Chapter 2

Three weeks after the Beyonder’s appearance in Jalen’s bedroom, 25-year-old Sydney Swanson was attending a big birthday party for one of her boyfriend’s coworkers, Lonnie Wright.

The mansion Lonnie had rented for his 30th birthday was built for decadence. It could accommodate over a hundred guests with catered food, an open bar, a hot tub, a pool, and even a basketball court in the back. Sydney should’ve been impressed. Instead, she felt ... nothing.

Sydney’s boyfriend, Greg Dalton, worked with Lonnie at the same car dealership and both were good salesmen. She’d been dating Greg for two years now, and he checked all the boxes her parents wanted for her: stable job, no trouble with the law, and religious (at least on the surface). Lately, though, Greg seemed more interested in work, playing golf, and getting drunk on weekends.

Sydney shifted her weight from one foot to the other, holding a drink in her hand. She nodded at the appropriate moments as Greg rambled on about golf clubs with his coworkers. She wasn’t really listening. The party was in full swing as music thumped through the mansion’s high ceilings, laughter and conversation filled the air.

Outside by the pool, a group of women dipped their feet in the water while a few guys showed off diving tricks. Sydney should have been enjoying herself. Instead, she was bored out of her mind.

Greg, already tipsy, was in his element, laughing, gesturing wildly, and talking about his backswing as if it were the single most important thing in the world. His shirt was slightly wrinkled and clung awkwardly to his midsection as he raised his drink, laughing like the party was his.

He hadn’t even seemed to notice how stunning Sydney looked tonight despite the fact that she turned heads from everywhere when they arrived. Probably because by now, Greg had taken her for granted as the woman he assumed he’d marry whenever he felt like proposing.

She had spent well over an hour getting ready and for what? To stand around and listen to Greg talk about a sport she couldn’t care less about?

This was the man her mother swore up and down would be the ideal husband, but for the life of her, Sydney couldn’t see it.

She sighed softly, barely paying attention as her blue eyes drifted over the crowd.

Then she saw him.

A man she had never seen before. He was a tall black guy with a caramel chocolate complexion. He had this effortless confidence in the way he moved. It was relaxed and smooth, like he knew exactly who he was without trying too hard.

He walked up to the bar talking with Lonnie Wright, reaching for the bourbon as his broad shoulders anchored his frame. The way his hand wrapped around the bottle was so casual, but something about it felt incredibly attractive.

Sydney couldn’t keep her eyes off him. She stole as many glances as she could, taking in his solid build, fresh buzzcut, and well-groomed beard. Each time, her stomach fluttered, which was an unfamiliar sensation, but not unwelcome.

She had never been with a black man before. The thought flickered across her mind unprompted, and she immediately pushed it aside. That wasn’t what this was about. It was just ... he was attractive. Plain and simple.

Greg was still talking, completely oblivious to the fact that Sydney’s attention was entirely on another man.

The man poured himself a bourbon and glanced in her direction with those dark brown eyes. Their eyes met, and Sydney felt it. It was a spark like something unspoken and warm but also undeniable.

She looked away quickly, pretending to focus on her drink. Her heart was beating a little faster.

What was that?

He didn’t say anything. He simply stirred his drink, taking a slow sip, while his gaze drifted back to the party. For some reason, that made Sydney want to speak first.

Jalen Moss hadn’t expected anything unusual tonight. Lonnie had invited him out to celebrate his birthday, and Jalen figured it’d be a good chance to relax, have a drink, and maybe shoot around on the basketball court in the back.

He had been standing by the bar pouring himself a bourbon and ginger ale cocktail. He and Lonnie were talking about a girl they both knew back in grade school that recently sent Lonnie a DM to Lonnie asking if he wanted to link up sometime.

That’s when Jalen’s eyes caught a flash of vibrant red across the room ... and something had shifted.

She stood near a group of guys, the form-fitting red dress stopping mid-thigh and highlighting curves that immediately commanded his attention. The sweetheart neckline drew his gaze upward to her fresh-faced beauty and cascading blonde waves.

It wasn’t just an attraction. He’d seen plenty of beautiful women in his life, but this was different. The moment his eyes landed on this woman, his whole body reacted. An invisible force pulled at him, deep in his gut. His heart dropped into his stomach.

