~~~Chapter 7~~~
Jaylah
“Hey, friend. You busy?” Paisley questioned as her voice poured from my speakers, while the call was connected to Bluetooth in my truck.
I smirked, as I gripped my steering wheel. “Not really. Just heading to grab a bite to eat. What’s going on?”
In the short while that I had been conversing with Paisley, I had somewhat become her relationship counselor.
She would often call me for advice, although we hadn’t even officially hung out, for real.
At this point, I felt like maybe she was using me for guidance, but I honestly didn’t mind.
I liked prying into people’s heads and opening their minds up to new ways of thinking.
Plus…I got a whole lot of unsolicited tea in the process.
“Before I start, I want you to know that it’s nothing bad,” she happily reported.
“Okay. That’s good.”
“Right. I’m calling you to thank you, honestly.”
I arched a brow. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, girl. As of late, me and my man have been doing so good. And I noticed a real change in him, after I started doing what you told me to do. We haven’t been arguing. Just good fucking and living in each other’s skin.”
“Alright now,” I cheered. “That’s good to hear.”
“I know, right?” She giggled. “I even used that playlist you sent me, and did that thing with the fruit roll-up like you told me about. Had that nigga climbing the walls, girl. Do you hear me?”
“Yesss,” I praised. “She listens.”
“And do,” she co-signed. “No, for real. I think that I’m more in love than ever before, girl.
Everything has just been falling into place, and I was just sitting here thinking about everything.
Like where we would be, if I hadn’t met you in the beauty shop that day.
You literally saved my relationship, friend. And I thank you.”
“Aww,” I cooed. “I appreciate that. Now, just send me an invitation to the wedding, because it sounds like that’s where it’s headed.”
“Girrrl, I hope so. He’s been talking about making babies, when we never used to talk about that. So, I can tell that he’s ready for the next level.”
“Okay, okay, well, I’m wishing good fertility on you, my girl.”
“Thank you,” she responded. “Now, I’ma let you go. I just heard my man coming in, and he needs my undivided attention.”
“Alright, girl. Bust a nut for me,” I urged.
“Oh, I most definitely will,” she claimed. “Toodles.”
Smiling, I ended the call, before shaking my head. “I can’t make this shit up. I’m going around giving out relationship advice, while I don’t know what I’m doing with my own. But I’ma figure this shit out.” I nodded. “Yep.”
***
I felt a little crazy, as I sat at the edge of my bed, absently gazing at a sleeping Zae.
He was shirtless, as he slept with his mouth wide open, drooling on the pillow.
It had been about two weeks since Zae had popped up at my house, pleading for a second chance. Since then, I’d agreed to give us another try…but I honestly think that I’d fallen out of love with him.
He’d actually been trying and that was why I felt guilty. The daily flowers, foot rubs, and trivial conversations did nothing for me.
Honestly, I think that if I hadn’t run out and hopped on another dick, then I would’ve been more receptive to his advances. I think that dealing with Malice had helped me to see that there was more out there in the world for me.
Being without Zae didn’t scare me like it should, and he didn’t even arouse me the same. In fact, we hadn’t had any sexual contact, outside of him eating the kitty, despite him constantly trying.
It was fucked up, as I thought about what was next for us.
“I’m tripping,” I whispered to myself, before sliding off the bed.
Quietly, I tipped into the bathroom to get myself together. Halfway through the process, I decided that I’d throw on some clothes and take a ride. Alone.
So, after I had bathed, and spruced up my hair, I inched back into my room to throw on a pair of distressed jeans and a super cropped racer-back shirt. Chanel slides and bag were the accessories for the day to pull the look together.
Needing to escape the walls that were closing in on me, I twisted down to my garage. With the quickness, I opened the garage door, before hopping into my Maybach SUV.
Hastily, I backed out, not wanting Zae to have time to catch up with me, in case he’d heard the garage opening.
As I hit the corner, leaving my block, I opened the sunroof, wanting to soak up some of that warm Houston weather.
I was thinking of where I wanted to go, when I realized that I needed gas. So, I whipped into a Shell’s gas station, and pulled up to a pump.
Like second nature, I grabbed my lip gloss out of the cup holder and added a nice coating to my lips, while scoping out my surroundings. Eventually, my eyes settled on the truck parked in front of me, causing me to arch a brow.
“That definitely looks like his truck…but it can’t be. As big as this city is, there’s no way that I’d just run into him. Because that would mean that God is trying to tell me something…” I trailed off, as I noticed somebody stepping out of the store in my peripheral vision.
