Chapter 8 #2
They headed back upstairs, and Najee checked in with a few of his workers before heading out.
It was always a good time with his auntie, and she stayed lacing him with game.
It was the old-school kind, filled with wisdom and advice that not everyone was mature enough to receive.
Najee took everything she said in stride and applied it to his life when necessary.
After their lunch date, Najee headed back to the office and hopped on a few calls.
There were a bunch of events happening over the weekend, and the phones had been off the hook with transportation requests.
He wasn’t going to place the influx of calls and emails on the fact that his face had gone viral and a few still shots were meme-worthy, but he wasn’t denying it either.
Renae had royally fucked up, and Najee didn’t have one regret about the way he handled her.
Had he been younger, in those twenty-something’s and not given a fuck, he would’ve shown her what it meant to be a real crash out.
He had passed that stage in life, or at least with her he had.
And behind some disloyal pussy, at that?
Najee would never disrespect himself in that manner.
Taking her back hadn’t crossed his mind at all.
He was a man with standards and morals. As far as he was concerned, the years spent with her never happened.
Renae who? The morning after the party, he went and got tested for every STI known.
He received a clean bill of health before he was released, and she had the nerve to put his life on the line. Najee had every right to humiliate her.
Knocking out a few more hours of work and adjusting a new driver’s routes for the airport shift, Najee shut down his computer for the day.
He’d been putting in extra hours and securing details for his partnership with Peace Haven.
Getting home late every evening with nothing on his mind but sleep wasn’t how he wanted to end his day today.
He had a special someone’s face in mind and didn’t think twice before he picked up his phone to FaceTime her. Orielle had been the one thing in his life that felt natural. Once she opened up to him, Najee had no problem keeping those walls down.
She picked up on the third ring, grinning into the camera. “Hi.”
The drawl in her voice and low-rimmed, red eyes told him everything he needed to know.
“What’s up, Pretty Girl. You high as a kite,” he said, smiling.
Orielle giggled. “I am. I underestimated the brookie Cash’s sister gave me.”
Through their conversations, Najee learned who Cash was and a few other people she often hung with. There weren’t many, but he was glad she liked him enough to tell him about them.
“I see.” He chuckled. “You over there recording?”
She turned the phone around, panning it over the studio. Najee didn’t get a chance to see anything but the loveseat on the other wall. She was sitting on the other.
“Yes, well, trying to. My brain is moving in slow motion, and I’m hungry, but I’m too high to drive. I could order some food, but the delivery people always act like they have such a hard time finding the suite. It’s not that hard. What’re you doing?”
Amused and humored, Najee chuckled. Her brain wasn’t the organ that was moving slowly. It was quickly stringing words together that slowly came out as if she were trying to put him under a spell.
“I’m about to come see you and bring you some food,” he said.
She tried stretching her eyes to show her excitement, but it was a failed attempt. “Ooh yes, please. Want me to text you what I want?”
“Nah. Stay on the phone and tell me. You there by yourself?”
She nodded. “Mhm. Cash had to go on a date. I want to go on a date. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve?—”
Orielle stopped midsentence and shook her head. Najee waited to turn off the light in his office.
“What’s up? Why you stop talking?” he asked.
“I’m rambling. I know you’re not trying to hear that.”
She rolled her eyes and lowered the phone so she could drink some of her Gatorade.
“Aye.”
“Hmm?” she hummed, coming back into the screen.
“Don’t do that again. I’m listening to you. I don’t give a fuck if you were yapping my ear off about how the sky is yellow. Tell me.”
Orielle giggled, tossing a hand over her face to hide her grin. She lowered it after a beat. “But the sky isn’t yellow.”
“It’s not today. But when it is and you want to tell me about, yap my ear off, a’ight? That bitch is probably really green and you just colorblind.”
She snorted, and Najee smirked. “I can’t stand you. But okay. Fine. Since you love to hear me talk, yapping shall commence again in five... four... three...”
She continued her countdown to one, and Najee hit the lights. He let the workers know he was gone for the day and headed to his truck. Orielle was telling him what food he could bring her when an incoming call paused his video.
“Who’s calling you?” Orielle found herself asking without thinking. She was about to scold herself for the action, but Najee answered her just as quickly as the thought filled her brain.
“The cheater, cheater, dick eater,” he replied, declining Renae’s call. It was an unsaved Kansas number, but he knew it was her.
On the other end of the phone, Orielle was laughing so hard she got a cramp in her side. Tears filled her eyes as she dropped her phone and wheezed. Najee’s nonchalant tone and the weed in her system made his words ten times funnier. Coughing, she regained a bit of her voice and patted her chest.
“Why... why would you call her that?” she asked, still laughing.
Najee lifted his shoulder. “Just calling it how I see it. Now, what kind of sauce do you want with these nuggets?”
“Honey mustard. Four of them, and please make sure my fries are fresh.”
“You got it, Pretty Girl. Share your location with me. I’m leaving the office.”
Orielle told him okay and navigated to her text messages.
Pulling up her thread with Najee, she squinted while tapping his name below the circle with an N inside it.
Pressing ‘Share My Location’, she hesitated.
There were three options to choose from, and she wasn’t that high to pick the last one.
As if he could read her mind, Najee chuckled and helped her out.
“Just send me the address. You ain’t gotta share your funky location with me indefinitely. Even though my other friends do,” he said teasingly.
“Oh, whatever. Those other friends don’t have shit on me.” Orielle tapped the infinity circle and swiped out of her messages. When she came back to the screen, Najee was grinning.
“It’s a privilege to know where I be at.”
“You’re absolutely right, it is, so thank you. That was so kind of you,” he jested, making her playfully roll her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. You better share yours too.”
“I’m doing it now, woman.”
Her phone vibrated with a new notification from him, and she grinned. “Mhm. Better have.”
“A’ight, chill.” Najee laughed. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
She blinked slowly while lying down on the couch. The look she gave him made Najee want to speed to her, but he wasn’t a reckless driver anymore. “You’re getting off the phone with me?”
“Nah, baby. I was just telling you.”
“Oh,” she said and yawned. “Okay. Tell me about your day. Did your auntie like the restaurant I told you about?”
Smiling, Najee did as he was asked and shared all the details of his day that he hadn’t shared through text. This feeling right here... the stage people considered the honeymoon phase, was one he found himself enjoying more than a little bit. Orielle just had that effect on him.