Chapter Twenty-Two
I Don’t Grovel
Crystal
Whatever the two were discussing didn’t look to be going over very well. He wouldn’t admit to it, but he didn’t refute my little joke about protecting him with my body and prized pumps, either.
“You’re going to tell me why he did that to you,” I whispered, once the food arrived and he finally stopped kissing and handling me.
“Am I?” He smiled at his fork and stuffed his mouth with waffles.
I nudged his thigh with the heel of my hand and swigged from my juice, “Yes. You are. I don’t like surprises. Secrets lead to ugly surprises more often than not.”
He placed his hand over mine and smiled, “We got all day to talk about that type of stuff, though, right?”
I gave a slow nod. “Yeah. I’m here as long as you are.”
“Don’t play. Girl, I’ll go cop a tent right now.”
I shook my head and bit into my toast, eyeing him all the while.
“You don’t even know where I live,” I pointed out, even if I wasn’t that keen on taking him home with me.
“I will after today,” he confidently predicted, before asking, “Were you in the Pink Cabaret when I pulled up?”
“Yeah,” I nervously laughed, recalling the stress I’d walked in with.
“I covered for a new girl that was afraid Jay would fire her if she called off. I guess I knew how she felt. Jay actually called me on my day off. He usually only does that when someone is in shit at work, but I have no idea what I could have done. I’ve raked through my mind, but really the only complaint he could have was the mark on my neck.
And it was just that once, it’s not like you left more or it has ever happened before.
Thankfully, he wasn’t in yet and I made it through the shift without any bullshit or negativity. ”
When you worked with as many young women as I did, it was inevitable. Especially in my choice of industry, competition was real and it was ugly sometimes.
“You want me to talk with him?”
“What? No!” I spat the two words rapidly, my cheeks heating at the idea. “He will fire me if you enter that club and he finds out we’re dating. It’s against the rules. Boyfriends aren’t welcome.”
“I’m really diggin’ today. You’re laying claims and titles upon arrival. I knew I’d lay it right, and we’d establish a clear understanding.”
“Lord, what have I done rewarding arrogance and acknowledging effort? I forgot what I was pouring that type of kerosene on. Hold still…”
I put a hand on his shoulder and reached past that dark hair of his. “Ohhh,” I stressed, in afterthought, bringing my thumb back to my mouth for a lick before I began smudging the air over his hair again.
“What the hell are you doing?” Anthony laughed, hauling me down with a hand on either side of my upper torso.
“I forgot whose crown I was polishing.” I wiggled my nose, all but calling him the King of Twats without uttering the words.
He hefted me, pretended like he might throw me away. Just as I neared the edge of the booth, he jerked me back toward him, “Nah, you know…I think I’ll keep you. Especially now that you’ve given me this idea about you polishing things.”
He held up a wad of twenties, made eye contact with the waitress and dropped it on the table. The urgency that he whisked me across the parking lot with made me laugh and even if I wasn’t sure what kind of mood my roommates were in, my cheeks still hurt from smiling, by the time we arrived.
“This is the spot, huh?” Anthony asked, while staring up at the three-story building.
“Yeah, but… it isn’t all one place. We’re just on the top floor,” I quietly explained, before taking a deep breath.
The nerves I’d kept at bay were slowly creeping up on me. What if Tindra was in one of her moods? Etta and I were thick as thieves as long as Tindra wasn’t part of the equation.
Etta was the first real friend I ever made in Springfield. She was how I got into the apartment to begin with. Etta and Tindra were an item once upon a time. She put in a good word, and we’d been paying for it ever since.
I’d never glanced at Etta with anything but the sincerest of friendship in mind, but you couldn’t tell Tindra that.
I placed my key in the exterior door. It was the quickest way up, even if it was a hassle. The key I’d been given was bent when I received it and Tindra refused to get me a fully functioning copy. So, we were stuck there wrestling with it, until Etta happened past with a laundry basket on her hip.
“Girl, what in the world.” She laughed, popping the door open.
She took a long look at Anthony and then cut me a knowing glance, “Tin-Tin is out to dinner and movie with her mother.”
“Great.” I was flooded with instant relief, and took Anthony’s hand, leading him in and locking the door behind us.
He started after Etta, but I tugged his hand and saluted the stairs.
“Top floor,” I reminded him.
“Oh.” He held a finger out toward Etta.
“She’s doing laundry. There is a communal laundry area in the basement.”
“Oh.” He followed me up the never-ending stairs until we arrived at the apartment’s front door. Thankfully, that key was normal.
Carly’s heels clicked across the kitchen as she came to investigate.
“Hey, how was waffles?”
“Great,” Anthony and I both answered, before he shot me a look. “You didn’t even eat waffles.”
I rolled my eyes while Carly chuckled and started back through the kitchen before I could introduce her. She was awkward most days, so I didn’t take offense to it.
“Come on.” I smiled, before stealing him away to my room.
It was small, all things considered, but I thought the dorm-style window gave it an attic charm.
“This is you?”
I suddenly felt inadequate, even if there was no judgement in his tone, “I–yeah.”
He pulled me toward him, taking his time as he nuzzled my nose with his and slowly conquered my lips, before whispering against them, “Why do you say it like that?”
“Like what?” I guiltily smiled.
I didn’t own anything except work stuff and a bed. I turned the radio on just so our voices didn’t carry.
“I don’t know, it’s the same bashful way you get about your chest. Which I’ve learned is your insecurity peeking out at me. What are you insecure about the room for?”
I think I blushed clean to my toes at such a raw view of myself. I crossed my arms over my chest, only for him to uncross them and jerk me toward him.
“Don’t do that, you’re beautiful and perfect.
