Chapter 6 Bishop
BISHOP
Iwasn’t sure why I was anxious when it came to meeting Asante’s family. We weren’t anything definite. Even if everyone in his life hated me, it didn’t matter. I’d be out of their lives and business in a few years anyway.
I looked down at the shower drain while blood pooled off me and down it. I wasn’t sure exactly how much blood had gotten on me but it was enough for me to feel like I was sick which was an insane amount considering what I did for work.
I preferred quick and clean kills but this hadn’t been one of my usual favors.
I scrubbed my skin rougher and spun around so that the spray could get some more of the dirt and blood off my back.
I wasn’t sure how things had gone wrong with the Cortez brothers but I knew that I was wearing half of the older one and the younger was nowhere to be found despite how much the entire family had been looking for him.
They hadn’t done anything to upset our business or cash flow. They’d done something worse. They’d disrespected the family.
I did one more deep scrub to make sure I hadn’t missed any spaces on my body. Then, I went back to focusing on my hands.
When I finished, I went through my routine to get ready, threw some clothes on and put my contacts in.
I snatched my gun up on my way out of the room.
I tucked it into the waistband of my pants, took the stairs down quickly and did a double take when I saw Rook sitting on the living room couch playing a video game.
I had to admit, I was shocked he was inside alone over the weekend. I leaned over the nearest couch.
“You staying in tonight?”
“I’m not too sure yet. Why?” He paused the game and looked up at me. “What’s up?”
“I was just wondering.” I shrugged. “You ain’t going out with Sydney tonight?”
“Nah. I had to cut her ass off.”
I snickered. Rook was ridiculous with the shit he cut women off for just because he had commitment issues.
“For what?”
“I found out she was in a binder.”
“In a binder?” I repeated. “Like trying to get married?”
“Yep. She’s been letting her family keep her in the lineup for marriage.”
“Nigga, did you plan on marrying her ass?”
“Fuck, maybe.” Rook leaned back and threw an arm behind the couch.
“Believe it or not, I was fucking with Sydney and I was genuinely relieved about the idea that she could be in my binder when the time came up. We sat together and we talked about that shit, Bishop. We talked about telling our parents we knew each other and we were down with getting pulled only for her to be out here trying to just get pulled by any fucking body.”
“You jealous?” I teased.
“Nah, but she’s not about to play in my face. The bitch don’t care about being with me or potentially getting married to me. She cares about getting married at all and I’m not about to be the clown ass nigga that does it for her.”
“Man, I think that girl really likes you. Maybe she hasn’t had time to ask to get it removed.”
“Honeslty, I don’t care anymore if she does or doesn’t.”
“Alright.” I paused for a beat. “You good?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m straight.”
“I’m serious.” I adjusted on my feet again.
“You can act like you’re hard and don’t give a fuck about anything to other motha’fuckas, but you know that ain’t even how we get down.
If you didn’t like Sydney you wouldn’t have dealt with her as long as you did.
It’s cool to admit you cared and shit didn’t work out. ”
“For what?” Rook’s eyebrows knitted together. “Shit didn’t work out and it is what the fuck it is. I don’t need you to come hold my hand and console me, nigga. I’m good.”
“Alright.” I chuckled. “Well if you change your mind…”
“I know.” He smiled. “If nobody else got me, you got me.”
“Fucking right.” I walked over and dapped him up.
He looked me up and down.
“And where the fuck you going?”
“I’m going out.” I shrugged.
“With Asante?” he teased.
“Something like that.”
“What does something like that mean?” he chuckled.
I didn’t respond. He didn’t push. He just turned his head back forward and went back to playing his game. I pushed away from the couch and grabbed my keys to head out.
“Be careful!” he called after me.
“You know I stay strapped.”
“I’ve been knowing that, but that’s not even what I meant.”
“I know what you meant and I’m good. You told me to enjoy the last bit of unmarried life I had left, right?”
“That’s right.” Rook smiled.
I nodded once then headed out, locking the door behind me.
Asante had mentioned meeting up at a pizza place that his sister and her friend wanted to try out for karaoke and trivia so I headed straight there.
Asante let me know where they were sitting so I walked straight to their table.
Nadira had very similar facial features to Asante and she gave me a polite smile as she stood up to be introduced.
“This is my sister, Nadira,” Asante offered. “And this is her friend, Jhene.”
