6. Daylin
SIX
daylin
ONE WEEK LATER . . .
Entering Russell’s Steakhouse, I smiled at the woman at the hostess stand who’d greeted me.
“Hey, I’m here to see Kasia,” I told her, and she lit up, surveying me a bit.
“Oh, boss lady. Okay. She told me a friend was coming.” The girl dressed in all black clicked around on the computer before gathering a menu and telling me to follow her.
She led me toward the back of the upscale restaurant and into a small private room, probably best for proposals or intimate dates versus the larger one for parties or business dinners.
“Thank you, Cat.” Kasia rose from her seat, smiling at her employee before focusing her eyes on me. “How are you?”
After embracing her, I said, “I’m good. I need to know how you are? You told me I needed to meet you for drinks as soon as you clocked out.”
She watched me sit down, nibbling on her lip just as another girl entered.
“Hey, would you guys like some drinks or food?” she asked, and Kasia gestured for me to speak first.
“Hennessy sidecar, please,” I answered.
“Same for me, and the blue crab dip.” Kasia offered up a somewhat fake smile to her employee. “So remember what I told you at the ranch house. The day I first met you.” She rolled her eyes at herself as her employee exited.
“Of course.”
“Well I did it. I’m done with his ass,” she confessed, shocking me.
I knew Josias had lied to her after seeing him with Tarin on several occasions, but it was still surprising to me that she stuck to her word. The way she’d made shit sound, it was like she was addicted to Josias.
“Damn. What happened?”
Though I’d been privy to Josias and Tarin, I didn’t know what prompted Kasia to leave her baby daddy, so I truly wanted to find out.
She sighed, just before the waitress came in with our drinks and crab dip. Kasia immediately took a sip.
“I found out he was still fucking baby mama number one because the bitch sent me a photo of him in bed.”
Almost spitting my drink out, I asked, “With her?”
“No,” she clarified, shaking her head. “But he was shirtless, so I can do the damn math.” She drank down more of her cocktail. “He swears he was tired after working and being with their kids so he took a nap, but regardless, he shouldn’t be taking naps over there like that.”
“I get it.” I tried some of the dip, using the warm, crispy and buttered bread. “I . . . wanna tell you something because I feel like we are becoming cool and I don’t want you thinking I am disloyal down the line.”
“Okay.” She picked up a piece of bread but had it suspended in air, not yet swiping it through the hot, creamy dip.
“So a couple times while I was with Rah, I saw Josias with Tarin. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t know you, and frankly, I have lost a friend over a situation like this.
It was in high school, but I never forgot it.
You and I weren’t even really cool, so I didn’t want you to think I was being malicious or stir up some shit with the brothers.
I just got my man, and I can’t have him thinking I’m messy. ”
Kasia stared at me before she started laughing, catching me off guard.
“I definitely feel you on not wanting your new man to think you’re gonna be causing problems.” She bit the bread slathered in crab dip.
“I also get why you didn’t say anything, and I can’t really say I would’ve done anything different if I were you.
Gotta be careful telling a woman her man is up to no good. ”
“Exactly!” I was relieved she didn’t shoot up from the table and storm out. “See, I knew I liked you better than what’s her name.” I drank my cocktail as we let out synchronized giggles.
“And I like you better than . . . um, LaMia.” She clenched her teeth and shrugged. “Sorry. I don’t know anyone else he dated. Rah is like a myth in that area. I don’t even hear shit about him in that regard.” She apologized at her terrible attempt at a segue.
Chuckling to ease her worries, I replied, “Yeah, he hasn’t been serious with anyone since her over five years ago.”
“You’re telling me that man has been without sex for five years?” Kasia sat back, brow heightened out of skepticism.
“No, now I didn’t say all that. Just he hasn’t had a girlfriend or anything serious that you would’ve met.”
“Until you.” She smiled.
“Until me.” I couldn’t hide the way I cheesed at just the thought of him . . . us. “I like that though . . . that he doesn’t spend his time frivolously. He’s careful with who he brings around and cultivates deep relationships with.”
Kasia was watching me, a little starry eyed. “Yeah, I like that too.” She polished off her drink. “Would you say we’re friends now, Daylin?”
“I would.” I nodded, heart beating fast at just the thought of what she was going to say.
“Okay. As your friend, I’m telling you to keep an eye on LaMia. I know it’s been five plus years and two kids with another man later, but she still loves Rakim.”
