Chapter 1
Hollis “Holli” Walker
“You’re not even listening to me, Hollis. Damn and a nigga is pouring his heart out right now.”
“I swear I can hear you, Bone,” I said as I sneakily angled my phone toward the table to the left of us, not only getting a shot, but a long ass video of the singer Orlane on a date with Skroll model Talisa Storm who I knew was in a relationship with rapper JNard.
I wasn’t mad at my girl for dating around at all, but I just wondered if she and JNard broke up and I’d missed it or if this was my news.
I worked for Caught Live, one of the top celebrity gossip sites.
So news like this, hot on the streets, was a goldmine to people like me.
I remembered when she’d first popped up on my radar a couple of years ago while attempting to attach herself to my ex-husband. Omar had me run the story as if I needed to be the one to do it. It turned out to be false news.
I was still making him fucking pay for the emotional distress they put me through by doing a story on him.
Somehow he’d left and came back home and seemed to be everywhere.
Apparently even on my date right now because why the fuck are you even thinking about him?
I was currently on a dinner date but I never let these niggas get in the way of my job, especially when it came this easy. Wasn’t no way I was missing this tea for no man. I didn’t care who was across from me and paying the bill.
“Then what did I say?”
I groaned quietly, doing my best to control the eye roll I felt coming while briefly looking up from my phone but not breaking my steady hand.
“You said you wanted to be exclusive.” I put my attention back on Orlane and my screen. When he grabbed both of her hands and kissed them, causing her to blush as she giggled silly, I smiled, loving the whole thing just as much.
They gon’ eat this the fuck up! I hope she packed her shit up.
“That’s all you got to say, for real, Hollis? I mean, we’ve been going for a while now. Damn near a year,” Bone asked as I huffed, locking my phone and fully putting my focus on him. His beautiful brown eyes watched me in disbelief as they stretched with his mouth slightly gaped.
I didn’t know what he wanted me to say. Yeah, we’d been hanging for a little minute now, but being in a relationship with anyone wasn’t on my mind. To be honest, since my last one, it never was.
“C’mon, Bone, don’t be like that. I told you when we first got started I wasn’t the girlfriend type.
Even giving you the opportunity to not take it there with me.
You can’t switch the rules now that your feelings are forgetting the beautiful arrangement we have.
When we both got time for each other, then that’s us. What else do you want me to say?”
He scoffed, clearly not liking my response. But again, I didn’t know what he wanted from me. Since my divorce I had been clear with whoever I was dealing with. Long term and committed situations weren’t options for me.
“For you to say you only want me and want to try this shit out for real. I’m feeling the fuck out of you and want to explore us. I’m talking next level, Hollis. Don’t you want to get married and start a family? All your peo—"
“No, and whatever the next person’s doing isn’t my playbook to follow.” I cut him off, losing my good ass mood and appetite at the same damn time. “Look, Bone. We have fun and the sex…is amazing, but that’s it. If you want marriage and kids, I guess we’ve run out of time.” I shrugged.
Even if he changed his mind and went back to our original plan, I knew things would never be the same now that he’d openly admitted his true feelings and desires.
It was time for me to leave him alone, but not before one last night with him.
The dick was good. The server approaching with our food paused whatever Bone was about to say and I was happy to finally end this conversation.
Once the server left, I bowed my head, doing a quick prayer over our food that when I opened my eyes Bone would change the damn subject.
“Ooh, that looks good. I should’ve gotten the steak,” I said, now completely into my plate of baked oysters and sides of garlic roasted parmesan potatoes and collard greens. I wasted no time going for the baguette, tearing a piece before grabbing my lemon to set my taste buds off right.
All the while I could feel Bone’s heavy gaze on me, but I wasn’t about to let him ruin my mood and my appetite before I could even appreciate the first bite.
I scooped up a crab stuffed, cheese covered oyster, and closed my eyes, moaning my satisfaction.
I popped them open to Bone staring at me with an amused expression.
“Shit, maybe it’s me who should’ve ordered that. I swear you make everything look good as hell.” I nodded, chewing, going for a potato next.
“Do you know what else you would make look good?”
