Page 23 of Bending The Rules

More than good.

Soft, and warm.

And soft.

Shit.

“No, I’m pretty sure my ass was literallyonyour face.”

You say that like it’s a bad thing.

“You’re good,” I insisted.

Toni cringed. “If you say so. Bye guys.”

She looked both ways this time before she left our table to get her food. I watched her until she was out of the door, then turned back to face my brothers.

“Y’all,” I said, leaning over the table. “I’m bugging.”

Joseph lifted an eyebrow, then exchanged glances with Jason before he swallowed what he was chewing. “What do you mean?”

“Toni.” I reclined back in my chair, scrubbing hands over my face. “I’m… it’s like, it was never a secret that she was attractive, right? But I wasn’t looking at her like that, because she and I weren’t…like that.We were friends, platonically. Now though…”

“She makes your dick hard,” Jason said in a bored tone before he took another sip through his straw.

I nodded. “Yeah. That.”

Across the table, Jason broke into laughter, then crossed his arms as he turned to Joseph, who rolled his eyes.

“What did I tell you, nigga?” Jason laughed, leaning into Joseph. “Run me my money. Pay up.”

I frowned. “Pay up? What are y’all talking about?”

Joseph sighed. “We made a bet about you seeing Toni through different eyes now that she was back in town. You never seemed to realize how fine she was before, but not seeing her for so long, and then the shift in your relationship… Jay thought it would only take a few weeks of you being around her for you to have a new perspective.”

I scowled at Jay, shaking my head. “Well isn’t that some bullshit? Betting on your own brother. I see who’s really on my side.”

Jason scoffed. “What? Joey wasn’t on your side – he just thought it would take you at least a month to start sweating her.”

“Right,” Joseph laughed, as he pulled out his wallet. “Your thirsty ass is costing me a hundred dollars.”

“Woooow,” I said, crossing my arms. “So both of you were betting against me?”

Joseph grinned. “Not bettingagainstyou… just banking on reality. Think about it, man – the only thing keeping you from checking for Toni before was that boundary of friendship. Y’all took it seriously, didn’t cross it. But you fucked up when you signed with Lion. Put an ax in the friendship, and all these years passed. Toni grew up and got grown ass woman fine, and now that y’all aren’t besties, you see it like the rest of us.”

“But we’re good now. We talked,” I replied, knowing those words were weak as hell, while they were coming out of my mouth. “I mean… I know it’s not going to be like it was overnight, but she’s not mad anymore. I think we’re still friends.”

Jason laughed. “Which is a testament to how much she cared about you, cause most women would have thrown your ass away forever, over much less. You fucked up.”

“Joey said that already.”

Jason shrugged. “And I’m saying the shit again.”

“Can you say something helpful instead?”

“Like what?”

I blew out a sigh. “I don’t know man, like… tell me what to do about the fact that I’m looking at this woman who was my childhood friend like…”

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