Chapter 13
Hollis
“Luke said he wants to be friends last night,” I whispered into the receiver to the girls, including Callie, as I told them about the latest with Luke and me.
“Okay, and what’s so bad about that?” Johnni asked as the sound of CJ’s low cries came through.
“Because being friends with him is weird, right?”
“Are you serious? No, he’s literally your husband for the next few… Wait, what’s going on with the will and the house?” Mickey asked, causing me to roll my eyes as if she could see me. I forgot she was out of the loop of information.
“Oh girl, I knew I forgot to call you. Six months. That’s how long we have to keep this up.
Apparently there are extra ass rules and regulations Jimmy added.
So far we know to get the deed and title officially we have to maintain this marriage.
We even have a babysitter who will check on us every month. ”
“And you agreed to this?”
“Hell no. Well, kinda, I guess. I mean, I tried to run the same night we got the news, I mean bags packed and all, but this muthafucka beat me to the condo. Speaking of, Callie, I owe you a cuss out for giving the crazy muthafucka my building code to even have access like that.”
Callie and Johnni laughed while Mickey spoke up.
“So what happened after that? Did y’all fuck or something to get you back with him?”
My eyes grew wide as I hit the volume button as if they were on speakerphone.
“Wait! No. Absolutely the fuck not. What type of girl do you take me for? I’m a lady, heffa,” I shrieked, gaining me eyes from a few people nearby. I cleared my throat, putting on a smile then mouthing sorry.
“Heffa, the same type who told me to use BK for my temporary needs. Hollis, this is your husband. No one would judge you if you decided to enjoy that ride too, of course temporarily.”
“Uht uht, only speak for yourself, Mickey. Holli, I would judge,” Callie tossed out, causing all to snicker.
“Not to mention, mixing your emotions into a temporary situation is a bad ass idea. Look where it got Mickey,” Johnni added.
“Ey! Not too much on me, ma’am.”
“No offense, but it’s the truth, I keep saying my situation isn’t yours.”
“Exactly, meaning your outcome won’t be like mine. The Hollis I know can separate emotions from sex. Look how you did Bone. If you want a friends with benefits situation with your husband for the time being, I say do it.”
“Friends with benefits? When did we agree that I even wanted to be his friend?” I asked as he nodded in my direction with a grin as if he knew what I was sitting here discussing, no fuck that, considering.
Still wrong. Your mind is made up.
And it is.
The moment she said it, I knew it was a horrible idea I was going to attempt because in his presence I lacked proper judgement.
“Can we stop acting like you haven’t made up your mind?
You brought the friends topic up because you want to but don’t want to be the silly girl going back again.
It’s okay if you are. Silly girls laugh more and love big.
Be free. Have fun with him during this time.
Make new memories to help erase the bad ones enough for you two to at least be cordial at family gatherings.
My baby girl is tired of celebrating her birthday twice without her favorite uncle and auntie together,” Callie said, the girls cosigning her words.
I gnawed my bottom lip as I watched him make his way over to me. I eyed him up and down while my thoughts went nasty, thinking about letting my husband take care of my body.
“Hey baby, you looking good as hell in my shirt. Are you ready to go?” he asked before I could hang up with the girls. And of course, in true them fashion, I heard “oh shit” and “baby” with giggles before I hung up.
“Yes,” I said, immediately putting my phone in my purse.
“Wow, Hershey, that’s how you doing me? Just talking to other niggas at my games now?
That’s fucked up,” he said with a stupid cocky grin as he snuck in a quick kiss that I openly welcomed.
The second he released me from his spell, I kissed my teeth as he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and we began to make our way back to the hotel.
“What? Boy, no. It was the girls. They heard you call me baby and got loud as hell for no damn reason, like they don’t know what this is. Besides, you had me cut off my roster. Now I have no hoes to entertain on the daily.”
“Hell the fuck yeah I did. Your husband is the only man you need to entertain daily. If you got time for the next nigga, you can at least start texting me back. You got me looking like one of those desperate muthafucka talking to myself in our thread with you leaving my shit on read.” I laughed hard as we made our way down the hallway with a few people stopping him for his autograph or a picture.
“I ain’t said shit funny, Hershey. Do better,” he said as we finally made it to his truck. He tapped my ass before he lifted me inside.
