Chapter 8 #2
“Nah. You just don’t look too hot,” I half lied.
She looked hungover as hell, but I also most definitely was offering to end the game early because I was losing.
Who the hell would have known her little ass was so good at mini golf?
That was what I got for trying to do something different for our first date.
I should have stuck to dinner and a movie because my competitive ass was sick of losing.
Last night, I’d lost every single game we played. Mostly, it was because Icelynn and Beretta kept sabotaging each other, and somehow, I kept getting hit with their bullshit too.
Chyna looked at the mini golf course and then back at me and sighed. We still had a long way to go, and I knew she wasn’t up for it.
“Fine. But we’re coming back here for a rematch,” she warned as she pointed at me with narrowed eyes.
“Bet.” I grinned. At least I didn’t have to admit defeat today.
“But let’s get some food before we leave. I think a sandwich or something will help soak up some of this alcohol.”
I put my arm around her. “I told you to stop takin’ shots wit’ Icelynn’s crazy ass.”
“I used to be able to hang with her,” Chyna defended, but she grabbed her head.
I knew that shit was pounding. Instead of that pussy she had promised me last night, her ass had gotten just as drunk as the people we were actually trying to get drunk.
She passed out as soon as everyone left and spent this morning sick as hell.
“Come on. Let’s get you some food and water.” I grabbed her hand and walked her through the golf course.
Near the entrance was a small restaurant. I’d never been to this place before, but Sami and Millie told me about it and said they always had a good time here. I hoped the food was good enough to cure my baby’s hangover.
“Table for two,” I told the hostess as we approached the stand.
Chyna squeezed my hand, but I ignored her.
The hostess cleared her throat as she looked at me in confusion. “Uh, sir? There’s a line—”
“Aye, did I ask you a question?” I barked.
The hostess jumped slightly, and Chyna tugged on my hand. “Bae, don’t be like that.”
I looked down at her and blinked, ignoring the people in line that I walked past to speak to the hostess. They grumbled about me cutting in line, but I didn’t give not one good gotdamn fuck about none of that.
“You need to eat, right?”
“Yes,” Chyna said slowly.
“Aight then,” I said as I focused back on the hostess. “Table for two.”
“Sir—”
“Look, I ain’t really wit’ the whole back-and-forth right now. Either you get me a table for two right now, or I’ma start walking down this line of ugly-ass people and punching them dead in the face.” I glanced behind me at a short white man with a punchable-looking nose. “Starting with him.”
“Uh . . .” The hostess looked at Chyna for help.
My baby just shook her head and said, “It’s best you just get us that table. I promise to tip well for your troubles.”
The hostess quickly grabbed two menus. “Follow me.”
As we walked behind her, I leaned down toward Chyna and asked, “Why you promising to tip these people? They ain’t even wanna help us until I threatened them. I ain’t leavin’ them shit but a bad review on Yelp.”
“Keegan, please,” she hissed as she tugged on my hand.
I looked at her like she was crazy but dropped the subject.
As soon as we sat down, the hostess scurried away.
“Fuck is her problem?” I asked as I snatched the menu up and glanced over it.
“You’re impossible.” Chyna laughed as she shook her head.
“How? What I do?”
“Nothing, baby. Nothing at all.”
I grunted and resumed looking over the menu. After I decided what I wanted, I put my menu down and saw Chyna scrolling on her phone.
“What you wanna do when we get home?” I asked. I was a bit bummed that the date didn’t go the way I planned it, but there would be many more, so I decided not to dwell on it.
Chyna put her phone down and sighed. “I’ve been looking at apartments online. I think I want to reach out to a few of them and set up some tours.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because I need a place to live. Even if Mr. Chang gets my place fixed up, I don’t feel comfortable staying there anymore. I just hate that there’s so much I have to replace. All my furniture . . .”
Her words trailed off, and I stared at her in confusion. “But you live wit’ me now.”
Her brows pulled in. “No, baby. I’m staying with you for now, but me and Liam need to find a new place to stay.”
“Why?” I asked again because I really didn’t understand.
She laughed like something was funny. “I can’t just live with you, Kee.”
“Why?” I would keep asking until I understood.
She stared at me incredulously. “Because . . . because we’re so new. Like, brand new. Don’t you think we need time to settle into this new relationship before taking that step?”
“No.”
“Okay . . . I mean, we don’t even fully know each other. Do you even want to get married? Do you want more children?”
“To you? Yes. With you? Yes.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “But how do we know we can live together long term? I mean, we don’t really know—”
“If you say we don’t know each other one more time, I’ma throw this fork at the back of that lady’s head.” I grasped the fork in front of me and nodded to a lady sitting not far from us.
Chyna laughed. “Keegan!”
“What? I’m serious. I know you, Doll. Stop sayin’ that shit.”
“You don’t—”
I sighed loudly. “I know your middle name is Elise, which is hilarious to me because where ya mama get that white-ass name from?”
Her smile faltered. “It was my grandmother’s name.”
I grunted. “I know you hate tomatoes, but you love ketchup. I know you love Disney movies and swear you ain’t cryin’ when you watch them, but yo’ soft ass can’t help but drop a few thug tears.
I know you want a long-lasting marriage like your parents, even though you won’t ever admit it out loud because you gave up on love after Darnell—”
“Damien—”
“Changed up on you and broke yo’ heart. I know yo’ ass hates when people don’t wear socks in the house, and you poke those pretty lips out when you’re deep in thought.
I know you’re the best mom and would do anything for your son.
I pay attention, Doll. You think I spent all this time wit’ you and ain’t pick up on shit? ”
She shifted in her seat as she avoided my gaze. “All that’s beautiful, baby, but I don’t know . . . I don’t really want to live with another man that I’m not at least engaged to.”
“Aight.”
Her eyes bounced up to meet mine. “Huh?”
“Aight. I got you. I understand now.”
She laughed nervously. “What do you understand?”
Thankfully, I didn’t have to respond, because the waiter came to take our orders.
Baby didn’t know, but I always got the last laugh. It was okay, though. She would learn soon. Real fuckin’ soon. I always got what I wanted.