13. Someone For Me #2
Her entire apartment reflected her personality from where he stood, peering past her.
She was reluctant to let him into her safe space, tying her rose gold silk robe a little tighter around her small waist. Catching a whiff of his Oud satin mood cologne triggered that deprived space between her legs.
She hadn’t had sex since their last encounter, and her vibrator was leaving her unfulfilled.
The pregnancy hormones were taking her over the edge.
Eazy bypassed her through her one-bedroom apartment, eyes roaming all the bright colors and different contemporary art pieces to match.
The couch was modern, but a bright marigold color.
None of the pieces seemed to match, but she made it look fly when she incorporated the multicolor rug with different colors in splatter shapes.
He had no idea Lotus was the kind of chick to wake up early on a Saturday, catch the train through the city, and hit the farmer’s market. With a baseball cap slung over her messy ponytail and a fresh brown sugar and oat milk iced coffee in her hand, it was one of the highlights of her week.
She purchased vintage items from the thrift store or flea market. If it looked good and was cheap, it didn’t matter to her. It was something Kissa taught her. She was also heavy on the DIY and would reupholster anything if she thought she could get more use from it.
“Shit kind of cozy in here.” Eazy peeled his broad shoulders and muscular arms out of his leather jacket and tossed it on a nearby stool.
“How did you even know where I live?” Something suddenly came to her scattered brain while tucking her arms across her breasts and skimming him in his black jeans and white t-shirt.
Although Eazy was dark like espresso, his many tattoos were still visible against his silk like flesh, so she couldn’t help but admire his thick arms. Eazy was a large man, very hard not to notice, on top of being handsome as hell.
“You ain’t slow, Lo.”
“Don’t be harassing my mama just because you think she likes you.” Lotus rolled her eyes.
She decided to get back to what she was doing before he arrived on her doorstep like the unwanted guest he was.
Part of her was happy for the company; she just didn’t need him to know it.
Eazy was just like his name. Uncomplicated.
Effortless. She could laugh with him and joke.
He didn’t take everything so serious, but she also felt safe when he was around.
Like the time they all went to the club together.
Her bare feet padded across the plush carpet and onto her rug until she was back on her couch and throwing her fleece cover over her legs.
“Shit, that woman loves me. I ain’t have to harass her for a damn thing.
I think she glad you having my baby. If I would’ve asked for the key, she would have slid that mothafucka to me.
” Eazy licked his lips and admired her pretty feet and succulent thighs poking from under the cover as she tried to conceal herself from him.
“Oh, my God.” Lotus groaned and dropped her head into her hand. “She told you?”
“Actually, your niece told everybody. Cyn can’t hold water. Remind me never to talk around her ass unless I want the word out,” Eazy joked. “Were you gon’ tell me?”
“Damn, can I have a minute to myself to deal with it before everybody jumps into my business?” she griped.
“Take all the time you need.” He shrugged casually, and she wanted to smack him.
“Okay, so you know where I live now. You can leave.” Lotus waved him off and reached for the book she rested face down on the last page she read.
It was a murder mystery that she was currently fifteen chapters into, and Two Can Play that Game played low on the TV for background noise.
“You rude as fuck.” Eazy sucked his teeth and ignored her attitude.
“You the one just popped up at my house with no kind of notification,” Lotus snarled, head still down in her book.
“You got me blocked. The fuck?” An annoyed grimace moved across his face.
He pulled his t-shirt off and revealed himself in a wife beater before her attention went to his ripped abs shaping the material.
Eazy turned and strolled in the direction of her kitchen.
The space was small, with a rounded island built into the wall dividing her kitchen from the living room.
He popped her fridge open and bent over to see what her situation was.
Chicken breast defrosted in a bowl, and he spotted a few other things he could work with, so he went to wash his hands before getting to work.
“I been at work all day doing inventory, moving shit. Then had to handle some shit with my crew. I’m hungry.”
“So, you just gon’ make yourself at home in my shit?” Lotus popped her head up to ask, but he ignored her.
Shaking her head, she turned toward her TV, curled her legs up beside her, and got back into her book. Lately, she hadn’t wanted to be around a lot of people, but she found comfort in Eazy’s presence at that moment.
“Try this?” He stepped into the living room with a forkful of blackened chicken he whipped up and held it close to her mouth.
