~~~Chapter 13~~~
“Huh? I can’t hear you!” I shouted over the music, while my phone was glued to my ear.
At this point, Tootie just glanced at me and shook her head, probably fed up with my bullshit. Thankfully, she was drunk, off her ass, and had been enjoying herself. To me…everything was cool, but I was more focused on my phone.
Malice had been holding me hostage on the phone the entire night. We’d rotate back and forth between regular calls to facetimes. I’d gone to the bathroom several times, just to hear him better. And every time I’d tell him that I’d call him back, he’d refuse to hang up.
“I said that it’s one. Y’all staying til closing?” He questioned.
“I guess so,” I yawned. “I probably end up spending a night with my cousin. Then I’ll go get Khari from the nanny tomorrow.”
“Mannn,” he drawled. “That sounds like way too much. You talking about sleeping in one place. Meanwhile, the baby is somewhere else. Then we supposed to be meeting as soon as the sun is up. Then you gotta go to brunch. Something aint gone get done.”
I yawned again, knowing that he was right. Hell, I’d missed my daily nap, and the bed was calling me. So, the likelihood of me being up and ready to go to some lab bright and early in the morning was slim to none.
“So, maybe we should just wait til Monday—”
“Nah, main. I aint trying to hear that shit. We going, as soon as the sun is rising. So, you might as well come on outside now.”
“What?” I frowned in confusion.
“Come outside. I’m in the lot,” he admitted.
“The fuck?” I mumbled, as I wasn’t expecting that. Sure, I’d told him what club we were at, but the last thing I thought that he’d do was pull up. Because he hadn’t even hinted at doing any such thing.
“Come on,” he pressed.
I sighed, as my eyes traveled to Tootie. “Cuz!”
With a bottle in hand, she glanced back at me.
“I’m finna go,” I announced, as I stood up.
She pursed her lips. “I’m not surprised. Be safe.”
We briefly hugged, and I kissed her cheek. “See you tomorrow.”
She nodded, before I switched out of the section. That’s when all the cat calling and hand grabbing began. Rocking tiny biker shorts, a tube top, layered with a thin biker jacket, with Louboutin booties, I was giving sexy, but damn. Those niggas were extra thirsty.
By the time I was exiting the building, I literally had to push some random nigga out of my face. Unfortunately, that didn’t deter him, as he followed me down the sidewalk.
“Mama, I swear I can change your life. Just let me get that phone number,” The dude pleaded, as I locked eyes with Malice. Mind you, we had never ended our call, so there was no telling what he’d been hearing.
“Say, homeboy,” Malice sputtered, as he swiftly approached us. “I’ma need you to back the fuck up.”
Glancing down at my phone, I finally ended the call.
“Oh, shit, Malice, this you?” The dude questioned, while simultaneously backing up.
It was noted that Malice was easily recognized, despite having no real social media presence. Didn’t miss the glint of fear in that nigga’s eyes, neither.
Not responding, Malice just glared at ole boy.
Naturally, I didn’t want there to be a confrontation, so I grabbed his forearm. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Standing there in Dior, with diamonds glistening around his neck, he looked me up and down. “Them shorts is the muthafuckin’ problem.”
“Excuse you?” I leaned my head back.
“You excused,” he chided. “You look good as fuck…but it’s too much. Gone fuck around and get one of these niggas killed.”
My eyes widened. “By who?”
Clearly nixing my question off, his eyes swept over the perimeter, before focusing on me. “Come on. Let’s go.”
Saying nothing else, I followed him to his convertible BMW 8 Series, with the roof missing. He then opened the passenger door for me, like a real gentleman, and I slid in. Right after, I watched as he casually stepped around the car, and hopped in.
The lot was already prowling with folks, as he pulled away from the club. I felt like all eyes were on us, as we rolled past people in the pricey car.
When he pulled out of the lot, he glanced my way.
“I’ma take the streets, so the wind don’t fuck up your hair.”
“Oh, how thoughtful,” I responded sarcastically, while fluffing my dramatic curls. “Or you could just close the roof.”
“I would…but it’s too nice out here. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“It’s nice.” I nodded. “Is that why you got this car? To take rides on nights like this, with your hoes?”
“Damn. Is that really what you think of me?”
I shrugged. “It’s something. I’m gonna keep circling back to the fact that my whole reason for keeping my distance is because you have a woman by the name of Paisley. And I’m sure that she doesn’t know that you’re with me, right now.”
“Of course, she don’t.”
“And that’s cool?”
“No. I suppose it aint.”
I nodded. “Well, I’m glad you know.”
“And if this was just about me and you, then I’d be respecting my relationship. No matter…what I feel about you. But I gotta keep it real. The minute that Pasiely finds out about this…it’s probably gonna be over, anyway. So, I figured that I might as well go with what I feel.”
“So, you don’t think that she loves you enough to stay?” I had to ask.
He seemingly thought about it. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. She’ll definitely be pissed off, but she wouldn’t be able to immediately walk away. I also know who she is…and Paisley aint finna accept another woman’s baby. Even if her mouth says otherwise…shit will never be the same.”
“So, basically you’re saying that Khari’s mere existence will be the end of your relationship?”
“I believe so,” he admitted.
I gazed at his handsome profile, while he focused on the road.
