They arrived to Casey’s neighborhood well after ten p.m. and found parents and kids out on the streets setting off firecrackers and getting ready for the night ahead.
“Parents are letting their children play with fireworks?” Brandon said. “My parents would never have allowed it.”
“That’s how it is here, plus the parents are with them. They’ll be fine.”
“If you say so.”
As they ascended the steps to Casey’s two-story walk up, party music thumped through the closed windows. They rang the doorbell.
Casey opened the door to reveal herself in an animal print jumpsuit holding a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Her jet-black hair was on point in a sophisticated bob, and she wore flawless makeup. “Sasha, where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here hours ago. It’s almost eleven. And what the hell are you wearing? This is an old-school party.”
“I’m sorry. I got sidetracked,” Sasha said, attempting to take the bottle out of her inebriated friend’s hand. “Let me take this.”
“Oh no.” Casey held the bottle to her chest. “This is mine. You can get your own.” She glanced at Brandon behind her friend. “And who is this? It certainly ain’t Kyle.”
“Casey Barnes, meet Brandon. Brandon, this is Casey.”
“Wait a minute.” Casey stumbled toward Brandon and poked him in the chest. “Your name sounds familiar. Is this the hottie you went to college with?”
Brandon turned to Sasha. “Hottie? So you talked about me?”
If Sasha could be swallowed up whole by an earthquake, she would take it in favor of the embarrassing blush that spread over her face. “I might have mentioned you in passing.”
He winked at Sasha. “I’m flattered.”
“C’mon on in,” Casey said. “The party is already jumping.”
Casey circled her arms around Sasha’s and Brandon’s waists and led them inside. All the furniture had been moved out of the living room and dining room to make room for a makeshift dance floor. The décor was simple, consisting of black and gold streamers and balloons along with a big, splashy “2021” sign. Along a back wall stood two long banquet tables overflowing with fried chicken, ribs, potato salad, veggies, and chips and dips of all varieties.
“Make yourself at home, Brandon,” Casey said and then promptly pulled Sasha toward the kitchen.
Sasha greeted Kendra, Casey’s sister, who was in the kitchen mixing different concoctions in a punch bowl.
“So? What gives?” Casey asked, folding her arms across her bosom. “I didn’t realize you and Brandon had something going on. I thought you were ya know, with Kyle.”
Sasha shrugged. “Kyle and I were bed bunnies, nothing more. My time with him wasn’t spent in gripping conversation. Whereas Brandon, well ...”
“Well ... what?” Casey quirked a brow.
“He’s the whole package, Casey. He’s smart and funny, kind and giving. And did I mention hella sexy?”
“You haven’t talked about him in years.”
“Because we fell out of touch,” Sasha said. “Then lo and behold I see a flyer today about his book signing and I just had to go.” She watched Kendra pour more liquor into the punch bowl and give it a stir.
“And? Has he put the moves on you?”
Kendra handed her a Silo cup of the unknown punch, and Sasha accepted, taking a sip. It packed a mighty powerful punch.
“It’s good, huh?” Kendra asked with a smirk.
“Oh yeah.” Sasha laughed. “But if I drink too many of these I might not remember the next morning.” She desperately wanted to recall everything about this magical night with Brandon. “As far as moves, I can tell you that Brandon has those in spades. When he kissed me earlier, I saw fucking stars.”
“Get out!”
“Girl, it’s true.” Sasha blushed. “I haven’t been kissed like this since – well since never.”
“Oh yes!” Casey rubbed her hands together. “Sounds like Brandon has a lot of bottled up sexual frustration and he’s about to put your back OUT!” she yelled.
Sasha glanced at the kitchen doorway. “For God’s sake, lower your voice. What if he heard you?”
Casey grinned unabashedly. “Then he would know what he’s got to do to you tonight.”
Sasha couldn’t resist a loud belly laugh. Her best friend wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. It was one of the things she loved about her. Sasha kept her feelings close to her chest, but tonight with Brandon, she felt as if she could truly be free to be her complicated self.
“I’m going back out there,” Sasha said. She glanced in Kendra’s direction. “Give me another one of the cups for the road. Brandon definitely needs to have some of this.”
But Sasha doubted either of them would need any liquid courage. They’d been doing just fine on their own. She, for one, had definitely gone up in flames after those hot kisses.
Chapter 4
Brandon watched as Sasha sashayed toward him in the hall. She’d removed her leather jacket. Now, the ruched top only accented her small but round breasts while the layered miniskirt added to her curves. She looked every bit the posh artist he knew she aspired to be. She just had to believe in herself, and if he had any role in her life beyond tonight, it would be to show Sasha how much more she could be.
“Here you are,” she said loudly over the blare of old-school nineties R & B music before handing him a bright red Solo cup with a flourish. “Drink up, but I warn you it packs a punch.”
“I can handle it.”
Famous last words.
Because no sooner than he’d taken an enormous gulp, Brandon began hacking up a lung, which made Sasha howl with laughter.
“Hey, I don’t feel the love,” he said once he sufficiently recovered.
“I warned you, didn’t I? You should have listened.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He sat the drink down and then removed his coat and cardigan, tossing them both on a living room sofa against the wall. “Care to dance.” He inclined his head to the floor filled with couples jumping up and down to “Hip Hop Hooray” by Naughty by Nature.
“Sure.” Sasha gulped down the remainder of her drink and took his hand.
Brandon carved out a spot for them by elbowing his way through the crowd to the center. Once there, they joined in the fun. The old songs continued with “This Is How We Do It,” “Hot in Herre,” “In da Club,” “Yeah!” and “Where the Party At.” Eventually, the tempo slowed and Brandon found himself and Sasha moving closer to bump and grind to Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” Prince’s “Do Me, Baby,” and Ginuwine’s “Pony.”