Chapter Twenty-One
Poker
Mitchell
Standing at the side door that leads to the basement at Devon’s house, I think about taking my ass back home.
Something in my stomach is telling me I shouldn't be here.
But he was right that day on the phone. I owe him after having that dentist's car towed.
Plus, I needed something to take my mind off James.
It’s been two weeks since the day I almost killed him. Valerie has called multiple times, assuring me that James is out of her house and out of her life. I still haven’t sent Jacob back to her yet. I don’t trust her with my son anymore.
Ringing the doorbell, I sit back and wait for it to swing open. It takes only seconds before Devon is there to greet me.
“Damn, I thought for a minute you were going to stand me up,” he jokes.
Devon and I were around the same height, but he was about fifty pounds lighter than me. Considering he was a running back in college, he was always smaller than me.
Holding up the brown paper bag with our favorite bourbon inside, I smiled.
“I didn’t think I had a choice, since you blackmailed me.”
He grins, showing off his straight teeth.
“You damn sure didn’t.” He holds out a hand toward me. I take the offered appendage and we both come in for a one arm hugged.
“Damn, man, feels like I haven’t seen you in years. We don’t even hang at the bar anymore.”
I laughed at Devon before letting go of him.
“Been busy.” I shrug.
Devon steps back, allowing me into his home. He takes the bourbon from me before shutting the door.
“Nothing keeps a muthafucker away from his boys but new pussy,” he smirks. “So who is she?”
The moment he mentions a woman, my mind brings up Ella in my head. He wasn’t entirely wrong. All of my extra time goes to her. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.
“Wait, Miller, you got a new girl?” Quincy climbs to his feet, holding a glass of brown liquor. He comes over to give me a quick one arm hug.
Quincy was about a foot shorter than me, but had my build. It’s always funny to see Quincy because in college he wore his hair in long locs that the girls used to go crazy over. Now his head was shiny and bald.
“No,” I lie. “I don’t have a new girl. Devon’s just saying shit.”
I make my way further into the room. Shaun is sitting in the chair beside my usual spot. He waves and grins when he spots me.
“Mitch!” he sings in greeting.
Jack is already here as well. He dips his chin at me in greeting. I return the gesture.
“We got the whole gang back together,” Quincy laughs, walking back over to his chair.
As soon as he takes his seat, noise from my left alerts me that someone else is here. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know who it is. Quincy said the whole gang was together.
Drew walks around the corner. He stops when he spots me.
For a second, we size each other up. I haven’t spoken to him since the day he came to my office to tell me to stay away from his family.
We didn’t even have a full conversation at the birthday party.
It’s hard to believe that two guys who were once inseparable barely speak now.
“Well, look what the cat drug in,” he chuckles as if the shit he said was funny. “I figured you’d have some kind of project to do for my ex. What, no painting tonight or rebuilding a bathroom?”
I heard laughter behind me, but I didn’t have to turn to know who it came from. The only person who laughs at the bullshit Drew says is Jack.
“Nah,” I say, folding my arms across my chest. “She didn’t need me tonight. I took care of her before I came.”
I leave the innuendo out there for him to read into as he pleased.
If he wanted to be funny, I was going to be fucking hilarious.
I can tell my words hit their mark by the way his brow furrows and his nose crinkles.
But just as fast as it came, he laughed it off.
Yeah, asshole, keep thinking I’m playing.
“Well, now that everyone is here, I hope ya’ll ready to lose all your money.”
Devon walks over with a glass of bourbon for me. I take the rocks glass and head to my regular seat. As soon as I sit down, Shaun gives me a quick handshake.
The cards are quickly dealt, and before long, we’re all in a flow.
It didn’t take long for Drew to dominate the conversation.
We’ve been here for an hour, and he’s done nothing but brag about himself.
We’re all used to it. However, since I’ve been away from the bullshit, what once would roll off my back now irks the hell out of me.
My phone chimes in my pocket. I pull it out to check it. It's a message from Ella. Since she's home with all the boys tonight, I don't hesitate opening the chat.
Instead of a text, it's a picture. I nearly swallow my fucking tongue. It’s a picture of her lying on her back; the camera is slightly above her head.
One knee is bent, showing me she is probably in her panties, and the angle of the camera allows me to see the perfect top of her breasts.
She looks incredibly gorgeous. I stare at the screen without blinking.
