Chapter 15 #2
While nodding, she replies, “I would but I’m really fine. Today has been perfection and meeting your charming and handsome son has only made it better.” She places her hand on the back of his neck. While gently caressing, she adds, “Akeem, I’m good and if I wasn’t, you’d be the first to know.”
Quise returns to the booth holding a silver table stand emblazoned with number fifty-two, two cups of ice, and three cans of soda. After placing the items on the table, he returns to the counter to grab another cup of ice and rolled napkins with silverware.
“I didn’t know if you needed hot sauce or anything,” he says to Sunjiya. “If you do, you can tell them when they bring the food.”
“Thank you. I don’t think I’m going to need hot sauce though.”
Before sitting down, Quise hands the receipt and credit card back to his dad.
After opening his soda and pouring it over the ice.
He looks over at Sunjiya and his dad. Noticing her hand on his neck and his hand on her thigh, Quise smiles.
While he’s seen his mom with a few dudes, he’s never seen his dad this affectionate with a woman before.
It’s cool, really cool actually, and he likes seeing it. Pops deserves this.
“I was thinking,” Quise says after taking a sip.
“And what you thinking?” Akeem asks, amused already.
“It’s time for me to have my own real credit card,” Quise announces.
“Did you turn eighteen and I missed that shit?” Akeem asks.
“Pops! Fifteen is the new eighteen. My generation is a little more advanced than y’all were back in the day,” Quise explains. Akeem shakes his head and Sunjiya grins amusedly.
“Back in the day?” Akeem repeats.
“Yeah. I wasn’t born in the nineteen hundreds like you,” Quise says and Sunjiya’s grin morphs into full blown laughter.
“He has a point.”
“Barely in the nineteen hundreds,” Akeem counters, then chuckles too.
This boy! After raising it and flipping it over for emphasis, Akeem places his credit card in his pocket.
“Keep talking shit and you might not see one until you can afford one on your own,” he teases.
Building Quise’s credit is essential, which is why the house is in his name.
He’s also getting a credit card for his eighteenth birthday.
“I’m done,” Quise says while holding his hand up in defense.
“I don’t want to get in your business, Quise, but have you figured out how you’re gonna ask Talesia to the homecoming dance?” Sunjiya asks.
“I think I’m going to have one of my friends make a sign or something. I don’t really got time to do much and Kassa is cool; she’ll make a sign.”
“Do y’all have a class together?” she asks.
“Yes, ma’am. Fourth period.”
“Do it then, in front of the class. Girls like to feel real special,” she says and he nods as she speaks.
“So give her the sign there? I can do that.”
“Yeah, do the sign but a little something extra too. Maybe get roses, enough for the class. Give everybody one and have them hold the roses out for her to collect. Then do your sign and ask. She’ll love that.”
“Oh, that’s dope. She will like that. My momma can hook the roses up for me. Thank you,” he says, really appreciatively.
“You welcome but do me a favor,” Sunjiya says.
“Anything.”
“Send pictures to your dad.”
“I got you. On God,” Quise says.
Not even five minutes later, their food arrives—a delicious assortment of mac-n-cheeses and an amazing looking jerk pizza.
Over dinner, they continue to talk, with Quise constantly bringing Sunjiya into the conversation.
It’s clear his Pops really likes Sunjiya, and honestly, so does Quise.
She’s not only pretty as hell but she’s cool, down to earth, and funny.
Her homecoming idea sealed the deal for him.
“Pops, I like her,” Quise says as he and Akeem walk to the front door once they’re back at the house.
Thankfully, Charis doesn’t make a scene and keeps herself inside. She is, however, watching on her security camera. To her dismay and frustration, she doesn’t have a better, more up-close look at the woman in her damn driveway.
“Good ’cause I like her too,” Akeem says and Quise smiles.
“How long you gon’ be here?” Quise asks, and honestly, Akeem doesn’t have an answer.
When is he leaving? When is she leaving? How are they going to handle the distance between them?
“Why? What do you need from me?” Akeem replies.
“I know Momma wants to do everything for homecoming but I kinda want you there. Me and her are not going to agree on my fit. She already talking about a tux. I’m not wearing a tux to homecoming.” Quise sighs and Akeem grins.
“I got you. When you trying to ask yo’ girl?”
“Friday.”
“Bet. Then I’m here until we take care of everything. We can go tomorrow after school to get the roses and poster shit then find your fit Friday or Saturday.”
