Chapter 15
“Yes, girl, you look so fucking good,” Liyah sang through the phone. She was on FaceTime while I got dressed for my date with Dima.
It had been a full week since we had sex in my father’s house. That was something I never saw happening. My relationship with Dima felt like we were testing our luck every day.
We spent all day texting and most nights talking on the phone. I didn’t know what my father would do if he found out, but I was willing to risk it all.
“Thank you, girl. You think he will like it?”
“If he don’t, then he got to be blind.”
I smiled at my best friend hyping me up. This would be my first official date with Dima, so I had to shut shit down. I needed to turn heads when we walked into the spot. I wore a black two-piece set with red crescent moons filling the whole set. It was inspired by Teyana Taylor.
I’d seen her wearing the same two-piece set and had to recreate the look. I even wore red velvet boots and had a long black trench coat just like she wore. I ate the entire outfit up.
“Dima is definitely not blind, so I hope he likes it.”
“Girl, he is going to love it. Might even try to rip you out of that two-piece.”
“Liyah.”
I rolled my eyes at her freaky ass. But she wasn’t lying. I couldn’t read Dima’s mind, but if I could, I’d bet that 99 percent of the time, he was thinking about ripping my clothes off.
“What? You know I’m telling the truth.”
“I wouldn’t mind if he did.”
I snickered, giving her a sly smile.
“Yeah, that’s what your sneaky ass wants. Always calling me out but you the one trying to get hunched on by one of your father’s men for the second time.”
“I won’t deny it, but let me get off this phone. I just heard the doorbell.”
“Okay, girl, have fun. And don’t forget to call me after to give me all the details. I want to know everything. Don’t leave anything out.”
“I will. I love you.”
“Love you too, Best.”
I hung up the phone with Liyah and grabbed my black leather trench coat.
I rushed downstairs to open the door for Dima.
I still couldn’t believe he was bold enough to knock on my front door with my father in the next room.
Dima had proven time and time again that he was not afraid of my daddy.
I think that was what had me head over heels for him more than anything else.
“Right on time, I see.”
“I’m always prompt for what I want to show up for. How are you on time and still managed to look this good?”
Dima took my hand and spun me around in a circle. I shimmied my hips, letting him get an eyeful.
“I’m always prompt as well. My father taught me being on time is the highest form of respect.”
“You respect me, huh?”
“Until you give me a reason not to.”
“I don’t plan on doing that.”
“Good.”
“Come on, baby girl, let’s get you out the house.”
“Yes, please do.”
Dima led me to his black-on-black Escalade. He guided me around to the passenger door and opened it for me. I slid in before he closed it behind me. The interior smelled just as good as he did.
“Thank you for agreeing to go out with me tonight.”
Dima flashed me that sexy ass smile once he got settled in the truck. He reached across and snapped my seat belt before he snapped his own.
“Thanks for asking. I was going to put my seat belt on.”
“It’s cool. I wanted to do it for you. I don’t want you doing no extra work tonight.”
I smiled instead of replying because the thoughts going through my head were not clean.
I was truly happy to get out of the house.
If it wasn’t for Liyah, school, or my grandparents, I would never leave home, because it seemed like my daddy had every part of the city on lock.
I just didn’t want to be under constant surveillance every time I walked outside.
Dima pulled out of our gate and into traffic. His side profile looked so damn good. I could watch him the entire ride.
“I take it you don’t get out much. You look happy as hell to leave the house.”
“Not unless it’s to school or my grandparents. I’m under constant surveillance if I leave the house.”
“And you don’t like that?”
“Why would I? I honestly cannot wait to leave this city behind. I want to move away, open up a nail shop, and be far away from everything my father has going on. Jackson don’t have anything left for me.”
I confided in Dima as he drove further into the streets.
I could tell he listened to every word I said because he had follow-up questions about everything.
I loved how easy it was to talk to him. I didn’t have to bite my tongue or worry about him letting the conversation fall where it was.
Everything with us was easy, and I loved that.
“What about you? You ever want to leave Jackson?”
“Yeah, all the time.”
“Then maybe we can leave together.”
Dima’s phone rang before he could reply.
He got a call that forced his attention down to his phone.
He looked at it but slid it back into his pants pocket as we pulled up in front of the restaurant.
Just like he’d opened the door to let me in, he did the same thing to let me out.
We walked inside the restaurant with our fingers intertwined.
Once the hostess seated us, his phone rang again.
“Hey, I got to take this, alright?”
Dima answered the phone and walked away from the table instead of answering it in front of me.
I had a familiar feeling wash over me. I was never able to trust anyone, and Dima was no exception.
I thought I had buried the feeling of not knowing who he was and what he was up to, but seeing him walk away from the table, that feeling resurfaced.
He wasn’t gone long, maybe about three minutes before he walked back to the table.
“Hey, ready to eat?”
“Yeah. Just trying to see what I have a taste for.”
We looked over the menu and ordered our food. Dima ordered a steak, medium, and I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. I didn’t want to eat anything heavy since it was getting later in the night, but he tore his steak up.
“That salad can’t be filling you up.”
“Actually, it is. I’m just not that hungry. I try not to eat too late at night.”
“Oh, I thought you were trying to be cute by not eating in front of me or some shit.”
“Please, I’m still cute with fried chicken in my mouth.”
We both laughed, but I was serious. I had no shame in my game, and I wouldn’t change my personality for him.
“That’s why I like you. You’re a funny girl, Maeve. Most women pretend to be funny or interesting, but it’s all so natural to you.”
“Do you drink?”
“Not really, why?”
“Would you take shots with me?”
“You trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me or something?”
“And what if I was?”
“I would have absolutely no problem with that at all.”
Dima leaned across the table and kissed my lips. I fell into him, opening my mouth slightly, giving him more access. He fed me his tongue, and I graciously accepted every lick, suck, and slurp.
“Damn, you better stop before I take you in that bathroom right now.”
I offered him a smile because I damn sure wasn’t about to object. Dima could have this pussy right here on the dinner table if he wanted it. I raised a finger to wave over the waiter.
We ordered one shot after another until we were on our feet, swaying to the music. There wasn’t any specific song playing, just a soft melody that made me feel closer to him with each note.
“You not drunk, are you?” Dima asked when I stumbled a little too hard over my own feet.
“Dima, ladies don’t get drunk. We sip.”
I giggled, causing him to do the same. He spun me around in his arms so that my back rested against his chest. His hands cradled my waistline as we continued our little sway.
“Thank you for letting me have you the way you did the other day. I understand it’s risky with me working for your father and all. I won’t be there forever, and when I leave, I want to take you with me.”
Dima spoke directly into my ear, making my whole body heat up. Every last one of my nerves danced at the thought of leaving with him.
“You’re welcome,” I said, letting my head lay on his chest.
I was happy the night was able to go smoothly, but it didn’t quiet the feeling I had. I needed to know what was going on with Dima.
He’d turned his ringer off after that phone call, but I could still see his phone lighting up when we sat back down at the table. Someone blew his phone up the whole night, and he refused to answer.
“Yo, I actually need to get you home. I got some business I need to take care of.”
He looked down at his phone as it lit up again.
“Yeah, I can tell by the way your phone keeps blowing up.”
“I’m sorry about that. But maybe we can do this again.”
“Only if you leave your phone in the car next time.”
“I got you.”
And still, even though everything in my body told me not to, I believed Dima when he said he had me, and I would be holding on to his promise of us leaving all of this behind.