Chapter 14
Exhausted wasn’t the word for what I felt Friday night. After an incredibly hectic day, on top of a swamped two-week rush of constant customers, I was burned out. The thought of getting up in the morning to do it again almost made me want to cry.
To make it worse, Paisley pulled a disappearing act on me today. She called in sick and didn’t stay on the phone long for me to interrogate. It wasn’t like neither of us hadn’t ever gotten sick before, but it was the fact that Paisley didn’t sound sick that made me iffy.
Not that I had time to really muse on the matter, because as soon as noon hit, a wave of customers stampeded in and it was a madhouse all day. The weekend had women wanting to show out, and then the Ladies’ Night event, which was nothing more than free advertising, helped as well.
A part of me felt a sense of pride as I sat back on the couch after my shower Friday evening, because no matter the challenge of running the shop alone, I made it happen and it worked.
But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to get down to the bottom of whatever was going on with Paisley.
I grabbed my phone to call Ezekiel, the only person who had seen her during Thursday’s Ladies’ Night.
We hadn’t hung out in a while due to the shop keeping my attention and his planning the event, and if I were being honest, it bummed me out.
It was up in the air if we would or wouldn’t hook up, but at the very least, it was nice to have a new friend.
One who was entirely too easy to click with and fall into sync.
I didn’t hesitate to find his contact in my cell and call him.
“Hey, stranger.” The sound of Ezekiel picking up right away put a smile on my face. I hated the bullshit game of waiting forever to answer a call, return a “missed” call or text. With Ezekiel, for now, it was all punctual and prompt.
“Stranger, huh?” I teased.
“I’m out picking up dry-cleaning. I oughta pull up on you since you can’t come see nobody,” Ezekiel responded.
If he was threatening to come over, I wasn’t complaining. “Don’t remind me. I’m thinking of not opening the store tomorrow and just sleeping in for two days.”
“That busy, huh?”
“Even worse when you’re alone,” I said. “Which reminds me, did anything happen with Paisley last night?”
There was music playing in the background on Ezekiel’s end, classic Keyshia Cole. He turned her down and gave me his total focus. “Uh, nah, she was straight the last time I saw her. We got her a car home and everything was smooth. Why?”
I sighed, thinking perhaps I was overreacting. “She called in sick today, and I know that happens, but she didn’t sound sick. I was just wondering if maybe something went on last night. Was it a good night?”
“Hell yeah. Paisley came through and shut BLVCKJVCK down. She was only supposed to do three hours but she hung around for a minute taking pictures and hanging out. It was real cool. Want me to call her to see what’s up?”
Ezekiel was sweet to offer, real sweet, but on the off chance Pay was just under the weather, I decided not to push. “Nah, thank you, though.”
Hard knocking greeted my front door, succinct and determined.
“Someone’s here, it’s probably her now,” I said as I stood up and faced my entryway.
“And you out here worrying for nothing,” Ezekiel said. “Maybe she was hungover or something. We did share a joint, could’ve just been tired.”
“Now I’m jealous I didn’t come out,” I said as I crossed over to the door just as the person knocking sounded off again.
I undid the chain lock and unlocked the latch on the knob before going and grasping it and pulling it open.
“See, we could’ve chilled in the Spade Suite if you wanted to relax. Work on that flavor of wine that’s been…”
Ezekiel’s words faded into the background as I nearly lost grip of my phone. Paisley wasn’t at the door.
Corey was.
I hadn’t seen him this close in what felt like forever, standing before him now caught me off guard.
He was the same as I remembered. A few inches taller than me, light brown skin that complemented his dark brows and moustache and goatee, dark eyes that never held any sense of light in them.
Sometimes, one look into his eyes was enough to startle me to the bone.
Just like I was left standing in front of him suddenly trembling.
Corey Reece wasn’t my first love, but what we had was something enough to shake me to the core emotionally.
“Nas? Nas? What’s up?” Ezekiel was in my ear, trying to get ahold of me.
I pulled myself together, blinking and cursing myself for wearing a flimsy black tank top and my red varsity shorts. And then I smacked some sense into myself for having the nerve to shame myself for being comfortable in my own home.
Corey noticed what I was wearing right away. His hooded eyes ran up and down my frame as he licked his lips and bobbed his head, liking what he saw. Almost as if he could still remember how my body felt next to his.
“Long time, no see,” he said. He did himself a favor and invited himself in.
My feet were rooted to my place in front of the door, unable to move.
