For Lovers Only by Alex Hairston Page B

huh? Your message seemed so genuine and straight from your cold heart, you little slut!”
    Joel was pissed because he knew the real reason Renee was calling was to let him know her sister was interested in her old shoes. Then he thought the real reason she called was to rub her happiness in his face.
    Before Joel could even take a moment to calm down his doorbell rang. The ring was so quick and faint that he almost ignored it. Within a few seconds there was a knock at his front door. The knock sounded hesitant and kind of unsure. His first impression was that it may have been a child. Joel raced to the door. He was in such a hurry to get rid of whoever it was that he didn’t even look through the peephole.
    Joel opened the door and in an instant he let go of two-and-a-half years. He thought, Renee Who? What? When? How? And most of all, Why?
    All of his ill feelings dissolved. The past was behind him. He was staring his future directly in the face and she was smiling beautifully right back at him. Joel absolutely loved what he saw.
    Time seemed to be at a complete standstill, allowing Joel and the brown skinned beauty who stood in front of him the opportunity to conduct thorough surveys of each other before their first words were exchanged. His mind raced, etching significant and sufficient details about this angel. Her gleaming almond-shaped eyes expressed an obvious hint of attraction that her glowing smile quickly confirmed. Joel attempted to draw her in deeper with a gaze that conveyed an unmistakable signal of mutual attraction.
    In a soft friendly tone she said, “Hi, my name is Erin McKoy and I just moved in across the hall in 2D.”
    First impressions are long lasting and have a powerful influence when it comes to sparking the flames of passion. Pure chemistry is a key component of physical attraction. Pheromones filled the air and permeated Erin and Joel’s senses.
    Joel extended his hand, taking Erin’s soft hand into his. He gently caressed her hand, looked down at their connection and immediately saw Erin as an extension of himself. They shared the exact same mahogany skin tone.
    â€œHi Erin, I’m Joel Davis. Welcome to the building.”
    Erin maintained eye contact. With her hand still locked in Joel’s sensual grip she said, “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, Joel.”
    â€œIt’s nice to meet you too. I guess you want your hand back, huh?”
    Erin liked the feel of Joel’s hand. “Only if you’re ready to let go.”
    Joel smiled and said, “Umm, not really, but I’ll let go as long as you promise not to go anywhere.”
    Erin gave Joel the prettiest and brightest smile he’d ever seen and said, “Okay.”
    Joel slowly let go of her hand. “You know what?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou’re without a doubt the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all day. Thanks for making me smile.”
    Erin blushed. “Thank you.” She acted as if she wanted to return the compliment, but instead she cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject. “The mailman accidentally left some of your mail in my mailbox. So I thought I’d bring it to you.” Erin handed Joel his mail.
    He looked down and said, “Thanks. It’s been hot and muggy all day. You wanna come inside for a cold drink?”
    Erin was typically shy and felt that she had already been forward enough. It had taken a few minutes for her to build up the courage just to knock on his door. She didn’t think that it was appropriate to come inside so soon. With apprehension she said, “No, I’m fine.” She quickly picked up on the look of disappointment in Joel’s eyes. She needed a way to restore his faith. “I need to run back downstairs and bring in a few boxes ... three huge boxes, ” Erin said with a little sly grin.
    Joel caught the hint. He licked his lips and asked, “You need any