Chapter 5 #2
“I got over it and started fucking and it was nice for a while, until it wasn’t, if that makes sense.
I went from one hard line to the other and I don’t know, I was twenty when my dad married someone fifteen years younger than him and because I liked the validation of men but not really having sex with them and she recommended I figure myself out before I went jumping from bedroom to bedroom.
So I explored my body. Took a pole dancing class, left my home state for the first time, and never looked back.
I ended up in the city with no access to my trust until I turned twenty-seven.
My dad was on the edge of business debt and Rene was barely on his feet and I’d started bartending.
It was easy. It was fun. I got male validation without fucking for it and I liked it.
Then, one night some guy at the bar offered me big money for my socks.
I sold them immediately, and when I got home, I went looking to sell socks and shit and fell into the online sex work community.
Before I knew it, I was selling socks and underwear and bath water and eventually I started doing cam work which paid amazing and didn’t require me to do more than whatever I wanted and now I’m here. ”
“So you do cam work? Not porn or like I don’t know? Some other shit?”
“Nope. There’s no camera crew or lighting or costar. It’s just me, a camera, and my toy of the night.”
“Damn.”
“Stone,” I said and laughed. “When I said I was a sex worker you thought it was porn?”
“Porn or prostitution,” he deadpanned.
“And you were going to take me out anyway?”
“Hell yeah.” His head jerked back like he was offended I’d even asked him that shit.
“You know what they say about turning a hoe into a housewife, right?” I teased.
“The mothafuckas who said that ain’t have no vision. They were busy worrying about what other niggas thought about their woman and shit. That ain’t me. Besides, I work security at a bar, Selle. Shit. I’m a hoe too. We can rehab together though, baby.”
I fully laughed and threw a piece of potato peel at him. “Shut up.”
“I’m just saying.” He laughed too and shrugged.
“So you’d pay for it?” I asked.
“Do I get a coworker discount?”
“Nah. Full price.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. I’d pay for it.”
“How much?”
“Nah. You’re not about to set me up. You got the product, so you make the prices.”
We both laughed and I climbed to my feet to bring the potatoes to him.
“I’ll let you know when I decide,” I said.
“Alright.” He licked his lips. “Sounds good.”
“But now that we’re out of my family shit, let’s talk about yours.”
“What about it?”
“I don’t know. I showed you mine, so show me yours.” I hopped up on the island and watched as Stone moved around the kitchen like he belonged there.
“Alright. So my pops was a big drug dealer back in the day and you know how that shit goes. He became a hood celebrity and thought he could do whatever he wanted. So he was married to my older brother Elijah’s mom when he slipped up and got my mom pregnant.
Me and Elijah were born six months apart.
Five years later, he and my mom had Morocco.
Then, she ended up on drugs and Elijah’s mom took me and Morocco in and raised us.
Three years after that he brought my mom into the house, talking about how she wanted to change and he needed to help her.
It was bullshit. A year later she gave birth to Drake.
Pops kicked her out after she got too high one night, came home and almost let Drake drown, being negligent.
From there, Pops started going in and out of jail.
Four years after Drake, he came home with Xy who he had with some bitch who worked at one of the jails he’d been booked at.
That was the final straw and Elijah’s mom packed her shit and left, not that we can blame her.
“Elijah was fifteen when it went down and he jumped in the streets behind Pops. I jumped into the homemaker shit for my siblings. I mean, my dad kept us laced with money and shit. He just wasn’t around much to go over homework or nothing.
He, uh, he had these two hoes pretty much in love with him who would come through and cook and clean and shit for us for a while.
Two years later one of them dropped my baby brother Joss off and we never saw her ass again.
I was seventeen when he got locked up on this most recent bid and I guess the courts got tired of his ass going in and out so they put real time on his ass.
Me and Elijah graduated and started taking care of shit around the house ten years ago. ” He shrugged.
“Elijah got locked up about two years ago at the same time Morocco came home talking about he’d gotten his girlfriend pregnant, she was keeping it, and her people had put her out.
” He scoffed and shook his head. “I got picked up at a mechanic shop and started working at the bar. Morocco got a nighttime job to balance his girl’s daytime job.
