37. Four #3
I drove down the highway, my right hand on Cori’s thigh as we listened to music.
I was at her house to pick her up before seven.
I was excited as fuck to see her, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The fitted high-waisted skirt that she paired with a long-sleeve burgundy fitted shirt and matching ankle boots looked good as fuck.
Around her neck was a platinum necklace with the initials C and J.
I was already planning to add a 4 to it and was going to put in a call to Yale to make that happen by the end of the week.
She wrapped her fingers around my index finger, and I looked over at her once I exited the highway and stopped at the light.
“Y-y-y-y-you good?” I lifted my brow.
“Yes,” she answered.
I brought her hand to my lips, kissed it, then turned back to the road.
A white Charger stopped next to us, revived its engine but didn’t move.
I adjusted in my seat, not liking that the light was taking so long.
The passenger window cracked, smoke blew from the opening, and the engine revived again.
I moved my hand from Cori’s thigh, reached under her seat and pulled my gun from under it, set it on my lap and turned to the car.
The light turned green, and they sat there, waiting.
I knew they were waiting for me to move, but I wasn’t.
My car was bulletproof; I knew how Robert got down.
He’d send someone to shoot my shit up, and I could never take that risk, especially with Cori and Judah.
“Uri?” Cori said and tapped my thigh. I covered her hand with mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. My eyes were still locked on the car. More smoke came from the passenger window. “Uri?”
The light turned red, and that’s when they decided to move. Their tires screeched as they sped away. I watched them until their taillights disappeared. “VMS-803,” I read the license plate out loud.
“Hey,” she said, moving her hand. I looked over at Cori. Her eyes were filled with questions, and she lifted her brow. “What was that?”
“I don’t know,” I said, shaking my head. I checked for oncoming traffic, then turned right. I wasn’t about to let some nigga who had a death wish fuck up our first official date.
I got to the restaurant and parked, and we went inside. My gun sat securely tucked in the waist of my pants in case someone wanted to be dumb again tonight. After we were escorted to our table at the back of the restaurant, I helped Cori into her seat and then took mine.
“This o-o-o-o-okay?” I asked.
“It’s nice,” she said, nodding as she looked around. She rested her elbows on the table and put her chin in the palm of her hand. “Why? You wanna dine and dash?”
“Man what?” I laughed. She wiggled her eyebrows and smiled. “You’d dine and dash?”
“I’ve never done it before.” She shrugged, and I knew I was about to let her commit a damn crime. “I think it will be fun.”
“Order up then,” I told her. “But don’t get too full, and you better be able to run in those shoes.” I looked down at her boots then up at her and smiled.
“Bet,” she replied, then sat up and looked over the menu.
I picked up my phone and texted Nine.
Me: Ay, hack into this restaurant's system and pay our bill. Let them know to bring the bill and act like it hasn’t been paid. When we get up from the table and walk away, have them call out for me.
Nine: Do I need to know why?
Me: Cori wants the thrill of dining and dashing. I’m about to let her have it.
Nine: Lol nigga what? She wants to dine and dash?
Me: Yeah, whatever she wants, she’s going to get. Make it happen.
…
Nine: Four hundred is on your account as well as your note.
Me: Appreciate you.
I put the phone down and looked up to see Cori still looking over the menu. I reached over and tapped it to get her attention. She looked up at me and smiled. “Y-y-y-y-you know w-w-w-w-what y-y-y-you want?” I asked.
“Salad, something light,” she whispered and smiled again.
The excitement in her eyes was contagious as hell.
My heart started pounding and my bracelet beeped.
She reached across the table and covered her hand with mine.
“Breathe,” she said, and I nodded. My heart rate slowed, and the beeping stopped. “Now, what are you going to get?”
“Lamb chops, mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus ,” I told her.
She looked down at the menu. “Oh, that sounds good too.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “You want to share?”
I chuckled and nodded. “Yeah,” I answered.
Our waitress came, took our order, and we sat there talking.