“I told you.” I shook my head. “What’s making you say that now though?” I was hoping it wasn’t anything recent.
“How she watches him with regret every time I see her. Jojo told me Rah used to be in the streets when they first met, alongside boxing, but she didn’t like that, so he quit.
I mean, he quit also because he truly wanted to pursue boxing, but LaMia was part of it.
So now that Rakim is back in it, I think she loves him but doesn’t want a man in that field.
Add to that the two kids she has with Ayan and Ayan’s millions, and you get why she hasn’t left yet.
But I wouldn’t assume anything. Watch her ass. ”
“Thank you. I plan to, and if she does make a move, I truly hope she can fight.”
Kasia snickered before letting out a loud chortle. I joined her soon after.
“I really like you.” She reached to slap my hand, and I obliged her. “Back to the topic of what I like; I wanna meet a real man, girl.”
“So soon?”
I laughed when she curled her lip.
“Girl. This back-and-forth, will-he, won’t-he shit with Josias has never been a stable thing.
I want a man. Someone who is intentional like you just described.
” She ate some of the appetizer, eyes downcast as if she were in deep thought.
“Always worrying about a man and what he is or isn’t doing is exhausting.
I crave the relaxation of having a nigga you know isn’t doing anything. I want a boring ass nigga.”
We guffawed in unison, both nodding as our waitress peeked in to ask if we wanted refills.
“I get it. I started being celibate some years ago because I was running into duds, and I didn’t like how I felt after having given my body up for seemingly nothing since the sex wasn’t even good.”
“Ew. One thing about Jojo, he can put it down.”
We giggled.
“Well, I wasn’t so lucky. But I say that to say I know what you mean. There is such a difference in those men I was with versus now. I had a man right before Rah, but we never got there emotionally, so I couldn’t worry about him if I tried.”
Kasia laughed.
I eyed her, understanding where she was coming from.
Rakim was exciting, protective, funny, fine, a beast in bed, romantic, smart, gentle yet demanding, but when it came to relationship struggles, he was surely boring, and I loved that.
He wasn’t a man that would have you tossing and turning all night, wondering if he was getting pussy from elsewhere.
Same time, I trusted him so much that he could probably get over on me if he was that type of man.
Kasia and I finished up our night by sharing a big ass cowboy steak and some asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes on the side.
By the time we both stepped outside of Russell’s, the car Rakim had sent me over in was pulling up.
The whole ride home, I just smiled, filled with liquor and super horny for my man. I hoped he had no plans tonight other than to handle me.
Before the truck even pulled into the driveway fully, Rakim was coming out of his house, Josias on his trail.
“Why you smiling?” Rakim inquired, opening the back door. “Aye, don’t be making my woman laugh or smile, my nigga.” He toyed with his driver. It was an older white man this time, not Mylo.
“I just saw you.” I hugged his neck as he picked me up, Josias groaning in the process.
“You got my brother on some shit, Day. Nigga blushing and wearing phone cases now,” Josias commented, making me chuckle though I was confused on the last part.
“Man, take yo’ ass home.” Rakim nodded for his brother to leave, still holding me.
“I am. Trust me, I don’t wanna see this shit. I liked you better when you were single and moping,” he joked. “Aye, you seen Kasia?” Josias’s attention zeroed in on me.
“No,” I lied, feeling Rakim look at me since he knew that was who I’d been with this evening. “You share a child with her, so you should’ve seen her recently.”
“I know that, smart ass, and I have.” Josias shook his head.
I smiled, watching Rakim look his brother’s way, and I knew him well enough to know he was telling him to take it easy on the name calling.
“I need you to see her to tell her I love her and I do actually care about her. When I say it, she hangs up on me, or if it’s in person, she cuts a nigga off and changes the subject.
But she told me y’all hit it off, so I figured she’d listen to you. ”
“I think you would do better by showing her you love her and care about her, Josias. Be mature and transparent. No matter what I say to her, if you’re still up to your old shit, it won’t matter, and I will not lie for you. If I see you’ve changed, I may mention it.”
Josias gave his brother a sidelong glance at my words, making Rakim shrug and smirk.
“You heard the boss. Night, nigga.” He turned around, carrying me inside as Josias shook his head while swaggering to his car.
Rakim carried me up the stairs and into his bedroom before setting me on the large bed.