Chapter 13
Two Months Later
I looked up from the book I was reading and frowned.
In the time that I’d been at Arrow’s place, if it wasn’t Boss, no one came by, so when there was a knock at the door, I was skeptical about who it was. I didn’t know anyone in Rushin Mills, and I was 100 percent sure Arrow and Boss were together. The knocks sounded louder, and I hurried to the door so whoever it was wouldn’t wake Hendrix.
Since the peephole was higher than what I could reach on my tiptoes, I pulled the door open.
“Girl, what took you so long?”
An unknown woman pushed past me and welcomed herself into the house.
“Excuse me.” I stepped in front of her and looked down at the bag in her hand. “Can I help you?”
“Oh, my bad, baby.” She held out her hand. “I’m Jalanea. Arrow hired me to get you together for tonight.” She lifted the bag in her hand like I was supposed to know what she was talking about.
I frowned because he hadn’t told me about any plans.
This was why I needed a cell phone because I wanted to call him. He’d mentioned getting me one, but I never thought I would need one. He and I were always together, and I only talked to him, so it made no sense. Now, though, it seemed as if it was an inconvenience.
Although Jalanea smiled, I could tell the lack of reaction from me had her on edge.
“Sorry about that. I’m just a little caught off guard. Arrow hadn’t mentioned anything about an evening. What do you need from me?”
“Sounds like that big hunk of man wanted to surprise you, mama. I’m here for hair, nails, and makeup. He said there is a room next to the kitchen we could take over?”
I smiled, closed the front door, and led her to the room he deemed my craft room.
“Can I get you some water or anything before we get started?”
She asked for a water and asked if it was okay for her to listen to music while she worked.
Once Jalanea was all set up and ready to go, she worked through my hair and makeup with an unmatched speed. When she got to my nails, I didn’t know the route I wanted to go because I had to think about Hendrix and how active he was becoming, but I had to admit that the social media girlies made long nails look like a good time. When I couldn’t decide, she decided to put on a pair of press-on nails she’d created, and I instantly fell in love. I could have them on for my night with Arrow, but didn’t have to worry about hurting my baby. When it was all said and done, I looked like a brand-new woman, and had my makeup not been done, I would have teared up.
I looked good, and I hadn’t felt this beautiful in years.
“Damn, girl! You look good.” Jalanea walked a full circle around me and fanned at me.
I laughed and said, “He had you do all of this, and I don’t have a clue as to what he has planned. I don’t have the proper attire for going out.”
“Well, word around the clubhouse is that he has a few more people showing up. Your makeup is neutral, so it’ll match with whatever outfit you choose. The only thing he hasn’t let slip was where he was taking you.”
I laughed because even if he had, I wouldn’t have wanted to know.
No one really knew this about me, but I loved surprises. Arrow going out of his way to put a smile on my face was very on brand for him. Since meeting him, I could tell he cared about the way I saw the world—it actually meant something to him.
Jalanea giggled and cleaned up the mess we made.
“Thank you again for this. Hold on a sec’ so I can tip you.”
“You’re welcome and no need. My tab and tip have been handled by Arrow already. Let me get out of here. I have to pick my daughter up from school, and I need to stop at the store first.”
“Oh, okay!” I laughed. “Okay, thank you again!”
I walked Jalanea to the door, and there was another lady pulling into the driveway.
The two did air kisses before separating. This woman had four garment bags draped over her arm, and I knew my outfit for tonight would be in one of those bags. When she climbed the stairs, she looked at me from head to toe and hummed. I looked down and suddenly felt self-conscious.
Instead of greeting me, baby girl tried to walk past me into the house, so I stepped in front of her and blocked her access.
“Excuse you. Do you mind moving?”
“I do when you come into my space without at least a hello. I’m not sure who pissed in your cereal, but it wasn’t me, so you can dismiss the attitude, or go on about your way. That kind of energy will not cross this threshold.”
“You do know that this ain’t your shit, right? You are a pawn. Arrow is simply using you to make Izzy jealous.”
Although I would never show it, her words struck a nerve, but instead of showing how much it did, I smiled.
Over these last two months, Arrow had never shown me that I wasn’t it for him. By her words, I knew she was friends with Izzy and trying to make things seem a different way than they were. It was messy and uncalled for, but her intention was clear. We had a stare off before an idea came to me, and I grinned. She looked at me like I was psycho, and that was okay because behind Arrow, I’d be that.
I crossed my arms over my breast and popped my hip.
“Call Arrow so we can check if he’s using me to make your friend jealous.”
“You’re doing too much?—”
“Well, you’re not doing enough. Either you can call him, or I can, but one way or another, he’ll be on the phone.”
I was praying she wouldn’t call my bluff because I had no way of reaching him by phone.
Silently, I let out a breath when she sucked her teeth and pulled out her cell phone. It took longer than it should have for her to call him, but I could see her texting. She was probably talking to Izzy and speaking negatively, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t bother nobody, so she shouldn’t have approached me with an attitude.
