Chapter 14 #2
I rushed from the room before he could change his mind, and ran right into Angie, who must’ve been standing outside the door, being nosy. “Oh, my God, girl. What happened? Are you okay?” She stopped me and held me by my shoulders.
“Oh, my God! Yes! Thankfully, Smith is only suspending me for a week since the general manager was here when that shit happened.”
“Ugh! Suspended? I should have slapped that hoe when I had the chance, but that nigga dragged her outta here too fast!” She looked genuinely pissed that she’d missed the opportunity and it had me laughing instead of crying like I wanted to.
“It’s okay. I’m just glad I didn’t get fired,” I admitted, knowing Smith had to really appreciate me to keep me on after the shit show. It could’ve been much worse, and then I’d have had to cut somebody.
“I know that’s right. Think about it like a vacation and get you something cute to sip on while you wait,” her messy ass encouraged, giving me a quick hug.
“Let me get back over here ’cause I know he’s in there watching the camera now.
Don’t forget to enjoy your time,” she ordered, walking away while flipping off the camera overhead.
Taking her advice, I hit the aisle where the alcohol was and snatched a bottle of Patron up.
With the bag secured, I clocked out and made my way to my car, ignoring the way Sosa was blowing up my phone.
The last thing he should’ve been doing was trying to call me after that shit, but he probably thought I was going to be so desperate that I’d want to hear him out.
Little did he know, I didn’t have shit for him.
I stopped on the way home and grabbed some takeout so I wouldn’t have to worry about making myself some food once I was drunk.
I’d fuck around and invite Essence over to help me with the food and the bottle, but as soon as I had that thought, I shook it.
The last thing I was trying to do was alert Essence that I was in my feelings over a nigga.
She still didn’t even know about Jordan, so it was no way I was skipping over him to tell her about Sosa.
In fact, I wanted to forget about that nigga entirely, but obviously, that was easier said than done.
As soon as I pulled up to my apartment building, he was posted out front next to his truck.
I instantly rolled my eyes. I hated how damn good he looked, which was another thing that had set me off back at the store.
He’d been on his phone when I pulled up, probably setting up a date with the next bitch, but once he saw me, he stood up straight. Before I could even park good, he was at my door, trying to get it open and calling my damn name again.
“Perfect, let me just explain real quick.”
He jumped out of the way just in time to not get the door swung on him as I opened it, but that just left the opportunity for him to block me in my car.
“Okay, go right ahead,” I told him, even though I wasn’t trying to hear shit.
But with him standing in my way, I would obviously have to, anyway.
Instead of facing him, I got my bags together on the passenger seat.
“Damn, can you look at me?” he asked frustratedly.
I stopped what I was doing long enough to turn my head. I kept my expression bland like I was staring at a damn brick wall, and he went silent.
“I don’t have all day, Sosa. I’d really like to get inside and watch my show.” I blinked slowly, arms folded impatiently.
“You took that shit all wrong today. That was one of my cousin’s girls, man.
He needed me to take her to get that shit ’cause he can’t drive!
” He got louder and spoke faster as I started to leave again.
“Yoooo, what you doin’?” Panic covered his face, but he’d quickly lost the chance that I was going to give him.
“That sounds like bullshit, and I’m going in the house, Sosa.” I waved him off, literally done with the conversation if he was going to lie. Hell, I didn’t want to hear shit he had to say about anything, I just wanted him to get the fuck out my face.
“I’ll call that nigga right now. Perfect, I ain’t got no reason to lie! Why the fuck would I be on your line every day, tryna spend time with you, just to be fucking that bitch, and raw! How that shit sound?” he quizzed, and I raised my eyebrow with twisted lips.
“Call him then,” I challenged, even though he could’ve very well already talked to his cousin and worked out this story.
Niggas did that shit all the time, and I know if my sister or Micah ever needed me to lie, I’d do the same shit.
The speed in which he pulled out his phone and was calling his cousin on speakerphone either meant he was prepared for me to say that or he was telling the truth.
