Chapter 12
Xiah
“Should I be offended?”
I almost dropped the container of brownies I was holding onto when a familiar deep rasp sounded from above my head. My eyes darted north and met with red tinged eyes almost hidden from his low set lids.
“Offended by what?”
“The way you were just checking for my boy.”
I smiled and rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t checking for him but I also won’t lie and say he’s not attractive.”
“Xi, I’m chill for the most part, but you not gon’ disrespect me by crushing on my nigga like your pussy isn’t now customized to only accept my dick.”
I dropped my mouth open for a second before my eyes darted around us, trying to see who was potentially privy to the conversation we were having. “Will you shut the hell up?” I hissed at him, bringing a lazy smile to his face.
“So you’re cool with grinning after that nigga but you don’t want them knowing how I make you cum by sucking on your clit?”
“Kove, what the hell?!” I whisper hissed.
“Man, chill, these folks don’t give a fuck what I’m saying to you. We’re in a gotdamn hotel lobby. Pretty ass woman, fine ass muthafucker like me, they know I’m hitting that.”
“We’re not, I’m not…” I shoved the container toward him. “I brought you brownies.”
He stared at me for a minute then dropped his eyes to the plastic container and smiled lazily. Shit, can this man get any finer?
“Why you bring me brownies?”
“Because I wanted to apologize for earlier.”
“I don’t want brownies as an apology, Xi.” Those hooded eyes dragged over my body.
“Well I’m not here for that.”
“What you think I want?” He smiled sexily. “To dig in them guts?”
“Yes.”
He chuckled. “Yeah I want that but I also want you to say yes to what I asked you earlier.”
“Yes.”
“Yes what?”
“I’ll be your plus one.”
“Aight, let me think about it.” He took the container from my hands and removed the lid. “Damn, these shits look good. Who made them…”
His large hand lifted one and he shoved the entire thing in his mouth, nodding as he chewed.
“I made them, and what do you mean let you think about it?”
“Exactly what I said. Let me think about it. You played me so I need to decide if I even want you in that spot anymore. I might just go with one of them women my publicist is trying to stick me with.” Another brownie disappeared and he was nodding again.
“These shits are good as hell but I’m also high as fuck so I could be lying. ”
I reached for the container but he pulled it into his chest and cradled it protectively. “I know you’re not giving me something and trying to take it back.” He grinned then dropped his eyes. “But that’s your shit, right?”
He means I took my pussy back…
“Something is seriously wrong with you.”
“Nah, I’m cool. Ain’t shit wrong with me.” He enjoyed another brownie before sealing the lid on the container again. “You chilling right now or you have something to do?”
“I’m free, why?”
“I need a bed and you promised to help me pick one.”
“It’s after six, you want to go furniture shopping?”
“Yeah, shit don’t usually close until nine, right?”
“Yes, most places, but I hadn’t really expected to go furniture shopping.” I looked down at my clothes—leggings, running shoes, and a tee.
“Then what were you expecting to do?” He was smiling smugly at me and I knew exactly where his mind went.
“Not that. Honestly, I wasn’t sure you would even talk to me. You were kinda pissed when you left earlier.”
“I was straight. You don’t owe me shit so I didn’t have a reason to be pissed.”
“But you were.”
“So you baked me brownies.”
I nodded. “I bake through my emotions.”
“We’re cool, Xi, but I need a bed. Bring your emotional ass on so you can help me pick one then we can go get something to eat to celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?”
“after you fucked up my day, Sovoya called me about some brand deals, which I needed because my real estate agent is scamming the fuck outta me.”
“Your realtor has bills so…” I shrugged playfully and he chuckled.
“Man, bring your scamming ass on.” He moved the container to one hand which was large enough to hold it securely while he dropped the other one around my body, tugging me into his side before he started moving through the lobby, bringing me with him.
“You want me to drive my car?” I asked, already knowing the reaction to expect.
“Man, fuck no. I’m too high for that shit.”
He lowered his eyes to me with a frown in place. I had no idea what the hell I was getting myself into, but for the first time in years, I was choosing me and it damn sure felt good.
We spent two hours at Goode Furniture, starting with living room sets.
Kove didn’t have much of an opinion on anything other than testing the sofas to make sure they could accommodate his lengthy body.
