Page 43 of Never Want to Love Again

With my empty glass, I trekked to the kitchen for a refill. Tomorrow, I will be back at Crown’s office to work, but I wasn’t sure how it would be going forward between us. Maybe tomorrow I’ll play sick and avoid him for a day. I did need a day of nothing but rest. My bed and the college basketball games.

When I returned to the living room, my phone lit up. I froze when I saw that it was Crown. My heart raced as I reached for it. The call ended, and I let out a sigh of relief. That was short-lived because the phone rang again.

“Hey, Crown. What’s up?” I tried to sound as if my heart was running a track race.

“Hey, beautiful.” My breathing hitched. “Just wanted to call you personally and let you know I need you to come out to my soundcheck tomorrow.”

My eyebrows pinched. Not because he wanted me to come to soundcheck but because he was returning to work and not resting for a few more days. Crown slept so peacefully in the Bahamas. You could see the exhaustion in his face,

“Um…okay. Why aren’t you taking a couple of more days to yourself?” I had to ask.

“Cause duty call, baby.” I clenched my thighs. “I’m going on tour, and you’re tagging along. I need you to take pictures and post them on my social media. Tickets went up this morning, and all twenty cities are sold out.”

My eyes lit up at the sound of that.

“Congratulations!” I exclaimed.

The call ended, and I cocked my head at it in confusion. My phone lit up again, but this time it was FaceTime. I answered, propping my phone up on my coffee table’s centerpiece. Crown’s handsome face appeared, the deep craters on the side of his cheeks visible. The diamonds in his mouth, ears, and around his neck sparkled.

“Your eyes are low,” he pointed out. “Whathcu drinkin’?”

Smiling, I raised my glass and replied, “Wine.” Crown licked his lips. “Anyways, you’re just giving me a job now because why do you need me to take pictures? You can have someone else do it, and they can email it to me.”

“Nah, I want you there. I want you to see me in action.”

Rolling my eyes, I huffed out, “I guess.”

Crown leaned back. “Tell me, what have you drinkin’?”

I scoffed. I did not want to talk about my Mama again, so I lied. “No reason.”

His eyes narrowed. “Lie again.”

I took a long sip of the wine and told him. Surprisingly, Crown sat back and listened. He didn’t interrupt. He was quiet until I finally stopped venting to the second person of the night.

“Damn, that’s fucked up. Crazy how she called her daughter a groupie.”

I lifted my shoulder. “That’s how she is.” Crown slowly bobbed his head while pulling the hair on his chin. “What?” I quizzed.

“Nun. I’ll send you the address tomorrow morning.”

I sighed exaggeratedly. “Okay.”

Crown chuckled, and I ended the call. That man had the seat of my panties damp, and he didn’t even know it. Maybe he did. He probably did.

At ten-fifteen in the morning, I turned to my side and popped my eyes open. Wiping the crust out of my eyes, I yawned, and then I jolted up in bed. I searched for my phone in bed erratically. Last night, I had one more glass of wine, and that shit put me into a deep sleep once I made it to my bed. I’d fallen half asleep on the sofa, and it took a lot from me to stand and go to my room. Now, I sat in bed trying to remember my and Crown’s conversation.Did he tell me to come this morning, or was I supposed to wait for a text?I wondered.

I picked up my pillows and found my phone underneath. Unlocking it, I navigated to the thread. I had an unread message from him. Well, a few of them.

1 p.m. 536 Byrd Lane.

Don’t come to work wit’ a hangover, beautiful.

I jumped at the sound of loud knocking at my front door.

“Alexa! Show me the front door.”

Showing the front door.

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