intoxicating atmosphere. Low music-jazzy, sensual, laced with a subtle bassline-brushed

n Mo

n't nod. He just watched. Like he was reading her. Like

reath h

pered, tugging her arm.

la

ling, something brown, something that came with smoke and a gold stir stick. Ro didn't join them right away. He ling

DeL

r seat, crossed her l

toward Mia. "

ed. "Tha

like a hea

a fe

go to

s walking

like smoke-slow, wrapping around you before you could think to resist. When he reached the

die

pected

A smile.

hat w

-Lad

th the kind of calm that only came from

ed at M

fi

ade it

be Mia,"

tion. A co

er head. "Yo

hed. A half-s

rned and w

"What the h

come to my brother's

t man plays chess while the rest of us

orward like silk

over champagne. Cash and Omari eventually joined the booth. Rae lit up like a candle when Cash lean

didn't

wat

eaning against the bar.

who final

d a brow. "Wh

str

mh

n't loo

pensive wall art. A red neon exit sign glowed at the far end like t

felt

ned, Ro was

t out of reach. That dangerous sm

low strange men

ch women all night like you trying t

ile sha

ones worth

tep back. Ne

Like the bass from the lounge had crawled

o you w

her mouth,

now my siste

t's

t her then-something dark and expensi

r n

e'd stopped breathing

, leaving Mia standing in the dim light, he

adn't made

t

ut her on

in Cash's lap now, lips at his ear, her laughter coated in mischief. Jasmine

said, sipping from a tall glass. "Y'all o

got the nerve to say that like y'all

t we fig

ight f

n ri

in next

" Rae whisper

champagne and shrugged.

at her. "

. Jus

ding in front of a tig

act

Wanted, sure. Flirted with? All th

sesse

whether to be fl

try brats and was showing someone how to roll sushi with a dollar bill. Cash offered to dri

night felt like a slow burn-cars cruising, wind lo

at the corner, phone i

n she hear

ave without sa

o

ds in his pockets, like he'd ju

row. "You watc

er sto

ght, but she d

pped c

cologne again. Felt the heat off his suit. Sa

take a walk

s 2

still

d already cracked open and something ins

wal

and late-night food trucks. The city felt quieter someh

quiet?" she ask

N

toni

with

hy

d walking

at silence says wh

hroat

ach for her.

ween them buzze

slow signature move of his,

ned an

like

host wit

e had just met the one man in Cressida who coul