Chapter 9
VASIAH
There was a crowd outside my building holding their phones up, laughing at somebody screeching on a karaoke mic, singing some old Fantasia song. I stepped out to walk my elderly neighbor’s golden doodle, named Dolce, and came back to the tail end of the crazy lady’s performance.
Imagine my surprise when I saw that the crazy lady was actually LaReina?
I rushed over, handing Mrs. Boone her dog, and gawked at Reina, who gawked back at me, a tipsy smile across her face.
“Alright, y’all, the concert is over! My man is back!” She threw her arms around my neck, and if I wasn’t so flabbergasted, I would’ve relished in the fact that I actually missed her even if she confused me.
“LaReina, what are you doing out here?”
“I was wondering why you blocked me?” she replied, hand on hip.
“I didn’t block you, girl.” I looked at the crowd disperse, and peeped the owners from Vibes and Lines in her truck.
“We told her not to play with you, Vasiah!” the one with the ginger hair yelled.
“Shut up, hoe!” Reina yelled back, then turned her attention to me. “Well, if you didn’t block me, then why didn’t you respond to my text about our second date?”
“Truthfully, I forgot. It’s been a busy few days.
But I also needed some time to process. Imma let you know right now, Reina, I like you.
I enjoyed our date together, even if it did end with me knocking a nigga out.
But I don’t do games, girl. If you ain’t feeling a nigga, then just be honest. It’s no harm or foul.
If you is feeling a nigga, then act like it. ”
She blinked at me.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
“Wait a minute… I’m a lil too tipsy for this.” She sat down on the curb, so I sat too, so that we were eye level.
“And what the fuck are you doing, tipsy and driving?” I grumbled.
“Oh no, I didn’t drive. The twins did.” She paused for a minute, as if she were gathering her words.
“I don’t ever apologize for nothing I do, Vasiah.
But for some reason, you make me want to…
I probably should go sit on that lady’s couch if I’m being real,” she laughed wryly.
“But…I really am sorry for doing that to you. And I do want to make it up to you by planning our second date. I can’t promise that I won’t do shit to frustrate you, but if this goes where I think it will, then I want to at least try. ”
My brow raised, and I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose. “And where do you think this is gonna go?”
“It’s… It’s hard for me to say for real. This just feels good. So far at least.”
We sat in a comfortable silence for a minute.
“I think it will continue to feel good… as long as you are honest with yourself and me first. If anything changes, LaReina, just don’t bullshit me.
Imma always keep it real with you. I just expect the same courtesy.
You ain’t gotta put on free concerts to get my attention, girl.
” I laughed at the last part, still in disbelief at this crazy ass woman.
“Well, next time respond and at least tell me you hate me.” She nudged my shoulder playfully.
“Don’t nobody hate you, girl.” I stood and held out my hand to help her up.
She smiled, and I felt the urge to kiss her again, so I grabbed her closer and kissed the lips that I’d been missing for the last few days.
“So now that we’re back on good terms, I’ll see you Friday at eight.” She kissed me again, and I walked her to her truck and buckled her in the back.
Friday at eight, I muttered to myself. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t looking forward to it.
Friday rolled around, and fine ass Reina pulled up at eight on the dot. It felt odd, getting picked up for a date, but I rolled with it. When I told my pop what she did a few days before, he laughed so loud and told me he couldn’t wait to meet her. I looked forward to that day, too.
“Tell me sumn good, Handsome,” she greeted me as I slid into the passenger seat.
“You smell and look so fuckin’ good,” I blurted.
I couldn’t and wouldn’t keep my compliments to myself when it came to this woman.
She deserved all the praise in the world, in all the languages, even if she already knew it.
She smirked and leaned over, giving me a quick peck on the lips as soft sounds of DVSN’s Claim floated through the speakers.
Then she pressed on the gas and started driving towards the expressway like a hood nigga outta hell.
“Damn, Hayami, can you slow down?”
“My bad boo. That old Gucci just gets me so turnt,” she referenced her playlist that went from soft R&B to straight hood nigga shit. Jeezy, Chief Keef, Gucci, Key Glock, and Young Dolph had her rapping word for word. Some songs I knew, and some I never heard a day in my life.
“And why do you keep calling me Hayami? What in the world does that mean?”
I grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it as we stopped at a red light. “It means rare beauty in Japanese…that’s what I think you are.”
She grinned, unable to hide her smile. “I think you trynna make me soft, Mr. Hill.”
“I don’t think you should go a day without knowing, Hayami.
” I didn’t know where these flirting skills came from, but I wasn’t even trying hard.
It was easy to tell her things, but I wanted an opportunity to show her, too.
We pulled up to a gun range, and my brows rose.
This woman was full of surprises because I didn’t know a thing about guns, even though I probably should as a Black man living in America.
We got out, and I was able to take in her full outfit.
She had on all black, a pair of biker shorts and a matching tank that was slightly cropped, showing off her navel ring that I’m sure was made of real diamonds.
Her hair was curly with peeks of blonde throughout, and I thought the look was sexy–hell, I thought everything LaReina did was sexy.
Opening the door for her, she glided in and greeted everybody, and they all cheerfully greeted her back.
Who was this girl?
By the minute, I was becoming more and more intrigued by her.
“You carry?” I asked as we walked up to the glass case filled with various firearms. She whipped her head around and looked at me, frowning slightly.
“You don’t?” she asked defensively.
And that’s when I knew this night would be something else.