Love in New York [Under Construction].

II.

The long day at the art institute was now over and all I could think about now was my comfy bed. In my headphones, was Rihanna's voice blasting. As I looked down to change the song, my foot got stuck in the crack of the sidewalk, and I fell face forward. Luckily my hands caught me but all of my designs were scattered over the ground.

"You okay?" a voice asked.

"Yeah."

A few people laughed and kept walking. A pair of hands started helping me picked up the designs.

"Thank you, sir."

"My name is Adam, and no problem."

I looked up at the person, and it was the corner store boy, looking fine as wine. Jordans on his feet and everything. His outfit was not too showy, just the way I liked it. I shoved all my papers back into my bag, planning to straighten them all out later.

"I'm Aaliyah."

We shook hands.

"Those were pretty good designs" he complimented, "I dabble a little myself."

"Thanks. I didn't know you were interested in art."

"I draw a little, but I paint mostly."

"Well, I'd love to see some of your work one day."

He smiled.

"Not to sound like a creep or anything but I know you live down the hall. Maybe, I could bring some of it by your place this evening?" I smiled back.

"That'd be great" I replied.

His smile was perfect, and it made me weak at the knees. Men like him always proved to be toxic. I always made sure to watch out for those kind, I didn't want history to repeat itself. From in the store, a man yelled out in Spanish. "That's my dad, I gotta go."

"I'll see you later."

Suddenly, I remembered I had a train to catch and went rushing down the street.

| | |

When I got back home I put my bag down next to the door and got an apple out of the small kitchen. I went and stood near the sliding glass door near the balcony, overlooking the neighborhood. It was May and it only fifty-one degrees outside, which was freezing to a southerner like me. I was from Atlanta, Georgia, so getting use to this weather was difficult. I put on an old sweater and some old jean shorts. I felt in the mood to draw a little but all I could think about was Adam. Today I really captured how sexy he was.

Why had I not seen it before? I've been living here for a month.

I turned on the tv to get my mind off of the subject. As I watched Empire on my flat screen tv, I heard a knock at the door. I covered up with my robe and went to the door. When it opened, Adam was standing there, and he was holding some canvas boards.

Adam's POV

"I thought you were going to be here later?"

"My dad let me off early since its been a slow day" I lied. It's been a long day for us, so I had to beg him. But I couldn't stay away from Aaaliyah. I was so attracted her, and not just because of her looks. She was one of the sweetest, down to earth people I had met in this cold city.

"It's a little messy in here..." she explained, picking up colored pencils and pieces of different types of fabrics off the coffee table.

"You can sit on the couch" she told me.

I looked around the apartment. I could tell she loved African culture, the living room's style was centered around it. She came back to the living room and sat on the couch next to me. I handed her my beloved art works.

"Wow" she breathed, examining them, "Adam, these are amazing."

They were paintings varying from portraits to landscapes.

"They're nothing compared to yours." She laughed.

"That cat scratch?" Her accent was adorable.

"These" I picked up one of her drawings, "Are not cat scratch."

She shrugged, and looked at some more of the paintings I brought.

My POV

"Why are you not doing this as a career?" I asked.

"It's complicated" he replied with a shrug.

I didn't ask about it anymore. After I looked at the rest of his pictures, he got ready to go. Even though I didn't want him to, I wasn't going to beg him to stay. I had to get up bright and early tomorrow again.

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