“Everything straight, Steph?” Arrow asked after the first ring.
“Not really. Your house guest is blocking me from entering your house. Can you tell her to move so I can do what you paid me to do.”
Arrow chuckled, but it wasn’t the one he used when he actually found things funny.
“Nah. You can go. I also expect a full refund since you won’t be fulfilling your services.”
Three beeps sounded, and Steph’s mouth dropped as she stared at her cell phone.
I chuckled, turned around, and walked into the house. For too many years, I allowed a man that was supposed to love me, do whatever he could to hurt me. Now that I had set myself free, I refused to put up with crap from a stranger. Closing the door on her felt good.
Now to figure out what to wear since my choices never made it through the door.
“Yeah, put that over there.”
I groaned as I stretched and frowned because when had I fallen asleep?
“This looks real good.” There was a pause before I heard a loud smack. “You being real selfish! Y’all not even gon’ eat all of this.”
“Keep your hands out of the food until she sees it.”
Boss called Arrow a simp, and then the sounds of wrestling met my ears, and I could only shake my head.
Boys .
I looked to my left, and Hendrix was still knocked out, so I couldn’t have been asleep too long. Climbing out of bed, I rushed to the bathroom to empty my bladder and to make sure I hadn’t ruined all of Jalanea’s hard work. When I reached the bathroom, there was a beautiful purple gown hanging on the door. I gasped and gingerly touched the beaded material. It was a strapless gown that didn’t look like I’d be able to get all of me into.
When had he come in here to drop this off?
“You do know I don’t have to be here, right?”
Arrow chuckled and replied, “Stop crying and help me. How you the oldest but cry more than me?”
“See how that go? You be mean and then turn around and need me.” Boss scoffed. “I think I need to take a second to get my feelings together. Being used doesn’t feel right.”
I cracked up because, like his little brother, Boss was truly a character.
Instead of continuing to eavesdrop, I freshened up and was a little sad that doing so ruined my lips. However, I planned to show up and show out, so that meant brushing my teeth. Once I was done in the bathroom, I slipped on a piece of lingerie I’d gotten a couple of days ago. It was funny how Arrow had planned this whole evening, and I had plans to make his night special as well.
I had enough milk pumped that I could enjoy my night and the man that stole my heart.
“Glad you’re awake.”
I jumped at the sound of Arrow’s voice and turned to face him.
“You scared me. I swear, for you to be so big, you don’t make no noise when you move.”
He smirked and licked his lips.
“That’s not all the way true, now is it?”
I grinned and rolled my eyes because this man sure knew how to be annoying.
Arrow crossed the room, kissed Hendrix’s cheek, then came to me to deliver a kiss to my shoulder, neck, and jaw. I leaned into him. He wrapped his arm around my waist, and we swayed to the music that only we could hear. Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and I turned in time to see Boss enter the room. He blew me a kiss as he picked Hendrix up from the bed. Arrow scoffed, but Boss paid him no mind.
I touched my shoulder for Arrow to zip up the dress I’d surprisingly slid into like butter.
“Now, I want you to have her home by ten. The only thing that’s open later than that is legs, and that’s not you, right, sis?”
“Right.” I giggled and sat on the bed so Arrow could strap on the silver heels that had been set out next to the dress.
“And you say I’m annoying. I wonder where I get the shit from.”
I tossed my head back and cackled.
For Arrow and Boss to be ten years apart, seeing them together would make one think that only ten minutes separated them. Once I was settled and ready to go, I tried to give Boss instructions for Hendrix, but Arrow had beat me to it. Seeing him take charge over me and my son had me hot all over and ready to say forget this night out. However, I wouldn’t because we never really got time for just us, and I couldn’t wait for that. Arrow led me down the stairs, and the moment my foot hit the bottom step, my mouth hit the floor.
It looked as if we’d stepped into a five-star restaurant instead of the formal dining room.
“Arrow…” I followed him into the dining room and smiled, seeing the hard work that had gone into this night. “When did you even have time to do this?” I whispered.
Things at the shop had been hectic, and it had him busier than normal—which was my main reason for wanting to spoil him tonight.
“When it comes to you and making you happy… nothing will ever get in the way of me showing up when it matters. Work has kept me preoccupied, so this is my way of showing you that I still see and appreciate you.” He pulled out my seat, helped me sit down, and kissed my lips. “Tonight, I plan to thank you for keeping me levelheaded and being my peace.”
I didn’t want to cry, but his words touched a part of me that I was sure God reserved just for him.
“Well, it seems we both had the right idea about tonight. However, sir, you will have to wait until later to see what I have planned for you.”
Arrow leaned over me, causing his lips to hover over mine. Tasting him created an impatience in me that I never experienced before, so I sat up to kiss him, but he pulled back. We did that a couple of times before I huffed, ready to push him away. Yet before my irritation could fully settle in, Arrow’s lips touched mine, and everything was right in my world.
Helix Miller was truly God’s favor in human form.