Chapter 7 #2
“I need to go to the ladies’ room,” Ever stuttered nervously as her eyes danced around the room. She looked everywhere but to me.
“I need like two minutes, Ever. My feet are killing me. If I stand up now, I’m certain I’m going to end up on my ass,” Lyric proclaimed.
“Come on,” I interjected, standing from my seat with my cup in tow.
Before she could object, I was grabbing her hand and leading her in the opposite direction.
Like a rag doll, I pulled her through the crowd and toward the restrooms. When we finally made it to the hallway where they were located and out of plain sight, I gently pushed her back against the wall right behind the other women, waiting to get into the restroom as well.
I could hear the gasp as it came from between those thick, glossy lips of hers that I wanted wrapped around my dick on a daily.
“Unlock your phone,” I demanded.
“Huh?” she asked, truly baffled.
To help her understand better, I explained, “Erase that nigga’s number you just put in your phone, Ever. Don’t play stupid.”
As harsh as my words may have sounded, I meant well. I just couldn’t conceal my selfishness if I tried. I wanted Ever all to myself but with niggas in her mix that couldn’t happen.
“Don’t talk to me like that, Luca,” Ever expressed. The same sadness I’d witnessed cross her eyes at the table reappeared, etching away at my heart.
My chest tightened as I closed my eyes to regain my composure. She’s fragile. What the fuck are you doing, nigga? I chastised myself.
“Erase the number, please .” I softened as much as I could while still demanding she put an end to the shit before it even started.
“Why?”
“Because you know why,” I countered.
“I can’t read your mind, Luca.” She sighed, our eyes never leaving each other.
“Because I’m ready to be the only nigga with the number, Ever.” I made shit plain and simple for her.
The look of contentment appeared in her eyes and left as quickly as it had come.
“Then what took you so long to tell me?”
“I’m sorry,” I admitted.
“For what?”
“Speaking to you that way and not making my interest obvious a little sooner.”
“I’m not ready,” she responded, tightening my chest with each word she spoke. “I’m not ready for you. I’m still trying to find me.”
Soundlessly, I nodded to show her I understood.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” she wondered aloud.
“I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“If you’re expecting me to beg you to fuck with me, I’m not,” I assured her.
“That’s not what I expected, Luca!” she exclaimed.
“Then what else we got to talk about?”
The line moved as she dropped her head to unlock her phone.
I watched silently as she did as she’d been asked far too late.
She erased Dennis’ number from her contacts along with someone by the name of Cedric.
Though I wished it had felt as much like a victory to me as I’d expected, I felt somewhat defeated.
However, I wouldn’t let her in on that secret.
The line continued to move as we waited in silence. I could feel her staring at the side of my face waiting for me to return the gesture or acknowledge her at all. Instead, I kept my eyes ahead and moved every time the line did until it was her turn.
Ever returned from the restroom minutes later. I’d finished my drink and was ready for another one. I considered going out to the car to retrieve the weed that we had left to come inside, but decided against it.
“Nah. I’m really on my level,” Lyric slurred, whining in her chair.
It was good seeing her enjoying herself.
She was a homebody and didn’t get out nearly as much as women her age.
It had always been that way but since I’d gone to prison, it had worsened.
Baby girl was an introvert at heart. The more I was around Ever, I noticed she was, too. They were a match made in boredom.
“You’re driving her home,” I leaned over to Laike and said.
“Already on it.” He nodded.
“But let her enjoy herself. We just have to watch them.”
“Nigga, you been watching Ever like a fucking hawk, anyway. I’m sure that ain’t no problem for you.”
“It’s not,” I responded with a chuckle.
I witnessed Ever’s entire demeanor change.
Once we settled in from the restroom, her infectiousness was absorbed by the guilt that she felt for rejecting me.
I wanted to let her know she had every right and that I wasn’t fucked up about being turned down, but I was afraid that it might’ve made things between us even more awkward.
So, to spare her the agony, I decided to dismiss myself from the table and go grab another drink from the bar.
I slid back in my seat with her eyes on me, stalking my every move. I left the white Styrofoam cup that I’d been sipping from on the table and nodded toward the bar to inform Laike it was my destination. When I stepped away from the crew, I sensed the regret that had settled into Ever’s spirit.
