Chapter 9 #2
“Good to know. I’m not really hungry right now. I’ve been tasting batters and flavors all day.”
“But I bet you had a cup of coffee.”
I nodded. “And you know I did. How am I supposed to get through the day without it? Coffee is the only way I get through the day. A cup in the morning and another at five or six. It’s a daily need.”
He shook his head, judging my slight caffeine addiction like he had when I’d first told him about it. Well, I didn’t tell him about it willingly, I more so told him if I was gonna be spending the night at his home, he needed to get a little coffee pot or something to wake me up in the morning.
The thought had me looking over at the mean green Keurig single pod machine sitting in the corner of his countertop. It was for me and my comfort. To some it was a coffee machine, but to me it was more. It was him adjusting for me even though he didn’t have to.
“Yo, you gotta get a handle on that. What if one day you can’t drink coffee?”
“Why couldn’t I?”
He shrugged. “What if the fucking thing broke?”
“I’d buy another,” I countered, not liking his example.
“And if they sold out.”
“I’d find a coffee shop.”
“What if coffee disappeared off the whole earth?”
“Then I’d die a slow painful death,” I responded dramatically, which had him laughing.
“Yo, you fucked up, like for real.”
“Maybe, but we all have that one thing we can’t see life without.”
“Yeah, aight.” Once he refilled the pitcher, he put it back into the fridge, then stepped between my legs. Less than two seconds later, he was carrying me in the direction of the living room to grab my bag, then to his bedroom.
“I asked if you had a passport because my family vacation is Saturday and I’m taking you with me.”
“No, hey Selah you wanna go or anything. You’re just taking me, huh?” I teased, knowing this was one of those bullheaded qualities. He didn’t ask questions, he gave answers and solutions.
He shrugged. “If you don’t wanna go, I can give them an excuse.”
“Go where? You thought because you dicked me down I wouldn’t still have questions.” I rested against him, my chin digging into his chest.
“Hell yeah, thought you’d be too tired.”
“Well, sike. Now talk.” I kissed his chest, peering at him.
“Rem and Karim didn’t go on a honeymoon but decided to rent this spot in Belize for a family vacation. I usually opt out of family vacations because everybody has kids, but the kids will be with their grandparents…all of them, meaning adult festivities.”
“What, you don’t like kids?” I found myself asking.
“Nah, I’m just not used to them. I fuck with my niece and nephews, there’s just a lot of them though. Like a fucking lot.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I saw that at the wedding. They’re all cute though.”
“They are, but I don’t have kids nor do I deal with them in my everyday life, so I ju—”
“You avoid moments filled with them at all costs because you’re scared you’ll catch whatever bug everyone else in your family has,” I finished for him.
“Exactly. Err’body just popping them out like that ain’t a whole life to account for.”
“I get it. Yes, I’ll go on your family vacation with you. I guess I could use the vacation.”
He tilted his head forward and pressed his lips against mine. “Even though I didn’t ask, I’m glad you agreed to come.”
“You are a pill, you know that?” I asked, pushing off him and lying back flat in bed.
“I’m aware. I’m glad you fuck with me though.” He turned on his side, looking at me. Then, as if looking didn’t give him enough gratification, he pushed his hand under my sleep shirt and began exploring my skin.
I was too quiet because he repeated his earlier statement in the form of a question. “You fuck with me, right?”
“Yes, I do. I really like this, even though I’m pretty sure it won’t stay this quiet.”
“Nah it won’t, but it will only get as loud as we let it. I’m fucking with you like that too, so we straight.”
I couldn’t hold back the big ass smile that took over my features but thank God the lights were out so he couldn’t see it, or so I thought.
“Stop smiling so hard and take your ass to sleep. We got shit to do in the morning.”
“Like what?”
“You’ll see. Get your rest.” Something about his voice felt like foreshadowing and I didn’t like it one bit. But between the way his hand never left my chest and how exhausted I already was, I fell asleep easily.
I was awakened to the cover being snatched from my body and Indiri’s voice what felt like an hour later. When I lifted my head and looked at the Alexa screen mounted on the wall a few feet away, it read four in the morning, which had me dropping my head to go back to sleep.
“Uh uhn. None of that, we’re training this morning.”
“Training for what? You better leave me alone. I have three more hours of sleep to get.” I reached for the covers with my eyes closed, but I couldn’t seem to find them.
Finally, I opened my eyes and the sight before me had me ready to knock his head off his shoulders with the pillow under my head.
This fool stood at the foot of the bed with the entire comforter and top sheet balled up, lodged under his massive arms.
“Get up before you make us late. Unc ain’t gonna take it easy on you just because you’re a woman.”
“He doesn’t have to because I’m not going. Now stop playing.”
“I’m not playing at all. You got about two minutes before I get a cup of ice water.”
At the mention of anything cold, I rose like it was a damn exorcism just in time to see him tossing something onto the bed.
“Throw that on. We’ll be leaving in about five minutes.” He still didn’t put the covers back on the bed but instead put the balled-up storm blue and white material on the small loveseat in the corner of the room.
I was pissed when I was finally dressed but he didn’t care. He was amused, pushing buttons on the blender.
“I cannot believe you.”
He laughed. “You’ll be alright. I put a lil more peanut butter in your smoothie.” He winked, so happy with himself.
When we made it downstairs, I was met with a group of men, three of them older and the other two around his age. Then there was Unc, the oldest of them all, the one who not only scolded us for being late but had me punching a hard ass bag for at least forty minutes at the beginning.
“You’re getting sloppy, Selah. Throw your fist straight ahead.” Unc’s voice elevated hours into training. He wasn’t even facing me but instead watching Indiri sparring in the ring with who I now knew was his sparring partner and cousin JJ.
“I’m trying,” I groaned, wondering when the hell I had actually signed up for this. Since we’d gotten here, he had been yelling out things for me to do. I took Pilates classes when I could, but it had nothing on boxer training or any type of training.
When I finally had enough, I took the gloves off and turned to walk toward the ring that seemed to be built into the garage. Inside was him. He was so focused, extremely quick on his feet, shifting and ducking jabs and punches thrown with enough force I heard when they made contact.
“You giving up on me, Selah?” Unc asked, interrupting my observation of Indiri.
I grinned, looking from him to the ring before I shook my head. “No, I’m just taking a break.”
He laughed. “Sure, you are. Watch your hips, Indi. You keep throwing them out, somebody is damn sure gonna hit you in them.”
I was standing next to him near the ring, just watching Indiri move and maneuver.
It was like watching Creed when the main character was shirtless, sweaty, and throwing his body.
I wondered if I should’ve found this as fine as I did at this moment because it was hot and I should have been mad at him.
The way his tunnel vision was visible had me nearly drooling.
I had never been this close to Nathanial’s process. I didn’t even think he had one. This was next level…he was next level.