After the lawyer’s office, Nique finally let her guard down. We went to Felix’s for lunch, watching the gators move through the marsh while we waited on a call from Henry’s office. When it came through, it didn’t erase the fact that she still had to show up to court, but it gave her just enough hope to smile at me for the first time without catching herself.
I spent the rest of lunch trying to get her to come home with me, but she wasn’t going for it. Stubborn as ever, she was set on going back to the hotel. Once Eli started blowing up my phone about a job site, I let it go and headed back to work.
The memory of her sitting across from me stayed with me longer than it should have. I thought about it all the way through my afternoon site walks and most of the drive home. By the next day at lunch, I found myself pulling into Chick-fil-A and heading to her shop without overthinking it. I already knew I was using the food as an excuse before I even pulled out of the drive-through.
The moment I stepped inside Botanique, the vibe shifted. Ari Lennox was playing low over the speakers, setting a mood that made me want to lock the door behind me.
Nique was behind the counter, looking like a dream. She had a small, dark glass bottle in her hand, turning it over like she was deep in thought. She looked up, surprise flickering in her eyes before she masked it with that defensive edge she always kept for me.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" she asked, setting the bottle down on the counter.
"Just wanted to check on you," I said, holding up the bag. "And I brought you lunch."
She looked at the Chick-fil-A bag, then back at me, sighing. "Dex, you don't have to keep being nice to me just because I went to jail. I’m fine."
“Nah, you ain’t getting rid of me that easy,” I said, walking closer until I could smell her. “You called my phone for the first time in years to come get you. Now you got me feeling special.”
Nique let out a dry laugh, shaking her head as she took the bag. "You better be glad I’m beefing with Nel and London or I wouldn't even be talking to you right now."
"Y’all ain’t made up yet?"
“They’ve been calling,” she admitted, pulling out a fry. “I just can’t deal with them and court at the same time. It’s too much.”
I knew how she was, so I let that go.
While she ate, I leaned against the counter, my eyes landing on that bottle she’d been holding. The label just had one word on it:Ignite.
“What’s this right here?” I asked, picking it up.
“Massage oil,” she said, her voice muffled by a chicken nugget.
I turned the bottle over, thinking about how my shoulders felt like they were made of stone. “I could really use a massage.”
Nique didn’t even blink. “Nigga, please. I’m trying to eat. Stop being thirsty.”
She went back to her fries, but the sass didn’t stick. The shop went quiet, just the music between us. I watched her and saw it—the way her shoulders dropped under the weight of everything.
“Dex,” she said, her voice losing that edge. She looked up and I saw genuine fear in her eyes. “I’m so nervous about court tomorrow. My stomach has been in knots all morning. What if Henry can’t work his magic?”
I set the bottle down and walked around the counter, stepping into her space. “Everything is gonna be fine. I told you I got you and I meant that.”
She looked down at her hands. “I’ll never be able to repay you for all this, Dex. The lawyer, the clothes, the hotel.”
“Letting me be in your presence without trying to bite my head off is repayment enough,” I said, reaching out to flick her chin.
“At least let me give you some products,” she insisted, trying to regain her footing. “I’ve got new masculine body oils, and my beard oil works wonders. I don’t want you leaving here empty-handed.”
“I already told you what I want,” I said, pointing to the Ignite. “I want that massage.”
Nique bit her lip, looking at me for a long beat. She didn’t push the beard oil again. She just saw the look in my eyes and nodded.
“Lock the door,” she said quietly. “Meet me in the back.”
She didn't have to tell me twice, I went to the front, flipped the sign to Closed, and headed into the back room.
“Take your shirt off,” she said.
I didn't hesitate. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside, taking a seat on the stool. I watched her reach for that bottle. She rubbed her palms together to warm the oil, and when she pressed them into my back, the heat hit me immediately.