Chapter 4 Bishop #2
The thing was, I didn’t have to. Rook had taken one look at the two of us in the club and given me shit about it as soon as we were alone, making it clear he thought the two of us were interested in each other.
So, of course, when I’d made it known that we had a meeting he’d made it his duty to joke about our ‘little date’.
I hadn’t confirmed or denied anything and I hadn’t given away any specifics of what we’d spoken about. It wasn’t anyone’s business.
“Where the fuck is this coming from?” I asked.
“Well, he’s walking this way so if you want to talk to that nigga, you better tighten up.”
“What?”
“You heard what I said, B.” Rook lifted his water to his mouth as Asante walked up to us. Rook grinned behind his bottle. “What’s up, Asante?”
“What’s up?” He gave Rook and me each one quick head nod before he maneuvered around us and to a treadmill five down.
My brother looked from him to me but didn’t comment. He walked over and tapped Wes who slid his headphones back and around his neck.
“What’s up?”
“We’re good on cardio. Come spot me on the weights.”
“Yeah, alright.” Wes stopped his treadmill and Rook hit me with the back of his hand before the two of them left me standing alone.
I looked over at where my brother was then over at Asante.
I hadn’t messaged him on purpose. I knew that.
It had been a deliberate decision but shit, seeing him in person was different.
Now that I saw him, I felt bad about ghosting him.
I was an adult. I could have sent a fucking text and told him that I wasn’t interested but I hadn’t.
Asante seemed like a good dude and it was obvious he was, at least, annoyed by my behavior from the way he’d brushed us off after being so welcoming before.
I exhaled and walked over to where Asante was breaking into a slight jog. He was shirtless and his gaze stayed focused forward, not giving me a glance as I closed the space between us.
“How have you been?” I asked quietly.
“Good.”
“And how’s the club?”
“Good.” Asante looked over at me, his feet still creating a steady thump as he moved. “We don’t have to do this shit, man. I’m grown. I don’t need to be fucking coddled. I promise.”
“What?”
“We talked and had drinks. I reached out afterwards. You didn’t respond.
That’s it. I’m grown and I know how to be professional.
” Asante looked forward again. “Whether you respond to my text messages or not, your family will always be welcome in my establishment and the approval I gave regarding your security is still good. I’d never go back on my word and I’m willing to sign off on that approval if you need it in black and white. ”
“I’m not trying to talk to you because I’m worried you wouldn’t let us have extra security in your club,” I chuckled slightly. “I just wanted to see how you were. For real.”
“Well I’m good and I hope you’re good too.”
I nodded at that but Asante didn’t seem to notice. He pulled his headphones out his pockets and plugged his ears up. Then, he raised the speed of the treadmill until he had to break into a full run. I shook my head but didn’t push the issue. I just headed over to where Rook and Wes were.
Rook gave me a look but didn’t comment and I didn’t offer anything up. I just walked over to the weights and arranged them the way I needed to in order to get my work out in.
I did my best not to even think about Asante throughout my workout which only made me think about him more. I could admit that part of the allure was the fact that he knew nothing about my family and part of my hesitation came from the fact that he knew nothing about my family.
Him not knowing anything about us meant that there wasn’t much of a chance he would act a certain way around me because he wanted something from us.
Him not knowing anything about us meant that there were things my family and I did and focused on that he wouldn’t understand immediately, one of those things being why arranged marriages were as important to our family as it was.
I’d already told him that I was going to be married at twenty-five.
The last thing I wanted to do was have him think that it was a familial suggestion instead of something locked in and guaranteed to me.
I was always up front about the fact I would be married and would get little to no say in the entire thing. There were people that were cool with it and people that weren’t. It was what it was. I knew what my duty to my family was and I’d never turn my back on that or them.
My family was my main priority.
I got the rest of my workout done and Rook, Wes and I headed out the gym together. Wes claimed he was going back to the Barron Family Estate so we parted ways and Rook and I went grab some food.
We collapsed in a booth together. I took the side facing the door automatically and glanced around the spot while Rook checked his phone. When he finished, he locked it and set it face down on the table. I shook my head and chuckled.
“What?”
“You texting ole girl from the club?”
“What girl from the club?” Rook lifted an eyebrow and I snickered.