In the last twenty-five minutes, he’d made himself right at home.
Looking at the piece of meat, Lotus couldn’t deny that she was hungry.
Whatever he was cooking smelled good as hell, and she had thrown up everything she’d eaten earlier that day.
Reluctant, she looked into his eyes, and he cocked a brow.
Opening her mouth, she devoured the bite.
The chicken practically fell apart on her tongue it was so tender and juicy.
“Oh, my God.” She moaned, and Eazy’s dick jumped. “That’s good. Please tell me there is some pasta to go with that?”
“Oh, so now you fucking with me?” he teased, admiring her pretty ass lips curling up in sudden distaste for him.
“I’m starving. I tried to eat breakfast and lunch today, and they both came back up within thirty minutes. I’ve been surviving off electrolytes and crackers,” Lotus whined. “This fucking baby is taking me through it.”
Eazy didn’t like that shit. He could see that she was weary with this situation from the little worry lines in her forehead. Observing the Powerade on the table and a pack of a few saltine crackers, he nodded and backed up.
“Aight, bet. I got you.”
“Ezekiel, I am a grown, able-bodied woman. I can feed myself,” she called to him, but he gave her his back and disappeared into the kitchen.
Lotus listened to him bang around some more, and ten minutes later, he arrived with blackened chicken pasta, steamed broccoli on the side, and a glass of iced tea for her and him. He set both plates on the table, and she placed her book face down on the arm of her couch.
“You look tired, and I see you trying to just chill and ease yo’ mind. So, eat.” He shoved her plate into her lap.
Even though she wanted to be stubborn and turn him down, her stomach wouldn’t allow it. He read that right. She thought she was tired before, but now that her body was shifting into this pregnancy, the symptoms were starting to increase.
“Thank you,” she mumbled.
“What was that?” He leaned closer, stretching his ear in her direction and flashing the fat diamond that rested on his lobe.
“I said—”
“Save it, mama. I was hungry too.” Bowing his head, he said a quick prayer, and Lotus joined him before they both dove into their food.
“Yo, they both was dumb as hell in this mothafucka.” Eazy aimed his fork at the screen, watching Morris Chestnut and Vivica Fox in the club, trying to get each other’s attention with different people.
“Proper communication goes a long way.” Lotus studied her food and scooped some more chicken and pasta onto her fork before going for the tasty broccoli.
She’d been eating to survive the last two weeks and couldn’t keep anything down. Everything tasted different and left a bad taste in her mouth, but Eazy’s dish fulfilled her the way food used to. After clearing her plate, she sipped the last of her tea and set it on the table.
“That’s the first thing I’ve eaten that I feel like I can digest. Everything else just seems to sit on top of my stomach, waiting to come back up.”
“You welcome.” Eazy slowly chewed as his phone went off in his pocket.
Fishing it from his pants, he studied the screen but sent whoever it was to voicemail. Lotus had no expectations for whatever it was with them. She wasn’t going to force him into any kind of obligation when they hardly knew each other.
“If you need to go, it’s fine. I’m good.” She glanced at him before grabbing her book.
Eazy cut his deep, dark chocolate eyes in her direction.
Lotus was gorgeous. Her rich, buttery skin was smooth, even as she sat there wearing no makeup.
He loved how full her lips were and how they felt against his.
Shit was like a drug. When he fucked with hoes, it was usually on some lust shit.
He’d get it off and keep it moving. The last woman he kissed was Niva, and it felt like a lifetime ago.
Lotus reignited a part of him he thought died with his girl, and that scared him more than anything.
“Nah. It can wait. We can finish watching this corny shit. I gotta clean the kitchen anyway.”
He had no intention of leaving her.
“Look, Lo, neither of us asked for this, but this raw dick went all up in that good shit and planted a seed. My seed. So ain’t no way in hell I’m leaving my blood out here to fend for his or herself.” Not expecting that, Lotus swallowed the lump in her throat. “That means being there for you too.”
He never expected to fall in love again after Niva or feel anything aside from the urge to climax with a chick.
“You might not be fucking with me right now, and I get that, but we locked in whether either of us asked for it or not.”
“I want to tell you something,” Lotus whispered. “Only because I don’t like things to be unsaid. I don’t want you to think I’m lying to you or trying to run game.”
“What’s up?” His face wrinkled into a slight frown.