Chapter 3
Chapter Three
After handing over clothes to Daee, I trekked back over to the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.
The snow was getting higher and higher. By the morning, if the sun ain’t come out and melt all of this shit, we’d be snowed in to the point the door wouldn’t be able to open.
Luckily, I did a lot of eating out and eating at my parents’ crib, where I still had food here that would last me and Daee.
Daee’s thick ass. Her ass had a smart mouth, but when she goes back and forth wit’ me, I smile a lil’ bit.
I reached up and ran a hand over the thick, ropey twists in my head, and stood there for a minute longer, just watching the snow pile up, trapping me inside with Daee.
That was the last thing I needed, but I couldn’t let her leave in this type of weather, even if she’d thrown my food like a slingshot.
A moment ago, my dick bricked just from her looking me in the eyes. That was some weird shit…for me. No bitch ever made me do no shit like that. I had to walk away ‘fore I fucked Daee right where she stood.
Yawning, I moved away from the window and took my ass back to my room. I’d offered my bed to Daee, and she refused so shiiid, I was gon go spread out in that muhfucka and go to sleep after I toss a pillow on the couch for her ass.
I placed a few more logs in the fireplace after throwing the pillow with a fresh pillowcase on the couch. The hall bathroom door opened, and I cackled so loudly. She smelled just like a damn nigga.
“I’m glad you find it funny that all you have is male body wash,” she said, ambling into the living room. My eyes dragged down her frame in my t-shirt that stopped right at her knees. Thighs were thick, and I could see her ass from the back.
Gah damn.
“Why the fuck would I have female shit in my shit?” I queried, scratching my head. “I promise your pussy won’t fall off.”
Daee giggled. “You stupid as fuck. You just say anything. Do you have a washer and dryer so I can wash my clothes?”
I motioned toward the kitchen with my head. “Past the kitchen, there’s a laundry room. Everything you’d need is in there.”
Don’t do it, Shad. Don’t do it, nigga, I said to myself. But did I listen? My head turned in Daee’s direction, and when I saw that ass jiggling with every step she took, I threw my hands up.
“Daaaaamn Giiiiina,” I said in my best Martin Lawrence voice.
My eyes popped open at the sound of a thump by my window. It was quiet in the apartment. The wind was having its way out there, and although I didn’t care for too much, a nigga felt bad for the homeless with no shelter. This shit wasn’t nothing to play wit’.
I sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.
The glow that usually came in from the streetlights outside was filtered through the feet of snow.
My door was cracked open slightly, not because I wanted it to be, but Daee had begged me to, just so she could feel somewhat safe in an unfamiliar place. Her words.
After relieving my bladder, I stopped near the door. I could hear the crackling from the fireplace and light snores. Probably needing to put more wood in the fireplace, I slid my feet into my slides and strolled to the front, quietly. I couldn’t believe I was tiptoeing in my own shit.
I had plenty of logs stacked up ever since the last snowstorm, just in case, so I wouldn’t run out anytime soon.
Daee was sleeping on her side, her back against the couch, one hand curled under her chin. I took a few steps and tripped on her shoe. While I was going down, Daee had hopped up, yelling, and began kicking me.
“Maaan, calm the fuck down Kung Fu Panda!” I groaned, holding my nuts.
“Wait…” she huffed out of breath.
I could see her face due to the flames coming from the fireplace. Daee’s eyes were wide, but they turned from fear to confusion.
“Oh my gaaawd. I forgot where I was and thought you broke into my apartment,” she groaned. “I am so sorry, but…why were you even near me?”
“I was checking on you. I’d better be able to have kids the way you kicked me in my shit.”
Daee covered her face with her tiny hands. “My bad. Can you get up?”
“Yeah, gimme a minute,” I told her.
“Okay… I’ma go use the bathroom.”
She stood in place for a beat, biting on her lip, then she padded down the hallway. Groaning, I sat up. I should have grabbed her damn foot mid-kick. Her ass would have been on this damn floor wit’ me. Shit. I couldn’t wait for this snow to clear up so Daee could get out my shit.
