Chapter 4
Earlier
“I appreciate you squeezing me in last minute, Romi,” Sharina said as I finished up her makeup. “My cousin came down with a stomach bug, and I was not about to have her getting me sick on my wedding day. I’m already dealing with morning sickness.”
I’d gotten an email from her yesterday about my makeup services for her wedding. Sharina and Salima had been coming to me for about three months now to get waxes and other beauty treatments. I found them funny and down to earth, plus they tipped handsomely.
I had no problem slipping her in for a last-minute booking. Her husband-to-be paid me double for the inconvenience, so I wouldn’t complain about it. On top of that, a few ladies from her bridal party paid me to do their makeup as well, so all in all, today was a good business day.
“You’re welcome, girl,” I said, picking up the setting spray. “Close your eyes.”
She followed my instructions, and I sprayed to settle the natural beat of makeup I’d done on her face. She told me she planned to dance her ass off at the reception, so she didn’t want anything that was going to make her hot or that would start running if she sweated. Just from her and Salima coming into the beauty bar, I really liked their vibe.
I could tell they’d been friends for a long time and were more like sisters than anything. Shar reminded me so much of Renay—loud, carefree, and said whatever was on her mind. Nay was my best friend, so it was a good vibe.
“What do you think?” I asked, handing her the mirror.
She took it from me, and upon seeing her reflection, she gasped.
“Bitch, you did that! I can’t even tell I’m wearing anything!”
“Then my job is done.”
“You were worth every penny I made my husband spend on you.”
I giggled as I began gathering my things. “Thank you. I’m gonna leave you ladies to finish getting ready.”
“Wait,” Shar said, hopping out of the chair. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“You single?”
“I am… Why?”
The girl she introduced to me as Mia rolled her eyes. “Here she goes. Girl, she’s about to try to hook you up with one of my bigheaded ass brothers.”
Shar rolled her eyes. “I mean, she would be cute with either one.”
The other girl she introduced as Jaeda shook her head. “Please don’t let her pimp you out,” she said to me.
“I um… I can’t really date anybody right now,” I said quietly.
Shar raised an eyebrow. “Why not? You’re single and pretty as hell.”
“I’m pregnant.”
The room fell quiet. They all seemed to be looking for some sign of a belly on me. I pulled the scrunched part of my dress aside and cupped my hands around my stomach.
“Awwww!” Shar cooed. “You have a cute little bump. How did we not notice this during our appointments? Congratulations, girl.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Just know when you drop that load and you’re still single, I got you on one of my brothers-in-law. Y’all, wouldn’t she look cute with Smoke?”
“He and I have actually met already,” I admitted.
They all looked at me with raised eyebrows. That was when it hit me.
“Oh no! Not like that! This isn’t his baby.”
Shar blew a breath of relief. “I was about to say! This would be a hell of a way to tell the family.”
“I promise, I’m a client, and that’s all I am. Besides, I’m sure Devin wouldn’t be interested in me, my other kid, and my baggage, even if I weren’t pregnant.”
Mia laughed. “Girl, if you knew my family, you wouldn’t say that. We come with baggage too.”
“Some of us could choose to let our baggage go,” Jaeda mumbled.
Mia shot her a look that made her smirk.
“I’m good, I promise,” I assured them. “I’m gonna get out of your hair. Sharina, I know you are going to look flawless completely put together. I hope today is everything you wanted and more.”
She smiled. “Thank you, boo.”
We shared a small embrace before I headed for the door. The last thing I needed was another man.
Currently
Sharina made an absolutely beautiful bride.
We were at the reception, and sis was shaking everything her mama gave her on the dance floor. The reception had been delayed by about twenty minutes as we waited for them to arrive. Just from the looks they’d given each other and the kiss they shared at the altar, it was very clear why they were late.
I loved that for them, though. I thought it was a beautiful thing to be insanely attracted to your mate. Growing up with my parents, I was used to an overflow of love being displayed. My daddy didn’t care where he was; he was going to kiss and touch on my mama. I could see Shar and Maceo growing old and still being that way.
The Dillingers were a funny clan. They cracked jokes all throughout the ceremony, and I was in stitches laughing at them. Nobody seemed to mind that it disrupted the flow of the ceremony, leading me to believe that this was a usual occurrence among them. I teared up a little at the couple’s vows. It was clear the love Shar and Maceo shared was genuine.
I gathered that they had some trials and tribulations, but they pulled through stronger than ever. Listening to that man profess his love to his wife was some of the most beautiful words I’d ever heard. It took me back to the years I spent with Korri’s dad. He’d given me the same kind of love, and though I’d only been with one person since then, no other love had compared to his.
“Why are you sitting over here all by yourself?”
I blinked myself out of my thoughts and looked up to see Devin standing over me. God, this man was handsome as hell. He was a bigger man than I was used to, but not in a bad way. Those muscles were solid and defined, and he filled out his suit very well. The little moment we had before I came to wait for the processional was… sweet.
His touch was electrifying. I could imagine many women fell victim to his good looks. I could almost bet money that he could charm the panties off any woman he wanted.
“I’m just enjoying my food and watching your new sister in-law cut up.”
“She really ain’t new. They’ve been married for like six months.”
“Oh, wow! I didn’t know that. It was still a beautiful ceremony.”
