Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
EMERY
“How was your day, baby?” I asked, licking my lips, seeing her in that tight-fitting dress.
“How the hell did you get in my house, Emery?”
“You should really learn to lock your windows, beloved.” I watched as she stared at me as if I were some psycho. Maybe I was a bit unhinged, but she should have known the pressure wasn’t going to end with me.
“If you don’t get up and get out of my house, I’m going to call the police,” she threatened.
“Don’t be a Racheal, Yummy.”
“What? Negro, it’s Karen, and I will be if you don’t leave.”
I stood from the bed and inched toward her as she backed away from me until her back hit the wall. With nowhere to run, I placed my palms on the wall on both sides of her, staring at her pretty face. This girl—woman’s face always made me weak in the knees.
“You gon’ call the opps on me, yum? Hmph?”
“G-get out.”
“We both know I’m not doing that. I asked you to come to dinner, and you stood me up.”
“I have a boyfriend. What part of that aren’t you getting?”
“The part where he cares about his job more than he cares about pleasing you.”
“Y-you heard that?”
“I heard enough.”
“You need to mind your business. He’s out being domestic and trying to secure our future.”
“Don’t defend that clown in my face. Y’all ain’t got no fucking future,” I reminded her.
“No, we don’t have a future,” she countered, pointing between us.
“If that’s what helps you sleep at night, then I’ll allow it.”
“Move, Emery.” She pushed my chest, and I took a step back. “Breaking and entering is a crime. Should I add that to the list of other criminal activities you’re into?”
I smirked and stepped back closer to her. I leaned into her ear, sniffing her hair that smelled of cherries. “The only crime I’m going to be guilty of is assault if you keep playing with me.”
“Oh, so you’re a woman beater now?”
“I’m a pussy beater now.” I could see her recoil and roll her eyes.
“You have to leave, Emery. This isn’t right.”
“I will after I bathe you and put you to bed.”
“You’re not doing either of those things, so you need to get out of my house and go back to where you came from.”
“I am trying to go back to where I came from, but you playing hard to get.”
“I am hard to get! I. Have. A. Boyfriend!”
“Yeah, okay. I think you need to tread lightly on saying that type of shit, Yummy. I promise I’ll make his ass extinct.”
“You can’t just come into my home or my life and try to force me to rekindle things with you!
Life doesn’t work that way!” I swooped her up and headed to her en-suite bathroom.
“What are you doing? Put me down, Emery!” she yelled.
Once we were in the bathroom, I placed her on her feet.
It was dark, but I had lit a few candles and placed them strategically around the bathroom.
She looked around as if the bathroom was foreign to her, seeing the yellow and red rose petals on the floor and a tray next to the tub with white-chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes, and pineapples, along with a bottle of Dèrangè red wine on ice.
“Go ahead and unwind while I go clean up the mess you made. I’ll be back to wash your back and feet.
” I removed her hair from around her neck, using a hair tie I found lying on her sink, and pulled it up in a bun.
She didn’t say a word as I then unzipped the back of her dress.
I wanted to trail kisses down her back while I slipped it off her, but I refrained.
Not yet, Em.
“Enjoy, my love.” I backpedaled out of the bathroom and closed the door behind me to give her privacy.
I stepped over the glass and went to the kitchen to retrieve the broom and dustpan, along with some cleaning spray and a mop. I wasn’t trying to force Yumi to be with me, but I was trying to force her to be with me, if that made sense.
I had been dreaming of the day I’d see her again.
There had been many nights of her beautiful face torturing my dreams that I searched for her every day that I could.
Any woman who could make a nigga shed a thug tear deserved to be honored and appreciated.
I know it may sound silly to some people, but Yumi was and still is the girl of my dreams, and I refused to not let her see that.
I knew it was nothing but her parents’ influence that made her break up with me before she left for college. They may never have been mean to me to my face, but I felt the vibes. They didn’t want Yumi to be with me because of the rumors circulating about my parents being criminals.
This little relationship she claimed to be in was about to come to an end. Yumi belonged to me, and she was going to quickly find that out.