“Nice to meet you ladies.” I shook each of their hands in turn then we sat down.
It was a square table so we each had our own side but I had Asante to the left of me and Jhene to the right.
I noted immediately that Jhene was a beautiful woman and there was a chance that if our situation wasn’t what it was right now and I hadn’t met Asante first I would have asked her out but this wasn’t that and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d flirted with a woman or man that wasn’t Asante since I’d met him.
I was very aware of how we were seated, of the way this looked. This was probably the most public we’d been together and Asante had balanced the scales, the two of us and two women. It had the potential to look like a double date. I didn’t doubt that he’d done that on purpose.
“They’re doing pop culture trivia,” Nadira announced. “I was thinking men versus women for the first round.”
“Alright.” I nodded at that. “Let’s do it.”
We collected pens and paper from the host and put in an order for a pizza, some wings and a flatbread before the first round.
Apparently, Asante and I were not up to date on pop culture references.
We got four of the ten questions correct while Nadira and Jhene got seven of them right.
We counted them the winner for our table and moved on to movie trivia which we happened to be better at.
We tied at seven and seven. Then, we went into music trivia where Asante and I got laid out again five to nine. We carried the history category.
Then, we took a break in answering the questions being asked when they brought food out.
“So where are you from, Bishop?” Nadira asked.
“Born and raised here.”
“Oh.” She sat up in her seat. “And what about your family?”
“Also from here,” I said simply.
“Bishop is one of four boys,” Asante offered.
Nadira whistled. “Whew. I don’t think I could handle it.”
“So you have children?” I asked.
“I do! One daughter.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “What about you? Any kids?”
“Nah. None.”
“Do you want any?” she asked.
“Yeah. I think that would be cool one day.”
“Just waiting for the right person?”
“Something like that.” I turned to Jhene. “What about you?”
“No husband, boyfriend or kids.”
“I feel that.” I lifted my beer toward her and she snickered as she lifted hers in response.
We both took quick drinks then turned back toward Nadira, but Asante took over.
He was good at facilitating conversation and he kept me and Jhene included just enough for things not to be awkward but made sure he was directing the question.
I took that to mean his sister had reservations about me.
I thought about asking her what they were but didn’t want to overstep especially when things were still open between us.
When they switched from trivia to karaoke, Nadira and Jhene got up to perform while me and Asante watched. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout a good portion of it and Nadira was somehow able to get Asante to perform a song with her too before we finished up eating and headed out.
We walked the women to their cars and Asante hugged his sister tightly and shook Jhene’s hand.
“It was nice to meet you,” I offered.
Nadira nodded as she shook my hand.
“Can’t wait until the next time.” She held my gaze while she let that sentence settle in.
“Hoepfully.” I nodded once, making it clear that I didn’t plan on dipping out anytime soon.
She nodded once. Then, she hugged Asante again.
“Be careful,” she said quietly.
Asante nodded and yanked her door open.
“I love you. Let me know when you make it home, alright?”
“Yeah. I will.”
We stood side by side and watched as they headed out. Then, we looked at each other.
“She was nice,” I said simply.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. She loves you.”
“I know. I love her too.” Asante smiled.
“She has reservations about me,” I added.
Asante nodded. “Yeah.”
“I don’t blame her,” I confessed.
“Me either.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it free immediately. It was Rook making it clear that he actually was going to come out tonight. He let me know he would be at Asante’s club if I wanted to come out with him. I let him know I’d meet him there.
“You going to the club tonight?” I asked.
“Every night.” Asante scoffed.
“Rook is going to be there so I’ll be in the building if you need anything.”
“If I need anything?” he repeated.
“Uhhuh.” I nodded.
Asante smirked and his hands went to my sides.
He didn’t pull me in. Instead he stepped forward.
He closed the space between us and I felt like I damn near melted once we were chest to chest. I looked up into his brown eyes and watched as they bounced around my face before he leaned down and our lips met.
“I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw you.” He spoke against my mouth and I nodded.
“Me too.” I exhaled.
He smiled.
We kissed again then took a step back.
“I’ll see you in there and if you need anything, let me know,” Asante said.
“I’ve got you.”
“I’ll follow you out.”
“Alright.”
I hopped in my whip and waited for Asante to climb in his. Then, we headed out.