Extraordinary Love

Chapter 6

Song: Emotions by Mariah Carey

Christopher

Aaliyah knocked on the car window, pulling Chris' attention away from his phone. He jumped a little in his seat, feeling like he had been caught beating his meat.

She eyed him over and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"You know," Aaliyah put her hand on her hip, "stalking is a felony."

In hindsight, maybe waiting outside her workplace all "Perfect Man"-like hadn't been the best move.

His face was heating up. Sheepishly, he replied, "Well, I knew you probably didn't have a ride home and I didn't have anything else to do so..."

She softened up a little.

"Have you been out here all day?"

"Nah. I went home first, got some food, and came back. Are you hungry?"

He produced a Penn Station paper bag out of the passenger seat, holding it up.

The tension wasn't thick but it was still there as she settled into the car, accepting the ride and the sandwich. He didn't know what she'd like so he ordered a Philly cheesesteak. She seemed to enjoy it the way she dug in. He didn't want to interrupt but had to ask her where he was taking her.

"Where you live?"

"Harlem."

His head snapped around.

"You walked to the Upper East Side from Harlem? But better yet, you were gonna walk from Harlem to Downtown Manhattan? Damn you crazy."

Aaliyah smacked her lips, putting her food trash back in the bag. "You don't even know me."

"I mean, damn, I'm trying."

She sat back and thought about that. She seemed so determined to keep him out.

Changing the topic of conversation, Chris asked, "So, how was your day?"

She eased up. "Not that bad actually. I just ran some errands and did an interview."

"Mm, that's cool. Who'd you interview?"

"Mariah Carey, about her latest shoot with her kids and the album and the break up of her engagement... et cetera." She spoke with her hands.

"The Mariah Carey?"

Trey had always had this crush on Mariah Carey when they were younger; ironically, Chris was always more of an Aaliyah type of guy.

"The one and only."

"Can't she not sing anymore or something?"

Aaliyah laughed.

"I honestly don't know or care. Either way, I think she'll always be a legend."

"You're a fan?"

"Yeah! I love 'We Belong Together', 'Touch My Body', 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', and my all-time favorite is 'Emotions':
You've got me feelings emotions
Deeper than I've ever dreamed of
You got me feelings emotions
Higher than the heavens above!"

"Wow."

"What?" She laughed as he looked at her surprised.

"I didn't know you could sing."

"It's really something I only do in the confinements of my shower, but I don't tell if you don't ask." She looked out the window.

"You're something else, you know that?"

"This is only the beginning."

"I hope so."

"Where are we?" Aaliyah asked, turning around with a look of confusion on her face.

Chris looked up. Talking to Aaliyah, he had been driving on autopilot and made his way home.

A storm was quickly approaching and the weather wasn't lightening up anytime soon.

Before he could answer her, the radio started blaring the storm signal, warning that it had already reached Harlem and was heading their way.

Looking at Aaliyah, Chris suggested, "You could come in--as friends."

"No one should have to sit alone in their apartment waiting out a storm like it's Hurricane Katrina," he thought. She would be completely stranded until the storm let up--if it let up.

She gave him a skeptical look. "Should I? You don't know me and I don't know you. Who's to say the second I step inside, your tall ass isn't waiting on me all Michael Myers-like, ready to slash me up?"

"I guess you'll just have to come inside and see," he shrugged, "Your choice."