I gasped, getting ready to cuss him out, when he shut the door in my face.
I leaned over and unlocked his door. He got in and it was quiet for a minute before I broke our awkward silence.
“So do you want to be friends with benefits?” I blurted with my eyes trained on him, catching glances from Luke as we headed to the hotel.
“Huh?” He chuckled nervously, with a sexy ass perplexed expression on his face as one of his brows dipped in with the other rising and his mouth curving up.
I rolled my eyes as I blew out a sigh. “I said do you want to be friends with benefits? I’ll be your friend, but I’ma need something in return, and that’s what I want.
” I put my eyes on his crotch as I fought hard to not think about the vivid memories I had of his big dick and the way he handled my body, even back then.
Now wasn’t the time to start a fantasy when I had yet to finalize the deal.
I was hoping a sweet nightmare wasn’t how I ended my night. I craved the real thing.
I want his dick deep inside of me.
The sound of Luke clearing his throat had my attention back on his confused face.
“Oh you want him.” He snickered while shaking his head. “And friends with benefits, huh? That’s what you came up with.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“You sure you know what you asking for, Holls?”
“Yes, dick, yours. I can’t use anybody off my roster—"
He cut me off. “Hell the fuck no you can’t and why you keep bringing them niggas the fuck up? If you miss ’em I advise you to wrap those feelings the fuck up.”
“Will you calm down, damn. I’m literally in the middle of presenting a solution to my lack of stimulation problem.
Now, back to what I was saying, and don’t interrupt me this time.
I’m understanding you want to continue being friends after all this is done, and well, using you…
I mean us helping each other out will be a temporary thing of course.
” Luke only laughed as we pulled into the hotel parking lot, not saying anything as he parked then got out, rounding the truck to get me out.
He grabbed my hand, interlocking our fingers as we walked inside with me still on edge, waiting for his response.
Hollis, you might as well invest in a toy and not the battery kind.
A couple of Luke’s teammates were walking in with us, so I couldn’t finish the conversation.
“Woo boy, tonight was good as hell, Deacon.” Shepherd came up beside him without Angie, who was just at the game with me.
“Yeah it was. This win got us ahead of the game this go round and I’m happy about that. Just adding to our wins for the season. I’m telling you we’re hitting the World Series this year.”
“Oh for sure. Ay, Angie and I are going to a late dinner. Do y’all want to join us?”
“You inviting us and ain’t even properly met my wife yet,” Luke said as he brought Shepherd’s gaze to me with a goofy smile on his face, letting me know I was familiar to him from discussions with Luke already.
“Oh my bad. between my wife and Deacon here, it felt like I already knew you. I forgot we hadn’t officially met. It’s nice to meet you, Hollis. I’m Shep, this fool’s right hand.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, but you can’t be his right hand when that’s my position,” I joked as I held up our connected hands, on Luke’s right.
That had them both chuckling as we made our way to the elevators where more of the team was waiting.
We all stepped on with Luke and I making our way to the back since we would be the last to get off.
He introduced me to the team while he slid his hand into my back pocket, protectively invading my space and holding me close while he talked with the guys and I nestled into him, counting down the floors until we were alone again.
He had yet to give me a yes or no to my benefit package and I was heated. Well, she was, in anticipation.
By the time Shepherd got ready to step off, he asked Luke about joining him and Angie for dinner again. Luke pulled me closer while he answered.
“Naw, not tonight. Me and the Mrs. got plans, but soon. We definitely need a double date night.” They slapped hands, finally leaving us alone again.
I went to speak when Luke’s mouth on mine shut me up before I could speak.
His tongue invaded mine as he wrapped his free hand around me, landing in my other pocket, bringing my chest to his abdomen with his dick growing on my stomach.
Luke released me, breathless as he gripped my neck, applying pressure to a spot I wasn’t even aware I still had as he caressed it gently.
“I’ma give you what you want, Hershey, but from here on out, ain’t no running from me.
If you get scared or feel away about anything, we gon’ talk it out like a grown married couple, do you hear me?
” I nodded. He leaned down, putting his mouth on my ear, kissing it softly before he spoke in a low tone that sent a chill down my spine.