Chapter 11 #3
“And, no disrespect, but that makes you the baddest bitch I ever met in my fuckin’ life, Lord. You know your worth and you gon’ make sure a nigga know it too. I fuck with that.” I admitted. “I don’t mind working for you and earning you. Long as it’s worth it in the long run.”
She smiled at me before she tore her eyes away and took another sip of her drink.
“Tell me about the Lords,” she said. “You always say it, and you have it tattooed across your throat.” She studied me some, grabbing one of my chains. “And I assume that’s what this means.”
The waiter had returned with our appetizer—heirloom tomatoes with drizzled basil oil and balsamic glaze, so I waited until he placed it in front of us and refilled our glasses before I answered her question.
“What about it?”
“Is it a gang?” she whispered the last part causing me to laugh a little.
“To the mothafuckas on the outside lookin’ in, maybe.
All they see is colors, signs, handshakes, and they assume that it’s all street shit, but we more than that.
It’s a brotherhood to us. We all grew up together—same blocks, some of the same struggles, feel me?
Our shit ain’t about running the streets though.
It’s about survivin’ them and savin’ them. ”
She nodded. “So, it’s not criminal?”
I smirked. “We ain’t saints. We don’ did our shit comin’ up, but the heart of it is loyalty.
It’s protection. It’s makin’ sure our people eat.
We created a family for niggas that didn’t have one,” I said thinking about Jay.
He had his grandma, and she was really the one that saved him, but I liked to think me and P had something to do with that as well.
“How’d you come up with the name?”
“My brother came up with it,” I admitted. “Comes from wanting to rule over our circumstances. Me and P didn’t see some of the same struggles that our peers did, but he still wanted to create something for niggas to be a part of so they’d experience what having a solid family felt like.”
“I like that,” she beamed. “P is the one with the locs, right?”
I nodded but cut my eyes at her. “Fuck you was doin’ lookin’ at my brother?”
“Shut up.” She nudged me and giggled softly. “I just made an observation.”
“I made an observation that night too,” I said before eating some of the appetizer. “You was arguin’ with that dancin’ ass nigga in front of the club that night. Who is Lord to you?”
I’d meant to ask her when I got to her crib that night, but the shit slipped my mind. I was tired as fuck, and we were talking about more important shit in my opinion.
“Ugh, my very annoying ex,” she rolled her eyes. “I’ve basically begged this man to leave me alone, but you see how that’s going.”
“What happened with y’all?” I asked even though I didn’t give a fuck for real. I just wanted to know everything about her.
“He cheated.” She shrugged. “He’d started to get a lot of buzz from dancing for Breeze.
Women were literally flocking to him. I was okay with that because I knew it came with the territory, and I’m far from an insecure woman, but I’m also not a fool.
There was another woman always commenting on his stuff, making it her business to post him while they were on the road and what not.
I tried ignoring it at first, but it got out of control.
The woman was damn near obsessive. She actually wrote me to tell me they were sleeping together.
” She shook her head. “I confronted him about it, and he confirmed it, claiming it was only once. I didn’t know how true that was, but it didn’t matter.
You only have one time to show me that you don’t value my presence before I make you appreciate my absence. ”
“Damn,” I chuckled. “Yo’ little ass don’t play.”
“At all,” she laughed. “Life is too short for me to waste my time dealing with a man that doesn’t recognize the gem that he has in me.”
“I like that. You too fine to be puttin’ up with any bullshit.”
“Right, so let this be your warning if we were to ever go any further at some point. I don’t care what you have or who you are, I. Will. Leave. You,” she pointed.
“Noted.” I nodded. “I wouldn’t even waste yo’ time for real if I ain’t have plans on doin’ right by you, and I damn sure wouldn’t have wasted my bread on all this shit.” I waved my hand around the cart. “I’d have just found a bitch with lower standards and kept it pushin’.”
“Good.” She smiled and finished up the appetizer.
The server came back a little after that with the main course.
I’d asked the chef to prepare filet mignon with red wine reduction and truffle potatoes as well as butter-poached lobster tail with saffron and grilled asparagus.
