Pier Pressure

1,689 words

Pier Pressure

Cattails softly swayed in the wind as Darcy looked beyond the horizon. She loved moments like this. Moments where she could enjoy her own solitude.

A deep sigh caught her attention, interrupting her thoughts. A stranger with the same mellow brown skin tone as hers took off his beanie, scrubbing a hand over his face.

Sensing someone’s attention on him, the stranger faced her. “Oh sorry. Didn’t mean to bother you.”

Darcy smiled. “You aren’t. Bothering me, I mean.” Why did the guy look so familiar? Where’d she know him from? Wait… “You’re Xavier’s roommate.” She snapped her fingers, trying to jog her memory. “Tolu, right?” She winced, berating herself. She didn’t want him to think he bared any importance just for being associated with her best friend.

“The very one”

“Well, it’s good to see you again.”

“Really?”

“Well, yeah. It’s hard to forget a face like yours.”

“Really? Huh. Well, thanks for the compliment.”

“You’re welcome.”

A comfortable silence settled between them, allowing Darcy to cast her gaze towards the ground, then back up at the stranger, her breath hitched when she caught sight of the tattoo.

A swirl of musical notes cascaded down his forearm like a visual melody. Staff lines curved and twisted, forming an elegant cascade that danced across his skin. His tattoo was artistic and striking, like music wasn't just something he listened to, but defined him.

Her pulse quickened. She found a like-minded soul who understood music was more than sound; it was a language, a lifeline. The swirling notes suggested movement, rhythm, as if the body itself was an instrument. The beautiful black ink etched onto his skin beckoned her like a sailor to a siren. She itched to trace them with her fingertips to discover what song his soul was singing.

There was something intoxicating about a man whose passion was visible on his sleeves.

Tolu cleared his throat, making her look up to see his lopsided grin. “Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to stare?”

Darcy broke eye contact with him, settling for drawing in the sand. “She did… um…” She met his gaze again, heat sweeping across her cheeks. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“So… what’s your story?” Darcy asked, trying to find a way to fill the awkward silence when a thought demanded her gaze.

She tore her gaze away from Tolu and turned around, her smile crumpling when she remembered the way Xavier pressed a kiss to Lydia’s cheek when they were at this beach the other day. Tender. Loving. With Lydia letting out an excited squeal in response. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes while waves crashed against the rocks.

She wished she could have that. Have someone be that affectionate towards her. Sure, she had her mom, and yes, she had friends. But it wasn’t the same. Two of her best friends were already dating. And the only comfort she had going for her was that Tiwa—her best friend since her freshman year of college—hadn’t found someone yet. But she knew that time would arrive—sooner rather than later—and she hated how their happiness was a reminder of that.

“So… What inspired you to get the tattoo? Or is that too personal?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Tolu looked out into the water, a subdued laugh leaving his lips. “My mom thought it’d be a good idea to pursue an extracurricular activity along with my high school classes. So I chose piano.”

Darcy’s thoughts scattered when Tolu mentioned playing piano. So was he a modern-day Beethoven or a jazz pianist like Sebastian Wilder in La La Land? Her thoughts drifted to him standing in front of a grand piano, getting ready to play. His fingers gliding across the piano with ease, like he had been performing his whole life.

He’d ask her to join, a small smile playing on his lips as she got up from one of the seats from a table of a fancy restaurant. She’d take her place beside him, getting the playful melody of a song wrong while he chuckled, showing her the right keys and how the song went.

“Collins?” He’d whisper her name like she was someone to be devoted, someone to be loved.

“Collins?” The second time he’d say her name, it would be in a playful manner, his soft chuckle making her heart skip a beat.

“Collins.” Tolu waved a hand in front of her face, his deep chuckle reverberating from his chest.

Darcy’s mind snapped back to reality. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Are you still with me? You spaced out.”

“Oh.” Heat traveled across her face. She was doing it again. At least the other person at the end of the conversation wasn’t frustrated with her… for now. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. What you were daydreaming about must’ve been something good. Care to share with the class?”

“My lips are sealed, Tolu…” Her thoughts came up blank. She didn’t know his last name. “I don’t think you ever told your last name.”

“Bamidele.”

“BAH-mee-day-lay. Did I say it right?”

