Chapter 6 #2
"When you mugged me the first time we saw each other, you made a nigga hard as fuck. I couldn't let you get away so easily. No one's ever gotten to me that way," he confessed.
Tilting my head, I questioned, "So, this is about me making your dick hard and not about you getting to know me?"
His eyes never wavered from mine as he said, "My dick doesn't jump for just anybody, baby, especially not off sight alone. It takes a lot to stimulate me."
"If so, how did I stimulate you? As you said, all you did was look at me." Why was I even entertaining his line of conversation? We hadn't had our first dinner, yet we were discussing his dick.
When he bit his lip in restraint, I knew whatever came out of his mouth would ruin me for the rest of the night.
Sin's lids slid lower, covering his brown eyes as he exhaled, which really sounded like a moan.
"I imagined that slick mouth, what it tasted like, and what it could do to me.
" Several seconds later, his lids slid open, and his heated gaze found mine.
"But, anyway, this is just dinner, so wassup? Tell me what made you get the grill."
His abrupt change in subjects had me blinking to clear my head.
"Uhm... It was a dare." I downed half of my sweet tea to squelch the heat rising in my chest.
"A dare?"
"Yep," I confirmed.
"Elaborate," he prompted.
Sighing, I really didn't want to tell him how I ended up with my grill because I hated admitting I'd lost a game.
"This dude from—"
"Oh shit, never mind," he interrupted with a grumble.
"What?" I snickered at the expression on his face.
"I'on wanna hear 'bout some nigga being with you like that. If that makes me seem like the jealous type..." He shrugged his shoulder as his words trailed off.
Laughing, I playfully swatted his arm. "You didn't even let me finish what I was gonna say. And anyway, my last boyfriend was well over a year ago, and it was Taurus."
"That nigga cheated on you?" Sin shook his head in shame.
"No," I answered. "Vick didn't have my back like a man should have for his woman." I wouldn't mention anything else that transpired between Vick and me.
"Back to the subject, though. For your information, it wasn't even like that with Taurus and me.
He challenged me to a one-on-one, first to thirty.
Our game got so heated that the court was packed by the time it was over.
" I smiled, recalling the day a good friend of mine, Taurus, challenged me to a game.
He'd been trying to get me one-on-one for a while, but I never wanted to see him on the blacktop.
Taurus was a hood dude, who I became friends with while playing at the local basketball court. While I was busting everybody's ass out there, Taurus would sit off to the side and watch me. He was my age but had never flirted with me. I guess he considered me to be one of the boys.
"Needless to say, he beat me by two. Our deal was if he won, I had to get a grill.
He knew how much I hated this one dude who played with us sometimes, and I would call him yuck mouth 'cause he talked too damn much and had all golds.
" Sin laughed at that. "If I would've won, though, Taurus would've had to give me the brand-new Mercedes he'd just purchased. "
"Wow." Sin chuckled.
"Exactly."
"So, where's Taurus now? Happy that he can say he beat a pro-baller in a pickup game?"
"No." My smile dimmed. "He died a few weeks later. Somebody clipped him on the highway."
"Oh, damn. That's fucked up."
I nodded. "So, I got the grill even though he passed because a deal was a deal."
"Right," he agreed. "So, if I made a deal with you, would you keep it?"
Shrugging my shoulders, I said, "It depends on what you're talking about."
Sin peered off for a minute in thought. While he was busy thinking, my stomach growled impatiently. I was about to complain about the food taking too long when I saw the server headed back our way, food perched over her shoulder.
Sin must've had something deep he wanted to say because he waited until our food was in front of us before speaking.
After sweetly blessing the food, he asked, "Everything looks okay to you?"
"It sure does," I replied. At this point, my fried chicken and macaroni and cheese were going to have to do. My stomach was in protest of my waiting to fill it.
"Our deal is... If tonight goes well, you let me take you on a second date, a real date, just me and you."
"And if it doesn't go well?" As far as I was concerned, Sin seemed cool, but if I knew nothing else, I knew men's ways changed more than women. One dinner wasn't going to show me exactly who Sin was.
Sin chuckled. "It's gon' go well."
The finality in his statement and his voice made me believe him. I started eating, wondering if I was really opening myself up again. When my stomach wanted to roll in protest, I fought it back with thoughts of the kiss Sin had placed on my lips.
PENELOPE
As soon as our food hit the table, I dug in without even praying over it. Zoo scoffed, bowed his head, and said grace.
"My granny said not prayin' over ya food is a good way to choke on some shit," he explained.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "What?" Rolling my eyes, I went back to my plate. "I wish you'd move. Nobody asked your ass to sit next to me," I mumbled around a mouth full of food.
"Lil' baby, you're salty as fuck for whatever reason. I'on know if you think that mean shit is a turnoff, but you might wanna reconsider with me."
Zoo's body heat was fucking up my mental. I sat at this table to give Naomi and Sin some space when Zoo invited his ass to sit next to me.
Chortling, I mumbled, "This nigga is crazy." Then, I looked at him and said, "I'm not wasting my time caring how you feel about the way I am."
"See, that's the thing, shawty"—he paused eating to glance my way—"I'on think that is who you are. You're just like that with me."
