Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
REGANCY
After a weekend of nonstop passion any and everywhere, we returned back to the city, and I hadn’t heard from him since.
He was very clear on what he wanted, and I got that, but damn.
It was like he dropped off the side of the earth.
That, or he was avoiding me. That was until I was in the workout room earlier, and he walked past with the same female from last time.
It was a good thing I wore shades to work out because my eyes definitely followed them until they were out of sight.
Either way, I wasn’t the type to sweat any man, because I knew who I was, and it didn’t matter how bomb the dick was.
At the end of the day, it was what it was, and I had shit to do.
I wasn’t even able to deal with his undiagnosed bipolar disorder.
I came back to Vee standing in my lobby, literally, with that puppy-dog expression and promises waiting to escape his tongue.
And there he was with the same decree plaguing his handsome face.
“So are you gonna at least hear me out?” Vee asked.
I looked at the handsome man before me, and I couldn’t even form a sentence to tell him that he and I had nothing.
That we had a physical attraction that disappeared the moment I allowed the rudest being I’d ever encountered between my legs.
Vee had nothing on Savior. Shit, he wasn’t even a close second.
“I’m here for a few days, and I want to go back to what we were building, or we can start over at your pace.
” He had the cutest nervous expression on his face.
It was definitely enough to make me question if I should.
The thing about Vee was that he had the gift of gab, so whatever came out of his mouth sounded good, but I knew he talked a good game and that the only thing he had time for was his job.
I couldn’t blame him for that, but he wanted somebody who as all about him and not career oriented.
He wanted a homemaker, and I was still in my goal chasing stage.
“And if I do give us another chance, what do we—”
“Whatever you want, Regancy. I’m willing to do whatever to keep you in my life. Since you left, things have been so fucked up.” He reached across the table and took my hand into his.
A small smile crossed my face. “I guess we can see where this goes.” It felt good to be needed or wanted by someone, even if it wasn’t the person I wanted to need me. How the fuck am I sprung over a weekend?
He charmingly smiled at me. “How’s Kale?” he asked. “Matter of fact, where is she?”
“She’s with my mother. She spends most of her time there unless she’s with me.”
He nodded his head. “I haven’t heard from her funny-acting ass since she got those Roblox things out of me.”
I chuckled. “That’s your girl, isn’t it?” Vee was still available to Kale, even though he and I had been on and off for the last five years.
He laughed and shook his head. “Damn sure is. Just like her stubborn ass mama is my woman.” He winked in my direction.
My attention was taken from him and forced onto my phone. I had a message from a number that I didn’t recognize.
Unknown: Enjoy yo’ meal.
I didn’t respond. Instead, I put my phone down and focused on Vee. I could feel his stare the entire time I gave attention to my phone.
“You gonna tell me what’s new, or do I have to pry?” he asked, peering at me with concern.
“I mean, really, there’s nothing. The bar is doing good, and I kind of buried the hatchet with my mama.”
He nodded.
“And you? I know you’re not here only to see me, so what are you doing?” He was the CFO of a billion-dollar company, so his time was definitely limited.
“Well, if you gotta know, I’m working on an expansion, which would give me the leeway to be in your face more than you think. You may not think I’m serious, but I am. I see you being my wife someday, so I’m gonna always come wherever you are to see about you and Kale.”
I couldn’t contain the smile that invaded my face.
Though Vee had chauvinistic qualities, he was the sweetest man.
He knew the right things to say, even though sometimes the person wasn’t hearing them.
He’d been that same way since college. He was always there, but it always seemed like it wasn’t our time.
He knew what he wanted, and I, on the other hand, was still trying to figure that out, but something about that time seemed different.
At least, I wanted it to be. He and I sat, talking for a while before we parted ways, and I promised him that I’d meet him for dinner.
I spent damn near the entire rest of my day shopping.
Kale needed summer clothes, and I needed a shoe day.
The moment I got home, I fell back against my sofa and closed my eyes.
I was exhausted, and my mama would be bringing me my baby within the next few minutes.
“You enjoyed your meal?” His voice sent chills down my spine.
I turned around, and that fool was sitting on the counter, swinging his fucking feet like he owned the place. “Why are you in here?”
“Who was that nigga touching you earlier?” He ignored my question, posing one of his own.
“Why?”
