Page 45 of Heavy Lifting
I laid my head back on his shoulder and laughed.
“I just ran into my ex-husband and his new wife, after this dance, if you aren’t ready, I’m calling an Uber and leaving your ass here,” I groaned.
“Well, I better make this dance a good one then huh?” He questioned as he stepped back and spun me around slowly looking at me face to face.
“Do your big one,” I smirked and shrugged my shoulders. I could feel the disappointment of seeing Larry sliding slowly from my shoulders. Being near Cozart made me feel better as if the last ten minutes hadn’t happened.
“For our special musical guest, I would like to introduce a good friend who was born and raised in the city of Atlanta,” the mayor said causing Cozart and I to turn away from each other and look to the front of the room. Standing on stage next to the mayor was Summer Walker. She smiled shyly and waved, holding a microphone in her hand.
“Thank you, Mayor Pickens, for having me,” Summer thanked him as he walked off stage.
“I’m fresh off my Still Over It tour,” so I need y’all to come with the energy,” Summer demanded as the crowd cheered for her. The instrumental for her Hit SongHeart of A Womanbegan playing softly in the background as she adjusted her microphone. I turned to look at Cozart and he was smirking.
I was instantly transported back to our session in the car where he sang this same song at the top of his lungs a few hours ago.
“Don’t even think about it.” I pointed my finger at him, warning him not to embarrass me. He smirked and grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him. Body to body, he wrapped his strong around my waist and leaned over to whisper in my ear, “I know I already told you tonight, but you are absolutely stunning. You are the most beautiful woman here. I’m glad your ex broke your heart because if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be standing where he would’ve been,” he told me as my eyes filled with tears.
He then began to move slowly with me, taking the lead, he guided our bodies to the rhythm of Summer Walker’s smooth melody. I had never felt so cherished. So desired.
As we danced, I laid my head on his chest and exhaled every worry, every fear, and every feeling of inadequacy. I opened my eyes and from across the room I spotted Larry dancing with his wife but staring at me. His expression was tortured like he would have given anything to switch places with the man who was holding me close. I smirked and stood on my tiptoes so that I was close to Cozart’s ear, “Don’t look now but that man whose spot you are happy you took is staring from across the room,” I giggled.
“Even better, I love when God prepares a table before me so I can eat in from of my enemies,” Cozart retorted as he planted his fingers underneath my chin and lifted my face to meet his, he then kissed me so passionately it took my breath away and made me see fireworks like the fourth of July.
“That’s the type of love I like to see. That’s a man who knows what he has,” Summer Walker said in the microphone, and I didn’t have to open my eyes to know that she was talking about Cozart and me.
I should have pulled away and reminded myself that this was just one date. One beautiful night that will be over in a few hours. Instead, I smiled against his lips and let him pull me closer. For the first time since Larry shattered my heart, I wasn’t thinking about the man who left. I was thinking about the man who refused to let me stand alone.
I looked across the room, and Larry was still dancing with his wife and staring at me over her shoulder. Instead of giving me butterflies, it made me feel uncomfortable. It made me wonder how many women he stared at over my shoulder when I was his wife. I had shown my face, taken photos, and given these people an hour of my time. I was ready to get the hell out of here.
“Can we leave please?” I asked Cozart so quietly I half expected him not to hear me.
“I thought you would never ask. This tight ass suit is cutting off my circulation,” he whispered, causing me to laugh out loud.
He grabbed my hand, and we walked out of the front door together. I didn’t bother to turn and look behind me; I didn’t want to see Larry’s eyes or feel the heat from Phomoria’ s jealousy.
When we finally made it to the car, Cozart began to undo his tie and unbutton his shirt, exposing the beautiful chest I had seen a million times. He pulled away from the mansion and into the night quickly like we were escaping from the scene of a crime. I laughed loudly and relaxed my head back on the seat, feeling freer than I had felt all evening.
“You’re so beautiful when you let go,” he murmured. I looked over at him and was shocked to see him staring at me. The effects of the champagne and watching my ex-squirm began to make me feel sexier than I had in a long time.
“Pull over there and show me how beautiful you think I am.” I bit my lip as I blushed shyly.
“I respect you too much to take you to some random parking lot in the middle of the night and fuck you. Give me the date I asked you for, and if you still want it after that, I’ll give it to you,” he offered, causing my stomach to fill with butterflies.
He had done me a favor by coming out with me tonight. He was worth a date. I nodded at him and smiled, “Fine, let’s go on a date.” I shrugged and giggled as I placed my head in my hands.
“FINALLY!” He cheered and raised his fist in the air, yelling loudly, causing me to laugh even harder.
“I’m regretting my decision already,” I groaned.
“You won’t, I promise,” he assured me as he pulled onto the expressway and turned the R&B music back up. This time when he sangHeart of A Womanby Summer Walker, I reminisced on our first dance and sang along with him in bliss.
When we arrived at IluvBowling forty minutes later, I smiled excitedly. It had been years since I had gone bowling, and I knew that we were about to have a blast. Cozart parked, came around to open the door for me, and held my hand as we walked inside.
I couldn’t help but notice throughout the night as women stared at him. The clerk who gave us our rental shoes, the waitress who came to our lane to take our drink orders, the group of women who were on a girls’ night out in the lane next to us. It was as if he was a walking neon sign that drew attention from women. When a girl drunkenly threw her bowling ball in our lane and ran over giggling to grab it, while making sure that she was poking her booty out for him to notice, I looked at him to see if he was looking at her.
He was too busy looking at me.
To be petty, I walked to where he was sitting across from me and sat in his lap. He grabbed me around my waist protectively, and whispered in my ear, “I’m trying to be a gentleman but your fine ass just keeps tempting me.”