“You got company?” Ezekiel was asking on his end.
Ezekiel.
“No,” I got out.
Corey perked a brow, eyeing my phone and becoming curious. “Ain’t you gon’ greet me? I know you missed me.”
While I liked going to the gym to stay in shape and chase that addictive runner’s high, Corey was on the thicker side.
I never minded or cared, finding his size only a bonus to his looks.
No matter if he worked out or not, Corey was definitely stronger than me.
There’d been plenty of times before when he hadn’t hesitated to pick me up and carry me on his shoulder off to some bedroom or corner.
“Is it a bad time?” Ezekiel wanted to know.
“No, no, you’re fine. I-I just wasn’t expecting this,” I explained as I turned and pressed a hand to my forehead. I needed to get Corey out of my house and away from me like he’d been doing.
“Nas?” Corey spoke loudly, letting it be known to whoever I was speaking to on the phone that I was with a man.
“Is that him?” Ezekiel’s tone went from light and playful, to firm and alert.
“Yes,” I whispered softly.
I wasn’t afraid, but definitely uncomfortable. I turned and found Corey right behind me, annoyed at the fact that I wasn’t jumping for joy at his presence.
“Yo, who you talking to, is it me?” Corey soon shook his head. “Nah, can’t be me, ’cause I’m right here and my phone’s in my pocket. So who is it, Nas?”
“I can be there in ten minutes,” Ezekiel let me know.
“Please don’t.” The last thing I needed was drama and a fight breaking off. Watching violence in movies was already cringey, seeing men go at it in real life was scary.
“Do you want him there?” Ezekiel asked.
My eyes were on Corey as he folded his arm, giving me an incredulous look. “No.”
“Tell him to leave, Nastasia,” Ezekiel demanded gently and calmly.
I did want Corey gone, because I had no idea what we’d get into with him here. I trusted myself not to fall for his charm, but at the same time, I just didn’t want him near me. He’d hurt me before and I’d lost myself as a result, and I was never going back to that place.
Holding the phone away from my face and standing firm, I politely told Corey, “Please, can you go? I’m busy.”
Corey snorted. “Hell nah, I’m stayin’ right here. We gotta talk. Didn’t you get my flowers?”
I put the phone to my ear, about to make an excuse to hang up. “I—”
“That was a courtesy request,” was all Ezekiel said before hanging up.
I didn’t know what Ezekiel meant, and I wasn’t about to call him back. One way, or another, I had to get Corey out of my house.
I looked around for Scorsese and found him nowhere in sight.
Great, no backup.
“Corey—”
He held his hands up in a placating motion. “Please, just hear me out. I know we been down this road before, trust me, I know, but I just thought we could talk. It’s been too long and I miss you.”
They say men never knew a good woman until she was gone. I guessed they were right.
This past breakup of ours was our longest time apart.
In that time and space, I’d grown stronger, learned to properly love myself and my worth, and I was never going back.
To be loved as an afterthought was a pain I never wished to relive again.
To be loved when convenient was a reality I would never accept again.
To be loved on an unmatched level was beneath me.
I gave Corey all of me, while he only gave me thirty percent of him.
Never again.
“It’s cute to be missed, but we have nothing to say.” I went to go by him, to go and get the door, but he was quick to grab my arm.
“Nas, come on, it’s me, baby,” Corey pleaded with a sad look in his eye. Too many times did those sappy eyes get me. “If it’s not you for me, then it’s no one.”
I got my arm free and lifted my chin up. “Not even your son? What’s his name, ‘CJ’?”
Corey narrowed his eyes, pointing at me weakly. “That’s low.”
“His existence in the time frame of our relationship is low,” I shot back. “Answer me this, would you still be here if I stepped out and got pregnant? If I had a son?”
Corey stood back and his eyes raced up and down my body, stopping at my flat stomach. “Another man’s kid?”
“Exactly. You can’t even fathom the thought. I’m supposed to be a good girl and keep it nice and locked up for you, while you’re out giving it away every chance you get. That’s ya problem.”
Corey went from apologetic and soft, to his true form, hard and defensive.
“So, what’s up? You seein’ someone else?
I drove by your shop, I see y’all been busy, so I know life treating you good.
I seen ya Instagram, too. Picnics and shit, and how you was posted up in public restrooms smiling all happy. You got something you wanna tell me?”
The accusatory air in his voice made me want to hit him, but I wouldn’t. He wasn’t worth the energy or exertion. Not to mention he could easily take me down.