Love Survives (BWWM)

Dress Shopping

*Edited 5/11/20*

After the wedding, Kendra and I saw Deja and Cameron off on their honeymoon. We drove them to the airport and congratulated them again before parting ways. It warmed my heart to see Deja so happy. She was grinning from cheek to cheek when we dropped her off, and I was sure she would still be smiling when we came to pick her up.

A week later, I still had to work. I wasn't getting married to a wealthy man or going on a luxurious trip to Jamaica. I was nearly thirty years old and I had one relationship under my belt that ended up in flames.

I didn't hate my life or my job. I worked at and owned my own boutique so life was comfortable.

I just thought there would be more to my life than just work .

Unfortunately, that was the least of my worries. I had a job to do and customers to satisfy.

Mondays were usually slow at Kyra's Boutique. We got the odd rich woman, who didn't have to work for a living, during the day. Other than that the days were, for the most part, slow.

Kendra worked for me in the mornings and worked another job at night. On many occasions, I made sure she knew I'd be more than willing to give her something permanent so she didn't have to work herself to death. Of course, strong, independent, black woman Kendra didn't want any handouts. After a small argument between us, I let it go. It just wasn't worth our friendship.

But she kept me sane and focused.

"Girl, you been staring off into space for the past five minutes. You good?" Kendra asked.

I was standing behind the counter, absentmindedly playing with a hanger. "What?"

She nodded her head at the hanger in my hand as a small smile played on her lips. "You daydreaming about Aaron?"

When was I not dreaming about Aaron? Ever since the wedding, I couldn't get him out of my head. Bits and pieces of that day played in my mind so often I was beginning to think something was wrong with me. I'd been pretty out of it that day, but I remembered enough to know that there was something between us.

The way my body reacted to him was something new, something scary, something I wasn't ready to process. I couldn't even let myself entertain the idea of wanting more. The odds of seeing him again were slim to none.

"Who's Aaron?"

Kendra saw right through my facade. "Don't play dumb. I know you like him. You've been in la la land ever since the wedding."

I set the hanger down and shrugged. "I'm just focused on work right now."

Kendra didn't have a chance to answer because the bell on the door rang as another customer came inside. 

I readied myself as I would in any normal situation, but this was unlike any other situation. Aaron walked into my little boutique with his big arms, broad shoulders, and muscled chest. In the midst of all the pink dresses, glitter, sequins, and frills, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

What the hell was he doing in my boutique?

I heard Kendra cracking up as she disappeared into the back room.

I found nothing about the situation funny. He was stalking me. That wasn't a joking matter. Among all the crazy thoughts running through my head, that was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with.

"Is there something you need?" I asked, praying I sounded confident even though I felt anything but.

Just his mere presence made my heart start pounding.