In the kitchen, a mess of cups and glass bottles cluttered the counters. It was late, and the house was finally settling down. The lights under the cupboards cast the room in a soft glow. A plate of cold lamb skewers remained on the island. Dishes filled the sink. The washer ran in the background. Jamal stayed up late cleaning but left some things for tomorrow.
Before their night ended, Aliyah brought Kelvin into the kitchen to talk. She began throwing away cups and collecting bottles when they walked in. Cleaning was a nervous habit.
Kelvin sat at the island, holding an icepack against his brow. The stool squeaked under him. The leather cushion was soft like the seats in her Escalade.
“So.” She shut the refrigerator door. “I have good news and bad news, but I kinda have to tell you the good news first.”
Kelvin put his icepack down. “Alright, hit me with it.”
“I want to see you again.”
The stool almost tipped over with how fast he stood up. “Awesome. What’s the bad news?”
She smiled at his excitement. She wanted to share in it, but other things weighed on her mind. Like her house.
“It might be a while. Summers can be tough, and I can’t have any distractions, especially now. I won’t be able to reach out until after I’ve booked enough to, well, pay my bills.”
Kelvin nodded along. “Yeah, I get it. You gotta work. It’s cool. That’s why I like you.”
She leaned against the fridge and folded her arms. She didn’t think he was taking it seriously.
“Okay, but I need you to know, that means there can’t be any contact between us. At all. That’s my process. I don’t even want to think about you.”
He chuckled and looked down. “No, I get it. Work comes first, and I’m for it. You’re talking to a fan, remember? A big one. I don’t want to sound creepy, but I know you, you know? I know a lot of the guys in your life— they didn’t last because they couldn’t handle your schedule. I don’t wanna be like that. I can wait to see you again. Obviously.”
She pursed her lips to avoid saying something sarcastic. At that moment, she didn’t know if it’d sound doubtful or flirty.
“You’re like the biggest star to me,” he added, “I just want to be in your orbit.”
She huffed then put a hand on her hip. “Well, that was quite the line. Did you have that one ready?”
He giggled. “I think I got it from one of your movies.”
The flutter in her stomach returned. She kept putting up her guard, and he kept knocking it down. Both her actor side and her real side agreed: he needed to go.
“Just one more thing,” he said, “I don’t want to overstep, but if you change your mind about me, for whatever reason, I’m hoping I can still see you just one more time before I go back to school. This was the best way to start a summer, and I won’t believe it by the end if I can’t see you again.”
She sighed and folded her arms once more. “Well, I really hope it doesn’t take all summer to find work.”
He grimaced. The regret showed on his face. She realized she took it wrong after the fact.
“No, that’s not what I meant. Sorry. I was just saying, if another tabloid comes out, or if maybe someone talks you out of it. Like Tiffany. I can tell I’m a liability, and the last thing I want to do is hurt your career.”
She cocked her head. When she pushed, he didn’t push back. She wasn’t used to that.
“You won’t. I can handle it.”
Tiffany appeared in the doorway then. The clack of her heels followed her up the hallway. Initially, she seemed upset that Kelvin was still over, but she moved past it without too much trouble.
“There you are.” She tucked her tablet under her arm. “I wanted to remind you of your appointment in the morning. Laura wants to do brunch. And it’s getting late.”
Aliyah unfolded her arms. “Thank you. Yeah, Kelvin was just leaving.”
“Should I walk him out?”
“No,” he interrupted, “I know the way. I can see myself out.”
“You okay to drive?” Aliyah asked, “How’s your head?”
“It’s fine, yeah. He just grazed me. That’s it.”
Tiffany bit her tongue as the two said their goodbyes. Aliyah’s tone had changed since she caught them in the hallway. Before, her client sounded unsure of the evening. Now, she seemed sad it was over.
Kelvin straightened his shirt. “Hopefully I’ll see you soon.”
“Yeah, hopefully.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks, Kelvin. Drive safe.”
When he left, he also wished Tiffany goodnight, thanking her for a great party.
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