20. Love
LOVE
When I called for Baby, her auntie told me she was out with Jayda looking for a job. I was proud of her for that shit, but a nigga really needed to see her. So, I was headed to her crib after swinging by the job to grab my stuff.
It’s a few things I wanted to get, and the rest of the shit they could have. It only took me but a minute to get there and, while I was driving, I tried calling Valentine again.
He didn’t answer, which I already suspected. I hadn’t heard anything from or about my brother since I got out. The streets ain’t talking and I was getting worried. He fucked up, but he’s my twin and I didn’t wanna see nothing bad happen to him.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in the office was that Lauren was nowhere around. She usually sat at the desk, but it wasn’t nobody there and it was about ten people in the waiting area. I found that unusual but, since a nigga technically got fired, that ain’t none of my business.
When I got to my door, I heard something inside. Instead of just swinging it open, I creeped through, peeking my head in. Seeing Lauren rambling through my desk had me hot.
“The fuck is you doing in here?” I stalked over, snatching my cologne from her hands. I usually keep an extra bottle in my drawer, but because I had it all the way back, I knew she had to have been diving deep to find it.
“Oh! Love. I thought you were on leave?” she asked, surprised to see me.
“That ain’t answer my question. What you doing digging through my shit?” I questioned, my eyes wondering around the room to see what else she touched.
She came around the desk, throwing her arms around my shoulders dramatically. I grabbed her by the waist to put distance between us.
“I was just looking for a file,” she replied, giggling softly. “I missed you, baby.”
I unwrapped her arms from around my neck, side stepping to get around her. Feeling her hands on me didn’t feel right at all. The only one I wanted putting hands on me was Baby.
She came around and sat on the edge of the chair. “I’m so sorry about all this. I told Simmonds you ain’t do it, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”
As I cleared everything out, I nodded. Since I’ve never kept anything personal here, the only thing I needed to be sure I had was my charger that I kept on top of the desk and my laptop.
“It’s all good, mama. I’ll be alright,” I replied, shrugging nonchalantly. This was the first time she talked to a nigga like a normal person, but it wasn’t long before she fucked up again.
“I guess we can date now, right? I assume you won’t be back.” Her eyes darted to the things in my bag.
“Lauren, I ain’t gonna keep repeating myself to you. I don’t see you that way.” I looked down but glanced up in time to see her rolling her eyes.
Her voice cracked as she spoke. “You don’t see me that way, yet you’ve fucked me on more than one occasion knowing how I feel about you.”
“I ain’t know shit. Both of us agreed it was just sex, Lauren. Did we or did we not?” I glanced down at her, crossing my arms over my chest. She hesitated to speak.
“Yes, but---”
“No buts,” I interrupted her. You knew what it was, so don’t act like a nigga misled you,” I spat, my temper hanging by a thread.
Seeing her pouting had me moving fast to get out of there. I stuffed my charger in my pocket and grabbed my laptop before walking towards the opened door.
“So, that’s it? You just gone walk away from me?” She threw her hands on her hips with an attitude.
“Yup.” I turned to leave, but the door remained ajar behind me.
I didn’t have time for Lauren. A nigga had bigger fish to fry than her crazy ass. I ain’t heard nothing from Valentine, mama done lost her damn mind and I still ain’t speak to Baby yet.
I tossed the bag in the back and hopped in the driver’s seat. I expected her to do more to stop me from leaving. The shit seemed too easy. The fact that she didn’t had me thinking something else was brewing in her head.