I didn’t know which she’d prefer, and I was hung up on the two options as well.
We switched our drink up to a Light Pinot Noir too.
I wanted her to get the full experience while she was out with me.
We talked a little more over dinner. She asked hella questions about my upbringing and my parents.
I’d told her about my pops being a reformed street nigga that was now in politics and the mayor of Miller’s Pointe.
That led to her ass saying she wanted to go to MP so she could see some goats she’d been seeing all over Cliqued.
I wasn’t opposed to taking her, but I wasn’t fucking around with no goats.
I asked her about herself too. I wanted to know how she came up and what her people were like.
I felt a little bad about bringing the shit up after she explained how things with her parents turned out, and how that led to her sister’s current state, but she assured me that she was fine.
I did switch it up to ask how things with her and baby girl were and about her best friend. That seemed to lighten the mood for us.
We shared dessert, chocolate fondu for two, with strawberries, marshmallows, shortbread cookies, and bits of brownies to dip.
The server poured us a sweet sparkling Moscato to wash it down with.
When we went over the menu, I didn’t account for niggas getting up low key fucked up from the different drinks we’d have over dinner.
I stood and reached for her hand once we were done eating.
She was a little shocked, probably wondering where we were going since the train was still going, but she took my hand and allowed me to lead her to the front where there was a glass observation deck.
We stood there, taking in the scenery—well, she was, I was busy admiring her.
She caught me seconds later, and blushed.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“It’s hard not to. You’re beautiful, Diamond.” I confessed.
She tore her gaze from mine, smiling and tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Thank you.”
I forced her to look at me, brushing my thumb across her freckled cheek. They added to her beauty and were easily one of my favorite things about her.
“I almost canceled our date.” I confessed causing her smile to fade. “Not that you did shit wrong,” I hurried to clarify. “I was just… thinking.”
“About what?” Her big browns eyes sparkled under the starlit sky. I had to fight hard not to kiss her pretty ass in that moment, even though that was the only thing that I wanted to do.
“My homeboy asked me some shit earlier that really made the gears in my head turn.” I answered.
“What did he ask, Makhai?”
“If I’d be ready to step into a paternal role for your niece when the time came.”
“You don’t—”
My thumb moved to her lips to stop her from talking.
“I know you don’t have any expectations of me right now, but I was thinking long term,” I clarified.
“Pursuing you means I have to do so knowing that you come with another person I’d have to care for as well.
Not that I don’t want to or no shit like that.
I was trying to figure out if I actually could.
I never looked to be a role model or anyone that a child could lean on or look up to.
” I chuckled. “But on the flight over, while I was listening to my music, I decided that I was gon’ do the shit.
My uncle told me that it wasn’t whether I could do it or not, it was more so if I would, so I decided that I am whenever the time comes.
I ain’t perfect and I never will be, but I want to try to get as close to the shit as I can for you and baby girl. ”
“Makhai…” she whispered and I smiled.
“I ain’t askin’ you to be my girl just yet. I need some time to plan the shit out and make it memorable since it’s the first and only time I’m gon’ do it, and the last time a nigga gon’ be asking you.”
Her smile grew wider. “You say that like you’re sure that I’ll say yes.”
“I ain’t took no for an answer from you yet, have I?”
“Touché.” She chuckled. “That was very sweet of you, Makhai, really,” she nodded. “Regardless of if we do move further in the future, I don’t have any expectations of you taking care of Keona. She’s my responsibility.”
“And if you my girl, she gon’ be mine too. Both of you. My pops ain’t raise me to be no hoe ass nigga.” I countered.
“I know.” She smiled.
Not able to resist anymore, I leaned down and kissed her lips.
I could have sworn that fireworks began in that moment.
At least that’s what it felt like. I’d kissed plenty of women before, but none that made fucking sparks fly or my insides tingle.
I felt like one of those women in the movies that had gotten kissed for the first fucking time.
What kind of hoe ass shit is this?
When we finally pulled back, we just stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds before smiling. I knew in that moment that I was going to enjoy earning her ass.