“Nigga, you know what girl.”
“Sydney?” Rook waved me off. “Ain’t nobody sweating that damn girl.”
“Yeah, okay. Nigga, you know I don’t sleep the night through and when I got up for my morning run her whip was still out front.”
“And?”
“Since when do you do sleepovers, Rook?”
My twin paused for a beat then laughed and shook his head.
“Since we’re in each other’s business what's up with you and the bar owner?”
“There is no me and the bar owner.”
“So y’all met up the other night and now he giving you the cold shoulder and shit?”
“Something like that.”
“Yeah, well y’all were showing all y’all fucking teeth the other night so what’s up?”
“We met up about the security shit like I said we would and we haven’t spoken since.”
“Yeah, alright.” Rook snickered. “So, what? You ghosted him or he ghosted you?”
“Nigga, you not off the hook about that Syndey shit.”
“Fuck Sydney. What’s up with you?”
“I ghosted him.”
“He did or said some fuck shit or what?”
“Nah. He said everything right actually.” I tapped my knuckles on the table.
“Shit scary, ain’t it?” Rook asked.
“Would you know?” I asked referring to Sydney.
“I don’t know shit.” Rook leaned back in his seat, throwing his arm behind his seat. “I might be learning a lil something though.”
“When it comes to your ignorant ass that’s all we can ask for,” I joked.
Rook grabbed the pepper shaker and threw it at me.
I whacked it out the air and it clattered as it hit the table between us.
The shaker burst open and pepper littered the table.
I immediately sneezed, making Rook laugh loudly.
I looked around the lil hole in the wall spot we were in and quickly grabbed the pepper to right it.
“Ignorant ass,” I grumbled and sneezed again as I swept the pepper off the table and into my hand.
“It’s clearing them motha’fuckin lies out yo’ throat.”
“Fuck you.” I tossed the pepper at him, most of it falling back on the table even though some did get on his shirt.
That only made Rook laugh harder. He sniffed and wiped at one of his eyes before he let out his own sneeze. This time I was the one chuckling.
He grabbed a napkin and took care of the rest of the pepper.
“Look, we don’t have too many more years to do whatever the fuck we want. Do with that shit what you will.”
“Yeah, well, I’m two years from marriage.”
“So am I and that ain’t stopping nothing. I’m actually probably fucking more bitches because I’m pretty much engaged.”
“That’s the kind of women you like, Rook?”
“That’s the kind of women that like me,” he corrected.
“That says a lot about how you living, nigga.” I shook my head and he shrugged.
“I’m using protection and getting tested frequently.”
“I didn’t ask but good to know.”
“You’re welcome,” he said cockily.
We both turned toward the waiter as they closed in on us to set our plates down.
I looked my food over while I grabbed my utensils and we both drifted from our conversation about Asante and the women Rook had gracing our shared house and his bedroom long enough to discuss less stressful shit.
When we finished up eating, we headed back to the estate to get some work done. We’d had a huge order come in for passports so King wanted to make sure we all knew what we needed to focus on which didn’t affect me all that much.
My brain drifted to Asante throughout the drive.
Everyone knew I slept with men. It wasn’t a kept secret or anything but I wasn’t flaunting the shit either.
My brothers hadn’t told me that they didn’t support me, but they hadn’t said that they did. They just kind of ignored it so I ignored it around them, not wanting to make anyone uncomfortable or shake any damn tables while our family was transitioning into the next generation.
I knew that my family loved me as any family member would.
King and Knight had familial love and respect for me.
I knew that if it came down to it, they would kill and die for me.
I knew that they wanted me to be safe and happy and heard, but ultimately I didn’t have the relationship with King and Knight that they had with each other or Rook.
The only person in our entire family I felt like I was somewhat open with was Rook.
Granted. My other brothers had never done anything to ostracize me but there was a certain level of detachment that was necessary when hiding a piece of your life.
I’d worked hard to rewire my brain, to force myself to do subtle shit like never assigning genders to the pronouns that I used and making sure I never gave away too much information about someone I was seeing, man or woman.
Asante had been the first one to call me out about it, about me tiptoeing around the people, the men, I entertained.
I exhaled and leaned back, closing my eyes for a second.