"Damn, that's a big ass house!" Ralph yelled, as he sat on the smooth velvet barstool of our kitchen, scrolling down the web page of a real estate website. I guess nothing's ever personal anymore if it's online. Just entering a name and relative info through a search engine could reveal so many things about a person.
After updating Ralph on what happened with the breakup, the lawsuit, then the one night stand, he took it upon himself to bring Chinese takeout... and his laptop, so that he could find out everything he could about Shane.
We already knew about the five cafes he owns along the east and west coast. But as Ralph combed through his portfolio, it was discovered that he was also a wealthy shareholder, inheriting shares in several companies through his late father, who passed just five years ago.
I realized that in the times that Shane and I spent together and texting, he hadn't once mentioned anything about him.
In the weeks that developed, Shane and I had gotten closer. We texted nonstop, sending each other pictures, short videos and sometimes voice recordings. He made me smile, laugh and all of the above to the point where I found myself thinking about him more and more often.
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I regretted sending him that damn selfie earlier this evening, but he asked me to. Now, I'm being teased on how big my forehead looks. Everyone on my maternal side naturally has big foreheads and if Shane were anywhere near me, I'd punch his ass right in his chest for bringing it up.
I stared at Shane's message on my phone, my annoyance slowly being replaced by a hint of amusement. Regardless, it made me smile and with a playful sigh, I texted back:
: Mhm
Shane: I'm sorry! I won't bring up your big forehead again.
: Promise? 🥺
Shane: Cross my heart. 😏
: How come I gotta send you a pic and I don't get one back?
Shane: Oh my bad.
Trying to push those thoughts aside, I'm constantly reminding myself that our night in California was just a fling and that I needed to focus on work. But every time we texted or did group video calls to discuss the project, I found myself drawn to him. There was something about his easy smile and confident demeanor that made my heart race.
We joked around, shared stories, and talked about endless things. I discovered that Shane was more than just a client - he was becoming a close friend. With a single, loud clap, Samyra yelled at me.
"Lavender, focus! You can sext that nigga later."My attention is brought back and I rolled my eyes playfully. Samyra returned to the laptop with Ralphie, "Wow, this nigga really knows how to invest," she said, her eyes widening.
