16. Somee
Somee
Me: What’s after level ten? Asking for a friend.
Marlee: First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes Somee with a baby carriage.
Me: I didn’t say I was the friend.
Marlee: No new friends hoe. If you’re not asking for yourself then you can’t get my advice. Now what’s the tea?
Inavigated to my images and selected the pictures I snapped of the roses Ryland got for me and Rylee, attached them to a text, and hit send.
Me: He got us flowers for Valentine’s Day.
Marlee: Damn frennnn, he’s already staking claim. You better give him some as a thank you.
Me: Too late. I already did
I looked up long enough to see Ryland’s sexy ass grinning in his barber Nyla’s face.
They were engaged in conversation while she cut his hair but nothing about their interaction was flirty or out of line.
Nyla was a beautiful brown skinned woman with a pixie cut I wished I could pull off.
She had tattoos up her neck and down her arms. I could tell she was a whole vibe.
Nyla had the type of energy that made you want to be in her space but the two of them were truly just friends.
She was no more enamored by Ryland than the other customers and staff in She’s Elite Cutz.
People loved Ryland Parks, the man and the Sharks player, because they were certainly two different people.
The Ryland I knew was chill and easygoing, a far stretch from the celebrity fans were used to.
Ryland the Sharks player was the people’s champ.
His personality was hype and full of charm.
Me: The dick broke the charts and now I’m sitting at the barbershop watching this man get a cut that’s making him even more fine than he already was while trying to decide if it’s fair for one man to be so damn…everything.
Me: And not only was the dick phenomenal but he bought me flowers for Valentine’s Day and I didn’t have to say shit. What am I supposed to do with that?
Marlee: Oh friend. You’re done for. There’s no hope of survival. I’m gonna miss you. Let me go ahead and set up my quarterly flights to Crescent Falls. I’m also going to pull up to your spot and burn all your Tigers gear ’cause yeah, you won’t need that anymore.
Me: Bitch don’t touch my shit. I’m never bailing on my Tigers.
Marlee:
Me: Don’t do that, I mean it.
Marlee: The dick has you delusional ’cause no man that has you wanting to risk it all is going to let you wear another man’s name on your body.
Me: You have a point. Tigers time of death, the minute Ryland Parks put his dick in me.
Marlee: I love you real bad.
Marlee: So what’s the deal though? You over the whole I’m never dating a hearing man?
Me: He’s very convincing, but I just feel like this is too easy.
I glanced at Ryland whose eyes were on me. As soon as he had my attention, his hands were moving.
“You good?”
“Yes.”
Marlee: When did easy become a bad thing?
Me: It’s not, but this easy feels too easy and that makes me anxious. He’s saying and doing all the right things. This feels good and that scares me.
Marlee: It’s okay to be scared as long as you’re moving forward. The only time being scared is a problem is when it holds you back. I’m going to say something you might not agree with, but as your friend, I have to perform my due diligence.
Me: Okay…
Marlee: Your mother is in your head.
Me: She’s not.
Marlee: You’re considering something serious with Ryland, right?
Me: Yes.
Marlee: If you had to tell your mother how you feel right now, would you?
No…
Me: She wouldn’t understand but it’s not about him being hearing. It’s more about me considering a new life separate from the one I worked so hard to build.
Marlee: You said he’s saying and doing all the right things, right?
Me: Yes.
Marlee: Okay bet, I know you, friend. What that means is he’s making room for you in his life and willing to support whatever makes you happy.
That man is rich. If you want to teach, you can do that.
If you want to stand on your head pissing in the wind, you can do that too.
As for your mother having an issue with you leaving the life you built to start a new one that makes you happy, there’s no reason why she would be upset unless it’s about one thing…
Him being hearing.
Marlee: And if you’re saying you wouldn’t tell her it’s because she’s in your head.
Part of you feels like she won’t approve of your life being completely upgraded or you falling for a man willing to go above and beyond to make you happy simply because of a past that has nothing to do with you.
That’s her life. Don’t let it be yours, friend.
I stared at the phone for a long moment before I responded.
Me: I love you, thank you.
Marlee: Bitch tell me I’m right. Don’t dance around that shit with a thank you and I love you.
Me: All hail Queen Marlee. She knows all, sees all, and is never to be questioned.
Marlee: Put some RESPECT on my name, friend!
Me:
Marlee: Okay now on to more important subjects. Who’s single on his team? I’m trying to get me a baller and have my life upgraded too?
