1. Lavani Oakford #3
Darius tossed his head back with a light laugh.
“You be listening to the streets, or is that a genuine question?” The answer had to be rhetorical because he didn’t give me a chance to answer.
“I’m a busy man, but I’m also a single man.
Sometimes, my days are way too full to be chasing pussy.
I got way too many bills and mouths to feed for that.
But when I do decide to entertain something, I can do that ‘cus I’m grown.
I’ve been linked to a few females that I never dealt with but even still.
You don’t hear the most about me because I don’t do the most. I have standards, and I don’t just stick my dick in anything. ”
Crazy thing was, I believed him. Just like he’d never been linked to a woman that wasn’t gorgeous, he’d never been linked to anyone too crazy.
As far as I knew he didn’t have kids, but I still wanted to know for sure.
Darius was fine. He was a fine dope boy with money.
There had to be some red flags somewhere aside from the obvious.
The way he made his money wasn’t ideal, but I could live with that.
“You got kids?” I held my breath as I waited for the answer.
The last thing I expected was for him to chuckle. “Man, hell nah. I don’t have time for kids right now. I honestly don’t even know if I want them. I know accidents happen, but I’m real careful when it comes to that. If a woman has my baby, you better know I love her ass for real.”
I didn’t have a comeback for that. The thought of him loving a woman made me feel giddy inside but sick at the same time.
Because if the woman that he loved wasn’t me, there wouldn’t be shit cute about it.
Darius arrived at the valet stand. When the valet attendant opened my door and offered his hand, I smiled before taking it.
I felt like I’d been getting princess treatment from the moment Darius rang my bell.
When I was out of the car, his eyes dragged down the length of my frame sending a chill inching its’ way down my spine.
“If you were mine, you would have known to tell that nigga you were good because daddy was coming to open the door. It’s all good though. You’re still learning.” Darius winked at me, and my knees almost buckled. Why was he so damn fine?!
I hated that the weed I’d smoked had me so slow and stuck on stupid. All I could do was give him a lazy grin.
“Hey, Darius,” the hostess smiled when we approached the stand. She was a pretty, Blasian chick, and I had to remind myself that he said he ate there quite a bit. Plus, a lot of people knew Darius. That was something I’d just have to get used to if we continued to date.
“What up?”
“Just you two?” her gaze barely swept over my face.
“Yeah.”
“Right this way.”
I resisted the urge to frown as I followed her.
When Darius placed his hand on the small of my back, I forgot all about my ill feelings toward her.
The man had his hand on me, and it was sending electric shocks through my core.
At least that was what it felt like. I didn’t want to be putty in any man’s hands.
The last time I had been in love was my senior year.
I started dating a guy that was two years older than me.
Craig had a job installing cable and his own place.
I thought he was hot shit and let him take my virginity.
When I was in high school, my parents didn’t play that coming in whenever you wanted to.
I had a curfew. One night, however, I told them I was going to be braiding my friend, Hailey’s hair late, so I would just stay at her house.
Hailey’s mom didn’t care what she did, so at two in the morning, she took her mom’s car, and I popped up at Craig’s house.
There was a car in his driveway parked right behind his, and I knocked and knocked until he answered.
When he finally did, I pushed my way inside and found out he was laid up with another bitch.
Me and Hailey whooped his ass, and I hadn’t talked to him since.
That was my first heartbreak and when I say it hurt bad, I meant every word.
I cried for almost a week straight. My dumb ass couldn’t even eat.
I felt pathetic, but I was heartbroken. I really liked him.
It was so easy and effortless for men to lie that it was sad.
It took a lil’ minute, but I had to remember who I was.
Guys tried to get at me almost daily. Getting a man had never been a problem.
It was finding one that was worth keeping.
I had a few casual situations, but I hadn’t had a boyfriend since Craig.
If I couldn’t get his regular degular ass to be faithful, it was a wrap for a man like Darius.
“The women you take out always have to ignore your disrespectful thirst buckets?” I asked with a smirk.
Darius chuckled. “I don’t take a lot of women out and when I do, I don’t pay attention to other women.”
“Hmmm.” I hummed. It sounded nice.
