Chapter 9 #3
The big living room with a huge stone fireplace was to the right, but he led her straight ahead to the dining room and big kitchen space.
Nothing was out of place, and it was spotless.
His furniture was big, a large sectional that was spacious enough to spread out comfortably and look at the big seventy-inch TV built into the wall with bookcases on either side filled with reading material, and a few knick knacks and figurines that looked expensive.
“I know we supposed to be going out to eat later, but if you want something now, just check the fridge. If you want to order something, let me know. I’m going to run a shower and change.”
“I don’t have any clothes here.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m taking care of that. Make yourself at home.”
Just past the kitchen was a staircase, and she could hear him going up the steps as she took in his home.
Sighing, she marched over to the fridge and propped the door open.
Everything was neatly arranged. The nigga even had a salad bar set up with all the fixings.
Coast washed her hands and decided on a chicken Caesar salad.
She checked her phone and set it on the counter.
Not like she was expecting anyone to call.
She’d blocked Sipes, and Arwen was the only friend she had.
She’d exchanged numbers with Inari and Ayla, though, so she was hoping she’d found a solid girl group.
Lord knows she needed one. Her message alert went off, and she saw that Inari had texted her.
Inari: Girl!
Coast: What’s up?
Inari: Ayla called me. Triple date!!! (crazy face emoji)
Coast: Apparently these Blackmoor men don’t know how to take no for an answer. I’m currently being held hostage at Mozzi’s house.
Inari: Is it nice?
Coast: Really? Fuck the being kidnapped part?
Inari: LOL. I’m srry.
Coast: It’s nice as hell! No sign of a woman anywhere either. But he did say this was his hideout, so that means he has another house where he takes his hoes.
Inari: LMAO. Such a pessimistic girl! Let that man spoil you!
Coast: Whatever. I guess I’ll see you at dinner!
Inari: Smooches! (kissing emoji)
Coast pulled out a stool at the island counter, said a quick prayer over her food, and dug into the salad.
She washed it down with peach tea and washed her bowl out at the sink before moving through Mozzi’s home and inspecting everything.
There was another bathroom and an empty room off the side of his laundry space and garage.
She opened closet doors and eventually found her way upstairs.
There was an open loft space that he’d set up like a gaming room with big screen TVs, an Xbox, PlayStation, and even the old classics like Sega and a super Nintendo.
Lining one wall there were arcade style games like Street Fighter and Ms. Pacman too.
The walls were decorated in old school gaming posters, and a few shelves had different character figurines like Mario and Luigi, Crash Bandicoot, and Sonic.
Two gaming chairs sat right in front of the TV, and on either side of them was a comfortable couch shaped like a game controller with matching pillows.
Coast had never seen anything like it. He even had a vending machine in the corner filled with snacks, and a mini fridge overloaded with drinks.
She inhaled his body wash when she neared his bedroom and found Mozzi on the edge of his California King bed, rolling a blunt with his phone beside his tray filled with buds.
“Mozzi, don’t have me bring all this shit, and you talk shit about it.
You know I do this for real,” a snappy female expressed through the speaker of his iPhone.
“My clients know one thing about me: I’m clutch and always come through.
They trust my taste, too. I know you used to a certain type, but what you described about this girl ain’t that. ”
“The fuck y’all get this ‘my type’ shit from?”
“Oh, baby, trust, you have one. But I’m heading your way now. Should be there in about twenty minutes or so.”
“Good looking.” He tapped the button to end the call and popped his head up to find Coast lingering in his doorway.
His room was cozy, with the exit to the balcony on the other side.
“What’s up, Trouble? You done snooping around my shit?” He used his lighter to dry his blunt and chuckled.
“I wasn’t snooping.”
“My surveillance system says otherwise.” He nodded to the camera monitors on the TV screen mounted in front of his bed.
Coast stepped inside to see every inch of his home displayed on different monitors. He’d been watching her the whole time.
“Paranoid?” she asked with her arms tucked across her chest.
“Cautious,” Mozzi rebutted, pinching the blunt between his fingers and bringing it to his lips.
He sparked it, took a pull, and leaned back on his elbow to watch her as she paraded around his room.
Chrome finish was his go to, along with black, gray, and white.
He had blackout curtains, and Coast found herself wandering into his walk-in closet to peep his set up.
