Chapter 5 Zora
Zora
It had been a few days since my date with Semi, and I still caught myself thinking about it when I swore I wouldn’t.
Semi had a way of infiltrating your thoughts without even trying.
I wanted more… I craved more, but that wasn’t me.
Wanting didn’t mean acting, and I wasn’t about to make a habit out of him.
I was in between clients, wiping down my chair, when Tiana’s name lit up my phone. I slid my AirPod in and answered.
“Girl, let me tell you,” she started, voice sharp and dramatic. “If this client of mine cancels on me one more time, I swear I’m charging her double.”
I laughed, dropping into my chair. “You’re not charging anybody double shit. You like the money too much.”
“Exactly. That’s why she gets one more chance,” Tiana said, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. “But enough about me. How you been? You still avoiding Semi after he fucked your thoughts into submission?”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head even though she couldn’t see it. “Don’t act like you know me.”
“I do,” she countered. “So wassup? You went out with him, then you disappeared like you don’t know the man is right across the street.”
Before I could answer, the bell over the door chimed. My head snapped up. Semi walked in like his ears were burning. He walked through the door, and his eyes caught mine immediately.
“T, I’ll call you back,” I muttered, pulling the AirPod out before she caught on.
I set my phone down and stood, Trying to disguise the fact that this man had me flustered. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound unfazed.
“I came over here because you’ve been dodging me, and I wanted to see what the deal was in person,” he responded, never taking his eyes off of me.
“Who said I was dodging you?” I cocked my head to the side.
“You… when my texts and calls went unanswered. I felt like that was an invitation to see me in person.” He shrugged.
I tried my best to ignore the smoldering look he was giving me, but it was as if he had me under a spell.
“Maybe I’ve just been busy.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Busy enough to miss my calls, my texts, and not even wave when I saw you leaving here yesterday?”
“You keeping tabs on me now?” I smirked.
“I don’t need to keep tabs, shorty,” he countered. “You stand out too much for me not to notice.”
His statement caused my skin to flush, and I tried my best to conceal it. “Or maybe you just like the thrill of the chase.”
Semi leaned against the counter. “I’on chase shit but my money, and even then the shit just comes to me naturally. If I’m here, it’s because I want to be. And right now, I want to know why you’re acting like I did something to you after one date.”
“Maybe because I don’t really do the whole dating thing,” I admitted, my voice steady even though I felt the weight of it as soon as it left my mouth.
Semi nodded once, his grin slipping into something calmer. “That’s because most of the time, dates turn into bullshit. You sit across from somebody who’s pretending, and a few weeks later you realize they’re not who they sold themselves to be.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly. “And what is that supposed to mean something?”
“It means you ain’t slick,” he said, his voice even but direct. “Most women don’t dodge you because they’re busy. They dodge you because somebody before them fucked it up, and now they act like being guarded is safer.”
I let out a dry laugh, crossing my arms again. “You make it sound so simple. Like you can read me just because you’ve seen it before.”
He shrugged, unbothered. “I don’t need to read you. I just know the pattern. But I also know I don’t move like the last nigga did, whoever he was. I don’t play around with what I want.”
My laugh came out sharper than I meant. “So now you’re a therapist? You think because we went on one date, you get to diagnose me?”
“Nah… I just pay attention. There’s a difference.” He shrugged as if it was nothing.
I shook my head, smirking through the heat creeping up my chest. “You’on know shit about me, Semi. You think you do… but you don’t. Not every woman who keeps her guard up is sitting around crying over the last one.”
“I didn’t say crying,” he countered smoothly. “I said guarded, and the way you keep brushing me off tells me it ain’t because you’re too busy. It’s because you’on trust what’s in front of you.”
I held his stare, refusing to let him see he was close to the truth. “Or maybe I just don’t owe you anything past that date.”
“Fair enough.” He threw his hands up in mock surrender. “You’on owe me shit, but I’d still rather see you than guess where your head’s at.”
I let the silence hang for a second before I shifted. “How’s the shop coming along?”
