Chasing Bliss (9 page)

J.T. nodded. “This I know.”

“Then why is he doin’ this shit to me?”

“Because, whether you want to admit it or not, Cyrus is not a nice person, Chase.”

Chase frowned and shook his head. “I really don’t have time for Cyrus and his nonsense right
now.”

J.T. smiled slow. “I bet you don’t.”

Chase looked around and then leaned toward J.T. “I know I can talk to you about this shit, J.T.
Corey’s still kind of silly. Yo, man, this shit with Bliss is crazy scary. I dreamt about her last night,
and she’s been on my mind since the moment I met her. When I’m around her, I feel like I can’t
get close enough to her. I want to be all up on her. The first thing I did this mornin’ was call her. I
didn’t want to hang up just ‘cause I like the sound of her voice. I want to see her so bad right now.
I…” Chase trailed off when he realized J.T. was smiling at him. “What are you smilin’ at?”

“You act like you think there’s something wrong with you, but there ain’t, Chase. You’re falling
in love with her, stupid.”

Chase blinked. “I guess I knew that. I guess that’s what I meant when I asked her to jump off
the cliff with me.”

J.T. looked at him like his brains were leaking out the side of his head. “Say what?”

“Never mind. It’s a long story.”

J.T. laughed and clapped him on the back. “I’m sure it’s a nice one. Good for you, Chase. You
look scared though. Are you?”

Chase smiled. “Yes and no. I want her, J.T.”

“Then, shit, don’t let anything stand in your way! Get with her and be happy. And just so you
don’t have to say it, fuck Cyrus, Chase.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, man.” Chase sat back in his seat, feeling a little better.

Corey came back and sat down.

J.T. leaned forward and sniffed the air. “You were gone a long time. What did you do, take a
shit or fall in?”

Chase enjoyed the rest of his time with them, and the only time they brought Cyrus back up was
when Chase told them to put him off until Monday. Chase knew he would probably have to see him
Monday, because that was the day Bliss started. They both gave him their word, but Chase knew
Corey was his weak link, and it wasn’t really fair for him. Corey wanted to please them both; he
was always caught in the middle.

Although he’d given him his word, Chase knew if Cyrus applied the right kind of pressure,
Corey would fold like a bad poker hand. Chase wasn’t mad about that, though, for it would at least
buy him some time. Chase left Corey and J.T. at the table, drinking beer and eating cheeseburgers,
and walked outside to his bike. He took his cell phone out and called Dee. “Go ahead and open
Cream up without me. I’ll try and stop by later,” he said. Dee gave him the business, but in the
end, she agreed—and then promptly hung up on him. Then he called Bliss, and she picked up on
the second ring.

“Chase?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“I was just thinking about you.”

He could hear the smile in her voice, and it made him smile too. “Yeah? What were you
thinkin’?”

She laughed, and Chase could feel goose bumps cover his arms. “No way am I telling you
that
.
”

“You busy?”

“Not if you want to see me.”

Chase looked at his watch and smiled. “I really do. See you in twenty minutes.”

******

Ten minutes later, he was ringing her doorbell.

“Who is it?” a female voice that did not belong to Bliss asked.

“Chase.”

Tasha opened the door, and they stood there regarding each other. She was a little taller than
Bliss, medium brown, with dreads that hung down to her ass. She had cowry shells on some of
the locks nearest her face. Tasha was wearing pajamas—burgundy, with a black silk border—and
a pair of black Isotoner slippers. The whites of her large brown eyes were an interesting shade of
pink.

She looked him over, then put her hand on her hip and made the many bangles on her arm jingle
musically. Tasha smiled at him with pretty white teeth that sported a gap in the middle of the two
in front. Her eyes went over him appreciatively. “Chase Brown. Okay…yeah, so you’re
fuckin’ hot
.
Come in.” After he stepped inside, she walked around him in a slow circle, nodding. “Mm-hmm.
Yeah…very nice.”

Chase laughed. “You gonna kick my tires?”

She frowned at him but kept smiling. “You’ve got a smart mouth too. That’s very attractive
coming from a guy who looks like you. Come on into the living room. Sorry about my books all
over the place. Just slide ‘em over and have a seat.”

Chase followed her into the living room, and she was right: There were books everywhere—big,
giant books. Their living room furniture consisted of two very streamlined hot pink leather sofas
that faced each other and glass-top tables. She sat down on one of the sofas, and Chase sat on the
other and put his helmet on the hardwood floor.

Tasha folded her legs under her like a Native American and waved a lighter at him. “Do you
mind?”

He shrugged and smiled, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and his hands clasped
in front of him. “Nah. It’s your house.” He was a little surprised when she lit a joint instead of a
cigarette. The pungent fragrance of exceptional weed filled the air, and Chase couldn’t stop his
eyebrow from going up.

