Chapter 9
Deshona
“Why are you so hardheaded?” I ask Korrena when I open my front door and see her with a resting bitch face.
“Girl. You moved to another city in Ohio. I don’t know why you think it was far enough to keep me away. Now, move so I can see what you’re working with.”
I roll my eyes and open the door wider as she prances farther into the living room with her eyes bouncing from left to right.
I didn’t expect her, but I’m in desperate need of some girl/cousin time, so her pop-up is a blessing in disguise.
I stand not far from the door as I watch Korrena inspect the front of the apartment and then move toward the back.
“Wait. Wait.” I do a light jog to catch her before she enters Alijah’s room.
Shit!
I’m too late as she pushes the semi-closed door fully open but stops in her tracks and her eyes bounce from the room to me.
“So, I’m guessing you and your roommate have settled in pretty nicely, huh? It looks nice, manly, and set up for permanency in there.”
I swallow and close my eyes momentarily while I try to gather my words to have this conversation. Yes, she knows about the mix-up, but things have changed since our last discussion.
“Hm. I sense that we need to have a story time. Let’s go grab some wine from that little market nearby. Any good pizza places around here?” Korrena’s voice causes me to open my eyes and see that her eyes are on me.
For countless seconds, I just stare at my cousin like she’s lost her mind before she starts laughing.
“The wine is for you. It’ll loosen your tongue.”
“Oh, okay. I thought I was gonna have to call your man to let him know I whupped your ass. I need to get to my purse, and we can head out. I’ll order pizza when we come back. The company I’ve had doesn’t take a long time to deliver.”
The memory of the pizza Alijah ordered not long ago and its delicious flavors come to mind.
It takes me no time to get my stuff and meet Korrena at the door.
The trip to the market is uneventful, and we’re back within twenty minutes.
I’m on my second glass of truth-inducing wine before my mouth opens, and I let go of the first piece of tea for Korrena.
“He’s staying for the long haul. I . . .” My words trail off as I try to unscramble them so that they’ll make sense to both of us.
“Damn. Let me find out that more than sleeping arrangements have changed since our last conversation.”
“No. But something did happen, and I’ve been in a heated chokehold every night since.”
“Ooh. Tell me more. This sounds juicy.” Korrena scoots closer and crosses her legs Indian style like we’re campers listening to a scary story in the middle of the woods.
I sigh and jump into the details that have taken place up to this moment, and with each detail, my body heats, and my thoughts become raunchy.
“Cousin, he stepped out of that shower with water droplets running down his body, and my eyes followed the drip downward. The dick, oh God . . . his dick is a work of art. It could have its own area code, residence, hell, it will have me if I’m not careful.
” The hairs on my arms rises when Korrena’s eyes shift to something behind me, and the clean, earthy yet dangerous scent that has become ingrained in my mind penetrates my nostrils.
Jesus! Please tell me he didn’t hear what I said.
When a bronze arm stretches out beside me toward Korrena, my breaths stall in my throat. “Alijah.”
“H-her cousin . . . Korrena. Nice to meet you, Alijah.”
Since when did this heffa get tongue-tied while talking? Damn. The Alijah effect is real, not just in me.
“Likewise.” His eyes shift to me, and he winks before he walks off in the direction of his bedroom.
“Ooh, cousin. I would be riding the fuck out of his dick morning, noon, two o’clock, dinnertime, and three times before midnight. That man is fine as sin. Whew. No wonder you’re over there all starry-eyed and shit. My goodness.” Korrena gushes.
My eyes land on Alijah just as he reaches his door, and his smirk widens as he bobs his head and enters his room.
Meanwhile, my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth, unable to decipher what just happened.
Alijah not only heard me talking about his dick but my thoughts on the subject matter and my cousin’s loudmouth ass.
What’s worse is that I was so caught up in my story that I didn’t hear him come in or anything.
My neck and face are hot as I hang my head.
“Girl, what’s wrong with you?”
I lift my head and stare at my cousin as she intently stares at me like nothing out of the ordinary happened.
“He-he overheard the conversation or at least the parts I wish I could snatch out of the air and his psyche.”
“Not only did he hear, but he didn’t seem bothered by it. I would love to be inside his mind right now to know what he’s thinking. From his little wink your way, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“Says the woman who will go home tonight and not have to deal with another awkward exchange.”
Korrena laughs, and all I can do is stare at her because I’m serious.
I’m unsure what the fallout from the last few minutes will be for me.
Alijah seems cool as a cucumber now, but will he torment me about this like he did my bad sex encounter with ole dude?
It’s the thought that will have me up all night with my ear to the wall that is closest to his side of my room.
