Chapter Three
Brichelle “Brick” Walker
“MOVE YOUR DAMN TRUCK!” I yelled as I slammed my open palm on the horn of my Porsche Cayenne.
The first time I had pulled up and noticed this ugly ass yellow truck in my parking spot, I decided not to be a bitch and just let him use the spot.
I parked somewhere else even though I had been parking in the same spot for eight years.
Grace had run out, I was starving, I had violent cramps, and my annoying ass brother wasn’t answering the phone.
I was on a warpath, and this man had parked his country ass truck right in the center of it.
He stepped out of the truck with a box in his hand and looked at me like I was crazy.
“GET BACK IN YOUR TRUCK AND MOVE IT!” I screamed at him angrily.
“This parking space says for business owner,” he yelled back nonchalantly.
“I KNOW WHAT THE SPOT SAYS. I’M THE OWNER OF THIS GYM AND I HAVE BEEN PARKING IN THAT SPOT FOR EIGHT YEARS SO MOVE YOUR TRUCK!” I yelled like a banshee.
“Well, the sign doesn’t say, Owner of the gym it says Business Owner.
Do you see this establishment right here?
I’m the owner of it. I would have wanted a more pleasant welcome to the neighborhood, but I’m not moving out of the spot lady so just find somewhere else to park.
You don’t own this spot.” He shrugged as he turned and walked away without bothering to move his truck.
“ASSHOLE!” I screamed out of the window, angry as I swerved away to find another spot. I heard him laugh loudly. A genuine, amused laugh, like I was entertaining. That shit irritated me even worse than that country ass truck, and that country ass sign above his storefront that read: THE JUICE PLUG
The place had only been open for a week and I already hated it.
It had been seven years since the storefront next to Brick it was more like looked down at me, because he towered above me like a giant. I didn’t give a damn how tall he was I crossed my arms and maintained my stance. I refused to be intimidated.
“Or you can be a decent human being and just help me. I’ve had this same problem with the lock every time I try to open and close the store. I always get it eventually but it’s just a headache trying to work with it until it budges,” he admitted begrudgingly.
“I know the feeling. I get the same headache when I have to ride around and look for a parking spot when I have been using this spot right here in front of my gym. So, what do you say? I give you what you want, and you give me what I want?” The minute the words left my lips I was aware of how they sounded and I began to blush.
He smirked because his mind took him to the same raunchy place.
I rolled my eyes and scowled, “You know what I meant perv. I help you unlock this janky door, and you give me my spot back,” I stuttered.
“What’s your name?” He asked me as he leaned against the door and crossed his large arms over his chest.
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t like you.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know enough.”
His smile widened and I wanted to be annoyed with him but the longer I stood in his presence, the more my knees weakened.
He was calm and staring at me intensely and I mirrored his image on the outside.
On the inside I was a quivering mess. This would be so much easier if he looked like a dusty boot instead of a more muscled version of Lance Gross.
“What’s your name?” he asked again.
“Why does it matter?” I snapped as I exhaled loudly.
“You own the business right next to mine. I like to be cordial with my neighbors. I have introduced myself to Lisa, the woman that owns Lisa’s Properties.
I have introduced myself to the WU’s, the owners of WU Korean BBQ.
I have met Sarah from Sarah’s Cakes and Desserts, and all the rest of the business owners in this plaza.
I have seen you coming and going but I don’t know your name.
I don’t want to just call you the gym lady.
Can you please tell me your name?” He asked.
The way he begged made my pussy clench. I loved a yearning man. It had been so long since a man begged me for anything. I was at my gym 15 hours a day and that didn’t leave much room for romance.
I sucked my teeth and he laughed at me.
Lord even his laugh was fine.
Maybe my mind was making him finer than he was because it had been so long since I was interested in someone. I looked down at the box next to his feet and it was a crate of vegetables and fruit that still had dirt and grass attached to them.
He wasn’t bullshitting when he said the juice was fresh. He couldn’t just buy vegetables and fruit from the grocery store like a normal business owner; this nigga had to bring the products straight from the ground. That annoyed and impressed me.
My name is Zumani Welsh, you can call me Zumo. Now that I have shown you mine can you show me yours?” He asked and immediately smirked. He knew how it sounded and he didn’t bother to try to clear it up.