She came back while I was tossing logs in the fire, sitting down slowly.
“I’ma little hungry since you woke me up and I had to whoop your ass,” she said with a giggle.
“You know where the kitchen is,” I replied.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t going in there without asking you first. That’s like a nigga over at his girlfriend’s house who has kids, and he’s eating all their fruit snacks.”
I chuckled. “I guess. Find you som’n to eat, Daee.”
“Dang, you say my name like we’re friends,” she laughed. “Are we now friends…Shad?”
“I’d rather you call me a grinch,” I jest. I let out a low chuckle, tossing one last log onto the fire.
The flames licked at the fresh wood, crackling and popping, casting shadows that danced across the living room.
I stood up, brushed the dirt off my hands, and watched Daee’s hips sway as she headed toward the kitchen.
I licked my lips at the dirty thoughts running through my head.
I followed Daee into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe with my arms across my chest. I watched her pull open the refrigerator door, the light washing over her face, and making mt t-shirt she was wearing damn near see-through.
My eyes dropped, and I could make out the dark shadow of her nipples.
I had to glance away, focusing on a crack in the ceiling tile.
Anything to keep my dick from stirring right here in my own kitchen.
“See anything you like?” I asked her, my voice a little rougher than intended.
Daee glanced over her shoulder at me. “Maybe…” she responded, pulling out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon. “Maybe breakfast food. You cook?”
I scratched the side of my face and said, “Course I can do a lil’ one-two.
I pushed off the doorframe and ambled over to her.
I took the bacon and eggs out of her hands, my fingers brushing against hers.
A jolt went through me, straight to my dick.
I had no choice but to ignore it. “My T-Lady used to say, “A man that can’t cook, is a man that can’t provide. That’s how I was raised.”
“Smart woman. Why she ain’t teach you to have manners and to not be so damn rude?”
I snickered, licking my lips. “My Ma actually hates that I’m like that. I just don’t give a fuck sometimes.” I put the bacon and eggs on the counter. I saw Daee cross her arms over her chest and the shirt rise.
“So apologize,” she said.
“Apologize?”
“Yes,” she smacked, snaking her neck wit’ her ghetto ass. “Apologize.”
“For?” I laughed, knowing damn well what she wanted me to apologize for.
“Nigga, the way you acted at my job!” Daee squeaked out.
“Maaan,” I stressed. “You popped off first.”
“Because you threw your shit on my belt instead of placing it on it like a normal person!”
I gave Daee a look when her voice began to go up a few octaves. She bucked her eyes at me instead, like she didn’t give a fuck about that look. The corners of my lips twitched, fighting back a smile. Feisty ass.
I wasn’t apologizing for shit though.
“Account-a-fuckin-bility,” I heard Daee mumble.
I let out a short laugh and turned to face her, leaning my back against the counter. “Accountability? You want to talk about accountability, nigga? How ‘bout you take into account the fact that you were having a bad day and took it out on me?”
“Nigga?”
“You heard me.”
There was a long pregnancy pause as we had a stare-down, neither one trying to back down from the other. I could hear Kasim now. “Be the bigger person, nigga.”
Breaking the stare, I ambled over to the sink to wash my hands. I still wasn’t apologizing. That’s the biggest I was gon’ get.
After I washed my hands, still with neither of us talking, Daee washed hers.
We silently cooked eggs, bacon, and biscuits, moving around the kitchen, staying out of each other’s way.
It was weird as hell. I’ll grab something, and Daee will move to the side.
She’d reach for something, and I’d hand it to her without a word.
The only sounds were the sizzle of the bacon, the clatter of utensils, and the damn wind outside.
We even plated our food quietly when everything was done. I stacked the fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon next to golden-brown biscuits. Daee sat down at my table, which sat four. With my plate, I trekked back to the living room to eat and hop on the game since I was up, and smoke.
The silence persisted. I placed my headset on and wasn’t surprised when I didn’t see Kasim on at this time of night.