And that’s it. We’re making shit shake for the other three. ”
“Damn. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It’s cool. I’ve dealt with it.” He turned away from the lit stove to face me.
“Six kids with four baby mamas is crazy though, Stone.”
He grinned. “Tell me about it.” He walked over and I spread my legs, housing him between them. His hands went to my waist. “I’m not either one of our hoe ass daddies,” he said simply.
“What?”
“I want you to know that shit. Despite how your dad did your mom and how my dad did the whole mothafuckin’ state, I’m not either of them. I’m me and you ain’t got to worry about me fucking around on you when we take it there, Selle.”
“When, huh?” I lifted an eyebrow. He nodded with his bottom lip tucked sexily. I reached up to link my arms around his neck and he leaned toward me. “That’s good to know because I’ll fuck you up if you play in my face, Stone.”
“I believe you.”
He grinned against my mouth and I tightened my legs around him to pull him closer and press my lips against his.
We kissed a little bit before Stone went back to cooking. When he finished we ate together in the living room while I put on an animated television show I’d been interested in watching.
When we finished I took the dishes to the kitchen and put all the food in containers as well, in case he wanted to take the leftovers home to his siblings.
Knowing Stone was helping support all of his younger siblings had changed my perception of him.
As the younger sibling of two, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to step up the way he had.
It was admirable though and I respected that he hadn’t just given up when things got hard.
Stone demanded I let him help me wash the dishes, so he washed and rinsed and I dried and put them away. Once we finished I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms over my chest.
I looked him up and down while he tapped away on his phone, leaned against the counter across from me.
“Do you want to stay?” I asked.
“What?” He looked up at me.
“I don’t know. We can nap or something then go to work together.”
“Or something, huh?” He grinned.
I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes.
“I meant like cuddling, asshole.”
“That sounds great. We can do that.”
“You don’t need to go home?”
“Nah. It’s Saturday. They’ll manage.”
“You sure?”
“Selle, I’m good. Come on.” He nudged his head toward my room and I nodded before I pushed away from the counter.
Stone let me lead and I unbuttoned my pants as soon as we entered my room. A yawn slipped out of me as I shoved them down.
“I love a good nap before work.” I stretched.
“Me too.”
Stone yanked his shirt over his head and I reached beneath my shirt to undo my bra and let it slip down my arms. I fell into my bed and Stone shed his shoes and pants before climbing in beside me.
“You want me to be the big spoon?” I asked.
Stone looked down at me.
“Shut yo’ ass up, Selle.”
We both laughed immediately and he wrapped an arm around me and yanked me in. Hard. I snuggled into him and let my eyes fall shut.
“Goodnight.”
“Night, Selle.” Stone yawned and buried his face into the top of my head.
I liked it and fell asleep quickly.
When I woke up again, it was only two hours until work time. I hopped up and started getting ready immediately, leaving Stone laid out in my bed, his broad back and shoulders on full display while he snored, sprawled out and looking just as sexy as when he was awake.
I took a shower, put my hair up, and took my time picking out an outfit. Then, I sat in front of my vanity and started working on my makeup. I was halfway done when I realized Stone was awake and staring at me. I stuck my tongue out at him and he grinned. We sat in silence while I finished.
Afterwards we each had a quick snack then Stone got ready for work since he surprisingly had clothes and a toothbrush in his truck, something he claimed he never left home without.
We headed out of my place together.
“You want me to drive you tonight?” he asked as we headed toward the parking lot.
“Fuck no,” I giggled. “The last thing we need is for people we work with to think we’re a couple.”
“I mean, we are a couple so…”
“Says who?” My eyebrows fiddled together and I shifted my bag to my other shoulder.
“Says me,” he deadpanned. “But how do you want to play this shit? With work and all that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t usually report who I’m fucking so I don’t think it’ll be an issue. We’ll just live our lives business as usual, and since you’ve been in love with me forever, you shouldn’t throw anyone off by how obsessed with me you are,” I joked.
Stone chuckled and shook his head. “Yeah, a’ight.” He stopped beside my car and opened the door for me. “I’ll follow you out.”
“Okay.” I tossed my bag inside and gave Stone a quick kiss that looked like it shocked him before I climbed in.