Song: Caught My Eye by Mint Condition
Christopher
The rain came down at a steadily increasing pace like a crescendo as they move closer to the city. Chris drove in the direction she told him to, heading out of the west side and towards Manhattan. She definitely was not much of a talker; he had concurred that much. Other than directions, she hadn't uttered a word for the duration of the trip so far. Aaliyah just looked out of the passenger window like she wished she was on the other side of it. Chris, on the other hand, was very much a people person and adored the sound of his own voice. The silence was seriously starting to irk him. He thought about turning on the radio but wanted to somehow get a conversation going.
She seemed surprised to see that Chris drove a Lamborghini. Chris knew how the whole "I'm an artist" thing looked to the rest of the world but he wasn't one to give up on his passions. So far, his zeal had served him well.
Aaliyah pulled her iPhone out of her cardigan pocket, still ignoring Christopher. Chris took note of her Prince lock screen, so he could bring it up later. He kept in mind that her "soft" spot (she was pretty fierce about the topic) was music. That was his way in; to break the ice.
Out of his peripheral, he saw her shoot a text to someone named Derek: "Hey D, running late but omw now".
"You texting your boyfriend?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of the road but nodding his head towards her phone. There was no way a woman that fine and intelligent could still be single.
On the other hand, Aaliyah didn't seem to want to be tied down. She probably chose the single life but he knew it sure as hell hadn't chosen her; unless she was secretly psycho, a lesbian, or Chris was the only guy that had ever tried to holler at her.
"You can't text a man you don't have," Aaliyah replied, putting her phone away promptly. She folded her arms over chest and looked out the window.
The silence and distance between them returned. Though he knew she preferred it quiet, he sparked conversation again.
"This is the part where you ask me if I have a girlfriend." He paused, waiting for her response.
She snorted.
"I mean, I honestly don't care whether you have one or not." She flipped her fishtail braid over her shoulder with sass.
Chris liked how it made her seem younger and softer. It took the edge off of her hostility. The younger Aaliyah probably sat up in a library every day after school curled up with a good book until closing time. Probably knew that library card number by heart.
Wondering how she would react, he continued, "I do, just so you know."
He bit his tongue, trying hard not to crack a smile. Her irritation quickly became apparent.
She scoffed in disgust, throwing her hands in the air. "And you were just talking all this shit about wanting to get to know me and about how I was different," She let out a dry laugh, waving him off. "Niggas."
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Her little outburst was not at all what he was expecting. "Damn, I'm just playing with you girl. Loosen up a little."
"This is as loose as I get. Sorry." She didn't seem sorry.
"Somehow I highly doubt that. No one can be that closed off and uptight. You've gotta let loose every once in a while."
She shrugged indifferently.
"Where we going anyway?" Chris changed the subject about twenty minutes into the car ride. He had to give her time to herself. They had made it into the city where traffic was pretty thick midday.
"Sixth avenue, you can't miss it."
"Oh, like where Power 105.1 is at? I listen to Big Red every day."
"Exactly."
She pointed to a large brown building stacked like Lego blocks that stood out among the others, with tall antenna towers reaching towards the sky. It was practically a Black landmark in the city.
He parked, craning his neck to look at the golden plated sign with the AT&T symbol, and right below: 32 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS.
"You work here?" He asked with a tone of amazement in his voice.
Power 105.1 was absolutely the biggest R&B/hip-hop station in New York. Every Black person in NYC listened to it. The head DJ, Big Red, was already a household name at the mere age of thirty. Chris could only dream of someday getting his music played on a station like that. If he would have had a metaphorical dream board, that was definitely on it.
"Mmhm." She mumbled, gathering her belongings and faux leather messenger bag.
She got out and rushed inside, slamming the car door behind her. Her cardigan was the only blur he saw of her before she disappeared inside without even a goodbye.
"You're welcome." He murmured under his breath, taking one last look at the building before pulling off from the curb.
I know it's short but I just couldn't find anything else to put in it for the life of me.
~ Majesty
YOU ARE READING
Extraordinary Love
Fanfiction"I was just a girl, you were just a boy Two ordinary people Two ordinary people Made extraordinary love." ~ Extraordinary Love by Stacy Barthe Aaliyah Evans is closed off, antisocial workaholic to the rest of the world. She is a fortress built of st...
