Page 7 of Never Want to Love Again

My eyes bucked. We still hadn’t reached an agreement, especially regarding his desire to have me abandon my other clients and focus solely on him. While finishing off my jalapeño peppers, I listened to the phone call, assuming it was his manager on the other end. The waitress arrived with our main dishes, and Crown was still on the phone.

“Aye, I’m being rude, and our food is here. I’ll hit you back later to go over the tour date, nigga.”

Crown placed his phone back on the table, clapped his hands, and rubbed them together while eyeing the food. His low eyes found mine.

“I hope you’re not one of those pretty chicks who can’t eat in front of a nigga. I know you just ate that pepper before me, but I don’t mind if you slurp the pasta in your mouth.” He grinned.

I held up a finger. “One, I don’t slurp the pasta, and two, we didn’t come to an agreement about anything pertaining to this job, sir.”

Crown pointed to my plate of pasta with garlic bread on the side. “Taste that first and let me know if you fuck wit’ it.” He began to dig into his.

I picked up my fork and poked it into the pasta, ensuring I got a shrimp. The seasonings burst onto my tongue, reminding me of the pasta I had when I’d visited New Orleans. It was delicious.

“See.” Crown guffawed loudly. “You don’t even have to say shit. I can tell by ya face that you love it.”

“It is very good,” I admitted after I’d swallowed it down. “So…” His brow rose. I tilted my head. “Are we going to talk about you telling whoever you were on the phone with that you’re going with me, but I told you I had other clients? I can’t just focus on you.”

“Fifteen bands a month.”

My eyes bucked for the second time.

“Fif…fifteen thousand a month?” It came out as a squeak. I was making eight thousand now. He’d almost doubled that.

“Get rid of the other clients, and I want you to work in an office in my crib.”

“Wait…”

“It ain’t no wait. Do you want the job or nah?” Crown took a bite of his garlic bread and a forkful of pasta while focusing on me.

“I…I…I want the job,” I stammered, “but why work out of your house when I have an office inside of my home where it’s more convenient, and you’re not going to be home all the time? You’ll be touring...”

“And you’re coming with me.”

I dropped my fork on my plate with a loudclank.

“What do you mean, Crown?” I asked, flabbergasted.

He took a sip of the water the waitress had brought to us.

“Damn, am I speaking another language, Kupid?” he snorted through a laugh. That was the first time he’d said my name, which made me tingle slightly.

Shaking my head vehemently, I replied, “No... no, you’re not, but this is a lot to take in right now. Tour? What would you need me for on tour?”

“Eat your food before it gets cold,” he responded instead of answering my question. “I’m taking you to a basketball game after this.”

This time, I giggled because this was way too much.What the hell did he mean, a basketball game?

“Is this basketball game a part of this interview, sir?” I questioned, not hiding the smirk on my lips.

Boyish grinning, Crown bobbed his head and said, “Yup.”

crown heart

. . .

Kupid was beautiful as fuck,so it was hard for me not to flirt with her ass. Everything I had just offered her, I made that shit up on the spot, surprising myself. The fifteen bands… I was goin’ to hear Trae’s mouth about. Then, having an office in my crib, I was out of my mind. At the basketball game, I wanted to spend more time with her.

It wasn’t like I didn’t know I shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, but damn, Trae should have gotten headshots of all the interviewees. Instead of interviewing Kupid for this position, I would have shot my shot instead. When she smiled, she had dimples on both cheeks. You could tell Kupid really didn’t have to do much to herself to look…perfect. She was perfect.

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