Girl, you’re too grown to be sulking and hiding like a punk.
You better face that man and let the chips fall where they may.
Who knows, you might land on Alijah’s dick, and then all’s well that ends well, my conscience says, and I nod subtly as I realize that there’s nothing that I can do but wait to see what the aftermath will be.
Besides, the thought of getting the chance to sit and spin on Alijah’s dick has me squaring my shoulders and releasing the worry that’s in my body.
Several Days Later . . .
One of the inconveniences of my relocation is having to establish care with new providers.
But here I am leaving the apartment instead of logging in for work, to head to my new gynecologist’s office.
I also used this one appointment as an excuse to take the whole day off, because I know I’m not going to be up for logging into my computer when I get back home.
Since I haven’t been out to navigate the city much, I’ve given myself an extra thirty minutes to arrive.
No words have been exchanged between Alijah and me since Korrena’s visit, and I’m grateful for the reprieve.
It takes me no time to reach the garage where my SUV is parked, and my stomach drops to my butt when I get in, and nothing happens when I insert my key. I frown, try again, and all it does is click.
“Nooo. Please don’t do this to me, Bluey.” I drop my head on the steering wheel when I try a third time, and Bluey doesn’t start or show any signs of trying.
I sit there for ten minutes before I head back to the elevators to return to my apartment to think about my next move.
I pull up the rideshare app and see the cost is more than I want to pay.
Given the gynecologist’s location and the time of day, I understand, but I’m still not interested in paying that kind of money.
Defeat hits me by the time I reach my home and enter the front door as light tears crawl down my face.
“What’s wrong?” Alijah’s voice causes me to jump, as I didn’t expect him to be near.
When I left a little while ago, he was still in his room, so I assumed he was either still asleep or getting ready for the day.
“Deshona?” Alijah calls my name, and my tears increase in frequency from the softness of his delivery.
I walk slowly toward the living room, where Alijah sits with his laptop on his lap as the TV shows the news.
“Bluey—my SUV won’t start,” I say as I change my words since he isn’t aware of the name I call my vehicle.
“Okay. Let me throw some shoes on, and I can take a look to see what’s going on.”
My face wrinkles when he places the laptop beside him on the couch and stands to do just that without waiting for my reply.
“Wait. You’re gonna look at my truck?”
“Why not? If I can’t figure it out, I’ll just take you wherever you need to go.”
What?
My brain short-circuits as I process Alijah’s words as he walks out of the room without another word. I’m frozen in place as the last couple of seconds echo in my mind. Alijah returns and heads to the front door.
“You ready?”
Mom has always told me that men ain’t shit, but I’ll be damn if Alijah doesn’t have me looking at him sideways.
I nod and head to the open door, and my pulse races once I pass through it without pressing against Alijah’s hulking frame.
“Don’t worry, I only bite by request.” I’m suddenly hot all over and aware of the drop in his voice, like those six words mean more than they should.
It takes great effort for me to walk to the elevator without showing any signs of there being a kink in my armor as Alijah’s footsteps sound behind me.
When the elevator opens a minute later, we enter, and Alijah presses the button to take us to the lower level.
No words are exchanged between us on the two-minute ride down.
“Lead the way.” Alijah holds his hand out as I nod and head toward Bluey.
Merriment fills me when the thought of seeing Alijah under the hood of my SUV inspecting to determine why it’s not starting. From his manicured looking hands, I didn’t expect him to be mechanically inclined, so I look forward to seeing him in action.
“Pop the hood for me, Dee.”
A nickname? My God, from whom all blessings flow. Hm. How can I repay the fair? Ali? Nah, too common. Let me sit on . . . hm, I would love to sit on his face.
I hit the button to open my door and then release the lever to pop the hood, as instructed, before my mind can go further into a downward spiral.
“Alright, try to start it for me.”
I’m already started, baby.
He’s talking about Bluey with your thirsty, I’m-not-interested ass.
The chastisement of my conscience causes me to insert the key in the ignition as I try to turn the key over. The clicking from before echoes, and my disposition becomes melancholy.
“Dang it. I’m gonna have to cancel my appointment.”
“Nah. This is an easy fix. I’m gonna run up to grab my keys. Your battery is dead. I’ll give you a jump, and you will be on your merry way soon after.”
My face contorts as my lips upturn, and my eyes fill with dreamy stars as I watch him walk off without waiting for my reply.
The swag in his steps makes my pussy moisten as I’m acutely aware of the heaviness of the dick currently concealed by the basketball shorts he wears.
Alijah’s effortless actions have me seeing him differently, and my libido isn’t the only thing having a change of heart about the man occupying the second room in the apartment.