Chapter 3 #2
Red flag, I thought but kept my face neutral, so he didn’t know my true feelings.
“Hey, you,” he spoke. “You look good as hell.”
“Thank you.” I returned his smile, pulling my glasses off.
When the host walked away, he leaned in for a hug. I allowed it up until he angled his mouth toward my neck. Pulling back before he could stake claim to something I hadn’t offered him, I flashed a look that said he tried it.
His smile faltered a bit before he recovered. “My bad, boo.”
“Mmhmm. You good. Now you know,” I politely warned, hoping he remembered not to try it again at the end of the date.
He helped me out of my coat and pulled out my chair.
Making sure I was pushed in comfortably, he slid my coat on the back of the chair before taking his seat.
We ordered drinks and an appetizer to start.
Falling into conversation was easy but felt oddly familiar.
Almost too familiar. Like he was running down a checklist of what we’d already talked about via text over the last couple weeks.
“So, you’ve been managing the diner for…”
“A year.” I cut him off.
“Right.” He nodded. “That’s dope. You looking to own yo’ own restaurant one day?”
It took so much restraint not to roll my eyes. “No. I mentioned that to you over text, remember? I love what I do, but I’ll be going into business for myself soon.”
“Oh, yeah. You did mention that. My bad. AirBnB host, right?”
“Something like that.” I sipped my drink, annoyed that his description of my business venture seemed small.
There was an awkward silence that was cut short by the waitress placing our appetizer on the table.
“Enjoy,” she said.
We snacked on spinach artichoke dip, and he picked the conversation back up.
Every question he’d asked was one that I remembered from our text thread.
Every joke he tried to get off, I’d fake laughed about already.
Same cadence as if he’d practiced his delivery before arriving.
The shit was exhausting, and I was struggling to stay present.
Realizing that my interest had long ago wavered, I finished off my drink and started to excuse myself to go to the ladies’ room. Before I could, the host made an announcement to the dining room.
“Excuse me,” he announced over the chatter and clinking glass. “If you’re the owner of a white Lexus ES with the license plate ending in 2501, your vehicle is being towed.”
My head whipped in the direction of the front door, stomach hitting my feet.
That was my car. I jumped up and beelined to the exit, leaving behind my purse and phone.
Pushing the door open with heavy aggression, a scream got caught in my throat when I saw my car halfway on the flatbed of a tow truck.
The name Sullivan Towing was big as day on the side of it. Standing alongside of it was Pryce.
Pryce was Aura’s cousin and the meanest Sullivan I’d ever met.
At least that was how he always appeared.
Stone faced. A man of few words and even fewer smiles.
I usually kept my interactions with him limited when he came to the diner to avoid possible confrontation.
But tonight, tonight he had me fucked up.
I was ready to go toe to toe with him about my car.
“Pryce! What the hell…”
He looked up with a scowl on his face. “Not in the mood.”
I wanted to say, “You never in the mood, grouchy ass nigga. What else is new?” But I held back, watching, as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“You think I give a damn about you being in the mood, Pryce? Put my car down!”
“Call your man,” he said, handing the phone to me. “Last number on the call log.”
My jaw clenched and so did my ass cheeks. I was so furious. If looks could kill, Pryce would be outta here. “That ain’t my man,” I said, snatching the phone from him.
“Danae, I’ll roll over this fuckin’ car so quick, that nigga won’t have no choice but to buy you a new one. Don’t make this difficult. Make the call.”
I knew he wasn’t playing, so I didn’t respond. Hitting Aura’s number, the phone rang once before he answered.
“You found the car?” he asked casually.
“Every time I think you can’t get any worse, you outdo yourself. Why the hell do you have Pryce ass out here towing my car, Aura?!” I snapped.
“You ever asked me if I like Italian food, bae?” His tone was calm, further enraging me.
“What? Aura, now is not the damn time. Why do you play so much? Like forreal. This is too far.”
“When have I ever played ‘bout you? It’s a rhetorical question, so you don’t have to answer.
Wrap that cheap ass food up and go home or Pryce taking the car, and I’m coming to get you myself.
You don’t have long to think about it. You know that angry nigga don’t have no patience, and he’s charging me by the minute. ”
“You are insane! And this shit is not cool.”
“I might be. You wanna not do what I asked and find out?”
The fact that he even knew where I was let me know that he wasn’t above pulling up himself, so I didn’t want to test him. I was fully convinced that this man had a tracker in my ass.
“And in case you’re wondering, yes, I track you. You’ll never know how, just know that you’ll always be safe. In that pretty little head of yours, you think you’re not mine, but I can assure you you are. Now, go in there and tell the school safety nigga that Dada said it’s time to come home now.”
I sucked my teeth and glanced over at Pryce, who looked bored and ready to go.
“He don’t even work in school safety.” I argued on the goofy nigga’s behalf who hadn’t even come out to check on me. “He’s a DJ. You think you know it all, and you don’t.”
Aura laughed. “That’s what that nigga told you?
Yeah, you gotta come home, Ma. If you can’t spot game from a lame, then I’m not doing my job.
Dwayne Edison works school safety Monday through Friday and DJs at retirement homes when they have events.
I’m mad you let that nigga gas you. Then again, that shit wasn’t going no further than this anyway.
Go get your stuff. I’m already at $400 sitting here on the phone with you. ”
On top of being pissed, I was now embarrassed. I didn’t bother to ask how he knew all this information about Dwayne. I just handed the phone back to Pryce. “Put my goddamn car down,” I demanded with my lips tight. “I’m going to get my stuff.”
Pryce nodded and put the phone to his ear. “Yeah. She going back in.”
I stomped back inside and snatched up my bag and coat without saying a word to Dwayne, who was still seated and looking dumb.
He blinked. “You good? Did they take it?” he asked with his eyes scanning the restaurant.
“No. They didn’t, and even if they did, it’s clear that you wasn’t doing shit.”
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but you went outside, and the host came back and gave me this note.” He handed me a white piece of paper.
I cut my eye at him before reading it.
This city is big, but my reach is bigger.
The woman you’re out with is spoken for.
I’m not usually a warning typa nigga, but I’ll oblige this time due to the circumstances.
I hope you enj–wait, scratch that. You better not had enjoyed shit wit’ my woman.
But yeah, it’s a wrap on this weak ass date.
If it’s a problem, there’s a shooter outside waiting to test ya gangsta. However you wanna play it, Dwayne.
-The Boss, A. Sullivan
I folded the paper and put it in my purse.
“You coulda put a nigga up on game that you had a crazy dude lurking, Danae.”
I frowned and rolled my eyes. “Why, so you could forget about it when we got here? Just like you forgot that you said them corny ass jokes last week?” I was irritated and knew I’d hurt his feelings if I said anything further. “Have you a good night, Dwayne.”
I walked out of the restaurant without waiting for his response. The tow truck was gone, and my car was still in the lot. Sighing, I got inside and started it up. I went to pull away when my phone rang. Seeing Aura’s name on the dashboard, I hit ignore. Of course, he sent a text.
Mr.DoTheMost: I ain’t sorry, but I don’t like it when you upset either. I don’t know if you had a chance to eat but let me know when you make it in, so I can have something delivered.
Picking up my phone to text him back, I typed aggressive as hell.
Me: Use your tracker to find out cause I ain’t tellin’ you shit.
I set my phone in the cupholder and pulled off annoyed and clear that no one had ever disrupted my life the way Aura Sullivan’s ass did. I couldn’t shake his ass, and that was my goddamn problem.