Lemon Cake

Chapter Sixteen

Tulip let go of Austin's hand once they were outside. She turned her back to him for a couple of seconds to take a calming breath. She spun back around to be greeted by his playful, charming smile. The curvature bought a dull ache to her chest. She knew the words she was about to cast from her mouth were going to wipe that humor off his face.

"What are you doing here?." She asked, taking a small step to the side as a woman typing briskly on her phone sauntered by.

He chuckled, "I wanted to see you." He gestured to her with fondness swelling in his onyx eyes. "So, I thought it'd be better to swing by here and not the house because of...you know...the kid." He nodded his head towards the store.

Technically, he was right. She didn't want him making an impromptu visit to her house since it was now Sydney's house too. The girl was getting accumulated to her surroundings and the last thing she needed was another stranger there getting too familiar in the residence. But was this better? Sydney was staring at her with the intensity of an owl eyeing a field mouse in the dead of night. And Tulip didn't know if the mouse was her or Austin. No. The mouse was definitely Austin. It had to be. Right?

"Yeah, 'here' is better." She affirmed, gripping her waist tightly. "That's clever of you."

He shrugged, flashing that sexy smirk which was enhanced by the glossed twist hanging over his shoulder and sparkle in his eyes. "I'm a smart man. I thought you knew this already." He puffed out his chest confidently and she finally caught sight of the Houston EMS emblem over his left pectoral. "Einstein would be jealous."

Tulip guffawed, tipping her head back and her braids dipped passed the curve of her ass that was sheathed tightly in white slacks that fit loosely around her waist.

"Big fucking ego." She clapped her hands, setting her eyes back on him. The smile still hung on her lips. Smiling was something that came with spending time with him. It was the thing that she admired most about him, more than his handsome face, adonis physique, and spine tingling-leg shaking sex. He made her smile. "Einstein, my dude. Einstein."

"Yes." He shrugged with sheer confidence that made her smile more. "They didn't have computers in his day. Smartphones. Talking watches. Plug-in cars. Twitter. Dude would be lost."

"Points being made. I see." She pulled her braids over her shoulder letting her eyes travel over his apparel; gray t-shirt and plain basketball shorts. "EMS training."

He looked down at himself as if he forgot what he was wearing. "Nah. A friend of mine is trying to get on at the fire department. Just training with him. Keeping up my stamina."

"Mhmm." She nodded knowing just how physically fit he was and she didn't learn it from their intimate encounters. She made the wrong decision to actually join him for a workout. Thirty minutes of cardio on an incline. Three types of lunges. Two types of squats. Double-digit pound weights and machines she knew had to be created in a torture lab. It was hell on a rainy day; the rain happened to be the sweat that rolled from every pore of her body.

Most people assumed she was fitness personified; taut muscles with little jingle unless it was her ass and her favorite song was on but they'd be wrong. She ate like a college student on a budget and the exercise she acquired was composed of the steps she racked up at work, skating at the park when she was tired of being in the house and activities that ended in an orgasm. Gyms weren't a dwelling for her and the only reps she liked involved a debit card.

"Hard Working. Intelligent. Attractive." Tulip started. "The best catch of the day."

Crinkles formed in his eyelashes as his mouth quirked up. "Or you talking about me...or yourself?"

"I mean I'm a Scorpio so...both could be true." She shrugged nonchalantly and then a car parking in Diamond Glitter's part of the lot called her attention and reminded her of more important matters. "It's nice seeing you but I need to get back in there and create experiences. Text you later."

"No." He shook his head.

The clearness of his word halted her movement to the door, "So, we're ending this."

"Woah! What?" His hands flew up in startled shock. "I say no to a text and you jump straight to breaking up."

"We can't break up because we're not in a relationship." She refuted, swiping her heel across the concrete.

"But we are, though." He held up his index finger and she automatically thought he was silencing her but as he started speaking again she realized he was listing reasons she was wrong; reasons why he thought she was wrong. "We talk every day via text. We had sex regularly up until now...because of factors, I'm aware of and not wry of. We may not have been only an actual date but I bought you food, you bought me food; you watch movies at my place and I watch TV at yours. We talked about the future and even made plans for the summer."

She let out a deep breath remembering the plan to drive out to Monahan to surf the sand dunes. "Austin..."

"Don't do that." He stopped her from continuing her statement, her face giving away the emotions and hesitation swelling within her. "Belittle me and what we have because you have a kid. I don't care."

She chortled not believing him. Kids changed things. Babies changed everything. She knew from experience. She got her heart broken because of a little human already. He was just being noble. That's what they did until the newness of the situation ran out and then they'll run.

"You don't believe me." He nodded with that smirk that dripped in confidence that drew her to him in the first place. "I get it. I'm young, you've told me before but I like you Tulip and I'm not leaving because there's a little you in there. Staring me the hell down." He nodded to the window and she couldn't help but laugh because she knew Sydney was watching them like a primetime movie.

"I know we don't have a title for this." He reached out and took her hand in his. "But let me prove to you that I'd be a great boyfriend."

"The ego with you...I swear." She chuckled, curling her fingertips around his hand. "It won't be easy."

"I'm a Black man in America." He smirked with a light shrug. "Ain't nothing ever been easy. "

"Okay, 'Black man in America'." She teased, garnishing a bigger smile from him. "Let's see what you got..." He leaned into her but she placed a hand on his chest stopping him. "But not now. Not tonight. Give me a couple of weeks for her."

He stepped back with a nod, "I'll give you time. Sure. Call me." His hand slipped from hers.

"Yeah." She reached for the door. "I'll call you." 

Do you think Austin's right, that they have a relationship? If not, what would you call it?

Why do you think Tulip is apprehensive of saying they have a relationship of some kind?

Why do you think Sydney is staring at them so intently?

Will Austin be able to earn a title?