Rendezvous at Silver Lining

Raphael’s POV: Weak Resolutions

It was going on 9pm when I stepped out my shower with a towel wrapped around my waist. I took my locks down from the bun I had it in to shower, and they fell around my shoulders and laid across my back. I walked to my bed and my phone buzzed. James sent me confirmation for all of Divinity's activities tomorrow. I then saw a message from Sarah, asking to come over to make up for our tiff earlier. I really didn't want to be bothered with her, so I ignored it and tossed my phone on the bed. I put on black pajama pants, slid on black slippers, grabbed my phone, and headed to the kitchen. I took the plate that I was given by Divinity, out the fridge, unwrapped it, and popped it in the microwave. Once warmed, I took a seat at the island and opened some emails I didn't read. I lost all focus on what I was reading when I took the first bite. It was so good. This woman just keeps giving me reason to bend her over. This is the kind of plate that makes you forget you ate because you devoured it so quickly. I sat there and enjoyed the meal my minx made and thought over our interactions from the whole day. Just remembering how sexy she looked at work today and then how seductive she looked, standing at her door. The thought alone had me ready to blow, even contemplating calling Sarah over. I immediately got rid of that thought. I needed to be solely on Divinity, but f**k she makes it hard. I knew she'd never just let me take her, especially after years of practically ignoring her, if it didn't have anything to do with work. I finished the food and went to my office. I wanted to get some extra work done and put some finalization on the Perkins project I'll be dealing with next week, but I was fighting my brain at this point. Every few minutes, my mind fluttered towards Divinity. What was she doing? Was she thinking of me? What would she be wearing tomorrow? How sexy is she gonna look? Too many questions for my restless mind to ask and answer. I blew out a breath and decided to leave and go to bed. It was 11:30pm and I needed the sleep anyway. I have a long day tomorrow and can finish this up sometime this weekend. Getting into bed, my mind raced with thoughts of Divinity. My d**k began to harden with thoughts of her. Her body looked so delectable in that dress earlier and all I wanted to do was hike it up and f**k her across my desk. Then she wore even less when I saw her at her house. I wanted to lift her off her feet and wrap her legs around my neck and devour her. The food she gave me was delicious but it was her I wanted to taste. I'm sure she taste of chocolate and honey. Her honey eyes, so clear it can pierce any depth of darkness. She's literal perfection. My d**k was pressing against my pants, straining to be free.

This is f*****g ridiculous!

I'm Raphael McCoy! No woman has ever had me this shook and I never even f****d her. Even those I do, I've never been this hooked. What was she doing to me? I sighed out in frustration and turned over to try and go to sleep. I can't allow her to have this much control over. Thinking about all my reactions and thoughts of her, it began to piss me off. I'm gonna make her sweat just like me. She's gonna beg for me. Her body is gonna react the same way mine does. I'm gonna get her to want me, need me. I won't go so far as to uninvite her to the ball tomorrow, but when I see her, I will not look her way or react how she probably believes I will. Imma dance and be around other women and let her be by herself, to the point where she'll come looking for me. Once my mind was made up and calmed, I finally drifted off to sleep.

…

The next day

I got up and went to my home gym. Around 9:45am, I called Divinity to give her a reup on the information for today. We spoke for a little and I wanted to jump through the phone and show her how sexy I found her body. She had the audacity to disrespect it in my presence. I'm used to women trying to downplay themselves into a compliment, but with her, I felt like she actually meant it. This didn't sit right with me. I reiterate the time Tim should be arriving. We ended the conversation and I went about finishing my workout.

Later, I was in my office continuing the work I started last night, when I received a phone call from Carrina's dress shop.

Phone call:

Raphael: Go ahead.

Debbie: “Yes, hi. Good afternoon, Mr.McCoy. This is Debbie, the attendant you spoke to about Ms.Divinity coming to Carrina's.

Raphael: Yes. What is it?

Debbie: She came, along with two of her friends. They all were delightful and she did exactly what you thought she'd do. She immediately asked about the prices.

She chuckled and I smiled. I knew she would do that which is why I gave a heads up.

Raphael: Ok. Did she choose not to get something?

