Extraordinary Love

Chapter 1

Song: Baby Boy by Sean Paul feat. Beyonce

Aaliyah

I was born in Harlem, I was raised in Harlem, and I would die in Harlem. I honestly couldn't even bear the thought of living anywhere else other than the big city. I was in a committed relationship with the busy streets, agonizingly slow traffic, and urban aesthetic. I was the definition of a true New Yorker, and after being brought up in a city where the impossible happened every day, nothing really surprised me anymore. It's not out of the norm to see a celebrity every once in a while, especially when you're in my profession. My home had desensitized me to the world. With a life like this, the seemingly mundane things easily slipped through the cracks; so I never even saw him coming.

My car rides are sacred to me. Cruising down the street at night, watching the streetlights pass in time to the music is almost as relaxing as a deep tissue massage. The feeling of serenity is overwhelming and I used it as a coping mechanism. Whenever something went wrong in my life, I usually went for a drive, unless I just downright hysterical. After an unusually stressful day like today of running from borough to borough in the rain to complete dumb tasks like finding the right soy latte for Rita Ora (I don't even like Rita Ora), a drive can undo any type of damage done during the day. The evening was rainy and cloudy, the clouds hanging a premature veil of darkness at seven o'clock. I was driving down Fifth, swaying to some old Sean Paul when it happened.

The light turned green and I started to inch forward as I sang the hook-- when a figure in a navy blue bomber jacket jogged across the street right in front of my Buick. I slammed down on the brakes hard and fast, digging the heel of my boot in. My body leaned forward and then rocked back against the seat.

I popped my head out of the window and yelled, "Aye, it's not Easter Sunday! If I run over you, you not coming back to life, boy!" I honked at him.

"Gladly the cross I'd bear," the guy called over his shoulder, not missing a beat.

The driver behind me laid down on his horn, urging me on and I settled myself back in, shaking my head. I sped faster towards my destination: our favorite bar, to get a good happy hour drink, hopefully, some fruity flavored margarita. The monitor screen inside my car playing the radio changed colors, from a cool blue to a bright green, indicating an incoming call. I reached over and pressed answer.

"Yeah, Raven? I'm on my way. I had to work overtime."

"Alright, we already got a table so just come on in." She giggled on the other side in response to something said on the other side of the line.

"I swear, I'm parking right now, Rae-- wait, who's 'we'?" I absentmindedly stopped in the middle of the parking lot.

"Yeah, that guy Trey I was telling you about? Well, I invited him out and he's got a fine friend meeting us so you need to hurry up. Be cordial, Aaliyah."

She hung up the phone as I pulled into a parking space. "Be cordial" was code for "At least act like you're somewhat happy to be here". I took my sweet time walking in, not really looking forward to having to socialize for the next two hours. I could've picked up a bottle of tequila from the liquor store and been on my way home, but because I love my cousin and half price drinks so much, I would go inside and be Miss America.

Raven and I had grown up together like sisters, sharing a room together since we were ten and twelve years old. We shared every little secret and she knew me inside and out, so I trusted she wouldn't just set me up with just any old nigga. She knew how high my standards were when it came to guys; I couldn't afford any distractions.

Spotting Raven's long, silky Brazilian hair, I made my way through the wooden double doors and over to the booth. I sat down, eyeing the two in front of me. Raven smiling at me during her introduction, her pouty lips framed by flawlessly applied two-toned MAC lipstick, though I wouldn't expect anything less from her. My twenty-three-year-old cousin and best friend had graduated last year from FIT and had always had a knack for fashion and makeup, therefore, when she found a job where all she had to do all day was shop and style her boss, she was in heaven. Today's pickup must have been the tight, nude colored spandex dress she was wearing, that fit every one of her curves and had the guy next to her licking his luscious lips as he looked her over.

She said the friend was fine but so was the man she had brought with her. Chocolate brown skin, a sexy smile, and muscles you could clearly see poking through his shirt made me wonder where she picked him up at. And if he had a brother.

"Aaliyah, this is Trey. Trey, this is my cousin-slash-little sister, Aaliyah."

"Beautiful ladies must run in the family," he commented.

I rolled my eyes playfully but thanked him. Raven always had the best taste in guys. She had never brought home a guy our family hadn't approved of, unlike me. Every guy she had dated had been great but just hadn't been for her; she had faith God would guide her to the right one.

I, personally, thought she had found him. This was my first time meeting the highly spoken about Tremaine Neverson, but every time I heard Raven speak about him, all I could hear was the admiration in her voice. She may not know it yet, but she's in love.

I smiled at the two of them.

In my peripheral vision, I noticed the double doors open.

Turning around to be nosy, I witnessed the finest man I have ever laid my eyes on, cross the threshold. A chiseled jaw and high cheekbones highlighted by a golden high-yellow complexion, his tall stature moved with the grace of a dancer and the swagger of a pimp.

He sauntered in casually, his entire aura just screamed confidence. The man shrugged off his jacket and slid into the booth, his warm brown eyes landed on me, and I swear that at the moment, I melted like a chocolate bar on a hot summer's day. I didn't really register the actual content of what he said next but did take note of his voice, the way the words rolled of his tongue and how the sound sent shivers up my spine.

I was completely and utterly dazed by him, finding myself rendered speechless as I tried to form a response. I didn't believe in love at first sight, but my mind couldn't pin down an explanation for this feeling blooming in my chest.

~ ~ ~

Hey guys! I'm back with a revamping of "Run Free", formerly "Smash Into You", and now "Extraordinary Love". When I first started writing Smash Into You, I didn't really have a clear idea of where it was going, or why I was writing it. It was mostly to entertain and didn't really have a plot, which made it harder to try and continue because there was honestly nowhere to go. Extraordinary Love was inspired by my spring break trip to New York, my absolute favorite place. It's going to have a new tone and though you guys will still have Chris, Aaliyah, and Raven as main characters, they will be a little different in characterization and some of the other characters from SIY have been cut out because 1) they didn't really have a place in the story or 2) I just grew tired of them. I believe the whole point of writing is to grow as a writer and as a person, and as I grow my writing will reflect who I am. Smash Into You just isn't who I am anymore. Chapters may be a little shorter to fit in more updates; we'll see. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Extraordinary Love and stick around for the ride.

- telegraphaveoakland