Page 44 of Another Constant

“Late. Nigga got kids and he ain’t too keen on telling his daughter no. I ain’t either, but my daughter happens to love her dog more than she loves me some days, so of course she’ll kick it with her bonus grandma and dog for a few hours.” He chuckled while speaking a language I wasn’t too fluent in. I hadn’t really thought about having kids, shit not until I ended up with Aja, paying an expensive ass tuition and getting weekly reports on her progress. Then there was Harlem, the woman I was completely fucking obsessed with, the one I was seeing where shit was going with, because usually by now I was annoyed with women and trying to get them out of my face. She was different.

“Last time we talked you wasn’t too keen on finding somebody to mess with exclusively. If I remember correctly, you told me that was for the old niggas.” His voice broke my trance as I watched her interact with Krisis and another woman from afar.

“Shit… I wasn’t. Me and Harlem are just chilling.” I lied to him and myself at the same moment.

“Are you telling me that… or yourself?”

I laughed. “Both of us. But nah, that just snuck up on me out of nowhere.”

“Don’t it always?” he questioned just as Harlem and Krisis returned with drinks.

She found her way under my arm, closer to me in a way much more emotional than physical. I hadn’t much realized that until now in a room full of people and it only felt like her and me.

Chapter10

Harlem

A month and a half later

There was no way I should have been this gone over a man like I was over Kinga this fast. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the man gave energy like no other. He said he had never been the type to be in a relationship or constantly around somebody, but I begged to differ. His energy and how he was around me was enough to hook me. The thing was, I couldn’t help but wonder when the other shoe would drop. It wasn’t that I thought he was a different person or anything, but everybody had a different side to them, right?

“You’ve been smiling since you got here. Must be Kinga, huh?” Caya asked, gripping my hair like she had an attitude with me.

“Probably, but damn bitch, you tryna have me leave up out of here bald.”

She laughed. “It’s not my fault you got this soft ass hair. Shit is ungraspable.”

“Girl, bye. Stop pulling my hair like you're crazy.”

“Blow dry this shit next time and maybe I won’t struggle to grip this shit. But do tell. What’s up with you and your new boo?”

“Nothing is up. We’re just kickin it.”

“Just kicking it and he’s tonguing you down before you get out of the car. Shit, wasn’t that man with you when your fat ass dog went into labor?” She was standing her nosy behind in the doorway when he dropped me off. How she’s seen us kiss I do not know, but then again my girl saw everything.

I laughed at the thought. “He damn sure was and he was more nervous than me.” I laughed because the entire ride he asked me if she was in the back seat dying.

“Well I can tell you like him and he likes you as well. Have you heard from Zax?”

“No, not since I blocked him. They told me he stopped by the shop a few times, but by the grace of God I was either out or coming in later.”

“Yeah, that’s God. He knows that man is not for you. Now the six-foot god with the locs who looks like he’d bloody somebody for stepping the wrong way? That’s for you.” She had never seen him up close in person, but a few times she’d FaceTimed me and he was at my place or vice versa. Plus, when I told her his name, the fool definitely did a deep dive on him.

“Is that so?” I asked, noticing I had a text from none other than him.

Kinga:What suite you in?

Me:115B. Why?

Kinga:Cause I asked.

Me:Kinga.

Kinga:What man? Your girl eats like you do or she on some vegan shit?

Me:She eats like me. Why?

I saw the dots show up at the bottom like he was about to respond but he didn’t. Over the last few weeks I had learned a lot about this man, from his need to always be in control to his ticks. Those being what irritated him. People really irritated him and I found it so hilarious. Any time we were out, be it grabbing a quick meal or just grabbing something, somebody knew him and they were almost trying to start a conversation. Kinga was damn sure not the type to do small talk because his irritation showed in his demeanor. The man was an asshole through and through. I often pictured him as a grumpy ass kid.

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