I waved his statement off. No matter how irresistible Zoo was, I treated him like I did everyone else. "There are some people that would beg to differ."
"You owe me an apology," he said, changing the subject.
I turned my nose up and eyed him. "For what?"
"For trying me like a weak nigga," he replied.
I chuckled to myself. "Yeah, okay. Don't wait on it." Sipping my Coke, I brushed him off.
Before I knew it, he'd jacked my plate just as I was about to dig my fork back in.
"The fuck!" I protested. "Gimmie my food!" Several diners glanced our way but kept eating when they realized nothing was serious.
"Nah, not 'til you apologize, Sug."
My eyes lowered into deadly slits. "You're determined to make me fuck you up," I fumed.
"I want you to fuck me..." He grinned. I gasped. "…up that is," he continued. "That lil' crazy behind those brown eyes has me intrigued."
"Oh my G— Move!" I pushed on his arm to move him out of the booth. It was no luck because Zoo was built like an animal. "I'on need that damn food, anyway." I pushed his arm again. "Get the fuck outta the way!" I demanded.
Zoo glanced around the restaurant to ensure no one was paying attention to our little debacle. When he peeped that everyone was pretty much minding their own business, he turned his eyes back on me.
"Nah, lil' baby. You gon' sit yo' ass right here and behave like a nigga askin' you to do. Nicely, I should add. We're having a civilized dinner, and you're fuckin' the shit up for what? Chill yo' ass out, nie. This my last time warnin' you to quit playin' wit' a nigga like me."
My eyes spit pure fire, but his eyes were more intense as he stared back at me.
Strong and swift arousal passed through me because who was this nigga talking to like this?
As our eyes warred, his pierced right through me, calming something inside me.
I slowly sat back down. He placed the plate back in front of me, and I resumed eating.
"I'm not afraid of you," I uttered after minutes had passed.
"Fear is not what I want you to feel when it comes to me. Respect goes both ways. Let's try to have it with each other."
"It's not that I don't respect you. I just don't like you," I countered.
Zoo placed his fork down and gave me his full attention. "Why?"
I hiked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Why?" he reiterated. "Why don't you like me?"
"Because I don't!" I snapped back.
He grinned. "Come now, lil' baby. That ain't good enough for me. I want an honest reason for why you don't like me."
Since he wanted it, I'd give him the real reason I couldn't stand his ass. "Because you're a hoe, Zeus. Is that honest enough for you?"
I watched his jaw flex, and his eyes turn almost cold.
"Yeah, shawty, but you're wrong as fuck."
"How is that?" I asked.
"Because you don't know me," he replied, hunching his shoulders.
I chuckled. "Yeah, okay. That's your best response?"
"That's like me sittin' here callin' you a hoe, and I don't know the first thing about you other than you're mean as fuck," he explained.
I blinked at him, wondering if he was actually trying to call me a hoe. Because if he was...
"By the way, you're real as fuck for speakin' ya mind no matter how fucked-up it is. I dig that shit about you," he complimented.
For the first time ever, a blush crept into my cheeks.
"So, are we gon' be cordial, seeing as ya sister and my cousin headed down the aisle?"
His comment drew a genuine smile from my lips. Peering over at Naomi and Sin, by the way her head was thrown back in laughter, they were getting along pretty well.
"All bias aside, your cousin would be lucky to have my sis as a girlfriend, let alone a wife," I noted. My sister was a good woman through and through. All I wanted was for her to be happy. "I'll be cordial, but don't push it," I told Zoo.
We went back to our food and finished up shortly after. Surprisingly, Zoo and I made it through the rest of dinner without any issues.
"When's the next time I can take you out?" he asked just as the server placed the ticket on the table.
I smacked my teeth. "Didn't I just say not to push it?"
"Well, let's exchange numbers so I can check up on you."
Snickering, I asked, "Why do you need to check up on me?"
He handed me his phone and said, "Because I do."
Seconds passed before I took the phone and put my number in. He called my line, bringing my phone to life atop the table.
"Don't save me under your little slick hoe names either," I grumbled.
He chortled. "Never that, lil' baby."
I rolled my eyes, smacked my teeth again, and shook my head. "And don't be blowing my shit up at no damn booty call hours."
Zoo's grin sent my mind to the gutter. "Aight, Pen," he acquiesced. "For the record, this Pen is way nicer than that other chick."
"Pen?" I griped but then laughed.
"Yeah, and call me Zoo," he requested.
Scoffing, I shook my head. "I will not. Zeus is fitting for you."
As soon as I said the words, I wished I could’ve taken them back. Zeus did resemble a warrior, though. His dreads added so much character to him that if he had a sword and shield, he'd look like something straight out of a superhero movie.
"What do I get for lettin' you call me Zeus?"
A smile played on my lips that I tried to hide. "You just got my number, and again, you're pushing it."
He shrugged. "You'd be surprised how much you like me if you stop tryna fight that shit."
"I'm not fighting anything, and you're pushing it," I sang.
Deciding to take what he could, Zeus backed off. Apart of me knew that he was right. If I gave him the chance, maybe I'd see that he was a nice guy. I wouldn't give him a chance because men nowadays loved playing games. I wasn't the one or the two, and definitely not the three.