Sample Sunday | Worth the Risk
Hey, lovers!
Worth the Risk releases soon. ♡
Prepare for the love with the excerpt below:
After you enjoy the sample, check out the cover reveal & deets here: —> https://www.shaniceswint.com/blog/worththeriskcoverreveal ♡
(this sample is lightly edited and may be subject to change before publishing.)
Brielle Taylor
Sitting in More Hair Boutique, I stared ahead in the mirror and admired my new knotless braids. They were long, stopping just above my bottom as I slowly stood up from the uncomfortable styling chair that had my ass numb for the last few hours. Stretching my arms out, I aired a relieved sigh.
“You never disappoint, Savon,” I said, swinging my hair from side to side. Turning slightly, I took in the dynamic shades in the back; about a dozen braids were a mesh of black and blue, blending well with my natural black hair.
“I aim to please,” she beamed. “And you know I’ll always take good care of my girl.” She smiled at me through the mirror, her round, light brown cheekbones on display.
Digging into my crossbody purse, I grabbed my wallet and paid at the front counter, leaving a good tip as always. I remained overly generous with my payments on every visit because Savon’s small, Black-owned business deserved it. She was on the rise, and I loved contributing to her growth.
“See you later, Von. Thank you again,” I said on my way out of the cozy, modern shop. The last time I visited, the walls were pink, and the hairdryers, chairs, and stations were purple. Savon’s renovations matured the place; the white walls, dark, hardwood floors, and black-decorated stations looked great and on some grown woman shit. I loved seeing it.
“And thank you, everyone.” I waved at her hardworking team of four, who never missed a beat.
Whatever they replied with on my way outside was drowned out by intrusive thoughts after I looked down at my vibrating phone. A text message from the bold man who entered my office building, forced his way on the elevator, and nearly demanded my number made me feel a way I couldn’t explain or comprehend. We hadn’t spoken since our first encounter two weeks ago, and now he was… texting me to meet him somewhere?
Neo: 4250 Aloma Ave, right now.
“The nerve,” I mumbled as I approached my car. Though I talked shit to myself over him seemingly telling me instead of asking me to meet him, I typed the address he sent into the GPS. “Twenty-five minutes away,” I noted.
I put on my seatbelt and chewed on my bottom lip. I knew I’d go to the address once I started my car. His magnetic person was hard to ignore, on top of my curiosity urging me to see what he was all about.
During the twenty-five-minute drive to meet him, I questioned myself multiple times until I… just… stopped. To the melodious sounds of India Arie harmonizing about the beauty of brown skin, I cleared my mind and sang my heart out until I pulled into a busted parking lot of cracked concrete and potholes.
“This man led me to the hood,” I mumbled, pulling into the first available spot away from the potholes.
In front of me was a dingy, white corner store. Old signage with spiderwebs and beehives surrounding it read Kevin’s Corner.
To both sides of me were groups of patrons talking and hanging out at two red vintage food trucks, one selling tacos and the other selling ice cream and smoothies.
The consistent business in the store and at the food trucks was impressive for a cloudy Sunday afternoon, especially given the outdated and dingy outlook of the place.
In the rearview mirror, I saw him pointing out a few of the cracks and potholes in the lot to a construction worker with a clipboard. Against my will, I smiled at how serious and professional he appeared.
He wore a navy blue button-up shirt with black slacks and white Air Force sneakers. Even with a durag on, a nose ring, and his ability to not give a fuck who he intimidated or offended, he looked invested and passionate about whatever he was raving over to the contractor.
Suddenly, he looked at my car and met my gaze in the rearview mirror. He didn’t hesitate to walk away from the contractor and approach, his long strides reaching the passenger side in no time.
Neo got in and stared at me for a beat, silent and honestly creeping me the fuck out until he said, “Thank you for coming. I needed to see you.”
“Needed?” I asked, squinting skeptically.
“How are you?” He smiled, nearly blinding me with the gleaming diamond grills on his teeth.
“I-I’m great,” I answered after a second. “And you?”
“Feeling more peaceful now that you’re here.” He nodded.
“But why did coming here sound like a demand, and what if I hadn’t?” I asked.
His smile faded into nothing as our orbs connected. “You’re here, aren’t you? I tested my luck, and it seems to be on my side today.”
This man…
“And why am I here?”
“I needed to see you, and you wanted to see me. You hungry?” He exited the car, walked to my side, and opened the door. “You look beautiful, by the way. I fuck with the braids.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, keeping close to his side as he guided us through a few scattered crowds to the taco food truck. He enclosed me in a personal space without touching me, keeping me guarded from anyone bumping into me.
“Aye, CJ. Let me get a few of those new chicken and mozzarella empanadas to sample,” he said to one of the three workers in the compact truck.
“Coming right up, boss,” CJ returned while taking a customer’s money for their meal. As he washed his hands, I noted an assigned cleaner on board with him, who constantly wiped everything down and cleaned up the stations for the others who made the food. The truck’s exterior wasn’t appealing, but the inside was spotless and organized.
“Boss?” I turned to him and asked, a good excuse to take in his golden brown skin and rough-around-the-edges handsomeness. “What’s the story behind all this?” I waved my hand around.
Neo shrugged. “I invested a lot of money into Kevin’s business last week. Besides working on fixing the obvious with the parking lot, getting the building power washed, painted, and the inside upgraded, I have no fucking idea what I will do next with it. But I visualize bigger and better for the owner, his family who works for him, and myself.”
“Order up, boss. Don’t forget to let me know what you think of these. I gave you some new beef and pepper empanadas to try, too. I hope you enjoy them,” CJ said, handing Neo a red paper food tray with napkins and moist towelettes.
“Preciate you.” Neo nodded, then held his arm out for me. It took me a few seconds to catch on and accept it, allowing him to lead the way to the smoothie and ice cream truck.
On our way over, I breathed in the refreshing breeze, his warm-scented mahogany teakwood cologne, and the savoring food aromas. My arm around his didn’t feel awkward or out of place; how comfortable and natural it was surprised me.
What am I doing?
After we ordered two fruit smoothies, we found an empty picnic table alongside the store, away from everyone else.
“It’s okay, you know,” I said, then sipped from my peach smoothie, pleasantly surprised by its deliciousness. Not judging a book by its cover was accurate for this lot.
Neo stared at me with a smirk playing on his lips, waiting for me to elaborate.
“It’s okay to have those moments of not knowing what’s next or feeling like you don’t know what you’re doing. It sounds like your vision is so big for this that it’s overwhelming you right now. You will figure it out as you go.”
“You got that much faith in me already, woman?” Again, he smiled big, almost blinding me as the sun reflected off his sparkling diamond grills.
“Don’t question it, or I’ll think I shouldn’t.”
#end of sample#
Keep in mind: Worth the Risk is coming soon.
That’s it for now, lovers. ♡
As always, thank you so much for your continued support.
With love, ShanicexLola