Chapter 16-Devon #2
To date, I never seen him or heard about him losing a fight, and he had a lot of them.
I used to tell him that he should have been in the MMA or a cage fighter, because he seemed to genuinely like taking people out and beating them to the point of death.
I swore he got a rush out of seeing someone’s body go limp and watching as they hit the ground.
“I may be a fool, but it’s a woman out there who will love my crazy ass,” Levi responded, bringing me back to our conversation.
“What do you think about the new bartender, Shae? She has asked me about you a few times. It seems she may be interested in you. Shoot your shot, my boy.”
“Shae, with the long, red weave?”
“Man, that’s her hair.”
“Only because she paid for it. She’s not my type. She got way too much ass for me.”
“ Way too much ass? How is that even possible?”
“Just look at her. That’s how it’s possible.”
“I’m taken, so this is off the record, but when I look at her, I don’t see too much of nothing, especially not ass.”
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like a little ass, but hell, she is the type of woman that would throw it back and knock me smooth out of the bed.
She may even knock me through the wall. Man, I can’t go out like that.
Like, how the hell would I explain that to somebody?
Man, that ass sent me flying. Hell, nah.
I would be setting myself up for my pride to be broken. ”
“Nigga, get the hell out of my office,” I said, laughing so hard that tears had formed in my eyes.
“I’m just saying. I know my limits, and I refuse to go out like a sucker all because of a big ass and a smile,” he said as he made his exit.
After I finished laughing, I wrapped up a few things and headed out. That was one thing that I loved about being the boss, I came in when I wanted and left when I wanted without having to answer anybody.
I used the extra time to go grocery shopping. Dreux was going through puberty and eating everything in my refrigerator and cabinets. He had my thin frame, but he had a bottomless stomach. I never said anything because I knew that when he was with Keesha, he didn’t have that luxury.
I was always going to keep food and snacks stocked to the brim just to make sure that he didn’t feel like we were going without.
His feeling deprived or thinking he had to make the food stretch wasn’t going to happen.
There were some things that I felt a kid shouldn’t have to worry about, and food was one of them. I understood that all kids weren’t that fortunate, but as long as I had breath in my body, Dreux wouldn’t be one.
I double-checked that I had all of his favorite snacks, toaster waffles, soda, and the nasty Ramen noodles that he ate every day after school, paid for the two hundred and fifty dollars’ worth of groceries, and headed to my truck to load them.
Just as I was getting ready to push the shopping cart back to the store, I heard a soft, feminine voice call my name.
“Dee, long time no see.”
When I turned around, one of my old flames, Ari, was standing there, looking like a snack. Yes, I was building with Kenya, but I also wasn’t blind, and I’d have to be not to notice how good she looked.
Ari and I messed around while I was dealing with Keesha, back when I was wild and didn’t care. Keesha introduced her to me because she wanted to bring someone else into the bedroom, and when I saw who she had her eye on, I jumped at the idea.
“Damn, Ari, it’s been a long time,” I said, getting wrapped up as I watched her hips sway in my direction. Her approach was direct, confident, and without a trace of shame she sized me up.
Unlike Keesha, Ari still looked just as good as she did back then, maybe even better.
“It’s been too long. How have you been?” she asked as she rubbed her manicured hand down my chest.
“I’ve been good, and yourself?”
“I was having a bad day, but since I’ve seen you, I’m all smiles,” she responded and seductively licked her plump lips.
My phone vibrated in my hand, and when I looked at the screen, I saw that it was Kenya responding to a text that I sent her before I left the club.
Gotta be more careful. Just that fast, I was about to get caught up.
“Ari, it was good seeing you. Take care of yourself,” I said and removed her roaming hands from me. Nothing good was going to come from my lingering in her presence, and I knew it.
True enough, I was going to have a good time, but what I had with Kenya wasn’t worth losing for a quick nut.
“Leaving so soon? You have five minutes to spare,” she whined. “Can’t we at least go somewhere and catch up? Is that the energy you give your old friends?”
“Hell yeah. It’s the energy I give when I’m in a relationship.”
“Oh, you’re in a relationship,” she surmised and smirked. “That’s cute, Dee. She can join us. Three will never be a crowd to me, and you know that firsthand, or do you need me to remind you? I can do that too.”
“No, she’s too good for that,” I replied and walked away, eliminating the opportunity for her to respond. “She’s not the kind of woman you share. My baby girl is the kind of woman you keep close and never let go.”
When I got to my truck, I put up my sacks and then put the cart up. All I could do when I was inside was shake my head. I almost got caught up, but I was saved by an angel. My angel.
I texted my woman back, then I headed to pick up Dreux from school.
When I looked in my rearview mirror, Ari was standing there with her arms across her chest, right where I left her, and she could stay there.
I was on to bigger and better things. She wasn’t someone worth circling back to, especially not when I had more than I ever wanted.