It had been a long while since I’d seen him…
outside of earlier today, and I’d nearly forgotten how handsome he was.
Even with his long, frizzy dreads that were in need of a retwist, he was still the shit.
I peeped the Richard Millie on his wrist, as he gripped the steering wheel, letting me know that he was touching some real bread.
“How does that make you feel?”
He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s too much going on to solely think about the state of my relationship. What’s most important is determining if Khari is mine.”
I smirked. “You say her name like you really know her.”
He glanced at me. “How else am I supposed to say it?”
I shrugged. “Most niggas would probably just refer to her as the baby or whatever.”
“Yeah, well, I aint most niggas.”
“So you say.” My eyes wandered around, taking in the scenery.
Houstonians were clearly outside that cool night, as the streets were busy, and the gas station we’d just passed was packed with clubbers who were now parking lot pimping, aka loitering around.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” I eventually asked.
“Yeah.” He coolly licked his lips, while suavely leaning a bit, as he whipped the wheel. “We headed to wherever Khari is at.”
I bit the corner of my lip. “Then that would be my house.”
“And where’s that?”
“Give me your phone,” I told him.
Asking no questions, he unlocked his cell, before handing it to me. I then went into Maps, and typed in my address, before turning the navigation on.
“Here.” I handed his phone back.
He dropped it in a cup holder, while focusing on the road.
For a while, a comfortable silence settled between us, while music softly played in the background. I definitely had several unanswered questions, but they honestly couldn’t be answered that night. I was just feeling my way through it, curious to see where things were headed.
Ultimately, I could be honest and say that I was still attracted to Malice, but I wasn’t desperate.
So, I wasn’t riding with him, hoping that he’d leave Paisley, eventually.
Hell, I didn’t know enough about him to run full-speed with anything, even if he didn’t have somebody already.
Shit, he probably thought that he was about to get some pussy, but little did he know, it wouldn’t be from me.
That weekend we shared was so long ago, and so outside of my character.
I didn’t casually fuck men, and I was keen enough to know that sleeping with him would just murky the waters, as we tried to figure things out.
I also didn’t want to create this thing where he automatically had access to me, just because we shared a child.
I wasn’t one of those girls, and I needed him to understand that.
But…I wasn’t jumping the gun to say anything, unless I had to.
“You’ve arrived,” the feminine navigation voice eventually announced.
“Damn.” He whistled, as he peered at my home. “This is nice.”
I nodded, while pointing. “You can pull into the driveway.”
He did as he was told, before killing the ignition.
“What are you about to do?” I found myself asking.
He lazily gazed at me. “I can’t come in?”
“I mean…you can, but aint no fucking going on,” I had to let him know.
He frowned. “Who said anything about fucking?”
“Nobody. But it’s two in the morning, and I wanted to make myself clear. I have no interest in breaking up happy homes. Even crumbling ones. So, this aint that.”
He nodded. “Overstood.”
“Okay, cool.” I opened the passenger door. “Now, come on.”
Together, we traveled up the steps that led to my front door. After entering the code, the door unlocked, and I stepped inside, with him right behind me.
“Who’s keeping her?” He questioned, as we were ascending the first flight of interior stairs.
“The nanny, Shelia.”
“The nanny, huh?”
“Yup,” I responded, as I made it to the second floor. “You can have a seat over here,” I instructed, as I ambled over to the sectional.
“Wait.” He grabbed my hand, as I was attempting to sit. “Can you go get Khari first? Please?”
I sighed, before kicking off my shoes. “Okay.”
Huffing and puffing, I headed upstairs, when I really wanted to crash on the couch and close my eyes. However, I was trying to be considerate. Malice had just met the baby, and probably wanted to spend more time with her.
Stepping into Khari’s bedroom, I noticed Shelia sleeping in the daybed, while Khari was asleep in her crib. Quietly, I grabbed my baby, and her bottle, before tipping out of the room. I then headed back downstairs to the second level.
Malice sat up on the couch when he saw me approaching, with Khari in my arms. As soon as I reached the couch, he extended his arms, wanting to hold her. Without a second thought, I handed her over, with the bottle, before going to crash at the other end of the sectional.
“Damn, I’m sleepy,” I yawned, while curling my body against the fluffy throw pillows.
“Well, you can go to sleep. I got her,” he offered, while gazing at a sleeping Khari’s face.
“I don’t know about all that,” I mumbled, as my eyes closed. “You probably…you probably don’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby.”
He lightly chuckled. “You’d be amazed at what I know.”
“Is that right?” I groggily responded, with my eyes now closed. “So, you just stay out all night like this?”
“Nawl,” he yawned. “But these are some extenuating circumstances.”
“Hmph. And you’d be homeless come tomorrow, fucking with me.”
“So, you be putting niggas out?”
“I would,” I yawned for the umpteenth time. “But I haven’t technically lived with anybody. So, I’ve never had to put ‘em out.”
“So, you haven’t really been in no relationship, for real,” he assumed.
I frowned. “How you figure?”
“Cause. When you in love. I mean like really in love. Then you gon wanna go to sleep and wake up to that man. And your whole world will be fucked up whenever you don’t.”
“Okay. Is Paisley in love with you?”
He hesitated, before responding. “I believe so.”
“And yet, you’re choosing to sit on my couch, while her world is fucked up. Tisk, tisk, tisk.”