Chapter 12 Duke
I knew there was more. I wanted the truth, but if I was being real, who she was today mattered most. As long as whatever she was hiding didn’t put her or anyone else at risk, I could wait.
“Tell me why a bakery? Granted, I fuck with anything sweet and you’re damn good at your job. But I need to know what made you take the leap.”
Her smile was one I realized I needed to see at least once a day to make mine go right. I’d noticed any time someone complimented her on her baking, she got shy. It was cute.
“It’s the one thing I remember about my mom. We would bake together all the time. It just became my safety net when things felt unstable.”
I hummed in agreement.
“I like that.”
Before she could respond, the host at the bar stepped up to the microphone.
“What’s up y’all! I’m glad you made it to The Row tonight! If you know what tonight it is, then get ready to have the time of your lives. It’s karaoke night and first up is my man Duke! Don’t hurt em’ up here!”
Solana’s mouth dropped in shock. I knew she didn’t expect my name to be called or for me to be interested in doing something like this. I’d tried it out here one night and had been back on the regular ever since.
“Wait, you’re really going to go up there?” Solana asked, reaching out to grab my wrist as I stood.
I chuckled and nodded. “Yeah. Why not? We here for a good time, right?”
She released the hold on my wrist and lifted a brow with a smile. I could feel her eyes burning a hole in my back as I walked towards the stage. The bar wasn’t packed but a few more people had come inside and occupied the few tables near the stage.
The moment I walked on stage, a few women whistled. I smirked as I walked over to the Dj to tell him what song I planned to do. Then walked back over to the microphone.
“Y’all ready to have a good time tonight?” I asked.
A few of them shouted their excitement and curiosity at me. I smiled back at the crowd, then looked over at Solana, who was leaning forward against the tabletop. I winked in her direction as the beat to “Thank God I found You” by Mariah Carey, Nas, and Joe dropped.
I rapped Nas part, looking in Solana’s direction. Her cheeks reddened as I switched gears, singing Joe’s part. Her eyes widened. I knew it shocked her I could actually sing. I wasn’t Mario or nothing like that. But I could hold a tune.
I turned the microphone towards the crowd as they sang along to Mariah Carey’s part. Solana was dancing and singing along in her seat. I could tell she was letting loose and enjoying herself. I took the few steps from the stage, bringing the microphone along with me.
Everyone’s eyes followed me as I held a hand out to Solana, who looked up with a soft smile. While allowing me to pull her to her feet, I wrapped her arms around my neck and slow danced with her before helping her back into her seat. Then walked back up on stage as the song ended.
The crowd erupted into applause as I placed the microphone back into the stand. I waved, then walked back over to our table. Solana had the biggest smile on her face as I took the seat across from her.
“I can’t believe you did that. You just keep surprising me.”
I grabbed my bottle of water, then leaned back with a smirk.
“I gotta hear this. What did you think you knew about me? First impression, go.”
She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, then looked down at her hands as they tangled together. Then returned her attention back to me.
“I don’t know. You know, the cliché biker bad boy thing. I would have never expected you to bring me to a karaoke bar and then sing. And when I say sing, I mean you’re really out here singing. Who taught you how to sing like that?”
I looked away and chuckled.
“Man, I’m alright. My grandma made me join the choir at her church when I was a kid. I wasn’t good enough to get a solo spot or nothing. But I could do a little something.”
I took a drink of my water as she giggled.
“Oh, stop it—”
Two women walked over, stopping her mid sentence.
“I knew you looked familiar when we first seen you walk in! Can we get your signature? So many people online are looking for you and think you’ve been kidnapped! I can’t wait to post telling them we saw you.”
Solana’s eyes widened. She reached out and took the pen, then the paper, to scribble her signature onto it.
“Please don’t. I’m trying to have a moment to myself,” she said, pleading with the girls.
I topped my bottle of water, a smile no longer in sight because now I knew for sure I needed to know what the hell was going on. Her behavior had always been off than a muthafucka’. The girls were no longer smiling, but now carried worried expressions.
I stood, knowing we needed to go before this brought more attention to Solana. I didn’t know what was happening or who she was. But, clearly, whoever she had been was enough to cause her to shut out that old life.
