5. Princeton Brentley
Nourah hadn’t said more than ten words to me the whole fitting. Every question she asked was about the suit.
Turn to the left, sir. Lift your arm, sir.
She was a little cold, and I ain’t even know what to say, so I held off on conversation. Plus, my whole team was standing nearby, all eyes on us, and I ain’t like muthafuckas in my personal business.
She stood up and brushed her hands off on her thighs. “All done.” She smiled big. When we made eye contact, the smile drifted away, and so did her eyes.
She turned to my assistant, who was standing over by the desk with her tablet. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. I really appreciate it.”
“No, thank you,” Bridget said. “The suit looks incredible. I’m sending over the remainder of your payment right now.” She was already tapping away at her phone. A second later, she looked up. “Done.”
“Perfect.” Nourah smiled at her, then turned and gave me one last look before she started packing up her stuff.
She had a rolling case with a sewing machine in there, extra needles, and whatever the hell else seamstresses carried.
Hell, I ain’t know, but she did good. Better than most, because at times I’d gotten stuck with the needles, my outfit ruined, or they’d be tryna fuck me.
But Nourah was zoned in, her nose scrunching up all cute and shit every couple of minutes.
“Y’all have a good one,” she said, real professional, and rolled her case toward the door.
It only took me a couple of seconds to decide I ain’t want shawty to just leave like that.
I was down off that platform and out them slacks before the door even shut all the way.
“Sir?” Bridget looked up from her tablet, confused. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I need to talk to her right quick.” I snatched the sweatpants off the chair and pulled them on. I took my suit jacket off and quickly handed it to Bridget, then grabbed the black tee off the bed and headed for the door, pulling it over my head, wife beater underneath.
I opened the door and stepped out.
“Nourah!”
She was halfway down the hall, walking fast.
“Nourah!”
She didn't even turn her head. When she got to the elevator, she stepped on, and I jogged the last little bit down the hallway, trying to get my shirt down over my stomach at the same time.
The doors closed right in my face.
I stood there for a second and laughed to myself because I knew good and well she saw me. She was being petty, and she wanted me to know she was being petty. Little did she know, a nigga liked shit like this. A lil’ chase wasn’t a problem for me.
I hit the button, and the next elevator opened up. I hopped on.
Riding down, I kept thinking about how crazy this whole day had been. The shit with Pais, my brother having to cancel his birthday trip and him going home just in time to see Noree in his house applying for the nanny job for King, and now this. Me bumping into Nourah again.
DING!
I stepped off the elevator into the lobby.
I caught up to her right as she got to the valet stand, handing her ticket over.
“You can’t miss it. It’s the pink one,” she was telling the young dude, who nodded and took off.
She had her back to me, already typing on her phone.
“Damn,” I said. “So, it’s like that?”
She let out a little chuckle before she turned around. When she did, she was pulling her sunglasses down off her head and sliding them on.
“Wow. So, you really came all the way down here to talk to me when I was just in your room and you ain’t say a word?”
She turned back around.
I walked around and stood in front of her. “I mean, I ain’t know what to say. Plus, it was a lot of people around.”
“Okay.” She tilted her head. “So, what is it you need to say to me, Princeton?”
I shrugged.
“Really? That’s what we doing?” She started laughing. “I ain’t think you were the clueless type.”
I smirked, looking down at her, and I ain’t gon’ front, I was taking her all the way in. She looked good. Real good. Better than I remembered, and I remembered pretty well.
“You look good,” I said.
“I know that Princeton.”
“So no thank you?”
“Thank you, PBJ.” She paused. “Actually, maybe I shouldn’t call you that. Because that was the name I gave a man I was interested in, who I thought was interested in me, who ran off and never called. And look, now here we are. A year and some change later.”
“My bad about that. Some real shit happened that night. I went through it with my baby mama’s baby daddy.” My jaw clenched just at the thought of that bum-ass nigga.
She waved her hand. “You know what, it’s cool. That’s not my business.” Then her voice softened up. “But I do wanna offer my condolences. I heard about your sister.”
I ain’t say nothing right away.
Reesie.
Thoughts of my big sis sitting in my truck, singing off-key with the windows down.