I shook my head, completely melting along with the bite I had just taken. I was in food heaven so much that I almost missed his declaration.
“You with me, wearing my last name.” I stopped mid-chew, looking from him to the small velvet box on the table.
Holli, this muthafucka brought a gotdamn ring and y’all not even in a fucking relationship.
Send help!
I didn’t know what to say, so I sat there quietly with a mouth full of food since I was unable to chew anymore.
“I know we got some time before we get there, but this is where I’m at with us, Hollis.” I shook my head, grabbing my napkin to clear my mouth.
“Shit,” I said lowly before speaking again, louder this time.
“No. I’m never getting married again, Bone. I did it once and it was enough for me to know I’ll never belong to another man in that way, ever. Damn! And my food was tasting so good. Ugh!” I tossed my napkin, preparing to scoot back when he reached for my hand.
“Wait, don’t leave. My bad. I’m pushing and that ain’t fair. Please, let’s just continue to enjoy this good ass meal and end our night how we both had planned, with two fine ass people laid up together.”
I smirked at the last part of his statement and knew my ass was sold on the idea of riding him one more time.
“No more relationship or marriage talk, Bone, or I’ma walk my fine ass to my car and lay up with my battery-operated friend instead.”
“Naw, I can’t have that.” I went for my tarnished napkin, but Bone moved it, replacing it with his.
I hated that I was damaged goods because it was the little things he did for me. He was an amazing man, just not mine.
We finished eating, making light conversation all the way back to his house where I poured us a couple drinks, adding in a relaxation tincture that Mickey, my best friend, made from her Herbal Remedies line.
Loosey was a hit once she fully launched the business.
And of course Bone, wanting to support my people, bought that and several other products.
Mickey even added a men’s beard care kit to the list. I was proud of her.
“Ooh, we night capping for real tonight. Well shit, add a couple shots of that tequila to the mix,” Bone said roughly in my ear before he bit it hungrily.
“You already know you can’t handle both. I need you and that dick up for more than five minutes, boo. Just drink this,” I said, passing him his glass while I took a sip of mine.
Bone chuckled. “You saying that shit like I don’t give you a good fifteen when I’m fucked up.”
He tossed his drink back, making me roll my eyes. playfully
“Fifteen, five, same shit in my book. Now drop to your knees and undress me.” He gave a devilish grin while doing what he was told.
He placed soft kisses on each toe as his hands slid down my pants, snatching my panties with them. I leaned on his big, broad shoulders for support as he lifted my legs one-by-one.
Once they were free, his mouth moved up at the same time as his hands, roaming my body, lifting my shirt next, putting his mouth inches from mine, gaped due to my panting.
“Five or fifteen I’ma still make this pussy scream.” A quick peck came before Bone unclamped my bra, exposing my D cups.
“Then make me scream,” I said, stepping back before his hands could get lost in my titties.
Bone licked his lips while rubbing his hands together. And I mentally prepared myself to make this the best session we’d ever had, especially since this would be the last time I ever got to experience him.
Damn, my best dick on the team.
Bone began to strip as he closed the little space between us.
An hour later, I was tiptoeing out of his room to head home. Once I reached the living room, I quickened my movements. I made it in my car, checking my phone for the time and noticing it was still fairly early, so I decided to go to Black Diamonds.
Finding a hot story had become a drug for me, especially when something or someone put my mind back on my own problems. Gossiping about other people's lives and problems helped me not focus on my fucked up life.
Here I was, thirty and still running from committed relationships with the opposite sex because of emotional damage from my last one.
“Ugh! Get your life together, Hollis. Fuck Luke Deacon!” I said while I turned my music up, blasting it all the way to the club.
A couple days later I decided to make my way into the office to get some work done. I was hardly ever here since typing up hot tea could be done from anywhere.
“Hollis, you're my best player to get something concrete on this story, I need you.” Omar begged me while I typed away on my laptop, finishing another story on my best friend’s ex-husband Quincey Wilson.
For the last couple months this had been my top priority.
Of course I had permission from Johnni, who only requested that I not slander his sexuality in an ugly manner, which I would never do.
Beyond the knowledge of finding out my friend was in a sham marriage, all the things Quincey and Quentin had done kept me busy.