Chapter 13
ZEUS
Using my key that I had to damn near beg Sin to give back to me, I walked into his crib. He was gon' curse me out, but he'd get over that shit. If he took my key back again, I’d already made two mo' copies of it. Hearing his voice, I followed it upstairs.
"Yeah, I'll make it on time. I'm about to get in the shower and leave within the next hour."
"Aight, I have to be there before then, so just call or text me when you pull up."
"Where we going?" I asked Sin after hearing him talk to Naomi.
"To the party we're having for making it to the playoffs. PJ didn't tell you about it?" Naomi questioned, and lowkey had me pissed off.
"Yeah, she did. I forgot all about it. Let me go get dressed so I can pull up with Sin."
"Ok, I'll see y'all in a little while." They ended the call, and Sin immediately turned around toward me.
"She ain't tell you, did she?" Sin thought that shit was hilarious.
"Hell nah, but I'm going. Fuck she thinks this shit is?
Pen has been talkin' to me almost every day since we exchanged numbers.
That lil' I don't like you at all bullshit started to go out the window, or so I thought.
Since she didn't invite me, I'm guessing her ass is in one of her moods again.
The shit she says may scare the average muthafucka away, but ain't shit 'bout me average though, so you already know I'm pulling up. "
"Aight, don't show out and fuck up my girl’s night," Sin warned.
Rearing my head back, I looked at this nigga like he was the parent of the child that got dragged by the gorilla at the zoo.
"Yo' girl? This nigga gets a piece of pussy and won't let me act up anymore. Pen better be on her best behavior, and then I won't have a reason to act up." Sin shook his head, already knowing I was inpatient crazy, not outpatient.
"Yoo... yooo! Sin! You ready?" Sin scratched his head and turned away from me when Brooklyn's voice boomed throughout the house.
"You invited this nigga, and not me?" I mugged his ass.
"How was I supposed to know she ain't tell you? I just told him today so he can kick it with me. Don't even trip like that."
"This nigga ain't going so you can go'on back home," I told Brooklyn as he stepped in, looking like he belonged on the cover of CN. Fuck GQ. He out was here looking like a cornball-ass nigga. He was probably going so he could creep in and take my girl. It was always those pretty boy ass niggas.
"I'm going. Zoo's mad 'cause PJ ain't invite him tonight, so he 'bout to show up, anyway."
"I'm going to support Naomi, so Pen can't say shit when she sees me. She ain't gon' have a reason to think I'm on some stalking-ass shit."
"All bullshit aside, you 'bout to look like it, but shit, go get dressed so you can ride with me. The first moment you start to show yo' ass, you leaving."
Sucking my teeth, I grilled his ass. Who the fuck made him guardian of the strong back committee?
"I'll be ready, and yo' ass better not leave me, or I'm really showing out when I pull up." After he cursed my ass out again, I headed out the door to throw on my best I'm finna get my girl outfit.
The party was in full swing, and I hadn't laid my eyes on Pen yet. Naomi came over and took Sin away, so that left me and Brooklyn standing here getting mugged by every strong back bitch in there.
"Damn, I seen her before," Brooklyn let out, then squinted like he was trying to get a good look at shawty.
"Who?"
"The chick that's talking to Sin and Naomi."
As I looked around to see who he was talking about, I spotted Pen. I no longer gave a damn what Brooklyn was talking 'bout right now.
"Damn, where have I seen her at?" Brooklyn kept talking, making me take my eyes off Pen and the nigga’s face she was skinning and grinning in.
"That's the head coach, Brianna, or some shit like that. Pen mentioned her briefly a few times," I replied.
When he started stroking his beard, I knew his wheels were turning.
"I'll holla at you in a minute. I need to grab a drink."
"Don't get in trouble, Zeus." Ignoring his warning, I walked off to find Pen.
When I spotted her again, she was standing by the wall with her back turned to me.
The nigga she was talking to had I'm ready to die on his forehead.
At least that's what my eyes saw, and they ain't played tricks on me yet.
Seeing her walk into the bathroom, I waited a few minutes before I walked up to lil' buddy with the death wish.
"Let me holla at you for a second." Without waiting on a reply, I grabbed his ass by his pink bowtie and dragged him down the same hall that Pen had just went down.
"Mista, please! Please, Mista! Let me go! Let me go!" he squealed.
For a second, I almost let him go because I felt sorry for him. The high pitchiness in his voice had me having second thoughts on the type of man he really was, but I had to follow through now.
"What the fuck is going on?" Pen came out of the bathroom stale, trying to adjust her dress at the same time. "ZEUS! What are you doing to Markquesha?
"Sis, please tell him to let me go. I promise I'll leave yo' man alone, sir. I didn't know he had someone." The Markquesha guy had tears of mascara running down his face, mascara that I couldn't see from the distance I stood before I handled his ass like a man.
"Let him go! Are you crazy?"
"Slightly, but why are you grinning in his face?" I quizzed, trying to make a point even after I saw this nigga dick wasn't swinging no way but to the back when he tucked that shit.
