Page 13 of 10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace

“Um, thanks.”

I couldn’t return the compliment because I had dated men like Cornell before. Men who thought they were the bees’ knees, and it was a blessing for me to even be in their presence. It was like all I attracted and instead of running the opposite direction, I always ran right toward them, then cried when it didn’t work out.

“You know you the wifey type right?”

I held back the urge to gag because the wordwifeyirritated me in more ways than one. It was a word made so men could validate women wanting to be wives without actually committing and using the actual wordwife.

There were so many people walking around calling their girlfriendwifeybecause it sounded good and made her feel better. I despised the word, and hearing Cornell use it like it was an honor irritated me.

“How do you even know that?” Cornell was just talking a bunch of mess to make it sound good.

Meanwhile, I was worried about the concert that we had left. The only reason I continued the useless conversations with him was because of the promise that he would take me to this concert.

“I have a good feeling about my future wife.” His hand reached across and landed on my thigh.

He smoothly rubbed my thighs, and I put my hand on top of his, repulsed. I wasn’t afraid to admit that I was scared of men. Ever since Tony and his brother, the trauma and guilt had followed me throughout the years. It’s the reason I could never give myself to someone.

There was no one that ever made me feel safe enough to want to lose my virginity. “You’re sweet. Why did we leave the concert?”

I continued to hold his hand while he continued trying to rub further up my thigh. “Why we talking about that when I got you to myself… that’s what I wanted.” He leaned over and tried to kiss me, and I moved my face, so it landed on my collarbone.

“Why you being like that, Steve.”

“It’s Stevie,” I corrected.

He kissed my neck, and my skin felt like it was going to crawl away. “We can go back to my place, and I can show you how much I want you to be my wife… look at my dick, look at what you doing to me.”

“I’m not sleeping with you, Cornell,” I told him out right. There was no need to beat around the bush, kiss, and imply that something more would happen.

That was the mistake I made with Tony years ago. I should have left the minute we went from kissing to him feeling me up. I blamed myself for not removing myself from the situation as they took advantage of me.

“Why you fronting with me, Steve.”

“Stevie!” I firmly corrected.

He chuckled and kissed my cheek. “Sorry, baby… you look so good tonight. You so fucking thick it makes me hard looking at you.”

All of these words were a turn off because he was trying to have me in the front seat of his car, a rental, and on a random street in Brooklyn.

“Take me home, Cornell.”

“Why the fuck you always fronting on me, Stevie? Every time we’ve been around each other, you act like you don’t want me?”

I scoffed. “I’m sorry that you think showing I wanta niggameans that I have to take my clothes off and have sex with you.”

“You like playing those petty ass fucking games.” He lunged across the arm rest and grabbed my face, forcing his tongue down my throat, and I squealed in his mouth as I hit him and pushed away from him.

He was stronger than me, so I fumbled around on the door handle until I was able to pull the handle, and I fell out of the car, breaking our kiss. Cornell looked at me crazy as I was between the sidewalk and the car.

“Get the fuck up out the street, Steve!” he hollered, and went to get out the car, and I scrambled onto the sidewalk with my heart in my chest.

“It’s fucking Rick James, Bitch… I mean, Stevie! I said no, and you wanted to take what wasn’t yours, fucking creep!”

“Bitch, you calling me a fucking rapist!” he hollered, as I scrambled down the street toward the subway.

Cornell was a creep and the fact that he forced me to kiss him and then would have continued to have his way with me was enough for me to get home on my own.

As I settled on the train home, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want love, I craved havingactual love. I wanted someone to choose me and make me feel whole. I wanted to give myself to someone and know that I was theirs and they would protect me.

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