Chapter 1 #3
“Says the man reaching down to pick up his daughter.” Harlem playfully mugged him.
They joked back and forth a few times before the doorbell rang.
Kinga immediately looked from Harlem to me before nodding.
“You for sure don’t have to look all nervous for me. Your girl already told me this was a setup. Why do you think I’m drinking up her wine?”
Kinga chuckled and turned his attention to Harlem. “Yo, you can’t hold water.”
“I can, but not when you’re trying to set my friend up,” she called after him then looked at me. “You good?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m not studdin’ that man, and I mean it, Harlem. I’m doing good in therapy and working on myself. I can’t revert for every fine man with some pull. Especially not the str?—”
“Hey, bae.” He greeted me as soon as he turned the corner. Rennix knew he was fine. If his eyes didn’t hold murders, he probably could have been a model. “What’s good, Harlem?” He greeted her with a half hug before advancing to where I was seated.
“I’ll be right back. She needs to be changed.” Harlem leaned down to grab Brooklyn.
“What’s up, Rennix?” I took him in and he not only smelled good, but the man looked good.
Rennix had this rich, mahogany-tinted chocolate skin, highly sculpted cheekbones, a strong jawline masked by a neatly trimmed goatee and beard.
He stood about six foot two with the build of a well-trained basketball player.
He looked like a hoe, the best type too.
That one who would have you waiting for him to bail you outta county because you smashed his windshield for talking to another girl. That type.
“You.”
I shook my head with a smile. The man was smooth, too fucking smooth to be in my face.
He then pulled the stool next to me out and took a seat. “What happened to you showing me your city?”
“I never agreed.”
“Nah but you told me you’d think about it and give me an answer when I called you. I called you and See Thru Kitchen answered. Figured your pretty ass was tryna be funny.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I wasn’t really, but now that you say it, yeah, that was funny.”
“Nah it wasn’t.”
I shrugged. “Well then, I apologize. How are you, Rennix?”
“I’m good. Adjusting.”
“To what? The city?”
He nodded. “Yeah this city has its own vibes and motion. Everything is fast, nothing pacing or slow.”
“I bet. But everything is going well, right?”
“I mean things are cool, except I been tryna be your friend for how long and you been tryna hoe a nigga.”
“I have not. I’m just not into what you’re selling.” I turned my face and looked at him seriously.
“How do you know I’m selling something?”
“That look in your eyes and the way you keep licking your lips when your eyes find their way on everything but my face. You’re handsome, Rennix, but I promise I’m not your cup of tea. I’m crazy, baby. The voices in my head make me bad for a man like you.”
He licked those lips again. “A man like me?” Confusion was etched in those features like I’d recited a riddle.
“The type used to getting his way and having a plethora of girls on your roster.”
“Used to getting my way, probably. But a roster? Nah baby, that ain’t me. I’m a grown ass man not some lil pissy ass boy. I know what I want.”
“And that is?”
“You, and before you tell me you ain’t looking for something serious, neither am I right now.” Damn, he licked those lips again.
I was about to respond, but Harlem and Kinga returned to the kitchen. Him now holding Brooklyn and her holding Kysler.
“Damn Harlem, you didn’t have anything in this race.” Rennix grinned, holding his hand out for Kysler who came straight to him.
“I know. Twins and neither of my kids look like me. Even though I was the one going through hell the entire eight and a half months.” She handed lil mama off and went to wash her hands. As soon as she finished, she was back to moving around the kitchen.
“You weren't the only one going through it. I loved you but couldn’t stand you or them that last month.” Kinga shook his head and I couldn’t help but cackle.
“Yet you asked me to marry you.”
He shrugged. “Told you I couldn’t stand you. Don’t mean I wasn’t irrevocably in love with you.”
Harlem’s natural mug quickly transformed into a big smile.
“Lil lady tell your moms and pops we don’t wanna hear any of that mushy stuff.” Rennix smiled and played with Kysler.
She giggled at him, probably not paying a lick of attention to his words but seeing him giggling and tickling her.
“You’re good with her. You have kids?” I asked, my attention on him. I couldn’t help but let it stay on him.
“Nah. I have twin nephews.”
I nodded. “By your twin brother?” Yep, I was being nosy.
“No, my other one. My baby brother.”
I nodded.
“What? You want a set of twins?” He cut his eyes from baby girl and let them rest on me.