Focusing on the guy, my heart skipped a beat. “That’s fucking him—” I cut myself off, as I rolled my window down. “Mr. Malice.”
Clad in Dolce, that nigga was a walking dream.
His long dreads were freshly twisted at the roots, while his line-up was crisp.
His goatee was neat. His bright brown eyes held a certain glint, as the sun’s glare reflected off them.
His long lashes were mesmerizing as they hooded his almond shaped eyes.
There were two hefty chains around his neck, while that bowlegged stance was driving me over the fucking edge.
“Who dat?” He squinted, while craning his neck.
I rolled my window lower. “You still don’t recognize me?”
“Oh, shit,” he smiled. “Big Baby. The fuck is you doing in a Maybach?” He questioned, as he approached my truck.
I shrugged. “It’s just a vehicle.”
“Just a vehicle? Come on, baby. You know this some rich shit. You popping it like that?”
“If that’s what you wanna call it.”
He licked his thick lips. “Yeah, alright. Anyway, how you been?”
“I been good.”
His eyes swept over me. “And you look good too.”
“Thanks. And you do too,” I complimented.
“’Preciate it. But what’s up, though? That nigga finally gave your phone back?”
I smiled weakly. “About that—”
“You was mad at the nigga, and ran to get a lil’ outside dick?”
“No. That’s not it. I don’t cheat, for one. So, we were broken up and he was having a hard time accepting that.”
“Let me find out that you be playing with niggas’ feelings.”
“I try not to,” I offered.
“But you just can’t help it, huh?”
“I don’t know ‘bout all that. Did you block me?” I had to ask.
He frowned. “Nah. You tried calling me?”
“No. I texted.”
He stood and seemed to ponder on it. “You know what?” He snapped his fingers.
“For a few days my memory was completely full on my phone and people kept calling, saying that I wasn’t responding to their texts.
I paid for more storage, but then I didn’t think nothing of it, because they could still call when the texts wasn’t going through. So, why you didn’t call?”
“Because. I’m not much of a caller.”
“So, that was it? You gave up like that?”
I sighed. “You haven’t reached out, neither.”
“Right, because I called immediately after, and your nigga answered. So, that was on you.”
“True.” I nodded. “Can’t argue with that.”
He nodded before his cell rang. I then watched him pull it out of his pocket and stare at the screen.
Eventually, I cleared my throat. “You need to catch that?”
He nodded. “I’ma call her back in a minute.”
I don’t know why, but hearing him say her made my stomach feel queasy. He didn’t care enough to lie to me.
“So, what you finna do?” He asked.
“Nothing too much,” I responded, wondering what was going on in his head.
“Okay.” He nodded, while licking his lips. “How…how about you let me treat you to breakfast?”
“Okay.” I smiled. “Where to?”
“I mean, since you got beef with half the food industry, I’ma let you choose.”
I tittered. “You got jokes. But uh…I can go for this spot about fifteen minutes from here. They just opened and Ion know nobody in there.”
He nodded. “That’ll work. So, I'ma hop in my truck and follow you.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “But let me fill up first.”
He sucked his teeth. “I got that.”
“Okay.” I reached for my purse. “Let me grab my card—”
“Say, don’t disrespect me like that,” he warned, before ambling around to the pump.
Sitting back, I watched him pull out a card and tap it. He then proceeded to fill up my tank.
Once he was done, he tapped my hood, before moseying over to his Rover. After he was behind the wheel, nervous energy surged through my stomach, as I pulled away from the pump.
In a moderate speed, ensuring that he could keep up, I traveled to the new breakfast spot. All the while, I was trying to make sense of everything that was happening.
The way butterflies were brewing in the pit of my stomach, I knew that I was really feeling Malice…but I could detect some hesitancy on his end. Now, I just needed to know if that energy shift was about that phone call with Zae or something else.
Nevertheless, by the time we were parked, and I was easing out of my truck, Malice had managed to already be standing outside, waiting for me.
“Damn, Big Baby, you one sexy muthafucka.” His eyes roamed over my physique. “I nearly forgot how flawless you was, up-close and personal.”
“Oh, yeah?” I gazed into his alluring eyes.
“Hell, yeah.” He adjusted his belt on his waist. “Now, come on. Let’s go put some food on our stomachs.”
I nodded my head, before we moved in sync, sauntering into the quaint, modernly decorated restaurant. Being that it was a weekday, the place only had a few customers, and we ended up at a small table, sitting across from each other.
“I see you with your Chanel swag,” he smirked, while acknowledging my bag on the table.
I smiled. “It’s cute.”