I sighed. This didn’t make any sense. We’d come to Charlotte for the MEAC, and we’d seen a few basketball games, but at night, Dru dragged me from one hotel lobby to another. It was crazy. These weren’t official parties, but the people were hanging out like they were.

“Why are you moping around?” Dru asked.

“I’m not,” I practically screamed back just so she would be able to hear me. “I just don’t get this. One hotel lobby looks like another. Why are we hotel hopping?”

“Because this is part of the fun of being in Charlotte.”

“And this is why I probably never came here before.”

"I’m not going to let you wear your Debbie Downer facade today. This was a great idea to get out of New Orleans. We need to celebrate almost being halfway through college.”

“And I have no problem with that kind of celebration. But hanging out in hotels is not my idea of celebrating anything.” I paused taking in the sight around me. There were dozens and dozens of men and women in the lobby, sectioned off in groups, holding cups in their hands, bobbing their heads, some even dancing to Alicia Keyes singing "No One," her voice flowing through the hotel’s speakers. It was like we were truly in the middle of a club. “This looks like Freaknik with just a little more class.” Then, I did a slow 360 spin taking in every corner. “Did I say class? Let me take that back.”

Dru laughed. “I think Freaknik is a great comparison. But if you don’t want to freak anyone, that doesn’t mean I can’t. And as a matter of fact....” She smoothed down her tube top, then said, “You see that honey over there?”

I followed Dru’s glance to a guy so tall, I wondered if he was one of the players.

“Yeah, he’s purple and gold,” she continued, commenting on the wife beater he wore. “I’m gonna go holla at him. Why don’t you find a seat over there?” She waved her hand in the general vicinity of the lobby’s couches and when she went switching off, I sighed again.

What I really needed to do was get back to our hotel, but I didn’t want to leave Dru out there like that. We’d come together and we were gonna leave together. Those were the rules.

There wasn’t a free seat in the lobby and I began to think that maybe rules were meant to be broken —- for tonight. But just as I had that thought, two girls stood up. I raced to the sofa, sat down, just as a new song came on over the speaker.

“I’m lost without you....”

“Would you mind if I sat here?”

“Can’t help myself....”

At first, I was mad. This song had caught me and I wanted to listen, uninterrupted. But then, I looked up and into the face of a man who made me take a deep breath. There were so many things that made this guy so fine, starting with the chocolate tone of his skin that was clear, smooth. I loved a black man; his coloring was a beautiful contrast to the cinnamon tint of mine. And then, he had these dimples on full display.