Then, suddenly, he realized ... She was one of them. She was one of the eight women the Beyonder had told him about. Jalen’s grip tightened on his drink. Maybe it hadn’t been a dream after all.

Shit, he thought.

The Beyonder mentioned that Jalen would know when he encountered one of them, and it seemed he was right. The sensation was unmistakable. It wasn’t just desire. It was like his soul had been tuned to hers without his permission.

He had glanced over, noticing the tipsy white dude next to her. The guy had been talking loudly, deep into some seemingly boring-ass conversation. Jalen put it together. She came with him.

So now what? Was he supposed to just steal her away from her man? That wasn’t really his style. Jalen never meddled in other people’s relationships and certainly never made a move on a girl he knew was supposed to be taken.

He then remembered the Beyonder’s words about destiny. Wasn’t that the whole point of this? The Beyonder had given him a mission. This girl was part of it.

Jalen took a slow breath and turned back towards the bar, collecting himself. He still wasn’t sure how he was supposed to navigate this. The Beyonder had been clear: Don’t lie, don’t deceive, but don’t tell them the truth. A near-impossible balance.

Lonnie noticed that Jalen’s eyes were looking elsewhere, and he turned and immediately saw who Jalen was eyeing and smiled.

“Oh, you eyein’ girl over there in the red?” he said amused.

Jalen shrugged. “Couldn’t help but notice.”

Lonnie chuckled. “She came with one of my coworkers. Dude named Greg, who I don’t really fuck with like that, but I invited him because I invited the whole sales team.”

Jalen nodded.

“I’mma go see what’s happening outside,” Lonnie said, lightly tapping Jalen on the chest, “I’ll holla ‘atchu later. Make sure you enjoy yourself.”

“Aight, later.” Jalen responded, giving him one last fist bump before Lonnie walked off.

When he looked back over, Jalen suddenly realized that the woman had moved near him, grabbing a bottle of vodka. Jalen tried to act natural and had poured himself another drink. Then suddenly, she spoke.

“So, what are you drinking?”

Jalen turned to her, locking eyes with her for real this time. Up close, she was even more striking. She stood poised, confident, and yet a little restless.

Jalen smiled slightly, lifting his glass.

“Bourbon and ginger ale.” His voice was smooth, casual. “You?”

She swirled her drink, the ice clinking against the glass. “Vodka cranberry.”

Jalen nodded. “Classic.”

She smiled, biting the inside of her lip slightly, as if holding back something.

“You here for Lonnie?” she asked, turning her body ever so slightly toward him.

“Yeah. Known him since high school,” Jalen said. “You?”

“My boyfriend, Greg, works with him.” She nodded toward her boyfriend, who was still completely distracted, talking about golf swings and iron clubs.

Jalen chuckled. “Yeah, I figured.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What gave it away?”

Jalen leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough for only her to hear.

“The fact that you looked bored as hell when I saw you standing near him earlier.”

She laughed, a real, genuine laugh. It seemed to catch her by surprise. She took another sip of her drink, her cheeks looking slightly warmer now.

She leaned against the makeshift bar. Her blood red acrylic nails lightly traced the rim of her glass, completely absorbed in her conversation with Jalen. It was clear she felt something was different with him. Not just in how he looked, but in how he carried himself.

“I’m Jalen,” he said, offering a hand.

“Sydney,” she replied, smiling and shaking his hand.

Her hands were very soft, and her smile only pulled Jalen in more. His curiosity about her only grew.

“So, what do you do?” she asked.

“I own my own contracting business.” Jalen said, swirling the drink in his glass. “I mostly do residential work like home renovations and custom builds. Every now and then, I’ll take on a commercial job, but I like sticking to houses.”

Sydney’s lips parted slightly in genuine admiration. “That’s really impressive.”

Jalen chuckled, shaking his head. “I mean, it’s work. Gotta deal with tight budgets, slow permits, and clients who change their minds every five minutes.”

Sydney smiled, her bright red lipstick on full display. “So, you’re telling me people think they know what they want, and then halfway through, they suddenly want something completely different?”

Jalen laughed. “Every damn day.”

Sydney tilted her head. “Okay, I have to ask, what’s the worst client you’ve ever had?”