“Not as far as subtle things. Blatant disrespect, I’m gon’ check every time. But no woman should sweat the petty shit. Just smile at the bitch because you’re where she wants to be.”
That comment made me groan. “Sounds like the woman you choose to deal with has to endure a lot of competition, and that sounds draining.”
“I’m not worth it?” he smiled, and I almost choked trying to keep the words hell yes at bay. No way would I ever admit that and honestly, my answer came from a superficial place.
“No man is worth all that,” I frowned making him chuckle louder.
“Ouch that hurts. But when I choose to settle down, or even if I’m kicking it with a female, she’s going to have to learn not to let the outside noise bother her.
I don’t like people in my business, and I don’t like women that run their mouths.
Our business is ours. So, if I’m not talking, and she’s not talking, unless someone sees me with a person like I’m here with you now, then most of that shit is speculation and rumors. ”
I nodded my understanding as the waiter came over to take our drink orders. Of course, I couldn’t legally order a drink, so I got strawberry-lemonade, and Darius got water and Hennessy.
“I forgot your young ass can’t even drink,” he jested, and I stuck my tongue out at him.
“That’s okay because my birthday is in four months.”
“What we doing?” he asked with a dead serious expression on his face.
Angling my head to the left, I studied him a bit.
A man like Darius was dangerous. It was easy to say I’d keep things light and not fall for him, but he wouldn’t make it easy to stick to that.
Hands down, he was the most charming man that I’d ever encountered.
He didn’t spend time talking about why he was the prize, and every other word out his mouth wasn’t bitch this or hoe that.
“Who said you’re still going to be around in four months?”
The boisterous laugh that left his mouth had me smiling no matter how hard I tried to fight it. “If you don’t have a passport, get one. We’re going to Antigua.” He told me. Didn’t ask me shit, and that turned me on so much that I shifted in my seat.
This was going to be hard as hell.
Darius was the perfect gentleman on our date.
When it was over, he took me back home, and I fell asleep thinking about his sexy ass.
It was the next day, and I was braiding hair.
My first appointment was at ten. I finished her a little after three and took a two-hour break.
My next client came at 5:30, and I was almost done with her. It was 8:00.
“You going to that comedy show this weekend?” she asked.
“I didn’t even hear about it until a few days ago.
I didn’t even bother looking because I’m sure all the good seats are gone,” I mumbled absentmindedly while my fingers moved super fast. I was tired of standing on my feet and ready to be done.
I had a stool that I sat on when I really wanted to sit but to me, it seemed that I braided faster when I was standing.
“Hell yeah, ‘cus I got my tickets the same day they went on sale and a lot of the floor seats were already gone.”
“And I’ll stay home before I sit in the nose bleeds,” I scoffed.
“I heard that.”
E came in the house palming a basketball in one hand and his best friend, Tre following him.
Tre was older than E, so he was seventeen.
The fact that he really had a crush on me was comical.
I’d told him more than once he needed to have at least five more birthdays before I even saw him as a grown man and by then, I’ d be twenty-five, and more than likely the thought of dating my little brother’s friend, would gross me the hell out even if there was only a three-year age difference.
“What’s up, Vani?” Tre always tried to make his voice extra deep when he spoke to me. E had called him out on it a few times, but he still did it. Every time I heard it, I had to stop myself from snickering.
“Hey, Tre. You can’t speak when you enter a room big head?” I asked my brother.
Pushing his glasses up on his face, he peered over at my client. “Hey, how you doing?” he tipped his head at her then looked at me. “What’s up donkey face?”
When I turned my body to grab a brush, he already knew what it was and bolted from the room laughing. I was about to throw that brush right at his head.
“I wish I had siblings,” my client laughed. “Being an only child is boring.”
“I have three, and you can have them all.”
Usually, I ignored calls when I was braiding but whenever my phone vibrated, I glanced down at it. When I saw that Darius was calling, my stomach quaked, and I snatched the phone up so quick it was embarrassing. The calm way I answered the phone was a direct contrast to the way my heart was racing.
“What’s up? How are you doing today?” I could tell that Darius was riding in the car.
“I’m good. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. You busy?”
“I’m doing hair.”
“Okay, get that money. What time you gon’ be done?”
“In about an hour.”
“You trying to chill with your boy?”