Chapter 21 #2
When she closed the door, I swooped in. “I missed you.” Danessa’s body melted into mine as our lips crushed into each other’s. All that nonchalant shit she was trying to pull was gone. She framed my face with her hands, moaning softly over my lips. Grabbing her perfect ass I gave it a squeeze.
Danessa scratched at my beard. “I caught the game.”
“Did you?”
“You were amazing. Thirty-seven points, twelve rebounds, and ten assists.”
“Well, what can I say? I’m true to this not new to this. You know there is a standing ticket in your name if you ever wanna come to a home game.” I pulled her body closer to mine.
“I appreciate it. But I hate watching you play in person. It makes my stomach churn, and I can never enjoy the game because I’m always on pins and needles. I’m way better in the comfort of my living room where I can walk away from the TV when needed.”
“We are going to work on that because I like seeing your face in the crowd.” I brushed her extra-long bangs from her eyes.
“What’s in the bag?” She pointed to the paper bag I placed at the front door.
“I’m craving mac and cheese.”
“Random.”
“I was in the showers after the game and I was like mac and cheese would hit the spot right now.”
“And you picked premade mac from Whole Foods? I think you’re going to be disappointed.”
I imitated the game show buzzer sound. “Nope, I brought stuff to make it myself.”
“You’re gonna make macaroni and cheese at ten o’clock at night?”
“I know the woman who burns hard boil eggs ain’t judging me.”
“I only burned them because I forgot and fell asleep.”
“The dorm kitchen was filled with smoke because the pot damn near melted on the stovetop. The fire department showed up.”
“Okay, we are not going to rehash this. I’m not the best cook, but I’m getting better.”
Scooping up the bag, I headed to the kitchen. “Tell me you have butter.”
“Of course, what do I look like?”
I licked my lips, prepared to respond.
“Don’t answer that.” Danessa peeped me checking out the box of cupcakes on the kitchen counter. “They taste just as delicious as they look. Some lanky brother sent them to me. I loved the note. It was cute.”
“I knew you’d like it.” I gently bumped my forehead into hers. “Nori said it was corny.”
“I like a little cornball activity. Brothers are always acting too cool for school. I appreciate a man who isn’t afraid to be a bit soft.”
I pumped my fist in the air. “Just call me a Squishmallow,” I said while planting pecks to her lips. “Why do you always smell so good?” My tongue coasted up the side of her neck. “The women I’ve hung out with do not smell like you.”
“I’m sure they smelled fine.”
“Basura, I tell you. All of them.”
“If you keep doing that we’re not going to get to the mac and cheese.”
“True. First let’s devour this food and then I’ll devour you.”
“Promise?”
“Pinky promise.” We linked our pinky fingers with a shake. I got down to business pulling out a large pot for the cheese sauce. Danessa was in charge of the vibes, selecting jazzy rap music and pouring me a blackberry ginger ale over ice.
“How was your day?” I asked while mixing the roux.
“I registered for my classes.” She presented jazzy hands, giving them a shake.
“Okay, so it’s official, official. My baby is fittin’ to be an esquire.”
Danessa’s jaw flinched, and I knew what she was most likely thinking, it was too early for terms of endearment.
Just months ago, we were incommunicado, and now I was calling her baby and telling her how good her pussy felt.
Even I had to admit it was zero to one hundred in under seven seconds.
The last thing I was trying to do was scare her off or give her pause.
Danessa probably didn’t feel the same, but I was all in.
Fuck time to think or test runs. Danessa was mine.
I may not be able to pick a place to live, but the love of my life was decided and carved into my skin.
I added carnation milk. “I saw a lady do this online and I was intrigued.”
“Carnation milk?”
“Carnation milk and heavy cream. Disclaimer, she was White so if this turns out like crap, I’m going to blame the mayo DNA.”
“Is that how you spend your free time, scrolling social media?”
“Yep, those sites have the best thirst traps.” I winked playfully.
“I bet your DMs are overflowing with indecent proposals.”
“Nope, my DMs are closed.”
“Why?”
“Cause that shit’s weird. I don’t wanna hook up with a fan. The power dynamic would be off.”
“How do you distinguish between a fan and someone genuinely interested in you?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. Short answer, you don’t. So I prefer to meet people organically.”
Danessa sat on the other side of the island watching me layer the dish with the remaining cheese, while checking her phone. “Hmm.”
“What’s up?”
