a nervous sip.
He raised an eyebrow as if in a challenge. Memphis narrowed her eyes in acceptance and threw back the drink. It felt warm but nice going down her throat. It wasn’t too sweet, and the watermelon flavor was delicious.
“Yum,” she murmured and licked her lips.
She could feel his reaction before she saw that his eyes changed to a light shade of gray. He looked at her longingly, but he quickly changed his expression. They sat in silence. Memphis grabbed the second shot and threw it back, and Lawrence followed suit.
“Two more please!” they both called out to the bartender.
They received another round of drinks, which they quickly downed. Memphis was surprised that she was holding up so well; the alcohol barely affected her. Usually she was such a lightweight. She looked at Lawrence, or Lawrences—there were two of him. Maybe she was more intoxicated than she thought.
She felt dizzy and attempted to shift her weight on the stool. She nearly fell off, but Lawrence caught her before she fell. His arm was around her waist, and his face was close to hers. She smelled the fruit on his breath but knew that wasn’t the only reason he smelled so good.
His lips were parted and she wondered if they kissed would he taste more like strawberry or more like watermelon. He leaned forward and it looked as if she would find out.
The moment ended with Jill’s sudden appearance. “Looks like someone had a bit too much to drink,” she laughed. “Em is such a lightweight. Poor kid; you should really call it a night.”
Memphis opened her mouth to protest, but Lawrence smoothly interjected and offered to escort her home. He was headed uptown to Queens and could make sure she got home safely.
She felt Jill’s warm hug and then the cold chill of the night air as they stepped outside. It sobered her up enough that she realized she was getting in a cab with Lawrence. She tensed up.
“Relax,” he whispered, and brought her down to rest her head in his lap. She listened to him as he continued to speak soothingly and ended up falling asleep.
They arrived at her apartment, and Lawrence paid the fare and carried her up to her apartment like she was just a light bag of groceries.
How did he know where she lived?
“Jill gave me your address,” he answered her unspoken question. He gently placed her down on the sofa.
“How do you do that?” she demanded, filled with liquid courage.
He didn’t try to pretend that he didn’t know what she meant. “You’re very easy to read.”
“That isn’t true.” She learned to hide her emotions—her weaknesses—at a young age. She was an expert.
“Yes, it is. You may control what shows on your face and even your body language, but your eyes give you away.” He kneeled down and leaned in close. “They’re beautiful by the way. Very unique; I’ve never seen brown and blue swirls.”
He traced the outline of her eyebrows. The apartment felt extremely small.
“I want to show you something.” She sat up and took his hand, ignoring the sparks she felt by touching him. She took her keys and led him out of her apartment. They climbed four flights of stairs to the roof; he followed her quietly and didn’t even complain about the number of stairs. He waited until they were on the roof to speak.
“What are we doing up here?” While he looked around, she placed a brick in the doorway to keep it from closing.
Instead of answering his question, she went over to the corner of the roof and brought out the blanket that she kept there. She spread it out, sat down, and invited him to join her. He took a seat beside her. He moved gracefully—almost catlike. She could imagine him practicing martial arts. He smirked and accepted her scrutiny.
“Where are you from?” she asked him, attempting to cover up her appraisal.
“Well, I was raised in Queens,” he supplied.
“Interesting.”
“Why is that?”
“You just seem foreign and a bit exotic. You’re unlike any man I’ve ever met.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“It is.”
He smiled at her. “My parents died when I was young but we moved around a bit before that—all over the world, so maybe that’s what you’re sensing. I was a well-travelled six-year-old.”
Memphis laughed. She could picture him with a head full of curls and a mini set of luggage.
“Lie back,” she commanded. “Tonight is a very special night.”
“Gee thanks, I’m having a good time, too,” he quipped.
She