He chuckled at my deflection before he responded. “It’s coming along. We’re almost set for the grand opening.”
“That’s good.” I nodded. “You must be hyped about it.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck as a small smile tugged at his mouth. “It’s bigger than just opening doors… it’s about building something solid. You should come through for the opening next week.”
“You inviting me like I’m a guest instead of a neighbor.”
“You are a guest… my guest,” he said with a shrug. “That’s how it works.”
“You need anything done over there? I could lend a hand.” I offered.
He shook his head without hesitation. “Nah, we got it.”
I arched a brow. “That’s it? Just no?”
“You really tryna work after I said you were my guest?” he asked, smirking.
“If it means supporting you… then yeah.”
He studied me for a beat, then gave a slow nod. “Nah… I want to be able to have your attention, and that can’t happen if you’re working.”
“Fine… I’ll be there.” I agreed.
Semi pushed off the counter, sliding his hands into his pockets. “That’s all I needed to hear.” He took a step closer before I could react, leaned down, and pressed a kiss against my forehead. “I’ll see you later, Zora.”
I didn’t move, just stood there watching him walk out like he hadn’t just left me hot and bothered. As soon as the door shut behind him, I exhaled slow. I told myself to keep my guard up, but every time he showed up, it chipped a little more at the walls I swore I’d built for good.
***
“Reggie texted me again,” Tiana groaned the second I picked up. “Talking about how he misses me and he’s ready to settle down now. Like I’m supposed to forget he had a whole baby on me.”
Nia laughed so loud I had to pull the phone back. “Not him talking about settling down when he couldn’t even settle in one bed. Chy, please.”
“Exactly,” Tiana snapped. “And he had the nerve to write, ‘I know I messed up, but I was young.’ Young? Nigga, that was two years ago. His ass was damn near thirty, talking about some he was young. Dumb is more like it.”
I snorted, curling deeper into the couch. “He thinks time passed means you forgot. Classic.”
“Typical stupid ass nigga,” Nia corrected.
“You should’ve blocked his ass after that stunt,” I teased.
“I should’ve,” Tiana admitted. “But honestly? I kept him unblocked just so I could clown him when he popped up again. And look—here we are. I told him straight up to lose my fuckin’ number, but you know Reggie. He hears what he wants to hear.”
“Reggie’s the type that’ll pop up ten years from now talking about ‘Baby, I’m back’.” Nia laughed.
“Back my ass. I’ain got time for Reggie or his plethora of baby mamas.” Tiana muttered, making us both laugh. Then her tone shifted sharp. “But enough about him. Zo, don’t think you’re slick. You been dodging talking about Semi since that date.”
“Here y’all go.” I groaned.
“Don’t ‘here y’all go’ us. Spill it, ho.” Nia jumped right in.
I hesitated, chewing my lip. “He came by the shop today.”
Both of them gasped at once.
“And what happened?” Tiana added.
I rolled my eyes, even though a smile tugged at my mouth. “It wasn’t a big deal. We talked. He invited me to the shop opening next week.”
“Oh, that’s a big deal,” Tiana said quickly. “That man is claiming his space.”
“Exactly,” Nia added. “He’s not playing, Zo. He’s making an effort, and you’re acting like it’s casual.”
“Because it is casual,” I muttered, but my voice didn’t carry the weight I wanted.
“Zo, you can’t even say that shit with your chest,” Tiana shot back. “You like him, and you’re scared to admit it. That’s why you keep curving him.”
Nia was right there behind her. “Semi isn’t your last one, Zo. Stop punishing him for what another man did.”
I forced a laugh. “Y’all swear you know me better than I know myself.”
“Because we do,” Tiana said flatly.
Their words lingered heavy, so I cut it quick. “Change the subject before I hang up.”
They groaned, dragged the call out with gossip, and then finally let me go. When I set the phone down, the quiet came rushing back in.
They weren’t wrong. Semi wasn’t like the rest. And that was the exact reason I couldn’t let him too close.