Outside of that, he told me to “pick some shit”.
When we entered the store, we were greeted by a sales associate who asked what we were looking for.
After I gave her the rundown, she asked if we wanted a sales associate on hand or to use their electronic system.
Apparently it was new and basically used for customers who wanted to shop in peace by not having a sales associate following them around the store.
The device housed all of their inventory and even had room creations where customers could pick specific pieces and do a virtual staging to see them together.
It was actually pretty cool so I went with that instead of electing to have a salesperson while we shopped. Especially after I noticed that the two women available kept grinning and whispering about Kove. He wasn’t mine, but he damn sure wasn’t about to be theirs either.
While we moved around the store, picking and trying items, I added them to virtual staging rooms while he smashed the full container of brownies. Because yes, his hood ass brought them into the store with us.
“Look at this.”
He leaned closer and scanned the device I was holding.
We were currently seated on a black leather sofa with cushions so deep I couldn’t bend my legs over the side if I was seated with my body against the back cushions.
Of course Kove’s long legs easily draped over the side, allowing his feet to be planted on the floor.
“I fuck with it.”
“As much as I love the simplicity of shopping with you, can you give me more than ‘I fuck with it’? What about the tables? I think the weathered wood looks good with the texture of the sofa. It’s kinda distressed, not smooth, and the imperfections blend with the tables.
Oh, and these lamps with the stained bamboo hoods would be perfect. Hold on…”
I started removing items and swapping them with others we viewed earlier. When I was done and turned to Kove, he had a lazy smile in place while staring at me.
“What?”
“You like this shit.”
“Yeah, I do. It’s kinda fun. It’s like virtual staging. I’ve done it with some of the houses I have listed. Now stop grinning at me and say more than I fuck with it.”
He chuckled and leaned closer so his body was touching mine. He nodded then dropped his head back. “I fuck with it heavy.”
“Kove…” I groaned because adding heavy still did not give me his true thoughts.
“It’s not that deep. This isn’t really my shit.
The house I grew up in still has the same furniture my parents purchased when they bought it.
The apartment I had in Dubai came with everything in it.
I don’t know a damn thing about furnishing a house, but you do.
Pick what you think works. If I don’t like it, I’m gonna tell you.
If I say I fuck with it, then run that shit. ”
“Fine. I’m running that shit,” I said, adding everything I liked to the cart.
“Aight, what’s next?”
“You have to pick a bed.”
“Come on then.”
We were up and moving again after I scanned the store map to locate the bedroom furniture.
While I checked out the most masculine sets they had, Kove stretched out on one of the mattresses, arms folded behind his head, watching me.
I added a few to a staging area then joined him.
Instead of laying down, I sat on the edge of the mattress, adjusting the items so he could take a look.
“Okay, here…”
I extended the device and he shook his head. “Nah, come lay down.”
“I don’t need to lay…” Before I could finish the sentence, his hands were on me and I was yanked onto the mattress. I groaned and adjusted so I was on my side and he did the same, so we were facing each other. I moved the device between us and pointed to the screen.
“Here are three sets, pick one. And if you say I fucks with it to either of them, I’m punching you… hard.”
“I hope you don’t think them little ass hands are going to cause any damage.”
“They will, so don’t try me, pick…” I pointed to the screen. He chuckled, rolling onto his back and pulling me into his side so I had to shift. My head ended up on his shoulder while he lifted the device into view.
Oh, fuck. He smelled good and being close like this had me entertaining the idea of us laid up at night in his bed on a regular basis and that was just…
Foolish…
“Aight, let me see what you got.”
After a few minutes of glaring at the screen, he dropped his eyes to me. “They all look the same.”
“No they don’t. This one has gold hardware and distressed wood. This one has a textured finish on the face of each drawer and black hardware and this one has invisible handles.”
“I know you don’t expect me to notice any of that shit.” His brows pinched then he placed the device beside him on the mattress. “Three.”
“What?”
“There are three of them shits. Let’s go with three.”
“They’re not numbered.” I fought to contain my smile because he was over it.
“Xi, number them shits however you want and pick whichever one is three.”
I reached over him, grabbed the device, and added my favorite to the cart.
“Okay, done. You need a mattress.”
“This one is cool. What’s the largest size it comes in?”