Chapter 19 #2
He looked around and smirked at me. “Because I’m that nigga.”
A bitch got wet! Instantly.
I smirked, not even knowing how to respond at first, but that second sip pulled me together.
“What makes you that nigga?”
“My life, my business, me in general.”
“Hmmm..” I said softly. “I like that.”
We talked for a lil’ bit, nothing too heavy, just about likes and dislikes. All that light talk went out the window when he asked, “What are you looking for?”
I paused.
“I’m not sure right now; I just got out of something that was long-term, and I feel like I wasted a lot of time with him.”
“I get that… I just want you to know, I don’t waste no time.”
I smiled.
We kept talking eyes, kept circling. We lost in conversation for hours, so lost I almost forgot about my girls until I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and all three of them were smiling at me. Kenya walked up behind me and tried to whisper in my ear.
“Girl, do you know who you are talking to?”
I looked at Love, and he winked at me.
“Nah, luv, I didn’t tell her all of that yet,” he said to Kenya.
“Girl, that is Love Mayer. He’s the biggest jewelry designer in Atlanta.”
“Is this true?” I asked him.
He gave me a slight nod. “I’m nice with it.”
“Nice with it?!” Kenya, Deja, and Renee repeated at the same time.
“Girl, this nigga has made CUSTOM jewelry for all the celebrities in and out of ATL,” Deja said.
“And basketball players, football players, I’ve seen him in pictures with a lot of different, fine-ass niggas that I hope he can put me on to,” Renee added.
We all laughed.
“Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” I asked him.
“I liked that you didn’t know.”
I leaned across the table, ready to get to know the nigga across from me, when Kenya told me that the truck was about to pull up.
“Listen, mamas,” Love said, grabbin’ my hand. “I’m tryna spend time with you. My nigga down at Cascade, if it will make you feel comfortable, your girls can slide too.”
I looked at them, and without even speaking, they were all down.
Love stood up from the table, grabbed my hand, and we walked outside. I was about to head to the truck with my girls, and he pulled my arm.
“They gonna meet us there; you are going to ride with me.”
I nodded, and without hesitation, we walked up to his black truck with his driver.
“Do you always ride like this?”
He shook his head. “Nah, but tonight I’m glad I did. I can focus on you.”
He said it so calmly, like it wasn’t even a question…more like a statement already made up in his mind.
I sat back against the seat, watching him instead of answering right away. The city light was sliding across his face, his jaw tight but relaxed at the same time. Comfortable, in control.
“Focus on me, huh?” I said, tilting my head a lil’.
He glanced over at me, smirked, creeping slow. “Ain’t that what you want? A man who gives you all his attention?”
I didn’t answer, just nodded softly, letting the silence sit between us.
By the time we pulled up to Cascade, my girls were already out there, laughing, loud as hell, talking to each other.
We hopped out. Love hand found me again with no hesitation; my girls peeped it and smiled as he led us inside.
When we walked through the doors, the vibe was nothing like Cali; the music was hitting, the lights flashing, people gliding on the floor like they had no worries in the world.
My girls went out while Love took me over to his people. He introduced me, then got me a drink.
He made sure I was straight the whole time, asking me here and there if I needed anything, holding me close when people got too close.
He moved me from his side to in between his legs as he sat on a high counter. Love had his arm wrapped around me tight, as if he was claiming me without even sayin’ it.
Love’s friend Keith called him and moved so he could jump off the counter.
I was surrounded by a few niggas, two of them were talking to Deja and Kenya when this tall, round nigga stepped into my personal space.
“Aye, Lil’ Mama—”
Before he could finish his sentence, or I could even respond, the nigga was turning around; somebody else had his attention.
Love.
I was actually shocked by how fast he popped up behind the nigga.
“Move around, nigga, she’s good.”
That’s all Love said, and that’s all it took.
The nigga lifted his hands in the air. “My fault, Love, I didn’t know she was your girl.”
“You good?” he asked, resting his hands on my waist as he looked me over as if the nigga touched me.
