I get to the car and immediately check my phone before pullin’ off. I have seven missed calls and five new messages. Cherry hit me up only once, which is surprisin’. The other calls are from Akina, Vita, Carla, and Maleeka. I listen to the messages. Cherry says she’s not gonna get in until after eight, which is a big relief for me. Now I don’t haveta feel rushed. Akina wants to know why I haven’t called her. Vita apologizes for goin’ off, says she’s sorry to hear ’bout my loss, and wants me to call her as soon as I can. Carla and Maleeka want dick, as usual. I delete all my messages, then hit Cherry up. When she doesn’t pick up, I leave a message:
Next I call Vita and leave a message as I’m pullin’ up in front of the restaurant. Kanika’s standin’ outside waitin’ wit’ a smile. She hops in. I wait for her to put on her seatbelt, then speed off toward the freeway.
“So when am I gonna see you again, baby?” I ask, glancin’ over at her.
“I don’t know,” she says, smirkin’. “I’ll need to check my calendar to see if I can fit you in.”
“Oh, it’s like that, hunh?”
“Yep.” She giggles. “You can’t think a meal and a boat ride is gonna make it easier for you to see me again. Oh, no, Mister. You’re gonna have to come harder than that.”
I laugh. “Baby, you ain’t said nuthin’ but a word. All you gotta say is when and where, and how hard you need it…I mean, me, to
She playfully swats at me. “You’re a mess. I guess I opened myself up for that one.”
“Yeah,” I chuckle, “you fell right into it. So you might as well open wider and say, ‘Aaaaaaah.’”
She sucks her teeth, laughin’ as she digs into her pocketbook and pulls out a pack of gum. She offers me a piece, but I’m good so I tell her, “No thanks.”
“Annnnnnyway, pervert…when’s the next time you’re gonna be in Atlanta?”
“I’m not sure. Why, you wanna see me?”
“Maybe,” she says, rollin’ a piece of Doublemint into her mouth, “maybe not.”
“Yeah, aiight. Don’t front. You know what it is.”
She laughs.
My cell vibrates and the screen lights up. I take a quick glance at it sittin’ up on the console, and see that it’s Vita callin’. It dings when she leaves a message, then starts buzzin’ again. She’s callin’ back.
“Do you need to get that?”
“Nope.”
“You sure?”
I take my right hand off the steerin’ wheel and reach over and grab her hand. “Yeah, I’m very sure. The only person I’m interested in talkin’ to at this moment is sittin’ right beside me.”
“Good answer,” she says, squeezin’ my hand.
“It’s the only answer, pretty baby,” I reply, pullin’ her hand up to my lips and gently kissin’ it. On some real shit, I wanna drag my tongue along the center of her palm, but I restrain myself. She’s been keepin’ it classy, so I’ma respect her space and keep it gentlemanly. She smiles, pulls her shades down over her eyes, then places her head back on the headrest, holdin’ my hand in hers the rest of the ride. I turn on the radio and tune into Power 106, L.A.’s hip-hop and R&B station and maneuver my way through this fucked-up traffic.
“I wanna talk to you about something that’s been on my mind,” Cherry says, lookin’ up at me. She moves a wet strand of weave from her face. We finished fuckin’ less than five minutes ago, and we’re both sweaty and still pantin’ like wild beasts. And this ho wants to flap her jaws. Why the fuck chicks wanna talk right after they finish gettin’ their backs gutted is beyond me. What the fuck?! I’m in no mood for talkin’. I wanna lie here and rest in
I glance at the clock. It’s ten-thirty in the mornin’. My flight leaves for Jersey tonight at nine-fifty. And between you and me, a muhfucka can’t wait to get the fuck home. As nice as it is to get away, there’s nuthin’ like chillin’ up in ya own spot, in ya own damn bed, feel me?
“What’s up?” I ask, proppin’ up on my forearms.
“Well, you know…I really enjoy spending time with you when you come out here. And I think this thing we have works really well for the both of us. There’s no pressure from either of us. I’m not looking for a relationship, or expecting anything more from you than what I already get…”
“No doubt. So wassup?”