Even though I’d always been an arm’s length away from her, it felt different hearing her tell me about her life as an adult.
I didn’t miss the fact that she didn’t talk about her life after her parents died.
She skipped right over it; I didn’t blame her.
That time in her life, even before they died, was hard.
I also didn’t miss that she never mentioned Judah’s daddy or that she was in a relationship.
It was like one minute she was graduating from college, opening the shop, and the next she was a mother.
I asked Nine what the story was with that, and he said their family was tight-lipped about Judah’s relationship, or lack thereof, with his daddy.
After we finished our dessert, she pushed her plate in front of her and leaned back in her chair.
Our waitress set the small folder that held the check on the table.
I didn’t reach for it; instead, I looked up at Cori to see what she wanted to do.
“So, this is when we run right?” she asked, and I nodded.
Her eyes ballooned, and I laughed as I wiped my mouth with my napkin, then set it on the table.
“You scared?” I asked as I pushed away from the table.
I rounded it, got behind her chair, and pulled it out.
Cori stood, and I put my hand out for her to take.
This shit was hella kiddish, but I couldn’t stop laughing.
I never thought I would be doing anything like this at my grown age.
Cori took my hand, and I quickly kissed her, stepped back, and headed to the door.
“Excuse me, sir!” someone called from behind. I didn’t turn around; they knew what they were doing. “Sir!”
“Shit, come on,” Cori laughed and pulled me to the door.
Her steps were measured but quick. Once we got to the parking lot, she took off in a full sprint, still holding my hand.
She laughed and ran to my car. My legs were longer, so I scooped her up, bridal-style, and ran to the car.
When we got to the car, I put my thumb over the sensor, unlocked the doors, opened her door, and put her inside.
“Hurry up.” She patted my chest and looked over my shoulder.
I knew no one was really worried about us, so I kissed her again.
I didn’t intend to be anything but quick, but the second our lips touched, I wanted more.
Cori’s arms went around my neck, and she pulled me to her.
Her soft moans had me ready to beg her to taste her pussy in this parking lot.
Ever since I tasted her pussy it was all I craved, but I knew we weren’t there yet.
I needed to keep working on myself, but I also needed her to trust me enough to tell me why she reacted the way she did.
Yeah, I knew her past, but there was something else there.
A new fear.
I pulled back, and she used her thumb to wipe away the lip gloss from my lips. I gently grabbed her wrist, kissed her thumb, then backed up. I closed her door, rounded my car, got in, and started it.
I drove her home and expected her to put me out. Instead, she invited me in, went to her bedroom to change her clothes, and I sat on the couch.
While she was doing whatever she was doing, I stepped onto the back porch and called Nine.
“Hello?” he answered. I could hear him typing at his computer. “You have fun faking dining and dashing?”
“Yeah,” I laughed and wiped my hand over my mouth.
“She loved that shit.” I licked my lips and looked over at my house.
From this spot I could see clearly into my living room.
I didn’t typically leave my blinds open, but I was in a rush this evening to get to Cori for our date. “But that ain’t why I’m calling.”
“What’s up?” The typing stopped. “Something wrong?”
“I don’t know,” I told him about the quick interaction with the white Charger before dinner. I wasn’t letting that shit go. Something was telling me that it wasn’t just some young niggas being dumb. “Check the traffic cameras.”
“I’m already on it,” he said. “Give me a few hours. I will have all the information you need.”
I watched as Corinthians came back into the living room. She’d changed into a pair of yoga shorts, a T-shirt, and some fuzzy socks. She looked pretty as hell. When she noticed me outside, I held up the phone; she nodded then went into the kitchen.
“Get me the information tomorrow. I’m turning off my phone for the night.”
“Be safe,” he said.
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. I was, no doubt, with the one person I knew I would be safe with, no matter what. “Later.” I hung up, powered off my phone, and went back into the house.
For the rest of the night, we sat cuddled up on the couch, watching movies and enjoying each other's company.