be coming close to running out of threads to fray.

Evie wraps her arm around Ri’s shoulder and leads them in front of us. She looks back at me with wide eyes before disappearing around the corner.

“Well, she better tell somebody. Go sit on that lady’s couch if need be.” She scrunches her nose. “What lady?” “A therapist.”

It was strongly suggested that we leave our phones with our clothes, but I’m wound too tight for this massage so I kept mine with me, hiding it beneath my breasts. I hear Guadalupe’s heavy sigh when I slip my phone from under me to beneath the table to type up a message. She knows as well as I do this massage is a waste of time.

Micah is standing with Tomas at the bar while Arnold swims laps like he’s training for the Olympics.

“Wait a minute,” Christian interrupts. “So, you mean to tell me I was the only one you didn’t recognize?” Typical Christian. He wasn’t interested in a damn word this woman had to say until she wasn’t fawning over him. She chuckles. “I said I didn’t recognize you at first. I don’t live in Baltimore so I don’t listen to your station like that, but I am a faithful listener of your podcast.” He puffs his chest out with pride. This man is really simple.

“Ayo, what?”

“You started it. Talking about squeezing me like I’m the Pillsbury Doughboy or something.” “Please. I can’t breathe.” Her laughs turn into a wheeze. “You don’t squeeze the Pillsbury Doughboy; you poke him in the belly. Like this.” She demonstrates by poking me straight in my belly button. I swat her hand. “You’re on thin ice.”

Me: I need y’all to do me a favor Evie: It’s so early for favors Me: Girl you think it’s too early for everything Evie: And yet you ask anyway Dani: No you bitches are not blowing up my phone Evie: Blowing up your phone? It was four texts.

Evie: Omg love her down but she will have to pry my cold dead body out of this room if she wants to do stuff today I’m not with it

While I’m dying to open the book I haven’t had time to read since I started it weeks ago, I don’t make a move to pull it out of my bag.

“Let me hold one of your books so I can read with you.” “You wanna read with me?”

OMG

I cut myself off because I can hear my voice becoming too high-pitched to understand. Once you get me started on books, I can go on forever.

He studies it for a moment and then pushes my sternum so I’m leaning all the way back against the couch and lifts my legs so I’m resting comfortably on the sectional portion. Then he lays his head in my lap.

We sit in comfortable silence, devouring our books as I notice he’s just as fast of a reader as I am. My hand stays planted on his head, massaging his scalp, only removing it to turn the pages.

Tyree should’ve dunked on his ol’ goofy wannabe Jackson Avery–head ass.”

LOL

We’re presented with a delicious lunch consisting of chips and guacamole, seafood ceviche, and wood-grilled chicken and vegetables.

Days like today stay with you forever and when the dust of mine and Rome’s relationship settles, I’ll be grateful to have had this.

“We are in our thirties, Evie.” “No. We’re thirty. Next year, we’ll be in our thirties. There’s a difference.”

The woman had her own training gloves with her but was playing on my phone about not having any workout clothes.

“We’ve been here, what? Six days? And I’ve only slept with three women, so I don’t think that counts as any and every,” Christian quips, clearly proud of himself.

Ew

He picked up photography as a hobby because he wanted to be able to go home and paint the things and people he saw while traveling.

A little while later, I’m walking to my room and I see Janelle walking toward me. A wide smile graces her face and I swear I’d spend my life trying to keep it there.

“It’s you plotting to lie to my sister in front of me for me,” Janelle mocks with a gleam in her eye. He has the sense to look chastised. “Come on, Janelle. You know your sister. I don’t wanna ruin any of this for her.” Spoken just like Janelle. Everyone seems to tiptoe around Amerie and that irks me.

“I know you can, but when you’re in my presence you should never be reaching for your wallet.”

We are welcomed in the store by a woman named Luz who tells us all about how the candles are all handmade and how most of them have herbs or crystals within them.

Cool!

She rattles off the location and I have to fight to keep the emotions off my face.

She looks exquisite but the one thing missing from her attire is her confidence. She’s practically hunched over with her eyes firmly planted on the ground, no trace of the bold woman I’m quickly becoming addicted to.

“I-I think she hates me,” she whispers then jumps, shocked to hear the words come out of her own mouth. “Amerie?” I hold out a bottle of water to her and she absentmindedly takes a sip. “All night—all night she just kept throwing digs at me. About every fucking thing. My cooking, my outfit, my career, my love life. It was nonstop. Dani even got in her ass about it, and you know she’s normally on some keep the peace shit with us. What did I do?”

I wish i had seen this

“I could see myself falling in love with you, Janelle.”

Bachelor speak

A shadow falls over me and I tilt my head back to see Micah smiling down at me. “Did you have fun?” he asks. “I had the time of my life. Sea turtles are my favorite favorite.” Micah hangs his head as if I’ve just told the funniest joke in the world. “That makes sense then.” “What does?” “Nothing, my fault. I’m all over the place.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you, Micah, that Ri showed me the painting you made for her and Arnold for their wedding before we left. It’s gorgeous.” The painting he created of the two of them is so well done it could be mistaken for a photograph. It’s the finer details of the painting that set it apart though. Woven into the minor details of their clothing are things that represent them. There are small footballs, basketballs, baseballs, etc. for Arnold. For Ri, there are needles, thread, and sketchpads. But in the center where their hands meet are the things that represent them as a couple. The car from their first road trip together, the plate of spaghetti from their first date, the spot in Patterson Park where he proposed. He captured their journey to each other in the painting, but you would only notice it if you knew where to look.

Thats so cool

He pats my arm as we reach the group and makes his way over to Dani, and for the briefest of moments I see her look at him with what looks like longing before she slips back into a mask of indifference.

Dani picks “When I See U” by Fantasia and Ri, Evie, and I act as her backup singers.

Cute!

Our hostess explains to us that the buffet is loaded with braised oxtail, Cajun lobster mac and cheese, jerk lamb chops, shrimp pasta, jollof rice, ackee pasta, and garlic-crusted broccoli.

Yummyyy

Ri asks Arnold to give a toast but he’s already making his plate, officially done with hosting us. I can’t blame him, the food looks and smells heavenly.

Lol