PENELOPE
When Markquesha ran out of the bathroom, I turned back to Zeus. "This is exactly why I can't take you seriously. All of that was unnecessary, and what are you doing here, anyway?"
"What you mean you can't take me seriously?
" Zeus purposely ignored the last part of my question.
"You want a nigga that's gon' protect you, right?
One that's not gon' give you no other reason to be in another nigga's face because you know he got everything you need.
A nigga that's gone keep you laughing one minute and calling for Jesus when he's dicking you down the next.
One with mo' money than yo' big, pretty eyes can see. "
"Maybe that's the problem."
I had become so irritated that all my cuteness went out the window. I stepped out of my Dolce & Gabbana heels, but before I could pick them up, Zeus bent down to get them and held them in his hand.
"Umm, I have to use the bathroom." Fallon came in, looking Zeus and me up and down. Instead of replying, I grabbed his hand and headed out of the building so we could talk outside.
"Talk to me, Pen. What you mean by maybe that's the problem?"
"You keep calling yourself a nigga when I'm looking for a man.
The man that I want to love me properly, trust, respect, and care for me would never show out like you just did.
He would know that I would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship because I'm in love with him.
Until you make it to the point of being a man and not a nigga, you will never get to experience any parts of me. "
"Pen, you already know me saying nigga is just how I speak. I'm a man through and through, but you won't get to experience that because you are too afraid to see what I'm about. Yeah, I came at you wrong once—"
I twisted my lip up at him.
"Ok, twice, but still, I was just giving you me.
I'm not about to beat around the bush, play with your feelings, and have you thinking I'm this corny-ass man when I'm not.
I know how to love a woman. My mama and daddy raised me better than that person you think I am.
If not them, then I was still always around love.
Sin's parents have been together for over twenty years, same as my other cousin, Brooklyn, so I've been schooled by old heads who gon' make sure I treat my woman right.
I can't change anything about my outer appearance or the way I talk with my country twang, but I can show you that I really do want to get to know you without all the bullshit. Can we do that?"
"I don't know, Zeus. You just ran off my hairstylist and makeup artist by the way you just showed yo' ass."
"I'll apologize to shim if that will make you give me another chance."
"Don't call him that, and I haven't given you a first chance," I retorted.
"You gave me your number. That was chance number one."
"That was me being nice because my sister told me if she was going to give Sin a chance, then I had to stop being mean to you."
"Damn, not 'cause you wanted to, huh?"
"Nope!" I allowed my lips to pop, putting emphasis on the P. Zeus turned on his feet quick as hell. "I'm kidding. Come here."
Zeus turned back around, and every emotion he had before I said nope was gone from his face. He had turned cold, just that fast.
"I gave you my number because even though you work my nerves, you seemed cool. And I liked the fact that you came to my game."
"I had no choice. Sin told me I was going."
"Damn, not 'cause you wanted to, huh?"
"Nope!"
"Yeah right. I'll stop tripping, and you might work your way up to a real date. As of right now, you just need to be cool."
"I got chu'."
Bending down, Zeus put my heels in front of me and helped me put my feet in them. When he buckled them up for me, a little smile came on my face, but I had to take that shit away just as quick as it came when I felt his wet lips touch my calf muscle.
"See, chance revoked that fast. Move, Animal." He started laughing like that shit was funny.
"Why you call me Animal?"
"They call you Zoo, but yo' ass act more like an animal that belongs in a zoo. Don't worry. I'll teach you some manners."
"My mama already did that. The only thing you can do is teach me how to love you because everyone's wants and desires aren't the same.
So, if I'm doing something for you that you don't like, don't be afraid to tell me, but also show me what you do like.
" Leaning in, Zeus kissed my forehead before grabbing my hand to lead me back inside the building.
"One last thing. Why didn't you invite me?
You know my cousin was coming and I would find out about it.
We've been texting a lot, but you didn't mention this. Why?"
"Because I didn't think we were on the level my sister and Sin are on. We were cordial but not to the point where I felt like you should be beside me celebrating a big moment."
"I respect that. I'm here now, though, so let's make the best of the rest of this night, unless you want me to leave."
"You ran my date off, so I guess you'll do."
"I'll do, huh?"
"Yep. You look nice, by the way. And you smell even better."
"Shiid, let me find out this cologne gon' get me to first base." As soon as he leaned in for a kiss, I mushed his ass.
"GO HOME, ROGER!"
Zeus laughed, exposing his pretty smile. "Don't do me like that." Turning back around, we headed inside.
I hadn't looked at Zeus before tonight because I didn't really think anything of us talking, but he really was fine as hell.
His dreads were freshly twisted and up in some twisted style, but you could still tell they were long as hell.
The fact that he kept them tamed was a turn-on within itself.
I hated a man that didn't groom himself on the regular.
Zeus, on the other hand, was always dressed well when I saw him.
It was his mouth that always turned me off, so I'd see how far this would go.