Debbie: No,no, she did. But it seems there was a problem.

I frowned. If she picked something, what could be the issue?

Raphael: What's the problem, then?

Debbie: Well, after we finally picked out a beautiful dress for her, which was stunning by the way. I sent it with another attendee to have it rung up and packed for delivery. I go to check on everything and Lauren, the attendant, is panicking because she spilt copier ink all over the dress after she tripped. I apologize on behalf of her.

Lauren… that name sounds really familiar. I'm sure that's the attendant Sarah usually works with.

Raphael: Hmm… Is that right?

Debbie: Unfortunately it is. Although the dress was ruined, I think I know her style well enough to pick out another dress. It may not be exactly what she wanted, but it will definitely flatter her frame and it will still correlate to the color scheme you gave me. I would just need your permission to get another dress. Of course, you wouldn't have to pay for an entirely new dress, just the balance between the dress if it's more than her original choice.

Raphael: What about accessories and shoes?

Debbi: She really didn't pick any out for herself. She may have a set of earrings but that was it. Her shoes were rather inexpensive as well. Divinity was adamant about not spending too much. Her friends didn't get anything either.

Wow. I mean, I knew she wasn't the type to use people, but damn she really ain't get nothing. I looked down at my bank statement and she spent less than 700 dollars altogether. When Sarah goes shopping, I never expect a bill less than 10 grand. She really is different, I give her that.

Raphael: It doesn't matter, really. Get whatever she needs. I expect only you to deal with her things to ensure this doesn't happen again. Call her and let her know what happened so she knows she'll be getting something different.

Debbie: Ok, Mr.McCoy. Thank you for your understanding. You will not be disappointed at all. She's gonna look radiant. She'll definitely be best dressed, I’ll make sure of it. Have a great day!

Raphael: Bye.

End of phone call.

It would seem someone is trying to ruin Divinity's appearance. I think I know who it is, but I'll keep it under wraps for now. She's getting situated, so it's all good for now. I hope this doesn't become a regular thing where people tryna f**k s**t up already and we ain't even get anywhere yet.

…

Later that day.

I was wearing a 3 piece double breasted blazer emerald fitted suit. My black shirt was unbuttoned down to the vest, which peaked out from underneath the blazer, my pants snug against my legs. I wore velvet green shoes with a gold emblem that went perfectly with my gold watch. I sprayed on some cologne and my ensemble was complete. I wore my dreads down and my facial hair was neatly trimmed. Not gonna lie, I looked pretty good. By 6:45, I grabbed my keys and phone and left. Tim waited by the SUV with the door open. I instructed him to pick us up close to midnight. He wouldn't be driving us there, but he will be coming back. I hopped in and headed off towards Divinity. She's about an hour away from me, so leaving early should do me good to beat traffic. On my way to her, I tried thinking of how I would keep to my resolution. How can I get under her skin? The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much she was already under mine. Before I knew it, I was pulling up to her apartment complex. It was 7:50. I stepped out of the car, walked around the front, and leaned against the passenger side door. I was anxious to see my minx. Every thought to distance myself from her inadvertently created images in my mind to draw me closer. I sighed and rubbed my hand over my face.

What the f**k is wrong with me?

I placed both hands on the side of the car and leaned, breathing deep trying to gather my thoughts. This is f*****g pathetic. At 8, I went into the lobby of the building and buzzed up to Divinity's apartment. It sounded like Ms.Manzitto answered. She assured me that Divinity would be right down. I headed back to the car to wait for her. With Sarah, I would of met her at her apartment and escorted her down, but I was trying to hold fast to my earlier sentiments.

…

DAMN!!!

Fuck my earlier sentiments.

I was still in my head, facing towards the street, trying to not seem too anxious to see her. I heard the door open and assumed it was her and I assumed correctly. When I finally turned to see her, my heart stopped. All thoughts disappeared out of my mind and I was left with nothing. No words could describe the woman I was looking at. People walked by and even they were mesmerized by her. We stood just staring at one another for a while until I finally found my words and said something to her.

“Good evening, Ms.Loore.”

Her melodic voice entranced me further.