I waited with my arms folded for him to answer, but that shit went to voicemail, and he cursed before redialing him.
This time, he answered, and already, I could hear the loud ass bird in the background arguing with him, making Sosa give me a pointed look.
“Shut up, bro. Don’t you see me on the phone?” a deep voice came on the line. “Aye, my bad, Sos. What’s up?”
“Aye, is that Norielle’s ignorant ass in the background? You and her goofy ass got me in some shit, man. Tell my girl what yo’ crippled ass had me doing today,” Sosa grumbled, holding the phone between us, so I could hear, but I was already starting to see my mistake.
“Aye, Perfect―”
“Nigga, don’t call her that! Fuck wrong with you?” Sosa snapped, licking his lips as our eyes met. Clearly, he had mentioned me to his cousin and had used his special nickname when doing so, which had me feeling special.
“That’s what the fuck you call her. I thought it was her name, muthafucka!”
“Nah, her name is Bliss to you, fuck you mean!” Sosa’s forehead pinched as his cousin laughed on the phone.
“Bliss? I don’t know if that’s any better to be honest, bro.”
Sosa frowned down at the screen like his cousin could see him before shooting me an apologetic look.
“Don’t mind this goofy ass nigga. He off pain pills.
” He adjusted his stance and then spoke back to his cousin.
“Can you just tell her whats up so I can hang up?” He sighed, but I honestly didn’t need to hear any more.
He’d literally proven his point, and I felt stupid as hell for jumping to conclusions.
“Bliss, I had to send that nigga to get a pill for my girl ’cause I’m not supposed to drive when I take my meds, and shorty don’t got a license.
If I had known it was going to cause all this trouble, though, I would’ve DoorDashed that shit for real, but I promise my cousin ain’t on no bullshit with you.
All that nigga be talkin’ ’bout is Perfect this and Perfect that!
Perfect don’t be wanting to spend time with me! Maybe I should call Perfect―”
“Yooo, what the fuck! Bye, high ass nigga!” Sosa huffed, cutting his cousin off as he cackled and hung up before he could say anything else.
My eyes were already getting misty, and I laughed at the aggravation on his face, making the tears spill out over my cheeks.
“See, I told your ass. All that shit was just a misunderstanding.” His voice lowered, and he swiped my cheek with his thumb.
“So why haven’t you been answering the phone? You’ve been ignoring my calls and messages for days, and the first time I see you, you’re with some random ass broad, picking up a Plan B.” The question had been driving me crazy for days, and since he was clearing shit up, I needed to know.
“Real shit, I been feeling like I need to back up off you. I know you been through something behind a nigga, but it got you being over hard on me. Every time I try to get up with you, you got some type of excuse, so I thought maybe you needed some time to yourself to work on that. I just needed to clear that shit up from earlier, though, ’cause I can’t have you out here thinkin’ I’m on some fuck nigga shit,” he said, wiping my face again since more and more tears were slipping out after his confession.
I definitely was feeling a mix of emotions, knowing that I’d had shit all wrong. I’d been putting off my issues with Jordan on him and it had me fucking up something good that was staring me in the face.
“We good now, though?” he asked, already beginning to move away, and my chest tightened.
“Wait, that’s it? You’re bouta leave?” I sounded desperate as hell as I grabbed his hand to stop him from standing.
“I meant what I said about giving you some space, Perfect. I ain’t tryna rush you into shit.”
“But what if I don’t want space? I was tryna keep you at a distance, but I’m ready to open myself up more.
This whole situation is both of our faults because our communication is lacking.
If I had told you that I just got out of a situationship that was trying to keep me a secret, so my insecurities are high, then maybe you would have understood where I was coming from by keeping you at arm’s length.
I do wanna try this thing out with you, though.
Like, can we just start over?” My voice cracked, not at all liking the way I couldn’t read his expression after I’d just poured my heart out.
It looked like he was about to try to let me down gently, but he finally flashed that bottom grill, and my stomach filled with butterflies.
“Anything you want, Perfect.”