“It was a’ight.” He chuckled as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “You good over here, though? You need anything?”
“I’m okay. Me and baby Juri are about to go grab something from this dessert table, though. I’ve been eyeing those cheesecake bites.”
“They’re fire. My grams made them. I can grab it for you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that?—”
“It ain’t shit. I was about to head over there, anyway. You want anything else?”
“One of those red velvet cupcakes. Oooo! A strawberry one too. And one of those cookies.”
He grinned at me. “Did the baby give you a sweet tooth, or is that all you?”
“It’s both.”
He shook his head. “I’ll be right back.”
He left the table, leaving me to look after him. He was a lot nicer than I expected him to be. His face didn’t give friendly vibes. Those bushy eyebrows and semi-scowl were kind of intimidating. But when he smiled… his smile was beautiful. I found myself growing a little warm each time he smiled at me.
“You gotta get it together, girl,” I told myself. “That man does not want you.”
I had no business even looking at another man right now. How much of a desperate bitch would I be called to be dating while pregnant? I’d certainly be called trifling for sleeping with one man while I was pregnant by another. So yeah, my best bet was to focus on the main reason I sought this man out in the first place. Still… he was a fine black man. There was no denying that.
“Here you go,” Devin said, placing the plate of dessert in front of me, along with a bottle of water.
I did my happy dance as I looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re fucking adorable,” he said, shaking his head. “My niece does that same happy dance shit anytime a plate is in front of her.”
“Food is an aphrodisiac. It makes me happy. There isn’t much that makes me happy these days, so let me have that.”
“Come on now. We said you were gonna have a good day. Don’t fuck up the vibe by getting in a negative head space. You’re kid free. You’re in good company. It’s a party, love. Get up and shake your ass or something.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why aren’t you dancing?”
“I ain’t really no dancing ass nigga. I’m too big for all that.”
“So you don’t dance when you go to the club?”
“Nah. I drink, smoke, and females dance on me. I might grab a cheek or two—consensually, of course, but that’s about it. If I’m a little lit, you might get a couple of two-steps out of me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sounds like a party pooper to me.”
“What? You telling me you’re the life of the party?”
“I’m in mommy mode all the time. My idea of a party is turning up to Kidz Bop with Korri.”
“You gotta get out more. Loosen up. I would offer you a blunt to relax your mind, but you can’t have that. You’ll just have to enjoy a natural high and say fuck that nigga.”
I nodded. “Yeah… Fuck that nigga.”
Devin shook his head. “You don’t even sound right cursing like that. I took you for a lady.”
I laughed. “I’m very much a lady, but I curse like a sailor at times.”
“I’m gonna test that theory.”
Our gazes locked, and he smiled at me again. I blushed and tried to distract myself by eating my dessert. Much to my surprise, Devin sat with me until I finished. Conversation wasn’t lacking. I found him easy to talk to, and I even got him to dance to a song or two. His siblings were watching us hard and whispering among themselves. I got the feeling that he really wasn’t the type to be this friendly with a female if he wasn’t taking them to bed at the end of the night.
By the time I was ready to go, my feet were on fire, and I was ready to get in my bed. Again, Devin offered to escort me home to make sure I was safe. The fact that I hadn’t seen or heard from Patrick all week long had me a little on edge. He could pop up at any time on his bullshit, especially if he knew I was alone. I decided to accept the escort.
He loaded my makeup case into my trunk and waited until I got into my car before getting into his. I had to be crazy to have a man who was practically a stranger follow me home, but somehow, I felt safe with him. Knowing the family he came from worried me a little when I first found out who he was, but the vibe in the building tonight was nothing but one of peace and love.
We pulled up to my house about twenty minutes later. He pulled in behind me and got out. I popped the trunk, and he grabbed my makeup case before following me to the door.
“Thank you for making sure I got here safely,” I said as he set the case just inside the door.
“No problem.”
I stared at him for a moment before opening my mouth. “Could I ask you for a favor?’
“What’s up?”
“Would you mind checking to make sure nobody is here? It would give me peace of mind.”
“I can do that.”
I opened the door and allowed him to come inside. The moment the door closed, he produced a solid gold gun from nowhere that made me swallow hard. Of course , he was carrying. I waited patiently as he checked every inch of my house. Ten minutes passed before he came back.
“All clear.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem, love.”
He walked to the front door and opened it. That was when I saw the cop car out front.
“What the hell…” I mumbled.
“Don’t worry,” Devin assured me. “That’s one of my niggas on the force. He’s gonna be here all night so you can get some sleep. I can only imagine you haven’t slept much lately.”
I immediately began to tear up. I hadn’t gotten a good night’s rest in so long. Little bumps in the night had me out of my bed and hiding in my closet. It was the main reason I was getting a gun. If someone broke into my home, I had every right to protect myself.
“Thank you…” was all I could muster, and it came out just above a whisper.
“I don’t need thanks. Just get you some rest, Romi. Goodnight.”
He tipped my chin before heading out of the house to his car. I watched as he backed out and pulled up beside the patrol car. He and the officer spoke for a moment before he disappeared into the night. I closed and locked the door, then turned on the new security alarm I’d had installed.
With a heavy sigh, I headed to my bedroom.
Maybe I would get a good night’s rest.