“Good evening, Mr.McCoy.”

I almost gasped out loud. How could someone be this beautiful? I remembered what it was to walk and stood in front of her. I looked down at her. Her hair flowed over her back in subtle waves, her face was lightly painted, enhancing her already perfect features. Her skin glistened in all its chocolate glory. I don't know if she added something or if it's just what it does naturally, but a coat of gold shimmered all over her skin. For all I knew, she was made of gold. The dress embraced her every curve, carving out a frame I knew god's would war over. Her luscious breast sat out openly, creating a gorgeous semi heart that I'd love to dive head first in. The off the shoulder straps draped lazily on her upper arms. Scanning further down, I wanted to thank Laurie…Lisa… Libbey…whoever the f**k her name was for destroying her first dress, cause I couldn't imagine a more perfect one. Her hips and thighs melded into the dress. That damn thigh slit was my absolute favorite part. For four years, I never knew she had a thigh tat, and in two days I got to see it twice. Today, it's on full display. The dress stopped right before the tattoo ended but her whole leg is out. All that thickness multiplied by her strappy shoe strings going up her leg. This deep emerald green color against her skin made her look majestic. The gold accessories added to her regal presence. I was completely taken aback by her. Everything was perfect. With all the women I've seen and dealt with, no one has ever had me speechless. Her eyes bore into my soul and I let them in.

“Uh, Umm. M-Mr.McCoy. Should we get going now? I don't want us to be late.”

Her timid voice broke me out of my trance. I focused my vision and extended my folded arm to her and she grabbed it, gently placing her hand on mine. I reached the passenger side and opened the door for her and she got in and I did the same, started the car, and we left. We sat in silence for the first 15 minutes. During that time, I constantly snuck glances at her.

That damn slit is killing!

And my God, she smells divine.

At a stop light, I looked over at her. She was looking out the window, the city lights etching her in an ethereal glow. She sat in a way where her hair fell into the arch of her back. She's truly stunning. I continued the drive and then I heard a beautiful hum. She hasn't said a single word to me or looked my way. I guess she's tryna fill the silence. I couldn't make out what she was singing, but I wouldn't dare interrupt it. She sounded great. At another red light, I took another look at her, a real look and my eyes landed back on her exposed thigh. Her tattoo was of a microphone and music notes.

So she does this for real.

I never really thought about what she did outside of work. But someone getting a tattoo like that must mean music is very important to them. She was still humming to whatever song that was in her head when I pulled off and decided to break the ice.

“You sound wonderful.”

She abruptly stopped and looked in my direction.

“I'm sorry? What did you say?”

She looked genuinely confused. I chuckled at her cute face.

“It must be second nature for you, if you haven't noticed.”

“I haven't noticed what, Mr.McCoy?”

I flinched at hearing her say my last name. All this time and she still hasn't called me by my first name. My grip tightened on the wheel and my eyes grew a bit darker, looking ahead of me.

“You were humming, beautifully, I might add.”

She gasped and then laughed lightly.

“Ha, yeaaahhh… I do that sometimes. It really is second nature for me. Some think I do it on purpose, but if you don't tell me, I'd probably won't even realize I'm doing it.”

She smiled at me, I turned to meet her warmth and smiled back.

“Don't ever stop. You have a great voice from what I could hear. The tattoo on your thigh definitely expresses your love for music.”

She shyly nodded her head.

“Thank you so much, Mr.McCoy. Thank you for today as well. Everything was perfect. Well, except this wasn't my original dress I picked. Trust me, it was nothing like this, although I'm very happy with it. I thought I was gonna pass out seeing myself in the mirror. Kris and Binny almost cried. I've never been comfortable in clothes like this, so I really wasn't looking forward to wearing it.”

I glanced at her to see her face. She was serious.

“I don't know why you wouldn't wear things like this more often. You look incredible. You shouldn't hide away such perfection.”

She laughed at my words, I scowled and she immediately stopped.