Jalen exhaled dramatically. “Oh, easy. There was this one lady, rich as hell, lived in Buckhead. Hired me to renovate her kitchen. Halfway through, she decides she wants ‘something more modern.’ So, I say fine, we adjust the plans. Then, two weeks later? She changes her mind again. Wants it ‘classic’ now. We go back to square one. We finish, she loves it, everything’s good. And then...”

Sydney leaned in. “And then?”

Jalen shook his head with an amused sigh. “She sells the house three months later.”

Sydney gasped. “You’re lying.”

“I wish I was,” he replied.

Sydney burst into laughter, and Jalen felt something unexpected. He liked making her laugh.

She glanced down at her drink, smiling to herself before meeting his gaze again.

“Your job sounds way more interesting than mine.”

Jalen raised an eyebrow. “What do you do?”

Sydney sipped her vodka cranberry before answering. “I work in marketing and communications for a law firm.”

Jalen nodded. “Sounds like a solid gig.”

Sydney shrugged. “It’s fine, but let’s be honest, your work actually changes things. You can walk into a house, see the work you did, and know you made an impact. My job is ... emails, flyers, ad campaigns, and making the partners at the firm look good.”

Jalen smiled. “That why you look so bored?”

Sydney bit her lip again, shaking her head with a smile. “I’m not bored anymore.”

Jalen felt that. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The sounds of the party faded into the background, and then the conversation turned more personal.

Sydney tilted her head slightly. “Did you always know you wanted to do contracting?”

Jalen hesitated, then shook his head.

“Not really. I mean, I liked building things as a kid, but I didn’t think about it seriously until I got older. I went to Georgia Perimeter College, got my associate’s degree, and started working under my uncle. I learned the trade and made connections. Eventually, I figured if I was doing the work, I might as well start my own business.”

Sydney smiled. “I admire that. You built something for yourself.”

Jalen nodded, then turned the question on her. “What about you? Did you always want to do marketing?”

She exhaled softly. “Honestly? No. I mean, I was always good at writing and public speaking, so it made sense, but really ... my parents wanted me to have a ‘stable career.’ Something ‘respectable.’”

Jalen raised an eyebrow. “And marketing at a law firm checked that box?”

Sydney gave a wry smile. “To them? Yeah. Stable job, good benefits, decent money, but it’s not exactly what I’m passionate about.”

Jalen studied her for a moment, noticing something in her voice.

“Let me guess. Your parents had a plan for you?”

She scoffed, shaking her head. “Oh, absolutely. My parents are ... traditional, to put it lightly. They wanted me to find a nice, ‘respectable’ man, get married, settle down.”

Jalen glanced toward Greg, who was now laughing loudly at something one of his coworkers had said. Greg briefly turned to Sydney and waved. She returned a half-hearted wave before Greg turned back to his conversation.

She caught the look on Jalen’s face and smiled. “Yeah, I know.”

Jalen leaned on the bar, studying her. “And what about what you want?”

Sydney hesitated, seemingly unsure how to answer.

Before she could, Jalen shifted slightly and spoke again. “My dad had a plan for me too, before he passed.”

She blinked. “Oh.”

Jalen realized what he had just said and almost wished he could pull the words back. It wasn’t something he brought up casually, but with Sydney, it had just ... come out.

Her expression softened. “Jalen, I’m so sorry.”

Jalen shrugged, keeping his voice even. “It was a long time ago. I was ten when it happened.”

Sydney’s face looked more sympathetic. She placed her drink down, facing him fully now. “What was he like?”

Jalen let out a small breath, looking down for a second before answering. “Tough, but fair. He worked hard. Construction, mostly. Always told me to ‘do something real.’ Build something that lasts. That’s probably why I ended up in contracting.”

Sydney smiled gently. “Sounds like a good man.”

Jalen nodded. “Yeah. He was.”

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

Sydney really looked at him now with her expressive eyes. She looked like she was being pulled closer to him in a way she didn’t quite understand. How could she?

Jalen felt it too. That invisible force, the one the Beyonder warned him about, was growing stronger. He had thought this mission would just be about sex and completing some cosmic duty to father eight children.

Right now, though, he wasn’t even thinking about that. He was genuinely interested in and intrigued by Sydney.

He remembered the Beyonder’s rules to not deceive or manipulate, but what was this? What was he doing right now? Was he being honest or being tempted? Was Sydney interested in him because of him or because fate made her interested? Jalen’s head was spinning from all of this.