“Damn, Mitch,” Quincy’s voice has me looking away from my screen. “What the fuck’s got you staring at your phone that hard? You look like you’re five seconds away from jumping in that muthafucker.”
“You know what it is.” Devon tosses his cards down on the table, letting us know he’s out. “She sent your ass a pussy pic, didn’t she?” he grins from ear to ear.
I laugh it off, sliding my phone back into my pocket. I readjust my semi-hard cock in my pants. That picture almost had me hard as fuck. I wasn’t lying to Drew when I told him I took care of Ella before I came.
She came over to the house to “help me” with something. I had her ass bent over my kitchen table while I fed her my cock from behind. Still, that picture has me wanting to head back now and sneak through her window. If I park down the street, the boys will never know I was home.
“I didn’t know you were dating someone.” Drew picks up his glass and takes a sip.
He’s talking as if he and I are still the best of buds? Why the hell would he know I was dating someone?
“Never said I was.” I wasn’t giving him any information.
“I know that’s right,” Quincy leans over and daps me up. “That’s the benefit of being single. See, y’all know nothing about that. We have women in our phones sending us nudes just because.”
Quincy and I were the only ones not married or in a relationship. At least that’s what everyone thought because, fuck what anyone thinks, I was definitely in a relationship.
Shaun and his wife have been married for about three years. Devon has been married almost as long as Drew and Ella had been. Jack and his wife have been married for six years, but the way he talks about her, I doubt they’ll make it the long haul.
“Well, if you need some tips,” Drew says with a smirk.
“I suggest getting you a young girl. Someone between twenty-two and twenty-six.” He sucks in air between his teeth and pretends to bite his fist. “There is nothing like that twenty-year-old pussy. It just hits so much different from that old shit.”
“You can have that young stuff,” Devon snorts, accepting his cards. “I’m too old to be pulling out new tricks. My wife knows exactly what she’s getting in those four minutes.”
“Disappointed,” Quincy blurts out. I nearly choked on my drink.
“Fuck you, Q. My woman is always satisfied. And I don’t have to throw my back out trying to prove shit.”
The entire table laughs out loud.
“But seriously,” Drew goes on to say. “Being with someone like Kiely is worth it. Her body is tight and fit. She’s always eager to listen and learn new stuff. None of that complaining shit.”
Shaun takes a sip of his scotch. "The girl is what, in her mid-twenties? Of course, her body is fit. She hasn’t had any kids yet.”
“Right.” Devon points at Shaun in agreement. “Talk to us again in a few years and after a few babies. Hell, I’d rather that, anyway. Give me a woman with some stretch marks who likes to talk back. That shit is sexy to me.”
Shaun holds his hand out across the table to dap Devon up.
“I have to agree with Andrew here,” Jack says, and nobody is shocked. “Kiely is definitely an upgrade.”
Drew and Jack both chuckle. I place my glass down on the table and lean forward in my seat.
“An upgrade from what?” I ask looking Jack directly in the eyes.
I wanted this fucker to look me in the face before he says what I think he’s about to say. That way he can see this ass-whooping coming.
He swallows nervously, his gaze bouncing everywhere but on me.
“I…. I wasn’t saying it like that,” he back peddles.
Drew places his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Relax, Jack. You’re only telling the truth. I mean any man can see the difference between Kiely.” He holds his free hand above his head. “And Ella.” He then lowered the same hand to his chest as if he was ranking them on a scale.
“I don’t know about that.” Quincy chuckles, oblivious to my tension. “Kiely fine and all, but Ella could cook her ass off. Shit, I’d rather come home to a home-cooked meal some days than pussy.”
“And you know them young chicks don’t be cooking.” Shaun adds.
Drew laughs and sits back in his seat. “Kiely doesn’t cook or clean, but I don’t need that.”
“Shiiiiiddd,” Quincy says, sipping his drink. “I do.”
“Hell, I couldn’t make it without my wife.
” Devon reaches into the chip bowl and grabs a tortilla chip before dipping it into the dip.
“Sonya makes sure my life runs smoothly. We wouldn’t even have these poker nights if she didn’t plan the menu.
Ya’ll muthafuckers would be eating air and drinking spit if you left it to me. ” He chomps down on his chips and dip.
Drew’s face falls a little. This conversation isn’t going as he planned. He wanted the guys to agree with him. He assumed every man wanted to trade in his wife for a younger version.
“I admit, being with Kiely has its ups and downs, but you can’t deny her beauty.”