Chapter 5
Dress It Up & Make It Real Fa Me
THYRI
Iwas in the middle of pulling the last few pins from my hair when the doorbell rang.
Checking the time on my phone, it was thirty minutes before Enzo was set to arrive.
He hadn’t texted that he’d be here early, so I wasn’t sure who the unexpected visitor was.
The doorbell rang twice more, signaling the impatience of whoever was on the other side.
“I’m coming!” I snapped, matching the irritation conveyed in their double rang. “Who is it?”
“It’s Nae.”
“Girl, I was about to cuss you out knocking like that,” I said once the door was open. “I thought you were out on your date.”
Danae stood on the other side of the door with her face balled up in frustration.
“Ahh, hell. Come in, boo.” She walked inside, and I locked the door behind her. “I gave you a spare key for emergencies. And judging by the look on your face, this visit seems like an emergency.”
“It’s really not. Just one of those nights. And I don’t wanna just let myself in now that you and Enzo are together.” She took off her coat and tossed it on the couch, along with her bag as we passed the living room.
“You act like you gon’ walk in here one day and I’ma be bussin’ it open on the couch. And Enzo ain’t my man… yet.”
“Well, hopefully, you will be soon.”
“You’ll be the first to know, boo.”
Back in front of the mirror, I finger combed my curls to get the perfect bounce in them. In the mirror, I watched as Nae plopped down on the bench in front of my bed, sulking.
“You gon’ tell me what went wrong or continue to suck all the energy out the room?”
She exhaled hard before speaking. “My car was almost towed in the middle of my date.”
I gasped. “Bitch, shut up. How the he…”
“Aura,” she cut me off. “Aura is how the hell. That man had his cousin come and try to tow my damn car after tracking me to the restaurant.”
My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my laughter. “You lying.”
“About what? The fact that his crazy ass tracked me to the restaurant or planned to have my damn car towed? Cause both statements are very true and you doggish as hell for laughing.”
“Wait. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. That man do not play.”
“That nigga told me to wrap my food up to go, or he was coming to get me. But wait, it gets worse.”
I turned, leaning back against the vanity. “Worse? Girl, how?”
“Why this man knew who I was out with? Down to where he worked. Aura is unhinged.”
“Unhinged and in love with you.” She went silent, and I turned back to the mirror.
“Lemme help you with these curls back here.” She went to fluffing my curls, easily falling into the role she’d been playing my entire life – my second set of hands. “You look real cute, by the way. Sorry for the intrusion.”
“Thank you, Nae. And you know it’s never an intrusion. You need me, I’m here. You look cute too, by the way.”
“Yeah. Thanks. Too bad I done wasted a good outfit.” She shook her head and stepped back. “Do a spin so I can get the full effect of the look.”
I spun around, landing in a pose facing her. “What you think?”
“Bad bitch. Enzo ain’t gon’ know what to do witchu.”
“Period.” I knew I was killing shit the moment I put on the black Roberto Cavalli mini dress. The Tom Ford heels I paired it with was chef’s kiss. There was something about a black mini that drove men crazy. I intended to do just that once Enzo saw me tonight.
Her expression went from excitement to deep thought in a matter of seconds.
“Lemme ask you something, Nae. And be honest.”
“Wassup?”
“I can never get a real answer out of you, but what’s stopping you from giving Aura a chance?”
Her lips got tight, but I could tell by the look on her face that she had so much she wanted to express. Then, the doorbell rang, giving her an escape. I glanced at the clock and knew it was Enzo.
“That’s your date,” she said. “We’ll talk more later.”
“Nae.”
“I promise we will. Right now, you got a man waiting.”
Usually, I would press the issue, but I let her make it tonight. I didn’t want to keep Enzo waiting.
“Okay. We gon’ talk, and you gon’ tell me the real, right?”
“Scout’s honor,” she assured.
I nodded and walked out front. “Who is it?”
“Enzo,” he replied.
I opened the door, and there he stood patiently.
Wherever we were headed must’ve called for us to put that shit on because he did just that.
Collared Fendi crewneck sweater, dress pants, a pair of Fendi monogrammed sneakers, and a peacoat that settled perfectly on his broad shoulders.
His presence changed the air as we locked eyes.
For a second, I forgot Danae was in the house until she cleared her throat behind me.
“And that’s how you do it. If y’all wasn’t a couple before, y’all damn sure look like one tonight.”
Enzo smirked. “Wassup, Danae?”
“Heyy. Lemme go head and get out y’all way.” She kissed my cheek and squeezed past us with her coat and purse in hand. “Love you, Butterfly,” she said out loud and mouthed, ‘Suck his dick, girl,’ behind Enzo’s back.
“Love you too,” I replied, smiling to keep from laughing at her motioning like she was giving head. “Get home safe,” I added then ushered Enzo inside.
“You look good as fuck,” he complimented. His eyes scanned me from head to toe then locked in on my face.
His gaze held admiration mixed with lust – a look that I’d become familiar with. Whether I was in sweatpants and an oversized shirt or dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, that look said it all.