“Why did your assistant send me an email filled with legalese and a non-disclosure agreement attached?” Her tone was lethal as if I was two seconds from getting my ass cussed out.
“Excuse me?” Danessa turned her phone so I could read her screen. “Erm, I don’t know but you should disregard.”
“Did you ask her to send it?”
“No, it’s just standard.” I sprinkled the last layer of cheese on the dish.
“What does that mean?” Yep, she was pissed.
“Everybody does it.”
“Aldridge if you don’t stop fussing with the mac and cheese and answer my question.”
I washed my hands, drying them on a dish towel. “Normally when I meet or hang out with someone new and things level up, I have them sign an NDA. All the athletes do it. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” She scrolled through the agreement on her phone. “It prohibits me from talking about our relationship or acknowledging your existence.”
“No, it prevents people from telling tales outside of the bedroom. You’d be surprised how many women are ready to run to TMZ with stories.”
Her normally full lips were stretched into a thin line. “I’m not any woman.”
“Well according to Whitney, you’re every woman.”
Danessa slammed her hand on the counter. “Is this a joke to you?”
“Did you hear the part where I said disregard the email?”
“I just want to understand why your assistant thought I was some random bitch who would sign legal paperwork silencing myself.”
“I don’t think there was any thinking before she hit send.” NDAs were standard practice in my line of business. Nori was just doing what I paid her to do, cover my ass. Do I wish she hadn’t sent that email to Danessa? Yes. Because Danessa was clearly the exception to the rule.
Her eyes grew wide, and I could tell her brain was working overtime to connect imaginary dots. “Is that why you Cash Apped over that money? Is this all transactional to you?”
“That money was for your hair.”
“I don’t want your handouts.”
My eyes narrowed as I sized her up. “Not gonna lie, it feels like you’re picking a fight.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Maybe you’re hangry. I know I can be an asshole when I’m hungry.”
“Did you just call me an asshole?”
I rounded the kitchen counter and pulled up on her tilting her head until we were eye to eye.
“Stop playing with me. I don’t expect you to sign an NDA because you, we, are not a secret.
If you want, we could go to the roof and I’ll shout at the top of my lungs declaring our alliance and my devotion to you and only you.
” I scanned the room. “Shit, matter fact we don’t need a roof.
I just …” Grabbing Danessa’s hand, I walked over to the balcony and opened the door.
In the still of the evening, I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“I, Aldridge Mosley declare in front of God and this snake plant that Danessa Irwin is my person. I knew it when I was nineteen, and I know it now.”
Danessa reached for me trying to rein me in. “Aldi, my neighbors are very particular when it comes to noise, and they will slide a strongly worded passive aggressive note under my door.”
“Wait are you saying you don’t want me to disclose how much I care about you?”
I turned back toward the vast beyond. “We had sex last night and Danessa came five times.”
“Aldridge, get your ass back inside.” She sounded like a mother whose kid was acting up in the cereal aisle at Kroger.
“When are you going to get that I joke about a lot of things but you … I don’t play a single solitary game about you.”
Danessa looked up at me with big puppy dog eyes and all her fight seemed to dissolve. God, I loved this crazy woman. “Message received.”
Dropping into one of the chairs on the balcony, I pulled Danessa onto my lap. With my hands on either side of her hips, I rocked her overtop of me. “You’re not still mad at me, are you?”
“No.”
“I hate for you to be mad.”
“Aldi,” she moaned. “I’m good.” Running my hand over her skin, I gave her arm a soft pinch causing her to squeal. “What was that for?”
“I just needed to confirm this was real. You and me here, together after all this time.”
“It’s kind of trippy, right?”
“I thought you’d thoroughly closed the door. With multiple locks, a wooden barricade and a firing squad on the other side.”
Danessa affectionately stroked the back of my neck. “I’m not the one who closed the door.”
Pulling back my face was a puzzle. “You broke up with me and said don’t let the doorknob hit you where the good lord split you.”
“I said I wanted to remain friends.” Her voice was pinched, less ethereal, more restrained.
“And then proceeded to move to Chicago.” I stared her dead in her eyes. Because what the fuck? Don’t gaslight me.
“What, was I just supposed to traipse to Kansas City with you?”
“No, did I say that?”
Danessa removed herself from my lap, sinking into the chair next to me. “I mean yeah, actually, you said it all the fucking time. You started every sentence with ‘When we get to KC,’ If you’re mad, say so you know I hate apathetic bullshit.”