“I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh at you. It's just so weird. I never really thought you found me attractive. Honestly I don't get asked out a lot, so I assume not many people find me attractive. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm a beautiful woman, but definitely not Raphael McCoy standard of beauty. And now you're asking about my love of music and telling me I look incredible… It's been an interesting couple days. You would hardly look my way. Now I'm sitting here in an expensive ass dress on my way to a hoity-toity event that I never imagined sneezing at.”

Her playful voice went and I could hear an indignant tone replacing it. So she's noticed my lack of eye contact and all around nonchalant attitude towards her. I didn't think she cared or even noticed. I thought she wanted this. She took a deep breath and looked at me and placed a hand on mine that held the clutch.

“I apologize. Not necessarily for what I said, because it's all true, but for how I said it. You've done a lot for me today and taking me to this ball with you, even though Mr.Becker suggested it. I'm just not comfortable in these sorts of situations and I still can't wrap my head around all the sudden attention from everywhere, especially you.”

She went to remove her hand, but I grabbed it before she could. My left hand clutched the steering wheel tightly, trying to keep my composure. Listening to her made me realize I may not be able to fix this at all. She may never be mine and Damien could easily have her. The thought alone angered me to my core, but the worst of it, I would have to admit to James that he was right.

Fuck.

I kept my eyes locked to the road, afraid if I looked her way, I wouldn't be able to contain myself or the depths of my feelings for her.

“No need to apologize. I never thought you could be this bold or forward, but it seems there's much I don't know about you even after all these years. I never made eye contact with you because you always seemed uneasy or uncomfortable around me. That was my way of trying to defuse the tension… Hear me and hear me clearly… It was NEVER that I didn't find you attractive. If anything, I find you too beautiful, most men do. I don't think you're good at picking up cues or flirtatious gestures. Be assured, there's absolutely nothing about you that is in the realm of ugly or unattractiveness. You are right though. I don't know much about you at all, other than you are good at your job. I would like to remedy that.”

She sat in silence after I spoke, I'm not sure if she was upset with me or just thinking. We pulled up in front of the building. Guests and paparazzi were everywhere. The stairs leading up to the large double doors were covered with a red carpet. We waited in the line of vehicles to get out at the steps. Still holding her hand, I finally looked at her and she was looking out the window. I could tell she was nervous. She squeezed my hand as she stared at the camera's and people. I squeezed her hand back, making her look my way. She gave a nervous smile and I nodded my head at her. We proceeded to the front of the steps and I put the car in park. She didn't move an inch and I gave her the time to gather herself.

“Divinity.”

She broke from her racing thoughts to turn her attention to me. I wanted to hold her close, letting her know she would be OK and that she's safe in my arms.

“Yes, Mr.McCoy.”

I frowned at her words. We're changing that.

“I want you to do something for me for the rest of the night.”

I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened my door, stepping out, handing the cheffer my keys.

“What's that?”

Divinity shouted to me from in the car. I walked around to her side and opened it. All the lights and camera flashes were bright, but none shine brighter than she did at this very moment. I reached my hand out for her to take. She gently placed her soft, danity hand in mine and lifted her right leg to exit the car.

“Call me by my name, Divinity.”

I pulled her up from her seat, and she leaned into me to balance herself.

“Ok… Raphael.”

My name never sounded so sweet. All it did was make me anxious to hear it again. She was breathless as she bore into my eyes, and I returned the favor, my hand on her lower back, pulling her further into me. It took us a few seconds to remember where we were. I held her hand and guided her away from the car so it could be moved. I stepped to the side of her, and the people went wild. Everyone wanted to see Divinity.

“Um, it seems you're very popular, Mr. - I mean Raphael.”

I looked down at her and chuckled.

“It's not me who's popular. They're taking pictures of you, asking who you are, not me. I've been here for 3 years and I've never got this much camera action. I told you, you're stunning.”

I gave her a warm smile and pulled her hand up to my lips to kiss. The paparazzi went even wilder. She looked around a little frazzled when she realized what I was saying was true.

“Ok. Should we go in now?”

I looked at her seeing she was ready to book, and thought I'd helped her make an escape.

“Yes please.”

She looked up at me and smiled, a smile that could warm the coldest nights.

I held her hand tightly and guided her up the steps into the hall, and she gasped.

Just adorable.