“Cheer up,” I told her as I leaned in her ear before tapping her on the shoulder.
She snapped her neck around in my direction but before she was able to say anything, I took off.
Ever didn’t owe me an explanation. It was her right to deny me access to her if she wasn’t ready.
I just needed her to stand on that and not back down because she thought I was indifferent about her choice.
I wasn’t. I respected it and wouldn’t try swaying her in any way.
If I wasn’t the nigga for her, then life would continue. It wasn’t the end of the world.
“Hi,” the bartender greeted as I stood against the wooden bar.
“What’s up? Let me get an Old Fashion.”
“Sure, coming right up.” She smiled at me, flashing her perfect teeth.
Her big, fake pornstar titties were the only thing I saw, though. I’ll pass . There wasn’t shit I could do with her. She returned with my drink a few seconds later.
“Here you go. I’m Amy. If there’s anything else I can help you with just give me a holler.”
“Bet.” I nodded as I responded, ready for Amy to get the fuck out of my face.
Before she could, I felt a small hand on my back and smelled a fruity mix up my nostrils. The elegance of the voice that followed up piqued my interest.
“Can I have a shot of Jack, please,” the woman beside me asked the bartender.
“Coming right up,” Amy told her.
“Your momma never taught you to keep your hands off strangers?” I asked her, turning slightly to get a good look at her.
“She did, but when they’re as handsome as you, I find it kind of hard.”
“I’m Luca,” I introduced myself.
“I’m Kasey,” she revealed.
Her dark skin and perfect hair would do. She wasn’t Ever, but she was close enough. From the smile on her face as she licked her lips, I could tell that she was into exactly what I was into.
“Lock me in.”
“I was just about to ask.” She chuckled, pulling out her cell and unlocking it.
I punched my new number in after opening my phone to retrieve it.
“You don’t know your own number?” she teased.
“Just got it today.”
“Hmmmm. Crazy ex?”
“Nah.”
“Switched carriers?” She played the guessing game.
“Nah. Is you the FEDs or what, baby girl?”
“Hmmm. Fresh out?” she figured out.
“Something like that.”
“OK. Fresh out dick always tastes better.”
“When you trying to find out?” I challenged, not giving a damn who she was referring to or how many niggas were considered in her statement.
“Soon.”
“That’s good enough for me. Just hit my line whenever that may be.”
“I will.”
“Here you go,” Amy said as she sat her shot on the counter.
“Ayo, grab her a bottle of that shit,” I instructed. “Put it on my tab.”
“Thanks, daddy,” Kasey told me as she smiled.
“No problem.”
I watched as she killed the shot, tossing it back like it was nothing. She sat in silence as she waited for Amy to bring a new bottle. When it was in her hand, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
“See you soon, stranger.”
I didn’t bother checking for her as she walked away, mainly because I felt like a fucking hypocrite.
I didn’t have to see Ever’s face to feel the disappointment radiating from her.
Neither did I have to turn around to know that she was watching me.
Her energy was evident, encompassing me as I sipped from my glass.
If she wasn’t ready, that was cool. But there were a thousand bitches that were ready to hold it down until she was.
Hopefully, no one compared because otherwise, the position I was trying to put her in would probably no longer be available by the time she was.
Two drinks and an order of traditional wings later, I was back at the table and chopping it up with my people. My stomach was touching my back, prompting me to dig into the platter the second our waitress put it down. Laike was right behind me, followed by Lyric and Ever.
I wasn’t sure why, but seeing her dig in brought me joy. I’d been on a few dates in my lifetime and knew that there were women willing to starve than allow a man to see them actively eating on the first date. This wasn’t a date for Ever and me, but the same sentiments existed.
“Mom and Dad are coming home tomorrow,” Lyric shared, giggling for whatever reason she deemed suitable in her drunken state.
“I thought that was Wednesday.”
“Tuesday. I told Laike Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest.”
“One of them motherfuckers I remembered,” Laike jabbered with a shrug.
“Aight. I’ll pull up on them when they touch down.”
“Mom will probably have dad take her straight to the center. You know how she is, acts like she can’t stay away from them kids more than a day,” Lyric reminded me.
“Wherever she is, I’m going to find her. She’s going to be on my ass about not telling her I was coming home, but I’ll take it.”
“She is,” Lyric agreed.