6. July
TWO WEEKS LATER
“Nigga, you sure this what you wanna do?” Nick asked.
“You’ve seen that girl?”
“I seen your baby mama, but I wouldn’t wanna fuck with her for a mill, my nigga.”
“Aye.”
He chuckled. “Too soon?”
“That ain’t my kid.”
“Yeah, okay. You narrowly avoided that bullet. Because if it weren’t for old boy pulling up, that baby would’ve been carrying yo’ last name.”
“Well, it didn’t happen. Listen, I’ma hit you up later. I’m about to head out now.”
“Ain’t yo’ ass too old to be going skating?”
“Listen, she got that Fort Knox guard up, and I need her ass to loosen up a bit. Learn how to laugh and be a kid again or something.”
“A’ight. I hear ya, OG.”
“Fuck offa my phone,” I remarked and ended the call. I pumped a handful of lotion from the bottle and squirted a few shots of my favorite cologne into the middle of the lotion. When I was finished, I rubbed it all together and smoothed it up and down my arms and neck.
Satisfied with my grooming and my appearance, I headed out the door. She stood in the doorway of her apartment, as I closed mine, and glanced shyly my way.
“What? You didn’t think I was gonna come through?”
“I thought I missed you was all.”
“Look at ya li’l self. All anxious and shit to see ya boy.”
“Not hardly.” She giggled and rolled her eyes.
“Got you waiting by the door for me.”
“I’m just ready to get out of the house and get this date over with.”
“Oh, that’s how it is?” I asked as she locked her door.
“You’ve only been hounding me about this date since the night we linked up at the mixer.”
“It’s been two weeks. Ya li’l ass was trying to be slick and hoped that I forgot.”
“Yeah, something like that,” she replied.
I wanted to take her hand, but I didn’t want to chase her away. She barely agreed to the date as it was, which was why I was determined to have fun with her tonight. I surreptitiously checked her out as we headed to the elevators.
She was fine as hell in the little denim cut-off shorts that she wore. She wore a pale pink, sleeveless crop top and some pale pink Chucks.
“You bought skates just for tonight?” I asked, pressing the G button for the garage.
“And did.”
“Look at ya. Already looking forward to a second date.”
She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “Boy, please. I date myself. Besides, this is something fun that I can do with my girls.”
“Yeah, okay. By the time I’m through with you, you won’t have time for the girls.”
“Is that what you believe?” she asked as I led her off the elevator and to my car.
“It’s what I know.”
“Nice,” she commented as she slid a hand across my royal blue, convertible Ford Mustang.
I opened her door and helped her inside, before I got in and let the top down.
“May I?” she asked, pointing at the sound system.
“Depends. Who you got?”
She smirked. “Keith G, Chris Perry, and Chablis.”
“You said that shit like you just know that I’m into them.”
“You say that shit like I haven’t heard your music, rude neighbor, sir.”
I chuckled and nodded. “You got it.”
She switched on the system and connected it to her phone while I navigated out of the garage and to the skating rink.
“You thought I was playing with you when I told you I’m a fast learner, huh?” she asked as she circled me in a backward motion.
“Nah, ya li’l ass ain’t that fast of a learner. You’re a hustler is what you are.”
She giggled and reached for my hand as the deejay played Chris Perry and Solemn’s
“Fantasy.” My hands rested on Abril’s hips as she swayed to the music. I pulled her closer to me, and we skated around one full time before she spun around with her back to me.
I wrapped her in my embrace, and she looked at me over her shoulder.
“You trying to get your scrapes and grinds in.”
“Baby, trust me, I don’t scrape and grind. I get right up in there, and if I were in there, there would be no mistake about what I’m doing.” I smirked when she shivered.
I could see her tongue pressing into the side of her cheek as she tried to hold back her smile. Abril’s hips felt perfect in my hands, and I imagined how they would feel if she were rising and sliding down my erection.
The music switched to Jovi Noelle’s “Make Me,” and she started bouncing her ass. “All right now. You gon’ get what ya asking for,” I warned. The giggle she released hit me hard down low. We skated for another hour, and she spent that time showing out for me, surprised when I could keep up with her.
“Are you hungry?” I asked as we headed for the door of the skating rink after we had removed our shoes.
“Famished.”
“A’ight. Let’s drop your skates in the car and get something in that belly.”
Long eyelashes fluttered before her cheeks turned a deep red.
“What’s in that pretty little head of yours, mami?”
“Nothing,” she replied shyly.
“Think your head went straight to the gutter.”
She bit her lip as I unlocked the trunk of my car so that we could put the skates away. “Skipped the gutters and went straight to the sewer.”
“Damn, like that, li’l mama?”
Her response was a coy smile and a lift of her eyebrows as she pranced away from me. I could see the slight curve of her ass from underneath her denim shorts. “Where are you going?” I asked, jogging to catch up with her.
“To Groove Theory.”
“How do you know that’s where I’m taking you, ma?”
She smacked her lips and rolled her eyes.
“Man, quit playing with me. You did not bring me on a date to flaunt Groove Theory in my face and not take me there. Please tell me you ain’t gon’ play in my face like that.
It’s the quickest way to have me go home in an Uber and blast you on Sociogram and ClickPix. ”
I chuckled. “Baby, trust me. My following is loyal.”
“I don’t know if all 671,343 followers will remain loyal when I tell them how you play women,” she warned.
I grabbed her hand at the entrance of the most popular restaurant in the city.
The attire was open, so people were dressed down or dressed up.
Turning her to face me, I replied. “I never play a woman. Everything I do is to cater to and please her. Glad to see you stalking me on my socials like that.”
“Whatever, Mr. Maxwell.”
“Welcome to Groove Theory,” the ma?tre d’ greeted us as we walked inside.
“Reservations for Mr. Maxwell.”
He smiled, nodded, and waved a server over who led us into the restaurant and to the stairs. When we reached the rooftop, Abril swung her gaze to me. “Not only did you get reservations to a restaurant that requires six months’ notice, but you also got rooftop seating?”
“Told you that everything I do is to cater to and please,” I answered as we followed the server to the blue seating in front of the neon aquarium. The stars were out, and it was a beautiful summer night.
“Did you already have these reservations for you and your ex?” she asked hesitantly after we placed our order of ribs and macaroni.
“Don’t know who fucked over you, li’l mama, but one day you’ll recognize that I’m the real deal. How long has it been?” I asked after I took a sip of my gin and juice the bartender had just placed at our table.
“One year and three weeks.”
“He did a number on you, I’m guessing.”
“Let’s say that he showed up at the altar, but I wasn’t the bride.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes and sucked down her apricot Bellini.
“Slow down, ma. Promise that I’ll spend the rest of tonight, and any other time in your presence, making you forget about that lame ass nigga. You don’t need a drink to do that.”
She smirked and pushed her drink away. With a shy tilt of her head, she replied, “You’re well on your way, Mr. Maxwell.”
The server placed our meals before us, and we spent the rest of the night enjoying our meal and our view.
“Whatcha staring at?”
“The way you sucking that damn bone, baby girl,” I answered, shifting in my seat. My shit was rock hard, and the slurping noises she made wasn’t helping. But when she narrowed her gaze at me and slowly pulled that bone from between those fat lips, I knew she was teasing a nigga.
“A’ight. One day you gon’ regret these games.”
She laughed and threw her head back. Abril wouldn’t be easy to crack, but I felt like she would definitely be worth it.