Chapter 16 #2
Samari watched Ju’rae move with the grace and confidence of a runway model as her six-inch heels carried her from rack to rack, pulling together a diverse selection—jeans, sweats, shirts, dresses.
Samari tried to make sense of the items, pairing what she assumed went together in her mind, but gave up each time an armful reached the style rack near the dressing room because she couldn’t keep up.
Twenty minutes later, Ju’rae pointed to the dressing room that held the first pieces she’d selected for Samari.
“Start with these.” She handed over baggy, faux leather pants and a cropped, black, jersey knit, sleeveless top.
“Wait, you need something under that shirt and I need to grab shoes. And eight or nine?” She motioned to Samari’s feet.
“Eight and a half.”
Ju’rae’s glossy, chocolate-tinted lips blossomed into a full smile before she was on her way. Samari’s eyes circled the store where she located a woman grinning in Asao’s face. The woman was too damn close for Samari’s liking but she quickly rolled her eyes and checked herself.
He wasn’t her man, and if he wanted to entertain another woman, doing so was truly his prerogative.
Regardless, seeing him engaged in a conversation with the woman while she made a point of touching him on the arm and shoulder brought out feelings that had no business existing in Samari’s heart and mind.
So she stepped into the dressing room, hung the clothes Ju’rae gave her on an empty hook, and yanked the curtains closed.
Ju’rae returned a few minutes later, sticking her hand through the black linen curtain that separated her from Samari, and handed over a pair of combat boots and a satin and lace bralette. “Here, add these too.”
Samari accepted the items and began stripping out of her clothes.
As soon as she was completely dressed, her mood changed.
There was no way in hell to suppress the smile that surfaced after seeing how damn good she looked.
She turned her body from side to side before retrieving her phone and posing with a kiss on her lips as she leaned forward, shifting into varied positions for several shots.
“Girl, hurry up. I need to see.” Ju’rae’s animated voice had Samari tucking her phone back into her purse and stepping through the private curtains of the dressing room.
“I knew it. That shit is sexy.” Ju’rae clasped her hands together then dropped them to her hips. “Turn around, let me see.”
Obliging the request, Samari turned in a circle, smiling big at the praise she received.
“Okay ass. It’s sitting nice in those. I see you. Definitely your style.”
“The boots are cute too but you could definitely switch it up and do heels, but those are going to be fire on stage.”
Samari’s expression dropped and she quickly glanced over her shoulder toward Asao who was still occupied.
“You know who I am?”
“I do. Kinda hard not to with that.” Ju’rae pointed to Samari’s tattoos. “But I’m also a fan. I love your music. I heard you today on Beauty and the Beats. I’m glad you’re back and the song is dope as hell.”
“Thank you.”
“But that doesn’t have anything to do with this. When a man tells you to run up a tab, you run that bitch up. So that’s what we’re doing.”
Samari tried on clothes while Ju’rae became her hype woman.
Between modeling and changing, Samari tracked Asao’s movements throughout the store.
Customers stared but left him alone. However, the two sales associates who decided to lend themselves as his personal shoppers and stylists followed him like lost puppies, hopeful to gain his attention.
They laughed too hard, smiled more than necessary to find a size, and did not understand the meaning of personal space. She didn’t like it but refused to cause a scene over a man she had no claim to.
“You have to get that too. That orange against your skin is so pretty.” Ju’rae nodded when Samari stepped out of the dressing room wearing the last piece she’d selected for her. The dress was simple, mock neck, long sleeved, and stopped just below her knees.
The color along with the stretchy material that hugged her body was what made it look so good.
Samari’s hand moved to her stomach briefly before she placed both at her sides and smoothed them over her hips, looking down at the burnt orange color that clung to her hips and thighs.
She had to agree with how nice the color looked against her chocolate skin.
“It’s pretty.” Samari rocked on her heels before she glanced over her shoulder just in time to catch one of Asao’s little helpers damn near skipping to the counter with another round of items he’d selected.
Samari narrowed her eyes and discreetly did a search, trying to locate who had every woman in the store’s head in the clouds.
She had to bite her lip to suppress the smile that worked its way to the surface when she found him, standing near the door with a phone to his ear.