Fussing at me about eating over her clean counters.
The way she used to say my whole name when she was mad, Princeton Alexander, like our mama.
King got her exact laugh, and he don’t even know it.
Half the stuff that come out that boy’s mouth is her, word for word, and every time it happens, my chest does something I can’t explain.
I keep thinking about what I could’ve done different.
The valet pulled up with a pink whip, and I snapped out of it.
“Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate that.”
“Of course.” She looked me over. “Well, you look good too. That suit I tailored for you is real nice. What’s the occasion?”
“I’m being honored.”
“Oh.” She pushed her sunglasses up on her head. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “My company been doing alright.”
“Doing alright how?”
“It started off as just me. I was running security for my brother. Now Brentley Protective Group has a roster of returning clients, security details, drivers, armored transport, all that. Turned into something bigger than I planned. A multimillion-dollar company, for real.”
“Princeton.” She put her hand on her hip. “That’s a big deal. Congratulations.” Then she held her hand out to shake mine.
I laughed and put my hand in hers. “Really? A handshake?”
“Well, I know you ain’t expect a hug. I don’t know you like that.” She let my hand go. “I mean, I could’ve known you like that. But that’s a story for another time, right?”
“You still funny.”
“I’ma always be funny with a fat ass. Don’t forget that part.”
I leaned to the side and looked behind her, just for a second. “You know what? It actually do look like it got a little bigger.”
“I know, right!”
We both fell out laughing right there in front of the valet stand, and when it died down, I shook my head at her.
“Nah, but for real, a lot of time passed. I thought about you a few times though.”
“Well, that’s pleasant.” She smiled. “I thought about you too. But none of that really matters now.”
My eyebrows went up. “Why not?”
“Because I’m taken. So, whatever we could’ve had is null and void.” She looked at me. “And I’m pretty sure you got a nice lady on your arm. Somebody like you, you probably tied down by now.”
“Nah. I’m single as hell.” I paused. “But my situation a little complicated.”
“Complicated how?”
“Ma’am, here’s your car.” The valet came up to us and pointed to her car, as if she didn’t know it was hers. But I guess I could understand since it was getting a little backed up, more valet attendants were pulling up with cars, and we were in the way.
We stepped out the way, and I walked her around to the driver’s side. Once she slid in, got comfortable, and put her seatbelt on, I closed her door for her. Then she rolled the window down slowly.
“Well, congrats again on your event. Maybe I’ll see you again in another year and a half. Who knows.”
“Aight, you got jokes.”
“I’m just keeping it real.”
I rubbed my hand down my jaw. “Damn, this is crazy though. What’s the odds of this shit?”
“What you mean?”
“Your sister bumped into my brother today. He was doing interviews for a nanny position for our nephew he took in.”
Something flickered across her face for half a second, and then it was gone. “Oh really? That is kinda crazy.”
“It gotta be fate.”
“Boy, bye. I said I’m taken.”
We started laughing again, and I put my hand on the roof of her car and leaned down a little.
“Let me get your number.”
“Why? You ain’t even use it last time.”
“I told you, a lot came up. Shit happened. Life was on some real bullshit then.”
“Yeah, I know. I get it.” She shrugged. “I’m not trying to be funny. I’m just stating facts.” She looked up at me. “Besides, what are we going to talk about, Princeton?”
“Whatever you wanna talk about, Nourah… N-O-U-R-A-H, right?” I smirked soon as she blushed. “Yeah. You thought I forgot?”
She blinked. “I did, and I’m impressed,” she said, pulling out her phone. “Let me get your number this time. And I’ll decide if I wanna call you. Or text you.”
“Aight.” I took her phone and put my number in, then hit the call button and let it ring in my pocket.
She giggled. “Not the oldest trick in the book.”
“Ma’am,” the valet said, walking back over. “I’m sorry, but I’m gonna need you to move. You’re backing up the line.”
I handed her phone back and tapped the roof twice. “I’ll tell you how complicated my love life is when we talk later.”
“Sir. Goodbye.”
She pulled off, and I stood there watching that pink car until it turned out of the lot, smirking like a damn fool before I headed back inside.