“Perfect, Collins.” His gaze stayed glued to her face, almost hypnotic, taking in her face. “Perfect…” he whispered under his breath like a secret promise.

She angled her body towards Tolu’s, facing him, taking a visible intake of breath. Her heart thumped in her chest, her gaze drifting towards his lips. She let out a soft sigh, her wavy curls brushing against her collarbone. It had been a while since she had braids. Too long in her case. She was itching to try something new, itching to reinvent herself.

But maybe that was due to Williams’ comment. Adira Williams. Even the mere mention of her name caused her to let out a deep sigh. The nerve of her. Calling her Lydia’s henchman—and she was putting her words in a nice font—like she didn’t have a backbone of her own. Like she didn’t have a life of her own. At least outside of being Lydia’s employee for Creative Confections, a bakery Lydia had come to own by way of her parents.

Darcy expelled an audible, cut-off breath. Why couldn’t anyone see her outside of Lydia’s shadow? She was her own person. She had a life. She deserved to be loved, cherished, be the main character for once. A burning sensation formed in her chest, her breathing turning coarser, faster, as her thoughts twisted into a jumbled mess.

“Hey,” a soft voice called out to her, placing a gentle hand on her own. “You good?”

Tolu’s deep, gentle voice—combined with waves crashing as they swept ashore and spread across the sand—pulled her out of her thoughts.

“I’m okay,” Darcy whispered back, her voice barely a whisper as she looked out into the water, children’s laughter a pleasant distraction from the turmoil her thoughts brought.

“You know, if something’s bothering you, I’m here if you wanna talk.”

“For real?”

“For real. Might help talking to a stranger.”

“But you’re an exception. You’re not only not a stranger, but you’re also friends with my friends. How do I know our conversation won’t leave here?”

“You don’t.” Seagulls cried as they dove into the water for food, making the conversation come to a pause. “But what are the odds we’re ever gonna see each other again? Well, outside of you coming over to me and Xavier’s apartment and all.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“So? What’s the verdict?”

“Well, how about we start small? Two truths and a lie? If you guess right, I’ll reveal more as I’m comfortable with and vice versa.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I guess you’ll have to settle for us being strangers.” Darcy stretched her hand out. “Do we have a deal, Bamidele?”

Tolu’s gaze never left Darcy’s, shaking her hand with a confident smile. “Deal, Collins.” He took Darcy’s hand in hers, giving it a firm shake.

Darcy’s gaze traveled to his hands. His fingers were long and slender, yet his palms were calloused from some type of work he did. Maybe he was a carpenter? Maybe he was studying to become a nurse like her younger sister. Whatever the type of work he did, his rugged hands spoke to it. Rugged hands with a softness that surprised her. A softness she wanted more of, craved more of.

“Penny for your thoughts, Collins?” A warm chuckle escaped his lips. “If I didn’t know any better—from the way you’re holding my hand—I’d say you like me.”

Darcy scoffed. “You wish.” She kept her gaze focused on the waves crashing against the shore. “I don’t even like you. I was just…” Admiring your hands. And by extension, you. Because that would mean thinking about you constantly. Which is way worse, honestly.

“Gotta say.” Tolu paused. “That is way worse.”

Darcy froze, heat creeping across her cheeks. Damn it. I said that out loud.

“But don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Darcy turned her head to see him giving a smug grin. She immediately broke eye contact, taking a deep breath as if to calm herself, immediately dropping her gaze towards the speckles of gritty sand sticking to her skin. Using her beach towel, she rubbed the sand particles off her arms. When that didn’t work, she dusted them off, if only to avoid the guy who made her breath catch in her throat.

Tolu gazed at the waves in front of them, letting Darcy take the time to scan his stature.

His relaxed, confident demeanor was like a second skin, reminding her of the weekends she spent looking for seashells with her mom. The crisp, white shirt decorated with blue, tropical palm trees effortlessly hung against his broad shoulders in a way that made her heart flutter. He reminded her of the love interests you’d find in those cheesy Hallmark movies she and her mom watched for R&R. The outfit fit him in a way she couldn’t describe. It made her feel more relaxed, more… excited to spend time with him. Not that she’d tell him that, of course.