I cleaned up the glass and wine that was spilled on the floor, then went into the kitchen to remove the food I brought from the bags.
I put the oven on the warm setting, then set the trays of greens, mac-n-cheese, and barbecue ribs in the oven to keep it warm.
I removed the apple pie that was surprisingly still hot and placed it on the counter.
Removing my button-down, I placed it over the back of the couch, then went back into Yumi’s room. I knocked on the bathroom door, and a few seconds later, she responded, telling me to enter. “Cupid” by 112 played lowly over the speaker, and I smiled, seeing her relaxed.
She looked up at me and sat up some. “The only reason I’m letting you stay is because we really need to talk and set some boundaries. All of this is nice, Emery, but I really need you to hear me out.”
“I’m listening, baby.”
“We’ll talk once I’m done in here.”
“I’ll be ready. Did you want me to wash your back for you?”
“No, I’m okay. You can wait for me in the living room.”
“Take your time. I have to make a few calls anyway.” I left her to it and went back downstairs to wait for her just as my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID, noticing it was Micheal, our manager, from LaBella’s calling.
“What’s up, Mikey?”
“Mr. Aldana, we have a situation here at the restaurant. A customer claims they found glass in their food, which I believe was put in there purposely, and not by the staff members.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Comp their meal, get their names, and put them on the DNR list. Make sure you print out their photos and put them up in the back so everyone will know not to serve them again.”
“Will do, sir.” I hung up, shook my head, and opened my text thread. Yumi didn’t know that I owned LaBella’s, and the reason for my being there last night was to pay my staff and hold a meeting with the chefs to create a new menu for the week.
When I saw her and that clown all hugged up and smiling, I knew I had to shut that shit down.
Since Ashton Pryor and I were close associates, I had him call him away from the dinner on some false shit.
I mean, it wasn’t totally false, because I needed someone found and followed, but it couldn’t have come at a perfect time.
I was going to keep interrupting their personal time together until she realized I was the only man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.
Me: Make sure you and E are ready for court on Monday. Don’t be bullshitting around in these streets. Be cool.
Mill: I ain’t no lil ass boy, Em. Did you find out where the water was leaking yet? We need to fix it before the house gets flooded and all our furniture gon’ be destroyed!
Me: I got this. Just make sure you move into the other house until it’s fucking fixed.
Mill:
I shook my head just as I heard feet coming down the stairs. Yumi was dressed in a long, red, silk gown with a silk robe to match. On her feet were three-inch sandals, and her hair was now in a ponytail to the back. I couldn’t help but admire her grace and sex appeal.
She had always been the graceful, hood valley girl, and it was one of the things I loved most about her. She may have been bourgeois, but she had that little around-the-way-girl demeanor that I’d like to think I put there.
“Hungry?” I asked her.
She rolled her eyes and headed toward the kitchen without a word. I stood and followed her, watching her pull glasses and plates from the cabinets and set them on the table.
I went to the oven and began removing the food I prepared.
“Are those your pineapple-glazed ribs?” she asked, looking around me.
I smirked. “You know it is, baby. Had to remind you of your favorite meal while we talk.” She didn’t reply, instead handing me a plate, and I began plating the food.
“I want you to know that just because you made my favorite meal doesn’t give you any brownie points.”
“I didn’t expect it to.” I handed her the plate with the food, and she handed me the empty one.
I only put a small portion on my plate, covered the food, then took a seat at the dinner table with her.
She had poured us a glass of wine and set out silverware wrapped in cloth napkins.
I held my palms out for her to take while she looked at me skeptically and then placed her palms in mine.
“What up, my G? I ask that You bless this food that’s before us. Let it be of nourishment to our bodies and strengthen our health. Bless the less fortunate, and bless the hands that prepared it. Amen.” I released her hands then reached behind me on the counter for my bottle of Don 70.
“Tequila?” she queried.
“Best way to eat soul food.”
“I guess.”
“You on this with me?”
“Absolutely not. I’ve already been drinking with my colleague and had a glass of wine while bathing. I don’t need anything hard right now.”
I didn’t reply as I poured a shot and leaned back in my chair. “I’m listening whenever you’re ready to talk.”