7. Kasia Mosley #3
Chuckling, he replied, “I won’t. It’s best to come here hungry and if you eat all kinds of meat. Came with my sister once, and she only eats chicken—worst experience of my life.”
I giggled.
“So is this your favorite restaurant?”
“One of them, the other being Russell’s. Shocked I’ve never seen you there before.”
“I’m usually in the back, unless it’s Sundays and I have to work the bar for my bartender’s breaks and such.” I nodded, sipping the perfectly balanced lemon drop.
Our first round of meat options came around, so we opted to take a couple pieces of everything.
“What do you usually do on your off days, Kasia?” He ate some of the sausage.
“I typically take my daughter somewhere fun or to the movies or just anything with her,” I answered, leaving out that sometimes it was with Josias.
“Cool. Cool. And you said she was two and a half?”
“I did.” I smiled. “Good memory. You’re childless, right?”
“I am, until I get married. I don’t want any before.” He shook his head then froze. “I didn’t say that as a dig, just a true answer.”
“No need to explain. I understand.” I sipped more of my cocktail. “If I do have any more, it won’t be out of wedlock either.”
“Your child’s father, how is that relationship?”
“It’s . . . fine.” I laughed when Darron squinted his eyes. “I mean, we had a somewhat tumultuous relationship, and now we just co-parent.” I was starting to feel anxious again.
I didn’t want to talk about Josias, because then I would start to miss him and how easy it was with him.
Anytime we went out to eat or anywhere, it was such a good time, ending with amazing sex that would have my bedsheets soaked with my abundance of orgasms. Josias would be perfect if it weren’t for his inability to be a one-woman man.
“How long ago did you break up?”
I nibbled on my lip, willing away the urge to lie. Thankfully, a man came around with some lamb to give me a little time.
Once he left, I confessed, “Like a month or so ago.”
“Oh . . .shit.” Darron’s brows were kissing his hairline as he set his drinking glass down. Frowning, he questioned, “And you’re sure you’re ready to date? I thought you didn’t have an ex you were still hung up on?”
“I’m not hung up on him.” I became defensive but took a breather to calm down. “This last breakup was like the final straw. It’s different. I think being older now, I see shit differently.”
“I get it.” Darron bobbed his head, stabbing a piece of lamb with his fork and shoving it into his mouth as his eyes swept the dining room.
My phone buzzing in my purse pulled my attention away from trying to decipher what he was thinking, and my heart thrummed in my chest seeing Josias’s name on the screen.
“One second, it could be about my daughter.” I fibbed, hopping up before Darron could approve and rushing to the bathroom to avoid the loud cacophony of voices, clinking silverware, and shouting chefs. “Hey,” I cooed into the phone but was met with loud voices in the distance.
It wasn’t distant enough for me not to hear, however.
“I saw that bitch in your face, and now all of a sudden, you got a play to make? Yeah fucking right!” Tarin’s loud, boisterous voice almost blew my eardrum, even from afar.
“Man, fuck out of here! I got shit to do!”
“At least be honest and admit you’re about to fuck some random bitch you just met! According to you, you only lie when you scared of something, right, nigga?” It was silence before Tarin shouted again, “Right? So you a punk ass nigga?”
“Touch me again, Tarin, and I’m gon’ forgo all the love I got for you and go upside ya fucking head,” Josias threatened, and I could sense his seriousness even through this butt dial.
“Then stop—”
“Yeah, I’m about to meet up with the bitch you saw in my face and fuck her! You happy now?”
“I fucking hate you!” Tarin’s voice was filled with sorrow, making me hang up before I mirrored her feelings in front of my date.
I was so fucking stupid running away from being at the table with a nice man to answer the call of my sorry ass baby daddy.
Not only had he whisked Tarin off to Las Vegas, something I’d already been privy to but still hurt nonetheless, but he was also still sleeping around while out there.
There was nothing I could do with a man like that.
Washing my hands quickly, I toweled them off then used it to open the door and strut back to the dinner table. Thankfully, Darron was still there.
“You alright?” he asked. “Some chicken came around, so I got you some.”
“Thank you.” I cheesed, genuinely. “I’m really enjoying this place and you.”
“I’m glad.” He smirked. “Means we have to do it again.”
“We do.”
I was elated that he wanted to and hadn’t been turned off by my demeanor shift at the mention of Josias. Fuck Josias.
After the date, Darron invited me back to his place, but I declined. I was too horny and didn’t want to end up fucking him on the first date like I had with Josias.
I wanted to take my time and not repeat the same mistakes. Though, the petty part of me wanted to at least get some head and butt dial Josias in the middle of it. But I knew that would do nothing but keep me roped into this toxic circus I’d been headlining with him.