His suits lined one side, all organized and hanging neatly, while the other side housed all his casual attire.
One wall was entirely dedicated to his shoe collection, which resembled a local Finish Line, all arranged by colors on the shelves.
In the center was an island with drawers, some filled with underwear and socks, others filled with his many jewelry pieces.
There was another closet since it was set up for a couple, his and hers, but it was empty.
“The shit my homegirl bringing through is for you. You can put all your shit on the other side.”
“I don’t need your hoes shopping for me.” Coast turned her nose up at him.
“Yo, Royal ain’t no hoe. At least not one of mine.” Mozzi held the smoke in his lungs before exhaling. “That’s my nigga Brim’s chick. She’s a personal shopper over at Lindstrom’s. She hooks me up with all my shit.”
“You don’t even know my size.”
“Pssh, play with somebody else.” Mozzi took another pull from his blunt. “I got you some shit a little bigger though, just because I know you’ll be expanding sooner rather than later.”
Coast got quiet, and he peeped it as she paused at the sliding door to stare out at the lake behind his house.
“What’s up with that? Why you don’t want to talk about the baby?” He stood and walked over to join her.
“Because I don’t know if I want a baby,” she responded, slowly turning her head toward him.
“Why not?”
“Please don’t keep pressing me about this.” She sighed and turned her attention back to the gorgeous setting outside his home.
There wasn’t another house for miles, and she admired how the sun glistened off the water and into the trees. She wondered how far it stretched and what was beyond that. It all was very picturesque, and she lowkey wished she had a camera or her sketchpad to capture it.
Mozzi could practically see the wheels turning in her head.
“I’m just saying. I know you’re probably scared—”
“You don’t know shit!” Coast snapped and whipped her head back in his direction.
“My mama was younger than you when she had me. Sixteen to be exact. I probably shouldn’t be here.” He studied the blunt in his fingers, and for the first time, he wasn’t jeffing with her or trying to be funny or cute. “Went through a lot with a teen mother. Saw things I shouldn’t have.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
His gaze wandered over to her.
“You have more resources than she ever did. A support system. Nobody gave a fuck about us. My grandma was as much for the streets as she was, another teen mother. Shit runs in the family, I guess. Kids raising kids. No real guidance. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Why? Because of Bee?”
“Because of me.” Mozzi told her, very confident in his words.
“You don’t even know me.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m here.” He shrugged. “Get used to it. If you want to shower now, you can. I got some shirts and sweats in the middle drawer of my dresser over there.” He strolled to the door, leaving a trail of weed smoke behind as Coast faced his bed and took in the rest of his room.
Deciding to shower, she grabbed a t-shirt and pair of his briefs from the drawer and went to run a shower in his massive, spa like bathroom.
There was a free-standing tub and a big shower encasing beside it with a double sink and mirror set up as well.
Moments later, she found his body butter and moisturized herself before slipping into his clothes, grabbing a hoodie that smelled like the YSL cologne he wore, and making her way back downstairs where voices now carried.
With her hands in the pocket of his hoodie, Coast paused in the doorway, and all eyes turned to her.
Grinning, Mozzi licked his lips and canvassed her in his clothes, fresh faced and fine as hell.
“There she is.”
He was joined by a heavy-set brother with rich, dark chocolate skin, and locs draping past his shoulders, and a pretty brown skinned girl with tight, juicy red curls that stopped above her shoulders.
The two piece Fendi short set and wedge sandals were fire on her full five-foot nine frame.
She’d carted in two racks of a variety of designer labels and two rolling bags filled with accessories, underwear, perfume, and handbags for each look.
“The fuck is this, Yal!” Mozzi yanked a hanger off the rack with an ivory crochet style skirt set.
“It’s Chanel,” she told him, matter of fact. “The shoes I paired with that go with anything too.”
“This shit too short! The shirt ain’t even covering shit.”
“That’s the point.” She stuck her tongue out and giggled while he continued to sift through the many items.
“Nah, take this hot girl shit back.”
“Looks like I got her size right. Hey there, my name is Royal. Since his rude ass don’t want to introduce nobody.” She side eyed Mozzi. “That’s his right hand and my man back there. Brim.”
Brim lifted his chin to Coast in greeting, and she waved.
“Hello.”