” He let his arms drape over either shoulder and kissed the top of my head, his hand slid down my cheek and he tipped my face up.
“I hope you don’t think I’m some wealthy college boy like the ones you dance for.
I can spoil you, but it isn’t what I’m used to. ”
I pressed him back onto the bed and straddled his lap, “Tell me what you are used to.”
“I told you; my aunt raised me from middle school.” He shrugged, before relenting, “Before that… my life was chaotic. It was normal to me, but I didn’t realize other people didn’t live like that, you know?”
I bugged my eyes and nodded. “Oh, I know that life.”
He shushed me with a kiss that lingered only to wince when I caught the sore side of his mouth.
“You’re really not going to tell me what happened?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief at bay.
“Lift up my shirt,” he whispered, a hint of a dare coming into his dark-blue eyes.
I glanced down to his lap and shifted my hips, tugging his shirt upward. I ran my hand up the right side of his chest, and he squirmed and made a sound like I’d tickled him. It stole my attention, and I smiled at him, only for my face to freeze when I looked down.
“Anthony,” I blurted out his name, only to clap a hand over my own mouth and glance toward the door.
He shushed me and pulled me to him, “It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m with you, right?”
He kissed away my questions, until I gave up trying to ask them and stared hopelessly at him.
“Did you wreck?”
He shifted his head, “No. I decided to skip a club meeting and spend a night claiming you.”
My jaw dropped, before he quickly added, “It was a good trade as far as I’m concerned.”
His hand drifted down to my hip and squeezed.
“They really did this to you, because of me?” It broke my heart to know that someone had beaten him so severely because of him spending time with me. “You could have left and came back… or took a rain check.”
He slowly shifted his head, “Nah.”
I sat up, not liking it at all.
“Promise me you won’t let it— There is no reason for you to look like this, Anthony. I mean it.” I chased his short tuft back so I could check his entire face for further injury.
All the while he stared at me like I was beyond cute.
I huffed, finally accepting that I’d seen the worst of it.
“I can do that, but only because I’m not going to have to choose.”
I stopped toying with the bottom of his shirt and raised my gaze to meet his, “You didn’t have to choose last time.”
He shook his head, that silly smile not budging, “Yeah, but what I mean is… You don’t have to be embarrassed about having a single room. I’m gonna marry you, and you’re going to come back to Swanwick with–”
I shook my head the instant he started talking about Swanwick and home.
I couldn’t go back there.
His hands framed my face and he slowly nodded, “It’s true. I’m gonna wife you Crystal, you’re mine. I’m not talking shit. We’re going to get a wedding license, and a ring, and–”
I tried to place four fingers over his mouth, but he drew them in, sucked them clean and spat them back out.
“It’s happening. Stop resisting.”
“There is no such thing as a wedding license, you are talking shit.”
He squinted at me, until I laughed, and conceded, “It’s called a marriage license, and I can’t go back to Swanwick, Anthony. There’s nothing for me but drama and ugly memories.”
“We’ll make new ones.”
“Where will I work? That’s a drive.”
“I told you. I own a club.”
He had an answer for everything, and I wanted to believe him. I really did, it must have shone in my eyes or registered in my face because he slid his thumb along my chin and planted a smile like he’d won.
I placed my fingers against his chest, and resisted the urge to shove him away, as I held him back a little, “Don’t play with me, Anthony.
I’ve never had anything. I don’t like looking forward to things only to feel like a fool when it doesn’t pan out.
I don’t trust people and I don’t let them help me for a reason. ”
“I know, I get it,” he whispered, planting a kiss to my forehead.
“I can tell we’re a lot alike. Some ways we’re different, but they seem to be ways that complement each other, right?
I mean like….” He shook his head and wet his lips like he was trying to find the right words to articulate his true feelings, “I don’t give a single fuck about money, Crystal.
I know you’ll say that’s bullshit, most people do.
They say it’s youthful ignorance talking, or entitlement, but I mean it.
All I ever knew was the mud, I’m familiar with it, and I don’t get all that offended about rolling around in it and coming out a couple of dollars better for it.
My brother will tell you, he doesn’t give a fuck how low his savings account gets, as long as he has enough money for a half ounce, he can make the rent. ”
She laughed and shook her head.
“Them few dollars are nice, but if push comes to shove, they aren’t necessary.
So, I don’t ever stress about money. I’m content to spoil you with it.
Let me give you all the things you never had, let me treat you better than anyone ever has.
I’ll name that fucking club after you if you let me have you. ”
“I like it when you grovel,” I admitted, unable to keep the amusement from my tone.
“Grov– I do not fucking grovel,” The way his tone lowered was pure gold.
“You most certainly did, you called me baby and you sucked my–.” His hand clamped over my mouth so quickly it snuffed a scream.
“Listen. Your job is to enjoy and not judge. Did we not go over–?” He tipped his chin and those dark-blue eyes shifted ever so subtly like he was searching my eyes for the answer.
I shoved his hand away and laughed, unable to help it.
“Don’t be ashamed,” I rolled my hips, dancing on his lap as I wound myself down and shoved his thighs apart. “I worship, too.”
I ran my nails along his thighs, nipping at the inner seam until I finally turned my attention to his lap. I mouthed at him through the jeans until he sounded miserable.
I’d never felt more adored or beautiful than I did when he stared down at me like he was placing every inch I took to memory. How could I not perform to perfection?
By the time he ripped at my long, blonde hair and tried to wrestle me off his dick, I’d already swallowed every drop and was still ravenous for more.
More of my name falling from his lips in that half-plea that made me tingle inside.
More pretty words and kept promises.
God, I wanted him to be real, and I didn’t want whatever this was to ever end.