“You’re not going to be judgmental, are you?”

“Nope. Do what you need to do.” Chase looked at the cover of one of the books and then looked
back at the joint in her hand and grinned. “You’re a
neurologist?”

She looked slightly offended, but she didn’t put her joint out. “Yes, I’m a neurologist. That’s a
brain doctor.”

Chase held onto his smile. He’d made her defensive, but he was not about to argue with Bliss’s
roommate about what she did in her spare time. “I know what it is.”

She took another drag and blew the smoke out slow. “I hear you own a few clubs.”

Chase nodded. “Yeah. No big deal.”

“Cream is a big deal. So is Shelter. What kind of bike do you ride?”

“A Ducati.”

She smiled. “If you managed to get Bliss’s little scared ass on a bike, she must really be feeling
you. Matter of fact, your name’s the only thing I’ve been hearing for the past two days.” She
looked at him pointedly. “She’s a nice, sweet girl, Chase.”

Chase was half-expecting the don’t-hurt-my-friend speech, so he wasn’t surprised when he got
it. “I really like her, too, Tasha. I can’t help myself.”

“She’s like my sister.”

“I hear you.”

They stared at each other for a second, and then Tasha leaned over and knocked the ash off her
joint. “So, Mr. Ducati-riding Club-owning Gangster-swagger Cutie Pie, you know where I can get
some good Columbian Gold?”

Chase laughed and let it roll off his back. “I ain’t no drug dealer. Sorry.”

She smiled and stood up. “Good answer. I’ll go get Bliss. She’s getting dressed.” She paused
on her way out of the room. “You’re real cute, and you do seem real nice, but don’t you dare hurt
Bliss, okay? She really is sweet.”

Chase smiled, realizing the weed was making her repeat herself. “Okay, Tasha. I heard you the
first time.”

She gave him a look that said she wasn’t sure if he was flexing on her or not, then decided to let
it go. “I’m glad you did.” She disappeared around the corner and returned five minutes later with
Bliss on her heels, whispering at her fiercely.

“I can’t believe you’re in here smoking reefer with Chase in the house. What’s the matter with
you, Tasha? You’re embarrassing me!”

Chase smiled and stood up.

Tasha looked unperturbed. “Well, shit, he seems liberal enough to me, and he’s not a cop. So
what?”

They entered the room, and Chase forgot Tasha was there. If Bliss had crossed the room any
quicker, she would have been running. She was wearing a pale blue sleeveless blouse and a denim
skirt that stopped mid-thigh, with a flat pair of sandals. Her hair was swept back into a low ponytail
with her bangs framing her pretty face.

If Chase had been unsure of his feelings before, he wasn’t anymore.

Bliss smiled up at him, looking like she wanted to touch him, but she didn’t quite dare.

Chase tucked his thumbs into his back pockets to keep from reaching out and grabbing her.
They stared at each other, smiling like teenagers. Chase felt a little silly, but he couldn’t have
wiped that smile off his face if he tried, and the feeling was obviously, genuinely mutual.

“Damn,” Tasha said from the hallway. “If we ever run out of electricity, we can just plug right
into y’all asses.”

“Jealous!” Bliss said over her shoulder.

“Damn, right, but I ain’t a hater. Y’all go ahead. Just, please, no romance on the sofas. The
stains would never come out.”

Bliss turned around, shocked. “Tasha!”

“Sorry. It’s the herb. Nice to meet you, Chase.” She looked him over one more time and
disappeared down the hall.

They waited until they heard the
click
of her bedroom door closing, and then they were all over
each other, kissing, groping, and touching.

Bliss caught the giggles, but they slowed down when Chase started tugging her blouse out of
her skirt. She laughed and put her hands over his. “Stop, Chase. Wait.”

He kissed her neck. “I can’t help it, Bliss. I’m sorry.” He took his hands off her shirt and slipped
them around her waist.

Bliss put her hands on his biceps and gave them a little squeeze. “I know. I can’t help it either.
Why don’t you take me to the park and buy me an ice cream?”

Chase raised an eyebrow. “Ice cream, huh?”

She smiled at him. “Yeah. I think we might have to cool your ass down, Mr. Brown.” She licked
her top lip with the tip of her tongue.

The small gesture absolutely mesmerized him. “That was cool. Do it again.’

“Maybe later. Let’s go.”

Chase took off his jacket and tossed it on the sofa. It was almost too warm for it, but it took care
of the wind when he was on his bike. Chase followed Bliss out of the apartment and down to the
elevator.

When they stepped inside, Bliss slipped her hand in his. She looked up at him sweetly. “You
don’t mind, do you?”

He grinned at her. “Are you kidding?” he said and kissed the back of her hand.