Chapter 8 #3
“Man, fuck you.” I waited until his ass was gone before I looked back at my laptop.
I still didn’t know if Denisha was carrying my baby, but Darius was right about one thing.
Lace needed to hear that shit from me before she heard it from anybody else.
I just had to figure out how the fuck I was supposed to tell her.
When I left my office, I texted Lace and told her to meet me at Desire for some food and drinks.
I checked on Keyana and made sure she was good at her friend’s house, then I showered once I got to the crib.
I changed into a fitted black thermal, dark jeans, and a fresh pair of black Timbs.
I threw on my Cuban link and watch, then sprayed some cologne as I headed back out.
Desire was one of the few lit spots in Bellhaven where grown folks could eat, drink, and listen to some decent music without hearing the same old shit all night.
The food was good, the drinks were strong, and the DJ usually knew what the fuck he was doing. R&B was playing when I walked in, and the spot was already starting to fill up. I looked toward the back and spotted Lace sitting in one of the booths.
Lace looked good as fuck sitting in that booth.
She wore a fitted black dress that hugged every damn thing it was supposed to with black heels that made her legs look even better.
Her hair was down, her makeup was done, and the second I saw her, I already knew sitting my ass down without getting a better look wasn’t happening.
I walked over and held my hand out. Lace looked at it, then up at me before putting her hand in mine. I pulled her out of the booth and spun her around slowly, taking my time looking at her from head to toe and getting a good look at that ass when her back was to me.
When she faced me again, I pulled her against me, put my mouth against her neck, and kissed her there. “You look good as fuck, Lace.”
She smiled and leaned into me before looking up at me. “You’re late.”
“By what, five minutes?”
“Eight.”
“Same shit.”
She shook her head as we slid into the booth and grabbed the menu even though I already knew what I wanted.
Lace laughed and took another sip of her drink.
We ordered, had a couple drinks, talked about the festival, and laughed about Loretta getting on everybody’s damn nerves trying to make sure the diner was ready.
I was having a good time with her, but Denisha stayed in the back of my mind.
I knew I needed to tell Lace what was going on.
Darius had already told me the same shit, and I knew his ass was right.
I looked across the table at Lace and couldn’t get the shit out.
I didn’t want to fuck up our night over something I didn’t even have an answer to yet, but keeping it from her wasn’t sitting right with me either.
Her phone lit up beside her plate, and she looked down at it before turning it face down. I noticed because she had already done that shit more than once. “You good?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure?”
“I’m fine.” Her phone vibrated again, and this time she picked it up. She read whatever came through, typed something back, then put the phone in her bag. “Sorry. Work has been a lot this week.”
“What they got you doin’ while you away?”
“Nothing.” She hesitated and looked away from me. “It’s just some paperwork.”
I knew that wasn’t all of it, but I couldn’t press her about what she wasn’t telling me when I was sitting there doing the same damn thing. I reached across the table and took her hand instead. My phone rang as we finished our food, and Keyana’s name was on the screen, so I answered. “What’s up?”
“Can you come get me?”
I sat up. “From where?”
“Kayla’s house. Her mom was supposed to take me home, but somethin’ happened wit’ her grandmama, and she had to leave.”
“You good?”
“Yeah. We’re just here wit’ her older sister.”
“Aight. I’m comin’.” I hung up and looked at Lace. “Key need me to go get her from her friend’s house. Ride wit’ me.”
Lace reached for her bag. “I can’t. I actually need to get to my mom’s.”
I frowned. “For what?”
“This work shit. I need to handle it tonight.” She looked at me and gave me a little smile, but I knew her well enough to know she was leaving some shit out. “It shouldn’t take long, but I need to make a couple calls.”
Whatever was going on with her job was bigger than some damn paperwork.
Her phone had been going off all night, and now she needed to get home to make calls.
I wanted to ask what the fuck was really going on, but I still hadn’t told her about Denisha.
I couldn’t be in her face demanding answers when I had my own shit I was keeping from her.
“Aight, Lace. Handle yo’ shit.”
I got out of the booth, and she stood with me.
I grabbed her around the waist, pulled her against me, and kissed her.
I knew Lace was keeping something from me about work, and I planned on finding out what it was when she was ready to tell me.
I just needed to stop bullshitting and tell her what the fuck I had been keeping from her too.