“Thank you.” I kissed his lips twice. “You look good as fuck too.” I grinned. “And you smell amazing.”
“Yeah. Something my lil’ baby got me for Christmas.”
I blushed at him referring to me as his lil’ baby. “She has good taste. Wherever we’re headed must be exclusive and require a dress code.”
“Something like that. I really just wanted to see you in something sexy more than anything else.”
“Well,” I cocked my head to the side and bit my lip, “how did I do?”
“My dick hard, so I’d say you did damn good.”
“Oh, my God.” I giggled. “You nasty. Let me grab my coat.”
“Wait.” He grabbed my hand before I could walk off. “I got you something. If you like it, I want you to wear them tonight.”
I squinted, wondering what he was referring to. Still holding my hand in his, he reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a Tiffany’s box.
I looked down at the box he held out then back up to him. “Enzo…”
“Open it, Ma.”
“No,” I said quickly, making him chuckle. “I mean, I can’t. I mean, not that I can’t. I just…”
“Stop stalling, Thyri. Open the box. I insist.”
That insisting shit he did was so sexy, a thin line between ‘you have no choice’ and ‘I really want you to’ that only he could tread so easily.
Taking the box from him, I opened it and gasped at the diamond studs glistening in the box. “They’re beautiful. You didn’t have to do this. I would’ve been happy with flowers or an Edible Arrangement. You know I love fruit.” I laughed lightly.
“I’m aware, but you would’ve expected that. These seem more fitting. So, how ‘bout you put them on, and you can be the Edible Arrangement tonight? I happen to like fruit myself.” His mouth formed a lazy smirk that made the seat of my thong wet.
I shook my head, blushing. Removing the Chanel studs in my ears, I put the new earrings on.
“You look even more perfect, Ma.” He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead. “Get your coat so we can go, sexy.”
I almost skipped off to grab my coat and purse. If the remainder of the night was anything like how it was starting out, I could guarantee that I’d be bussin’ it open later.
The ride to wherever we were going was a smooth one.
We talked about our day and how we’d been looking forward to seeing each other tonight.
Conversations with Enzo were never dull.
He kept me laughing with jokes on everybody from me and EJ down to the people crossing the street.
He sometimes left me speechless, openly flirting and telling me what he planned to do to my body once he got the chance.
For the sake of getting slutted out in the backseat of his Lamborghini, I just listened and smiled.
“How’s your pops?”
“Really good. He said the therapy has been a little more intense lately but nothing he can’t handle.”
“That’s wassup.”
“Yeah. If ya aunt keep treating him so good, I’m afraid he may not wanna come home when it’s time. You gotta see them two together. My dad tryna put his mack down, and your aunt keeping him company and making sure he’s well fed. My daddy light up when he see her.”
“It’s that Sullivan charm, Ma. It’s on us and in us.” He grinned.
“Oh, you ain’t gotta tell me.”
He picked my hand up and kissed the back of it.
“Yeah. A charmer for sure.” We both laughed, and I pulled my hand back playfully.
His phone rang, and he held it up for me to see that it was his mother calling. “How much you wanna bet that’s your boy?”
I giggled. “Oh, I know it’s him. Look at the time.”
He laughed and connected the FaceTime call.
“Hey, your little grown man wanna say good night,” she said.
“Aight. Put him on.”
She flipped the camera, and EJ appeared, tucked in bed with heavy eyelids.
“Hi, Daddy,” he murmured.
“Wassup, man? You going to bed?”
“I not tired yet.”
“The hell you are.” I heard Ms. Debbie say in the background.
“Sounds like Grandma thinks differently, Big Dawg.”
EJ shook his head no.
“EJ, look.” Enzo turned the screen to me.
“Hey, you,” I said, smiling.
“Hi, Tyri. I not sleepy.” He didn’t give me a chance to try to convince him otherwise. The way he rubbed his eyes let me know he was indeed tired.
“I know. But it’s late, and remember, strong boys need rest. You know that?”
“Mmhmm.”
“You want me to do the sleepy time song?”
“Mmhmm.” He nodded.
I sang the hook and chorus to Kash Doll’s Baby Boy lowly. It didn’t take long before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Ms. Debbie picked up the phone and flashed a thumbs up. “I’m gon’ need you to record yourself singing for nights like this, baby,” she said. “I know my strong suits, and that is not one of them.” We shared a laugh. “Y’all have a good night and be safe.”
I waved at the screen before handing Enzo back his phone.
“Aight, Ma. Love you.” He ended the call and set the phone down.
Stopped at a red light, he glanced at me. “Come here.”
“What?” I smirked, leaning over toward him.
Pressing his lips against mine, he put his hand on my thigh. The kiss was slow and intentional, like he was trying to say something that he wasn’t able to convey verbally. I was the first to pull back when I heard beeping from behind us. “We gotta go.”
He glanced up briefly before pushing us forward. “You are something else. A good something.”
I let his words hang in the air, while butterflies filled my stomach. If only he knew.