Me: So is it really about me or you trying to get the hookup?
Marlee: Both, let’s just consider it a mutually beneficial opportunity and arrangement.
Me: Selfish ass hoe
Marlee: But you love me
Me: 4 Lyfe
I locked my phone just in time to see Nyla removing the cape from Ryland. His sexy ass was grinning as he checked out his cut in the handheld mirror while she cleaned her station.
After he nodded his approval for the cut, he removed his phone and did a tap to pay. I assumed we would be leaving, but Nyla and Ryland were both heading my way. I stood and flashed a smile when she delivered one.
“Ryland said you can read lips.”
I nodded.
She cut her eyes his way before she was talking to me again. “Do not let this man play in your face. He’s a hoe, a reformed hoe according to him, because he’s trying to lock you down. If he fucks up, I have a lot of friends who are a lot sexier and have deeper pockets.”
Ryland threw his head back and laughed.
“Get the fuck outta here with that. She’s good and doesn’t have to worry about me fucking up.”
He spoke the words to Nyla but signed them as well for me.
“So he says, but if he messes up. I got you, girl.” She turned to her station and lifted a business card which I accepted with a smile and slipped into my pocket.
“I’ll get you locked in because I don’t trust these H-O-E-S,” I signed with a smug grin and Nyla turned to Ryland, waiting for him to interpret.
His hands were moving but he did not repeat what I said. “She said she’s good. There’s not another man on earth who can compete with hers.”
Nyla looked at me for confirmation and I glared at Ryland.
“Tell her the truth.”
He grinned. “She said she’ll lock you in because she don’t trust these H-O-E-S.”
When Nyla’s eyes were on me again, I nodded confirmation and she rolled her eyes and extended a hand. “Especially not this one.” She cut a glance at Ryland. “Nice to meet you, Somee.”
“Same,” I signed and Ryland relayed. After we left Nyla’s personal style suite, he acknowledged a few more people as we left the shop with daps and nods.
“I hope my crash course of Crescent Falls wasn’t watching you getting a haircut.”
He smirked, starting the GWagon. “You didn’t enjoy watching your man get fine.”
“You’re not my man and I enjoyed making a friend.”
He laughed. “Nyla isn’t your friend if she’s trying to come between our love.”
My eyes rolled and his hands were moving. “And although I’m the best part of your crash course of the city, I have something else in mind.”
He drove us downtown to a hotel called The Metropolitan where we took a private elevator to the rooftop set up with vendor tents from local restaurants and stores.
“What’s this?”
“Taste of the City. They have it a couple times a year, where a lot of the best places in the city set up to give you an overview of why Crescent Falls is the only place you need to be. I told you I was giving you a crash course.”
“You’re originally from Chicago, so how is it fuck your city?”
“I fuck with Chicago, but I’ve been here for so long that this is home. I’ve lived in Crescent Falls only as an adult, so my memories of Chicago can’t compete with what I have here.”
“Traitor,” I signed and he chuckled, dropping an arm around my shoulders as we started our rounds. It was cold as shit up here but most of the tents were heated or had free standing outdoor heaters, so it wasn’t that bad.
My crash course began with a hot matcha from Brewed Bean and as a matcha connoisseur, I had to admit their turmeric ginger vanilla matcha was the best I ever had. It was now my new favorite and I was seriously considering a second after I finished.
The only thing that stopped me was everything accessible at the moment.
We were currently standing outside of the Just Tattoo tent and their artwork was beautiful.
The whole needle in skin thing completely turned me off but the display of their artists’ work had me contemplating the possibility of getting one… for all of five seconds.
“They’re doing tattoos?”
“Yeah, you want one?”
“No, I’m not a masochist. Did they do yours?”
“Most of them, yes. I’ve gotten a few while traveling.”
“I thought your tattoo person was supposed to be like your barber. You don’t cheat on them.”
He smiled amusedly. “Most of the time, yes, because you can’t trust everyone. That shit is permanent. I do have a few people I trust in other places. East at Eastside in Atlanta is pretty much the only one other than my artist at Just though. You want me to hook you up?”
“Nope. I have no interest in ink and needles piercing my skin.”
“You don’t have any at all?”
My face heated. “I’m pretty sure you would know if I did.”
Ryland stepped closer, so his chest touched mine. “I wasn’t really focused on all that when I had you naked but I plan on doing a full body search later.” He spoke the words without signing them.