Momentarily, Sasha snapped out of her dreamy thoughts. “I know a great spot that sells the best Indian food in all of New York,” she said, sharing her idea of a good place to get a bite.
“That sounds like a mighty big promise. I hope it lives up to the hype.”
“Oh, it will.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were seated in a mom and pop restaurant that barely sat fifty people, but Brandon didn’t complain. Instead, with a smile he sat at the small square table in a wooden chair that made all six foot two of him seem more pronounced.
“What do you recommend?” he asked as they perused the menu.
She placed her menu on the table. “Depends. Do you like spicy or curried?”
“I’ve never tried a curry, and I’m not much on spice except maybe with my women.”
Sasha grinned. Brandon was flirting with her. “Well, you’ve come to the right place because I have it in spades.”
The waiter stopped at their table, and before Brandon could respond to Sasha, the waiter asked what they wanted to drink. Sasha requested a Moscow Mule while Brandon opted for a Heineken. She also ordered some tandoori-chicken-stuffed mushrooms and, as an appetizer, onion bhaji, a crispy onion fritter. She was starved. She’d been low on funds recently and living off Ramen noodles. She was going to enjoy this dinner.
“Are you ready for spicy tonight?” Sasha asked after the waiter walked away.
Brandon’s eyes blazed. “I think I’m up for the challenge.”
“Excellent. Then I recommend chicken tikka masala along with a side of naan. It’s an Indian bread that you’ll love.”
She knew she was sidestepping, but they were in uncharted territory.
“And you?”
“What about me?” She was being purposely obtuse.
“Are you on the menu?”
He wasn’t being straightforward. How refreshing.
“Do you want me to be?”
“Yes,” Brandon stated without hesitation.
The waiter returned with their drinks and took their dinner orders. Afterward, they toasted. “To old friends.”
Dinner was a mix of nervous anticipation of the night ahead and laughing and talking like they used to do. They covered a wide range of topics from music and politics to family.
In terms of music, Brandon leaned toward old school hip-hop like Tupac. They had a lively debate about new school rap. “The rap today sucks,” Brandon said. “Half the folks can’t rhyme, and they certainly aren’t saying anything. All they talk about is making it rain, sex, and calling women out their names. Old school rap at least had a message.”
“But you have to admit that some of the new school rap has some good beats. Tell me you aren’t on the dance floor when ‘Salt Shaker’ or ‘Back That Thang Up’ comes on?”
He pulled a piece of naan from the basket and began munching. “Of course I dance to them, but that doesn’t make it relevant. They just have a good hook.”
“I never knew you were so conservative.” Sasha laughed, and that’s how the topic of politics made it into the conversation. She discovered that although Brandon was a registered Democrat, he leaned much more to the right. She was staunchly liberal and loved debating with him about anything this evening, from universal healthcare to taxes.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a spirited conversation, but then again, they’d always been able to spar. Tonight showed that Brandon could still give as good as he got.
Sasha said, “Since we’ve covered politics and music, what’re your views on movies? Me?” — she touched her chest – “I’m a rom-com girl, but I love a good drama. Every year, I try to catch all the Oscar-nominated movies so I can see what all the hype is about.”
“I love a good blow ‘em up, shoot ‘em up, or comic movie like Black Panther or Avengers,” Brandon said. “But don’t get me wrong. I’m down to watch a good drama like Just Mercy, Queen & Slim, or Harriet.”
“Really? Most men don’t usually like dramas.”
“I’m not most men.”
Brandon certainly wasn’t like the men Sasha dated. Although she considered herself unconventional, she always seemed to find men without any heart or depth. Over the rest of the evening, she learned how Brandon was close to his immediate family of mom, dad, and little sister and had just left visiting them for Christmas.
Sasha couldn’t remember the last time she’d been home. Often, she was at odds with her family, who still lived in Dayton, Ohio, about her lifestyle and refusal to follow the norms and get a stable job.
“What’s wrong?” Brandon asked.
“Hmm ...”
“Your face fell. Is everything okay with your parents?”
Far from it. Sasha knew she was a disappointment to them with her expensive college education and nothing to show for it, while her older sister, Jasmine, was married and pregnant with their first grandchild. “I guess I’m a bit envious of your tight bond with your family.”
“You can have the same.”
She shook her head. “We’re always at odds.”
“Surely there’s a way you can fix that,” he said, propping his elbows on the table and peering at her.
“Not likely. I’m a failure in their eyes. Hell, in my eyes. I mean look at me, I haven’t so much as had a showing.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t put yourself down. You’re extremely talented, Sasha. You can’t lose sight of that.”
“Are you always such a hopeless optimist?” she retorted, a smile on her lips.
“I’m not really. I just prefer to look on the bright side. I’ve seen your work.”
She smiled across the table at him, and that smile morphed into something else entirely when she found air leaving her lungs. “You’re biased. You’re my friend.” But even as she said that six-letter word, it didn’t feel right on her lips. Not anymore.
She didn’t just want to be his friend.
She wanted to be his lover.
Chapter 3
Somehow, the few short hours in Brandon’s company made Sasha see what could have been, which is why there was no place she’d rather be than here with him.
The waiter returned to see if they wanted anything else. That’s when Sasha glanced at her phone and realized they’d enjoyed their cardamom ice cream dessert hours ago. Time had flown, and she was supposed to attend her friend Casey Barnes’s house party.