Sneaux probably had that nigga in the bed with her, cuddling ‘n shit. That grown-ass man had a bedtime, and it was whenever Sneaux said so. It was coo’, he was in love, but I don’t ever want that shit.
When I finished eating, I placed the paper plate beside me, drank my orange juice, and focused on the game.
I was deep into a solo mission, the sounds of digital gunfire and explosions filling my ears, when I felt her presence.
I didn’t have to look. I kept playing, trying to ignore her, but it was like a damn itch in the middle of my back that I couldn't reach.
Finally, I turned my head slightly to see Daee cuddled back underneath the blanket, and on her phone—ignoring me, too.
“Aye,” I called out to her.
“What?’ she asked flatly.
I sighed, running a hand over my durag. “Come over and play.”
A perfectly arched brow rose. “Do what?”
“Come play. I know you’re bored. I ain’t gon say it again.”
Daee removed the blanket, her pretty brown thighs exposed. She stood, bringing her phone and the blanket with her. She sat down on the matching bean bag chair that I was on, covering her legs. I held out the other controller to her.
“Don’t break my shit,” I warned her.
Her eyes lit up if she’d been waiting for a moment like this.
“What are we playing?” Daee queried, getting comfortable.
“2K now. That zombie shit might be too much for ya,” I laughed.
“You right,” she giggled. “Now 2K…I be whooping my lil’ brother in this game all the time. I hope you’re ready to be cryin’!”
I kissed my teeth. “Girl—”
We played, and I’ll be damned if she wasn’t good, just not good enough to handle me.
I whooped Daee’s ass every time. She wasn’t just button-mashing; she knew what she was doing.
She sank threes and had a few nasty crossovers that had me sitting straight up.
We trash-talked one another, the earlier tension in the kitchen completely forgotten.
Daee jumped up. “Ohhh you see that? That was all me!” she yelled after sinking a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to end the half.
“Luck,” I grumbled. “Pure luck.”
“Keep telling yourself that, she giggled, sitting back down. Daee yawned.
The game went down to the wire. I was up by four with five seconds left, but I had to give it to Daee; she never gave up. She didn’t whine either. She played better than Kasina, and I couldn’t wait to break her heart and tell her that shit.
Daee handed me the controller. I put it down and started to roll up before I took my ass back to the bedroom.
“You want to um…watch a Christmas movie?”
As I sealed the blunt, my eyes darted up to her. “Oh, are you asking me on a date?” I bantered.
“What? No!” she squealed loudly. “Just forget about it.”
I cackled as I flicked my lighter and lit the blunt. Leaning forward, I grabbed the remote and pressed the Tubi button, and told Daee, “Pick one.” I tossed the remote over to her.
“Don’t try to play me when I pick some mushy shit.”
“Maaan, you better pick The Grinch or som’n.” I turned my nose up. “Or Home Alone.”
Daee tilted her head. “We can do Home Alone, crybaby.”
I cut my eyes over to Daee. “Who the fuck a crybaby?”
She giggled with her tongue sticking out.
“Aight.”
I stood, stretching, and joined her on the couch, by her feet. Daee pulled her feet into her. With my free hand, I grabbed her feet to pull them back down.
“Maybe you’re not a grinch after all,” Daee said as the movie started.
I snorted. “Shiiid. I don’t like people fo’ real. I don’t care fo’ the holidays either.”
“So what if you got with a girl who does all that. Like,” Daee licked her lips, and my dick twitched. I placed my hand on my lap. “…she wants you to take her shopping for decorations, put the tree together, bake…”
“I must really love her to do that shit,” I snickered, “…and I don’t ever see myself in love like that.”
“Ever?” she questioned. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-six. You?”
“I’m twenty-six, too, but I asked because you have plenty of time to fall in love, still, Shad. Do you want kids?”
“If I don’t see myself falling in love, Daee…Why would I want any kids?”
We held a stare, and then she tittered. “One day, she’s gonna come along and change your mind. Just watch.”