Chapter 6 #2
“Long as you don’t act crazy like you did last night,” she teased.
He grinned. “Don’t disappear on me again, and I think we’ll be straight.”
“I didn’t disappear. I went to see my granny and then to work,” she argued.
“I ain’t know nothin’ ’bout none of that.”
“True . . . I’m not used to dealing with anyone else, Boog. It wasn’t intentional.”
“You ain’t ever had a man before?” He didn’t really care to know that answer. Whatever niggas she dealt with before him were irrelevant in his eyes, but he had to admit that his curiosity was piqued.
“I mean, yeah, but even then, they didn’t really keep tabs on me like that. Probably because they were out doin’ dirt. I haven’t really been in a mature, grown-up relationship before.”
“Well, now you are.”
“You really just gonna claim me like that without even asking?” Sweetie giggled, but she snuggled into him. They both knew what it was.
“You want me to ask, Sweetie? I’ll get down on one knee right now and propose. Stop playin’.”
Her eyes grew wide, and he chuckled. He knew she wasn’t ready for that.
He was though. Sweetie was it for him. He told God a long time ago that if he ever put her in his path again, he would do right by her.
A woman like Sweetie Bishop deserved to be a wife and in a happy marriage.
He planned to give that to her. It didn’t matter that it had been twenty years since they last saw each other.
They had a solid eight years of their life sneaking around together when they were kids.
Shit like that didn’t just get erased. Their bond transcended anything he could find in today’s dating pool, which was in hell’s sewer, as far as he was concerned.
Superficial shit didn’t mean anything to him.
His bond with Sweetie was everything he had been missing in life.
She was that final puzzle piece that would ensure he died an old and happy man that lived a great life.
“I . . . uh . . .” she stammered.
“Yeah, like I said, stop playin’ wit’ me.”
She buried her face in his chest in embarrassment. “I’m just sayin’, Boogie. You see me once after twenty years and decide I’m yours now? Do I get a say?”
“Of course you do. You wanna be wit’ me, Sweetie?” He grinned down at her because he knew her ass did.
She turned bright red and tried to hide against his chest again, but he didn’t allow her to. She gave up and huffed out her morning breath. Even that was cute to him.
“Yes, Boogie, I do. I’m still worried, though—”
“Don’t be. Only thing I need you to be worried about is those niggas you give dances to at that strip club. They might be met with a broken kneecap when they exit the building.” He hadn’t meant for the conversation to come about like that, but the thought still bothered the hell out of him.
She giggled. “It’s how I make money, Boog. I ain’t ever did anything else, and I can’t just sit around and let you take care of me. I’ve done that my whole life.”
“Do you want to strip?”
“I want to dance.” She shrugged.
He thought about it. “What about for The Riptides?”
Her brows pulled in. “Like the NBA team?”
“Yeah. Would you want to be a cheerleader or whatever for them? Don’t they do like halftime performances and shit?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Yeah, they’re real competitive too. They have the best team in the NBA. Ain’t no way I can get on with them. Their application process is wild. Plus, it’s the middle of the season.”
“If I get you a spot on the team, will you quit stripping?” he had to ask.
He didn’t want to swoop in and control her life.
That wasn’t his goal here, but to him, it sounded like she didn’t necessarily want to strip.
She wanted to dance. Those were two very different things.
If he could help her realize her dreams and think bigger, then he would.
Of course, it benefitted him too, but his intentions were pure.
“If you secure me a spot on the team, that would be a dream job, Boog. A career. I can’t even fathom that. I would do more than just quit stripping,” she said suggestively.
“Oh yeah? What else you gon’ do?”
“I’ll let you put a baby in me.”
“Twins?”
“Triplets.”
His brows rose. “Aight. Say less.”
His father knew the owner of the Desmore Bay basketball team. He was sure all he would need to do was make a phone call to get her a spot on that team.
Sweetie giggled and then sat up. He could tell her mind pulled in every direction. His goal for the day was to keep her mind occupied, figure out a way to get her to see her granny, and get her a damn job as a cheerleader for The Riptides. He had a full ass schedule.
“I’m hungry,” she finally said.
“Come on. Let’s go make some breakfast.”
“You can cook?” she asked with her brows hiked.
“My mama taught me a lil somethin’.”
She looked impressed as they got out of bed. “Okay, show me somethin’ then.”
After they freshened up in the bathroom, they made their way downstairs. She wore nothing but one of his T-shirts that drooped down to her knees. He wasn’t sure he would be able to keep his dick to himself for much longer. Last night, she got a pass, but today, he couldn’t make any promises.
He had just grabbed a handful of her ass when his front door opened.
“Boogie—” His mom’s sentence got cut short when her eyes landed on him and Sweetie coming down the stairs. His father was right behind her.
Boogie’s hand was still on Sweetie’s ass as he looked at his parents like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Sweetie nudged him away and cleared her throat. The four of them seemed to be stuck in some kind of stare off as Boogie made a mental note to change his damn locks.