“We gone head out.” I announced, bringing their attention back to me.
I pulled a few bills from my back pocket, then dropped them onto the table. I held my hand out to Solana, and she took it with glassy eyes. Both girls ignored her wishes and snapped a few pictures of her as I rushed her out of the bar. I stopped at the door of the bar to talk to the bouncer.
“Give me ten minutes to get out of here. Don’t let anyone leave for a minute.”
The bouncer released a sigh like he didn’t want to, but I didn’t give a fuck. I reached into my pocket once again and pulled out a few hundreds, then handed it to him.
“Man, you know shit like that is considered kidnapping right?” he asked.
“I’m not telling yo’ ass to hold them down all night. I’m telling you to make some shit up so I can get my girl out of this bitch with no problems.”
I didn’t wait for another word before making my way to my bike.
Solana kept looking everywhere but at me, like she was waiting for something—or someone—to pop out of the shadows.
I’d given her space, let her move at her own pace…
but that look in her eyes? That was fear.
Real fear. And I wasn’t about to keep acting like I didn’t see it.
Whatever she was holding back—we were talking about it.
I grabbed her helmet from the storage on my bike. She took it from me without a word, fastening it like she needed it done now. I followed suit, the silence between us thick as I got on and she climbed on behind me. Her arms tightened around my waist, holding on a little harder than before.
That shit twisted something in my chest.
I was supposed to protect her—and somehow, it felt like I didn’t.
The ride back to Rose Haven felt like hours, as if time was in no hurry to make it to the next second.
We pulled up in front of Sugar Kissed; I kicked out my stand.
Then lifted my helmet. Solana quickly removed herself, almost tripping over her feet to get down.
She handed me the helmet as her eyes stayed trained on her feet.
Like she couldn’t bear to meet my eyes. Like she feared what would be staring back at her.
I hated to see this unsure version of her. If she just talked to me and told me what the hell was going on. We could’ve avoided all of this, but I couldn’t force her to trust me, or what we were trying to build.
“Thanks for tonight.” She mumbled, then turned to head towards her shop door.
“That’s it?” I asked.
Solana stopped, but never turned to face me.
“That’s all I deserve, huh? You can’t find it in yourself to tell me what’s going on? If that’s the case, why go out with me?” I questioned.
She turned around with a few tears rolling down her cheeks. I wanted so badly to go to her and say everything was going to be okay. That we didn’t have to talk about what happened. But I couldn’t act like what happened didn’t matter.
“It’s not that simple.” She practically whispered.
If the birds and the crickets hadn’t gotten the memo on how serious this conversation was, I wouldn’t have heard her.
“Well make it plain for me Solana.”
“Can you just accept that I’ll tell you when the time is right?” she asked, her eyes practically pleading with me.
I chuckled and looked away. I placed her helmet into the storage on my bike then released the brake. I turned to face her once more before putting on my helmet.
“Nah, I’ve been accepting that. But tonight I’m not going for it. If you’re not ready to be real, then we might as well stop this shit before we get too far. I don’t want to give someone my all who doesn’t trust me, anyway. I hope you have a good night.”
I pulled my helmet over my head and turned my bike toward my bar. I’m tired of people picking and choosing what parts of them I deserved. If she couldn’t be real, I didn’t want any part.
“Duke, wait.” she called out.
I rode off, not giving her another second of my time to give me more lies and false promises. I was past that. If the truth wasn’t something she could give, she could keep all her excuses.
I pulled my bike around the back of Chrome and parked it.
I needed to bury myself in my work to clear my mind.
It was all I had to keep my thoughts off Solana.
If I was being real with myself, this was the only thing that would keep me put.
I wanted to go back and tell her I overreacted, but I couldn’t. I had to stand on how I felt.
I came through the back of the club after making sure my bike was covered and locked up. I walked through to the main floor to make sure everything was cool before I went up to my office. I wanted to see what everyone was on since they were under the impression I wouldn’t be in tonight.
I could hear the rowdy laughter and even see clouds of smoke that gave off the stench of weed. I didn’t allow any kind of smoking in here, so that alone had me mad as fuck. They knew how I ran shit, so for them to just do what the fuck they wanted to do had me on ten.