Chapter 24 Ocean
OCEAN
Get in and get out. That was the plan.
But as soon as I walked through the door, I knew things might not go as smoothly as I’d hoped.
“Melina? I thought you were off today?”
She didn’t answer right away. Her eyes stayed locked on my hand wrapped around Skye’s.
“A few things changed at the last minute,” she said finally, forcing a tight smile. “So, I decided to come in anyway and make sure things were running smoothly.”
“Unnecessary,” Sanya mumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Did anyone ask you?” Melina snapped.
“Yo, chill.” I glanced at Skye. “We’ve got company.”
“I see that,” Melina replied slowly. “Why is she here?”
“Excuse me?” I frowned.
“I mean,” she backtracked quickly, “the place isn’t open to the public yet. I just didn’t think you’d want anyone in here besides family and employees.”
“Yeah, well, today I’m making an exception.” I looked at Skye. “As you can see, this is my staff. I got a few people in the back too.”
She nodded and strolled further into the club. “I see you changed the vibe in here. The dark brown with the warm lighting really works.”
“Yeah. I wanted it darker. More low-key. Something you settle into.”
“Are you still going to have strippers?”
“Why?” I asked. “That a problem?”
She shrugged. “As long as you’re not fucking them, it shouldn’t be.”
“Nah. I draw the line at putting my dick in strippers.”
“Oh wow,” she teased. “Why? You got something against them?”
“Not at all. They make me good money. But most of them are messy and talk too damn much. I steer clear of that.”
She smirked. “Can’t tell. Melina definitely seems messy.”
I waved it off. “Don’t worry about her. Like I told you, that shit is over with.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.” She leaned back, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “That bitch ain’t got shit on me. Her legs ain’t long enough.”
I laughed. “Why you acting like you know me?”
“Because I do.” She smiled confidently. “I know what you like. Now Sanya, that’s different. She’s a little on the smaller side, but she’s beautiful, and she seems cool. I will say, she gives me a different vibe though. She might like pussy more than dick.”
“Damn.” I laughed. “How the hell you know that?”
“I just do.”
“Well, since we talking…” I smirked. “You ever messed around with a woman before?”
She slipped her bottom lip between her teeth and tucked a loose strand behind her ear. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Hell yeah.” I closed the space between us. “So have you?”
“I may have dabbled once or twice.”
“Oh yeah? When?”
“Long time ago. I was young. Trying to figure myself out.”
“And now?”
“And now I’m strictly dickly,” she shot back, attitude flashing. “Why? You trying to be on some threesome shit?”
“What? Nah,” I said quickly. “I was just seeing if I had something to worry about. A lot of niggas don’t mind their woman being with another woman. That shit is a problem for me.”
“Really?”
“Hell yeah. If you’re my woman, why would I be okay with sharing you?” I shook my head. “If we on some threesome shit, that mean I’m not really fucking with you like that. Because when you’re mine, I don’t share. We’re making our own damn fantasies. Just us.”
Her smile grew as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “You sound stingy.”
“No doubt.” My hands slid down her back, stopping beneath her ass. “Once you’re mine, can’t nobody touch you.”
“That goes both ways.”
“Trust me,” I said quietly, “you ain’t gotta worry about another woman.”
We locked eyes.
Then I felt it.
People watching.
I glanced up to see Sanya smirking while pretending to be busy.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash.
“Shit,” Melina hissed as she squatted to grab the pile of glasses she’d dropped.
“You good?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she snapped.
Her tone said otherwise.
I already knew seeing me with Skye was a problem for her. But it shouldn’t have been.
“Are the restrooms good to use?” Skye asked softly. “I need to go.”
“Yeah, but just use the one in my office.” I reached for her hand. “I’ll show you.”
I led her down the hallway and into my office.
“Oh, this is nice,” she said, trailing her fingers along the soft, dark leather couch. “You don’t slack in any area of life, huh?”
“Not at all.”
“Quick question.”
“Yeah?”
I braced myself, already thinking she was about to ask about Melina.
“Does that Chanel girl still work here?”
“Who?”
“Chanel. She’s a stripper I caught Mecca with.”
“Oh.” I shook my head. “Nah. She linked up with Tyrone Henry one night and disappeared.”
“The football player?”
“Yep.”
“Wait, ain’t he married?”
I lifted my hands. “Look, I don’t ask about folks’ personal lives. All I know is she danced with him one night, he asked about her another night, and she ain’t come back to work.”
“Hmmm…”
“Why?” I asked. “You still got smoke for her over your old nigga?”
She laughed.
“You laughing, but I’m serious.”
“That’s why I’m laughing,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t have nothing for her. I just like knowing who I might run into. I already ran into his baby mama and I don’t—”
“You ran into Brookia?”
“Yeah. At the video shoot. She was apologizing and all that. I told her we were good.”
“And are you?”
She shrugged. “Yeah. I mean…does it sting knowing she’s pregnant by a man I begged to have a kid with? Of course. I can’t lie about that.”
I stepped closer.
“You ain’t never gotta beg me for shit,” I said. “You barely even gotta ask.”
“Oh really?” she teased. “So if I said I wanted a baby with you right now, you would be down?”
“Is that what you want?” I lowered my face to hers.
It sounded crazy as hell coming from me, and I didn’t know shit about raising kids. But for her, I’d learn.
She giggled nervously. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Not before you answer the question. Is a baby what you want right now?”
Her eyes darted away. Her lips parted, then closed.
“Not...not right now,” she finally answered.
I kissed her forehead. “Cool. Just tell me when.”
She blinked, clearly taken aback.
“I thought you had to pee.” I chuckled.
“Um…right.”
She slipped into the bathroom and closed the door.
“You two are cute together,” Sanya said behind me.
“How long your nosey ass been standing there?”
“Long enough to know I might be an auntie soon.” She dropped onto the couch, crossing her legs. “I never thought I’d see you in love. You got little hearts in your eyes.”
“Relax.”
“I’m serious.” She leaned forward. “But Melina’s in the front losing her mind. Just thought you should know.”
“I don’t know why.”
“But you should. That woman is obsessed with you. I just hope your little plan is about to wrap up soon. Because if not—”
I stepped closer, cutting her off. “Sanya, chill.”
“My bad.” She held up her hands, giggling. “I’m just saying...”
“Say less.”
“Will do.” She stood. “Guess we won’t be getting it in anymore, huh?”
“Nah. It’s a wrap for us.”
“Damn, that’s unfortunate.” She sighed.
“You ain’t hurt.” I laughed. “You probably got a pussy appointment lined up already.”
She winked. “You know me so well.”
The bathroom door opened.
“You good?” I asked Skye.
“Yeah.”
I pulled her close and kissed her lips.
“Good. Now let’s go back to the crib. You got something I need, and I plan on collecting.”
She laughed softly. “Let’s go.”