“Uh, no.” My face probably showed how horrified I was and I couldn’t help it. I already had Adonis. I wasn’t looking to have any more kids yet…if at all.
He chuckled. “Damn, you ain’t have to look like that. What, you don’t like kids?”
I shook my head. “It’s not that at all. I actually love kids, my godchildren and my own son included. I’m just not there mentally to have any more kids.”
His eyes were on me again. “You have a son?”
I smiled at the thought. My son was me through and through and nothing of his ratchet ass father. For that, I was grateful. “Yes.”
“How old?”
“Five.”
He nodded. “You fuck wit?—”
“Dinner is served. Or did y’all need more time in here?” Kinga asked, pulling my attention to the fact that it was just me, Rennix, and the baby in the kitchen. Damn, had I gotten that caught up in conversation with this man?
“I’m starving, and ready to eat, so no, we’re good.” I cut my eyes between Kinga and his boy before I got out of my seat. I decided to meet Harlem in the dining room. Of course as soon as I entered she had this big, dumb smirk on her face.
“Good conversation, huh?”
I quickly flipped her off before taking a seat across from her. “I probably should have skipped this setup.”
“Probably, but you’re here now and you like him. I’ve known you forever, so I know you do. Don’t forget I know your tells.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Absolutely no idea.” I shrugged her off and changed the subject.
Of course I was attracted to Rennix, I had eyes, but the fact still stood.
The man was a hoe and I didn’t have time for that.
For the remainder of the night, conversation was light, me purposely trying not to get caught up in the same space alone with Rennix.
His presence was too intoxicating because somehow both times we were in the same space I got lost in him…
yes, lost in him. Even though I was fully aware of who I assumed he was, everything with him and his presence was too easy.
It was like everything else in the room quieted and he was the only person I heard.
It happened that night at his grand opening, then again tonight. He was too easy to talk to.
“Why are you standing out here looking crazy?” His tone was full and his eyes burned a hole through my being.
“Waiting on my rideshare. I didn’t drive tonight.” I offered too much information for my liking.
“The fuck not? You think you ’bouta get in the car with a complete fucking stranger. Hell nah, I’ll take you home.”
“Um, no. I think not.” I was in no position to turn down a ride because my driver had literally just canceled on me. He was the first of three in the last five minutes. The first one was less than a block away, hence why I was standing out here.
He shook his head. “You cute but you too fucking difficult.”
I tilted my head to the side and watched his fine ass walk toward his truck. He didn’t get into the driver’s side, but instead opened the passenger door.
“Get in the car, Caya.” The heaviness in his tone was felt.
Yep, I was definitely difficult because the problematic part of me was not only turned on but I wanted to tell him hell no. “Rennix.”
“You are difficult. I’on give a fuck. Now make some shit rock and come get your ass in this car.”
I didn’t even respond. I gripped my phone and bag on my shoulder, then walked my ass over to the car.
I wasn’t gonna fight him, especially since the three glasses of wine had me tipsy.
Once I was in the car, he closed the door and I watched his rude ass round the vehicle.
Damn he was fine. So fine that I knew I needed to stay away from him.
I couldn’t stress that fact enough, yet here I was watching him get in on the driver’s side while I sat on the passenger side squeezing my thighs together.
“You must be used to messing with the type to let you talk to them crazy.”
“Not at all. I talk how I talk.”
He cut his eyes in my direction before gripping the steering wheel with one hand and his phone with the other. “Yeah right. What are you getting into tonight?”
“My bed.”
He nodded. “Lemme ask you something.”
I nodded. “Ask away.”
“Why are you giving me such a hard time? You passed judgment on a nigga and didn’t even know who I was.”
I shrugged, second guessing my words before they flowed from my lips. I wasn’t used to doing that because no man had ever rendered me speechless or had me tongue tied.
“Keep it a buck with me. Don’t get shy now.”
“First, I’m not shy. But honestly? You don’t give me the type to be tied down in a relationship or be somebody’s man. You’re a free one and the type to get your windows busted a lot in the process.”
It was his turn to shrug. “Maybe you are right about that. I’m grown enough to admit that I’m not looking for a relationship or trying to be anybody’s man.
Thing is, I also ain’t the nigga to be out here lying or giving false hope.
I live my life the way I see fit and do what I want.
If you don’t, you’ll find yourself on your deathbed with regrets.
“You equate a relationship with not living to the fullest?” I couldn’t help but ask.