“Because I fucking asked.” His usually leveled tone was slightly louder, and he seemed irritated.
I didn’t respond. I just sat up before willing my tired body to stand.
As if on cue, someone was knocking on my door and I heard Kale on the other side of the door screaming “ma” with her little ghetto ass.
I walked toward the door, opening it for her.
As soon as it opened, she rushed into my arms like she hadn’t just see me earlier.
I leaned down, kissing her forehead before I looked up at my mama. “And how was your date with—”
“Who are you?” Kale’s voice carried throughout the condo.
I shook my head and looked from my mother toward Savior, who still sat comfortably on the counter. That nigga had no plans on leaving, hell, he even looked down at Kale and responded, “A friend of your mama’s. My name is Savior, and yours, lil’ one?”
Before I could say anything, my mama had stepped her nosy ass into my place, and she was studying Savior and my daughter.
“This isn’t the man you showed me the photo of.” My mother was trying her hardest to talk low while she watched Kale interact with Savior, but I was pretty sure he heard her.
I giggled nervously. “No, he isn’t, Mama. He popped up.”
She cleared her throat. “He’s cute, and he seems like he’s on the bad boy side. Now, introduce your mother to your friend.” She said that last part loud enough for him to hear on purpose. I grunted and shook my head before I walked a little closer to where Savior was.
“Mama, Mr. Savior said he’d buy my puppy.” Kale looked up at me with the biggest smile.
“Since he’s gonna do that, then he can take care of it too. Mama, this is Savior, and Savior, this is my mother.”
“Yo’ mama? Baby, this has to be your sister.” Savior smiled in my mother’s direction and hopped off my counter, grabbing her hand to kiss.
I shook my head and looked down.
“You’re a charmer.” She smiled widely. “You seem pretty comfortable in my daughter’s home. Are you two close like that?” She looked at him seriously. She was being nosy as hell.
“Close? Yeah. We—”
“Mama, don’t you have business to take care of?” I wasn’t up for the twenty-one questions.
“You’re right. I do. It was good meeting you, Savior. Make sure Reg brings you over for dinner sooner or later.” She turned and kissed my cheek. “Also, Regancy, make sure my baby has her overnight bag tomorrow when you drop her off. Pack socks, Regancy.” She reminded me before turning to leave.
“Love you, Mama. Call me when you get home.” Seconds later, I closed the door and focused on my child talking to Savior like she’d known him her whole life. Kale was a people person, whereas I was a leave me the fuck alone type of person.
“Kale.”
“I know. I’m going to my room. But Mr. Savior said we’d go the puppy shop tomorrow.”
I looked from my very persuasive child to the man with the biggest smile on his fucking face. I nodded, and she rushed toward her bedroom.
“So you’re making promises to my child that you can’t keep?” I stood in front of him with my hands on my hips.
He chuckled. “I can keep my promises. You don’t worry about that. What you need to do is tell me who ya boy was.”
I laughed. “You’d love to know that.”
“Don’t kid yourself, Regancy.” He looped his fingers into my belt buckles and pulled me into his space.
“You can definitely date the nigga and get a few free meals, but you should tell him to keep his hands to himself before he loses them.” He didn’t even give me the chance to speak. He covered my lips with his own.
Immediately, I snatched back when I realized what was going on. “Nah, big homie. I don’t know where your lips have been, so keep them to yourself.”
He chuckled but didn’t let me go. “I don’t put my lips on bitches, sweetheart. My lips been on food, drinks, and you.”
I pursed my lips. “Who are you fooling?”
He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my neck. “Nobody, because not a fucking soul can say I put my lips on them. Then there’s you. I’ve put my mouth all over yo’ fine ass, and I better be the only motherfucker being friendly with the lips.”
He was so demanding and serious that it sent a chill down my spine. It was the type that chilled my whole being but warmed me in all the places that he had contact with. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t say anything smart back. “First, you try to claim my bar, and now you try—”
“Fuck all that. I’m not trying to claim shit. You can date that nigga, baby. Shit, you can get yo’ meal and all of that. But hear me well when I tell you this: that nigga can’t get shit else.”
“How can you dictate things like that?” I asked, attempting to look up at him.
“Because I can. Now be up in the morning, so I can take baby girl to get her dog.”
“She isn’t getting a dog, Savior.” I was serious.