Breathe.

31

Toni Braxton

I rang her doorbell and moments later the door opened. She went to smile but frowned. "You didn't pack a bag?"

"I didn't know I could spend the night."

Nafessa made a face at me as she let me walk into her condo. "Well duh. That's okay, though."

"I can just go get clothes in the morning,"

"Or I can pack a bag and we can go to your house."

My phone began ringing as I nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Just pack a bag." Glancing at the screen, I was surprised at the caller ID name on my phone. Answering, I called out in a questionable tone as I put my phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey.. Toni it's Janet."

"Yeah... I know. I have caller ID."

"Oh okay. Well I was calling to ask you if maybe we could do lunch or dinner tomorrow. It's been years since we were in the same room and I'm actually in town for the month and wanted to know if you'd be okay with meeting up with me."

Fessa peeked out her bedroom and asked. "Are we going somewhere tomorrow?"

Glancing up at her, I nodded. "Yeah. We can." Finally, I replied to Janet. "So I have something to do tomorrow. I already made plans but how about in two days?"

"Yeah that'll work. Where would you like to go?"

"Lets just go for coffee or something."

Janet chuckled. "Not to be cocky, but I'm Janet Jackson. I can't just sit in a coffee shop and have a regular conversation. People are going to notice me."

"Well coffee and then we can just drive around or something." I suggested because I didn't want to do lunch or dinner with this woman. I barely wanted to be in her space. I thought I was over it, but I thought wrong.

"Okay, how about coffee stop and then my driver just drives us around?"

I made a face not wanting to be out of control in a situation. "Driver? Nu uh. How about this, I'll just send you my address and tomorrow morning you can just stop by. I'll make us some coffee."

"Yeah. That'll work too. Okay. So tomorrow morning. What time?"

"Like 9 or 10."

"Okay. Cool, see you then. Thank you for agreeing to sit down with me."

"Yeah. You're welcome, but I have to go. I'll text you my address in a few minutes." Nafessa was walking towards me with a duffel bag.

"Okay. Well see you tomorrow."

"Mhm." I hung up and rolled my eyes.

"Not the eye roll, who was that?" 

"Janet."

Fessa made a face. "Ew. You talk to her?"

I shook my head. "Hell no. She just called me. I don't even know how she got my number, probably from my mom, but she called me and asked to meet up."

"And you are going to meet her?"

"I told her she can come over in the morning for coffee."

"Ew. I'm not coming over anymore."

"Yes you areee. Don't do that." I chuckled at her face. "You don't have to see or talk to her."

"Oh I know that because that wasn't an option. I don't have nothing to say to Janet and I pray that the feeling is mutual."

"It was high school Fessa... I mean if I can sit down with her maybe you should try it too. It seems to be the forgiving time of the year. Don't you think?"

Nafessa chuckled. "You and Janet are totally different."

"Really? How so?"

Her hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me into her. I looked up at her and her eyes went from my own to my lips. Slowly, our lips connected and we moved in sync. I wrapped my hands around her neck and her hands moved to my ass. When she went to pull away, I bit down on her bottom lip slightly and sucked on it.

"I see nothing's changed with you and kissing."

Chuckling, I asked. "Are you talking about how you used to say I kissed like I wasn't a Virgin?"

"That's exactly what I'm talking about." She replied. "But back to what I was talking about. You two are different because I actually want to kiss you. Her? Not at all."

"You are a goof ball." I mumbled as I shook my head with a smile on my face.

"No I'm not. I was being serious."

"Which makes it even funnier."

She shrugged. "If you say soooo. You ready to go?"

"Yeah. You taking your car?"

I watched as she paused and unlocked her phone. "I can but I don't have to. I'm free this weekend."

"Oh great. Then riding with me it is."

"Can you drive?" She opened the front door for me.

Sending her a look, I walked into the hall and shrugged. "Thank you and I don't know. Let's find out."

Laughing, she followed me out. "You don't have to thank me and it was a valid question."

"Yes Fes, I know how to drive."

"Great. Just needed to know because back in the day—."

"Back in the day we almost wrecked because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself while I was driving." I pointed out as we got on the elevator. "That does not count."

Nafessa chuckled as she hit the button to send us to the first floor. "That was the last time I let you drive my car, huh?"

"Mhm. It surely was."

"That was your fault though."

"My fault? Girllll pleaseeee. That was your fault. I couldn't focus."

"Mm. Could you focus now though?" Her hands wrapped around my waist and she turned me to face her.

I looked up at her and smirked. "I think the real question is can you focus?"

She smiled before dipping her head and allowing our lips to meet. Butterflies set off in my stomach— and I had gotten used to them by now. I wrapped my arms around her neck and she let her hands grope my ass as we made out. Her tongue asked for entrance and I allowed it but only for a small second before a loud buzz made us pull apart.

"I guess we both can focus now huh?" We walked off the elevator and she wrapped her arms around me from behind. She put her head in the crook of my neck and mumbled. "You gone cook for me?"

I smiled and placed my hands on top of hers. "Hmm, I don't know. What do you want me to cook?"

"Anything. It'll feel like old times, us cooking together again. Please?"

"Yes Fessa, of course we can cook. Whatever you want."