Chapter Twenty
Zeppelin
Life still doesn’t feel right. I talk to Bernie after school, and sometimes Misty sits with us. But it’s never just the two of us. There are no touches. Nothing to indicate she still wants me the way she did.
Things have cooled to the point of being frozen. I know I said we’d take this at her pace, but I’m dying. All I want is to have her next to me as I sleep. To be there when I open my eyes.
The women I’d take to bed between visits from Chanel never stayed the night. Misty’s the first woman since Chanel and I broke up when we were twenty-one to stay the night. To make it until morning and still be in my arms without having to run away to something or someone else.
I never thought I was worth it, to be honest. That all I had to offer anyone was a good time hook up and call it a day. And then Misty blew that all out of the water. She sees things I never noticed. Things I don’t think anyone else would have noticed.
I have to see her. It’s Saturday, and I don’t have to do anything for the club until tomorrow. Things have been pretty quiet, and I’m not needed at Velvet Desire.
“What are you doing here?” Misty asks with a smile as she wipes down the counter inside Perk Up.
Gloria definitely passed the business into very capable hands. Hands I can’t stop thinking about touching every inch of my fucking body.
“This is a business, isn’t it?” I ask, taking a seat at the counter right in front of her.
“It’s nine in the morning,” she says and chuckles. “You don’t typically get up before noon unless you have to.”
Her hair is swept off her shoulders in a high pony, and I want nothing more than to lean over and kiss the spot I know makes her moan. Instead, I show her I can be on my best behavior and prove she can trust me.
“Sometimes, I do. I saw you leave for work this morning, and you don’t usually work Saturdays.”
“Sandy’s brother’s wife fell last night,” she says. “I think that’s what she said. She’s helping around the house because her brother just had hip surgery.”
I nod. “Agnes. Heard about that. Slipped getting out of the shower.”
Laughing, she shakes her head. “Of course you know her.”
“It’s a small town, baby.”
“True. Speaking of, do you know the owner of Phoebe’s Phab Pastries?”
Know? No. Know of? Everyone does. “Not personally. Why?”
She sets a plate with a croissant in front of me. “Try it.”
“I’m not a man to turn down food,” I say. “Or anything you want to offer up for me to eat.”
Rolling her eyes, she playfully slaps my arm with the rag. “Just try it.”
I take a bite, and the buttery, flakey pastry melts in my mouth. “Wow.”
“Right? Our order got messed up thanks to… It doesn’t matter. I went to her bakery to see if she had anything I could buy to serve, and she gave me a selection to try out. It’s better than our normal shipment.”
“Yeah, it is. I might have to stop in and get something. How much do you think I can eat before I get fat?”
Misty laughs. “Phoebe’s really nice. So is her assistant, Sarah. But my God is Phoebe cheery. She might actually rival the sun when it comes to cheerful sunshine.”
“I’ve heard,” I admit. “I kind of want to introduce her to a few of our guys. The ones who have a permanent cloud hanging over their heads. It would be fun.”
“You’ve never met her?”
I shake my head and take another bite. “She moved with her grandma a few years ago, and she was always quiet. Never really went out or socialized, so it was a bit of a surprise when she opened up a bakery. Not counting drugs out when it comes to how happy she seems to be.”
Reaching over, she takes a piece of the pastry she gave me and pops it into her mouth. “Hey, if that’s what helps make these. I’ll buy them for her. The Venom did me a favor because I’m switching to her now. Nothing comes close to this.”
She now has my full, undivided attention. “What about the Venom?”
“Yeah,” she says and sighs. “I didn’t know if I should tell you or not. Not really sure what I did to piss them off, but they got involved with our bakery vendor.”
“Me.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s what you did to piss them off. You did me. Butch mentioned you earlier this week, and I told him to stay the fuck away from you. He’s taunting me.”
Misty takes my hand, and it shoots a jolt of desire straight to my groin. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not—”
“We’re getting a better price with a better product. He screwed over the vendor, so we actually win.”
It’s not a win. I know it, and I know she knows it. But she knows how much I fucking hate Butch. How I just need the right reason to kill him.
“Where’s Bernie? She’s not home alone, is she?”
“Really?” she asks, and her sass that hasn’t been present since we finally fucked returns. “She has plans with some friends from school. They stopped by the house and picked her up.”
I’m impressed. I wasn’t sure the people Bernie talked about were real. Knowing how important it is to Misty that Bernie makes friends, I wouldn’t put it past Bernie to make up stories to ease her mama’s worry. “She’s making friends. That’s good.”
“Yeah, they’re getting their hair done. I don’t know these friends, but Bernie was so excited to get the call last night that she couldn’t sleep. Which meant I didn’t sleep.”
“In town?”
“Yeah.”
This makes my eyes widen. I know a bit about Misty’s financial situation. “That’s Mama’s salon. Some of that shit is kind of spendy.”
“I was worried about that, but Bernie says the girl, Sierra, was going to pay for it. I gave her money for a tip, though.”
“Maybe she’ll have sleepovers—”
“Don’t.”
I’m not sure if she’s worried about Bernie at other houses or the implication of us being together. “Don’t what?”
“Trust me, I’m feeling the… problems that arise with taking some space, but it’s what we need right now.”
“That might be what you need right now, but I need to get naked with you and add in a splash of roughness.”
At least I get a smirk before she shakes her head. “We talked about this, Zep.”
“I know, but it’s different.”
“In less than a week, it’s different?”
No one else sits in the café, but I keep my voice low. “I want you. Fuck, I want you. But I want us. A life that’s built with you in mind. And Bernie.”
Misty sighs and looks at the counter. “I can’t do this right now, Zep. Can we talk later?”
“Later when?”
I want a date and time. Something to hold her to because otherwise, I’m not certain we ever will. And I’m tired of fucking sleeping alone.
“Tonight? Bernie can play with the cats while we talk outside.”
Outside. Where it’s safe. No chance of getting naked and finally satisfying the need we both have. “Sure. I’ll see you later. How much do I owe you?”
“On the house.”
“Thanks.”
As I reach the door, she calls out, “Zep?”
“Yeah?”
“I really do want what you’re offering. It’s me. I’m trying to figure out how to trust without having a crystal ball to see the future.”
“Sometimes, you just have to take a leap of faith, Misty. And trust that I’ll be there to catch you when you fall.”
“I’m working on it, I promise.”
Nodding, I step outside just as my phone rings. “Pacino?”
“Finally got what you were looking for.”
“Ben?”
“Yeah. Last name is Samson. He’s pretty unremarkable, but he does have a few things on his record.”
I move around the building to avoid potentially having Misty step outside and overhear me. She might actually kill me for looking into Bernie’s dad.
“Like what?”
“Two domestic violence charges. No convictions, though. But there’s a third one pending.”
“DV? Against who?”
“Looks like all are ex-girlfriends.”
My chest tightens. Misty wouldn’t have let him get away with hitting her, would she? Did she downplay why she didn’t want to go after Ben for financial support? Is she scared of Bernie’s dad?
“Thanks, man. Anything I should know?”
“He’s come into a decent amount of money lately. The problem is, he doesn’t have a job. Hasn’t had one for quite some time, but he’s flush. Paid cash for cars he shouldn’t be able to afford. Big house. Things like that.”
“You think it’s illegal shit?”
He snorts. “Unless he’s a gigolo.”
“Can you look into it further?”
“Thought you’d never ask. Didn’t want to go too far unless you wanted me to.”
“Appreciate it, brother. Keep me updated.”
“Of course.”