I nodded with a smile, liking the way he was moving with me.
He stared at me for a second, and with a smile, he pulled me close to him and whispered in my ear.
“I know we just got here, but you want to dip out? I want you all to myself.”
I bit my bottom lip with a smile, and he took my hand, leading me out without me even tellin’ my girls I was gone.
We walked out of the truck with him leading the way. Once in the car, he told the driver to just drive; then he locked eyes with me, and for some reason, I couldn’t hide my smile.
“You know what? I forgot to ask you your own question?”
He raised an eyebrow. “What question?”
“What are you lookin’ for?”
He leaned back in the seat, then reached into the armrest, pulling out everything he needed to roll a blunt. I took it from him, making him stare at me for a second, watching me break down the weed.
“I’m waiting…” I said softly.
He nodded. “You.”
I looked up from the rollin’ tray. “I was lookin’ for you.”
I sucked my teeth. “Nigga, stop playin’, no, you were not.”
“I’m serious,” he said. “You… or a wife. Same difference, depending on how you move.”
My breath hitched a lil’ as I put the blunt up to my lips to roll it.
“That’s bold for the first night, don’t you think?”
He shrugged. “Life is too real to be moving scared. I’ve done a lot in my life, and now it’s time to settle down with somebody that can handle everything that comes with a nigga like me.”
I passed him the blunt, and he lit it to take a puff; I watched as he closed his eyes, letting the weed relax his mind as he rested his hand on my thigh.
Love had his driver take me home, and he walked me to my door.
“I’ma see you soon,” he said.
Not can I.
Not would you like to.
I swallowed. “I would like that, but I’m still fresh outta relationship. I don’t want to move too fast.”
He smiled, low and confident. “I hear you, but to be honest with you,” he said, stepping closer to me. “Time can only heal so much. Sometimes it takes the right nigga to show you what real love feels like, help you heal the right way.”
He handed me his phone, and I put my number in after. He kissed my cheek and looked me up and down.
“Goodnight, mamas.”
I unlocked my door and walked inside. “Goodnight, Love.”
After locking the door behind me, I kicked my heels off and stood there for a second, replaying everything about Love in my head.
His voice.
His hand.
The way he treated me off the rip, looking at me like he had already made his decision.
I let out a slow breath and walked to my room with a smile. As the phone rang in my hand, I looked down and saw my girls calling on three-way, and I picked up the phone, laughing, with them already screaming on the phone.
“Islahhhhhhh!!” Kenya said in the phone.
I laughed along with them and laid across my bed.
“Kenya, girl,” I said, getting Deja and Renee to calm down. “You did your big one tonight, girl.”
“Man, what?” Deja added. “I’m so glad we went to the event.”
We gave Kenya her flowers, then they started to ask me about Love. I couldn’t help but smile when I told them how chill and down-to-earth he was and how he was completely different from Gio.
They were excited for me, but I didn’t know how to feel. Everything in me wanted to move on from Gio, find a nigga that treats me right, and live a happy life, but every now and then, I missed him.
After I got off the phone with them and hopped in the shower, I thought about what Love said, how I needed a real nigga to heal. He might have been right. But I didn’t know if I was ready.
I got in bed, thinking about how I didn’t want to move too fast, but then I thought about how slow hurt feels, too.
How dragging something out don’t save you, it could just delay the inevitable.
As I laid there in my thoughts, my phone lit up beside me, a number that wasn’t saved. I already knew who it was. The message sat on my phone for a few minutes before I picked it up and read it.
Love: Next time I see you, you’re not gonna want to leave me.
I bit my lip, my heart raced, my pussy got wet. The way he talked, I wasn’t used to it; the confidence and the control he had were top-notch.
I smiled at the phone.
Me: You sure about that, sir?
He took no time to text back.
Love: One thing you are gonna find out ‘bout me, mamas, I don’t play.
I laid there looking at his message.
That nigga was either going to be a problem, or he was gonna be the nigga that helped me heal. Either way, I didn’t know if I was ready.