Page 20 of Save Room for Us

“Oh.” She opened it fully and stepped outside of the screen door, and I felt myself physically relax.

You tripping, nigga…I thought to myself as I ran my hand down my face.

“Use this whenever you working and nothing else,” I explained, greedily taking in her body, face, hair, and even her toes in some furry ass slippers that were open along the front.

She reminded me of the pretty ass girls a nigga crushed on when he was a kid, starring either in the movies likeFridayorHigher Learning, or just from around the way. From the brown skin to the natural, sexy shape, pretty smile, infectious laugh, the natural switch of her hips when she walked, and the subtle but intoxicating ass scent she wore.

“Nothing else?” She folded her arms. “Why you say it like that?”

“In case you got some bum nigga wanting you to pick his ass up, I’m telling you, you’d better use yo’ own shit.” I started toward the car as she chuckled, making a nigga smile.

“You sound jealous, Mr. St. Thomas.” She looked over the Lexus LS and nodded.

“What if I was?” I handed her the keys, making sure I stood as close as I could to her, while peering down into her pretty brown eyes.

She paused then cleared her throat, distancing herself from me a bit and unlocking the car. I chuckled at her nervousness and the way she quickly backed the fuck down from all that big shit she was talking seconds ago.

“I’d tell you no need to because getting a nigga, especially a bum one, is not on my to-do list.” She talked as she scoured the vehicle with her eyes. Coming back out, she asked, “Is this brand new?”

“It is.” I nodded. “Is it cool?”

“It definitely is. Thank you.” She shut the door.

“I need a ride back though.”

“Where are your homeboys?” she quizzed.

“Damn, I don’ brought this fucking car all the way out here, and a nigga can’t get a ride?”

Her frown dissipated as she laughed a bit, folding her arms.

“Um, alright, but I have to get my daughter. She’s napping, and my mama isn’t home.”

“Aight, let me put the car seat in this car for you,” I offered.

She hesitated for a second, then asked, “You have kids?”

“You know damn well I don’t.”

“I don’t be paying attention like that. It’s too many of you brothers, and every time I look up, a new baby is coming,” She snickered, then laughed even harder when I gave her a look.

“You may not pay attention to them, but you pay enough attention to a nigga to know I’m childless. However, my mama made sure I helped her a lot, me and Unique, when Banks was a baby, so I’m a professional at putting in car seats, warming breast milk, all that shit,” I admitted.

“Damn, seems like I should be hiring your ass to babysit.”

“You funny,” I said as she giggled, rushing off to get her car keys, and yeah, I looked at the way them thermal pants hugged her round ass.

She returned quickly, handing them to me, then she went to retrieve Sophie. By the time I had the seat installed, she was walking over with her, so I gently took a still sleeping Sophie and buckled her in. Anastazia watched the whole time, and when I looked over my shoulder at her, she smiled uncomfortably like she was embarrassed to have still been standing there.

I opened the passenger side door for her, and once she was in, I made my way around to the driver’s side.

“You weren’t joking. You do know this baby shit. Lisara wasn’t playing with you, huh?” She smiled.

“Nah, she wasn’t.” I reversed. “But I fucked with it though. It felt good having a real mother and shit,” I said, hoping she didn’t pry any further because a nigga had definitely said too much.

“Oh right,” she replied, letting me know she knew the gist of my situation.

“So how did someone as pretty and smart as you end up with a nigga like yo’ ex?”

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