Chapter 13 #3
I leaned back in my chair and actually thought about it.
Truthfully, there were a hundred things I wanted to ask him.
I wanted to know how a man almost died and could still joke every five minutes.
I wanted to know what kind of business he was really in because something about him screamed that there was more to his story than he’d ever tell me over dinner.
Most of all… I wanted to know whether he was always this easy to be around or if I was just enjoying what normal felt like.
“What do you do Marv?” I finally asked.
He grinned immediately. “I knew that was coming. I invest in businesses.”
“What kind?” I questioned.
“The kind that make money.”
I laughed. “Marvelous…”
“What?”
“That wasn’t an answer.”
He leaned back just enough for me to see that playful grin again. “I’m in logistics.”
I squinted at him. “You lying again.”
He shook his head. “You still don’t trust me?”
“I met you in ICU after you’d been shot two times sir, so no, and now you telling me you work in logistics?”
He smiled so hard the light reflected off his golds. “I technically wasn’t lying.”
I pointed across the table. “See? That’s exactly why I don’t believe you.”
Before he could respond, the front entrance got noticeably louder, not that it was actually loud or anything.
Instead, it was because certain people naturally gained attention when they walked into a room.
My eyes drifted toward the entrance without thinking.
The first man through the door was impossible to miss wearing black tailored slacks with a fitted white button-down rolled to his forearms that exposed his tattoos with a diamond watch around his wrist while his iced-out chain with the pendant that read ‘Empire’ sat perfectly on his chest. His deep waves looked freshly brushed, and when he smiled at the hostess, the gold teeth glistened loud.
I remembered that name Empire too because Marv had it tattooed on him.
I would never forget that face, it was surely Lev, and walking beside him was a beautiful caramel-skinned woman in a fitted emerald-green dress that hugged every curve she had.
Her long black hair flowed halfway down her back, and the red bottoms on her feet were bad too as she had her hand lightly lopped into his arm.
I immediately looked back down at my menu because for some reason I didn’t want him catching me looking. Across from me, Marv followed my line of sight before a grin slowly spread across his face.
“Well damn…”
“What?” I asked, pretending not to know.
“Lev’s ass finally decided to leave work alone for one night.”
I looked up. “Cousin?” I said playing it off.
“Yeah.”
He leaned back in his chair with the biggest grin on his face. “Yeah, you remember him from the hospital? That’s Lev.”
Before I could say another word, he lifted one hand into the air. “Aye Lev!”
I immediately closed my eyes. Lord… Please don’t let this man call him over here…
Too late. Lev turned toward the sound of his name, spotted Marv sitting across from me, then looked directly at me for the briefest second before something almost amused crossed his face.
He leaned down, said something to the woman on his arm that made her smile, and together they started walking toward our table.
Marv shook his head before they even reached us. “Boy… everywhere I go, your ass gotta show up.”
Lev stopped beside the table, looked Marv over from head to toe without saying a word, then reached down and dapped him up. The two of them pulled each other into one of those one-armed hugs men gave before separating again.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Lev replied, dragging the empty chair out with one hand. “You done got shot, survived, and still won’t sit your ass in the house.”
Lev looked him over again, taking in the way Marv still shifted carefully every time he moved.
“And you still moving all stiff and shit, now how you gon’ be up on your shit if you can’t even move?”
“Well what you want me to start doing cartwheels?”
“Nah.” Lev shrugged as he lowered himself into the chair. “I’m just making sure you ain’t forgot you got holes in you and I’m not trying to hear BJ’s shit. She always send the heat my way.”
Marv laughed before immediately pressing his palm against his side as soon as he did.
“See…” Lev pointed without an ounce of sympathy. “That’s exactly what the fuck I’m talking about.”
The woman beside Lev smiled to herself before extending her hand toward me. “Hi, I’m Milan.”
“Hi, I’m Navy.”
“It’s nice to finally meet somebody that can tolerate these two.”
I laughed. “I’ve only been here an hour.”
“Then you still got time to escape.”
Marv looked offended. “Why everybody acting like I’m always the problem.”
Lev leaned back in his chair, picked up one of the breadsticks from the basket sitting in the middle of the table, and broke it in half. “Because nigga you usually are.”
“I’ll give you that one.” Marv grinned like he’d just won an argument he’d been waiting weeks to win. “I be on bullshit.
I found myself smiling without realizing it.
Watching the two of them together explained a lot.
They carried themselves differently, but the chemistry was impossible to miss.
Marv was louder, rougher around the edges, always looking for the joke.
Lev barely raised his voice at all. He sat back, listened more than he spoke, and somehow still controlled the conversation without trying.
Even when he wasn’t talking, people naturally looked his way.
His eyes drifted over to me for a brief second before he nodded toward my plate. “You ain’t let him order for you, did you?”
I frowned. “What?”
He motioned toward Marv with the piece of bread still in his hand. “Because his taste in food just as bad as his taste in decisions.”
Marv looked over at me with disbelief written all over his face. “Don’t listen to this nigga.”
“I wouldn’t allow it.” I told Lev with a smirk.
“You see?” Marv threw both hands in the air before immediately remembering his stitches and bringing them right back down with a wince. “Everybody always taking his side.”
Lev winked. “Ain’t nobody taking my side.”
Marv pointed across the table. “And that’s exactly why Grandma like me better.”
Lev didn’t even blink. “Man, BJ like whoever call her the most.”
“Nah she like whoever give her the most money and that’s all fucking twelve of us.”
Lev agreed while responding to something in his phone before he ordered a bottle.
Marv was interesting, but Lev, it was something about him.
He was the type that looked like he ran a real strict program and even with Milan being with him, it seemed a little casual.
I could clearly see that she wasn’t his woman because he never acted like it.