“It’ll have to be Saturday for the fit, Pops. I got practice Friday after school.”
“Then I’m here till Sunday,” Akeem says and Quise’s smile gets wider. “I’ll scoop you from school tomorrow.”
“You gon’ tell her?” Quise asks.
“Yeah. I’ll let her know and even invite her Saturday. It’s your first homecoming; she’s gonna want to be there. But don’t worry, we not getting a tux.”
“Thanks, Pops,” Quise exclaims before hugging Akeem.
Quise lets himself inside. Once he closes the door, Akeem walks back to the car. His visit has now been extended to Sunday. But what about hers? We definitely need to talk when we get back to this room.
“You ready?” Akeem asks once he slides into the driver’s seat.
“Yeah, but can we stop and get ice before we head back to the room? The ice at the hotel is those chunky square pieces. I should have gotten a cup of ice to-go from the House of Mac,” Sunjiya responds.
“I don’t know where to find yo’ special ice. You gotta tell me where to go.”
“Me either,” she says with a smile. “But we can try that big gas station I saw on the way here. It looked like it might have it.”
“How the hell does a gas station look like it has your special ice?” he questions with a slight smirk.
“It just does. I can’t explain it but it does. If it doesn’t, I’ll just make do with the big ass ice at the hotel.”
“Nah. If they don’t have it, we’ll keep looking,” he assures her.
“It’s late. Maybe two places if we need to, but no more. I’m still relaxed from the spa and full as hell. I can crash in bed right now,” she says, then releases a sigh.
“I hope you trying to crash on me,” Akeem says before placing his hand on her thigh.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t know what you did to me but I’m addicted to sleeping all up on you. What am I going to do when I get back home?” she asks, bringing up what’s been plaguing his mind since getting in the car.
After gently squeezing her thigh, Akeem says, “I want all the time I can have with you. I’m staying till Sunday to help Quise with his homecoming stuff. Stay with me.”
“As badly as I want to say yes, I shouldn’t and can’t. You and him need your father-son time and I need to get back. I’ve never been to Austin though,” she says with a smile.
Although he doesn’t want her to leave, he understands. It’s been over a week, of course she needs to get home. So he simply says, “I’ll fly you to Austin every week.”
“I can’t wait.”
“So when you leaving me?”
“Tomorrow if I can find a ticket. That way y’all can do your thing.”
“Damn. Well, I hope you know you’re not sleeping tonight,” he says, then glances at her.
“I was hoping you would say that.” Five minutes later, Akeem pulls into the large gas station. “You want anything?” she asks and his eyebrows furrow.
“Nah, I’m straight but I’m getting out for you, not you for me. You want something other than ice?”
“I can get my own stuff,” she says amusedly.
“But you not. Not when I’m around. I got you, Sunjiya. Let me have you,” he says and his words permeate her skin and send a chill down her spine. After tenderly kissing the air out of her lungs, he pecks her lips again then asks, “You want something other than your special ice?”
“Just the ice, please,” she says.
“Imma get two cups. I think I want to eat some too, just off yo’ sexy ass body,” he says salaciously before exiting the car.
Sunjiya simpers as she watches him walk inside the store. Nothing sexier than a fine ass, arrogant ass, gun-toting Black man, especially when those qualities are accompanied with a kind and thoughtful heart and fye ass sex. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Her eyes stay glued to him as he maneuvers through the store and back out. He’s indeed holding two large cups of ice and the thought of what he might do with the ice and her body makes her squeeze her thighs together.
“You were serious,” she says the moment he’s back in the car.
“Very. I only say what I mean. Besides, you love ice. I just want to make you love it more,” he tells her.
Damn, she thinks as she squeezes her thighs even tighter.
The short ten minutes to the hotel feel like ten fucking hours.
Anticipation and need between them both crowds the car, on the verge of combustion.
Her want for him becomes a need with each passing minute.
Her first true day of freedom has been beyond her imagination.
For her, the wonderful night of sleep, Akeem’s thoughtful gift of the spa, and dinner with him and Quise were dream worthy.
For three years, during her living nightmare, she missed out on normal things, blissful moments, and just being carefree thanks to Marcelin and his fortress.
Accepting a drink from him at a bar was one of the worst decisions of her life and she lived in that regret until yesterday, until Akeem got her back into the house and cleared the path for her.
He made today beautiful without even trying.
The promise of tonight is just the icing on the cake.
“You ready for me?” he asks after parking in the hotel’s lot.