She turned back to Ju’rae when she realized he was watching her and anxiously moved her hands down her thighs.
“Yep, you’re definitely getting this one. You want me to pull more pieces?”
“No, I think I’ve done enough damage,” she joked, which had Ju’rae grinning.
“I mean, we haven’t even touched two of the racks.”
Samari shook her head. “No, I’m good. I’m going to change.”
“Fine, I’ll take these to the counter but I’m going to add pieces from the new lingerie line that came in too.” Ju’rae began collecting everything Samari approved, and when she got a side glare from Samari, she smiled devilishly. “Stop looking at me like I’m crazy. That man said spend his money.”
While Samari changed, Asao finished the call with Raaj, allowing him to run down the details of how things had gone after Asao left the office. Cobra signed every document placed in front of him which meant all Cobra owned was a failing label with no artists or resources.
Once he was satisfied, Asao locked the device and headed to the counter to wait for Samari to see what kind of damage she had done.
She literally could have purchased one of everything in the store and he wouldn’t have cared.
Seeing her in that damn orange dress had him wanting to ask if it came in any other colors.
She was sexy as hell and the way she’d watched him for the past hour, trying to make sure he kept his hands to himself, had been comical.
One thing Asao refused to be was a disrespectful ass man.
He was there with Samari, and although he gave her space to do her thing, he clocked her movements the entire time they were in the store.
He didn’t miss how her eyes followed his movements nor each time she frowned in annoyance witnessing the attention he received.
She didn’t have to worry about that because she was the only person at the moment who could get his time and attention.
Regardless of what it looked like, he kept his communication and actions respectful.
Even when the offer to get his dick sucked in the dressing room was presented, he’d shut it down with a threat to fall back.
Keelee, who he’d fucked a handful of times, quickly found something other than Asao to keep herself busy and Jen kept her interactions to asking about required sizes for items he selected.
When Ju’rae approached the counter with her arms full, he immediately searched for Samari and almost fucking laughed because she looked confident and completely at ease when she stepped out the dressing room and headed his way.
She thought he was flirting with the women who’d helped him so she’d spending his money as a proverbial fuck you.
Keelee grilled Samari when she stepped next to Asao and began lifting the items Ju’rae presented for purchase. “Should we have these sent over to Ms. Collins?”
Samari frowned, looking at Keelee then Asao. The anger that flashed across his face had her glancing at Keelee again who looked like she wanted to run and hide.
“Sent to who?” he questioned in a voice so icy Samari experienced the secondhand rage delivered to Keelee.
“Ms. Col…um, Tori.”
“You see who I’m with right?” he said smoothly.
“Yes,” she rushed out, with her eyes darting right to Samari.
“Then why the fuck would you ask me some dumb shit like that? And when have I ever had anything sent to anyone but myself?”
“Um…” Her eyes went to Samari.
“The fuck you looking at her for? She isn’t the one asking you questions.”
Keelee jumped at the bass in his voice before she responded. “You haven’t but Tori has. She has an account set up here with your card and…”
“I don’t even know how the fuck that happened but take my shit off her account, and again, you see who I’m with.
Asking me about another woman because I wouldn’t let you suck my dick in the dressing room is gonna get you fucked up.
Ring my shit up…” You know what, in fact, get the fuck from around me. Ay, can you do this?”
Asao turned to Ju’rae and pointed to the register. She smirked and nodded while Keelee stood there looking dumbfounded until Ju’rae not so gently bumped her out of the way.
“You can go now,” Ju’rae said before organizing the items on the counter for purchase. She moved through everything she’d selected for Samari then the ones hanging on the rack behind the counter. She ran the total and he swiped a Crescent Bank Black Card to cover what he owed.
“We’re about to make a few more stops, so set that up with concierge to bring it to the car when we’re done.”
“Got you.” She reached under the counter and removed a gold plastic card with the store name and a QR code printed on it.
Asao had done the process before so he nodded after she scanned it and handed it to him, half paying attention to the instructions she delivered for how to retrieve their packages.
They were about to leave when Samari stopped and turned to Ju’rae. “Are you coming to the festival?”