Page 14 of Love me Like XO

Taree

I stared at my phone wondering why the hell I was even entertaining the idea of actually having dinner with this fool. Maybe because Hadees canceled our date after he promised hismother he’d take her to The Goodman theater for some fucking show. Either way I was pissed because how dare he?

I deserved this time out because I’ve literally worked my ass off. Once a week all I asked of this fool was date night, but here we were two weeks in a row, and he had to take her somewhere.

Instead of staring at my phone any longer, I picked it up and began the message.Himbeing Malik and not Hadees. I played around trying to figure out what I would say, before actually texting him.

Me: Are you busy?

Malik: Neva for u wife. Wyo?

Me: Let’s go get food.

Me: As friends.

Malik: Believe wat u want. Where u wanna go?

I didn’t mean to smile at his text, but I couldn’t help it. I had to give it to him, he had energy for days.

Me: It doesn’t matter because it’s not a date.

Malik: Just because you keep saying that don’t make it true.

Malik: Where you at, Lil’ One?

Me: My house.

Then I sent him my location and I felt like a literal ball of nerves.

Malik: Omw

I literally couldn’t breathe seeing him tell me he was on his way. This was the energy I longed for but here I was getting it from another man rather than the one I laid down with every other night.

It took me a minute, but I convinced myself that nothing was going to go down tonight, so it was fine for me to enjoy a meal with a friend. I had no intention of sleeping with Malik, so why was I panicking? Why was I obsessing over what would truly be just a good time?

It took me a minute before I was fully dressed, and he was telling me to come outside. I didn’t overdo it, but I also didn’t half step. I did just enough not to be considered too much.

When I walked out of my building, he was parked in the no parking zone and leaned back against it. “This a nice ass building. That nigga pay yo’ rent?”

“No, and I don’t require him to.”

“Don’t matter. If he’s fucking, then he should be paying the fucking bills.” He opened the door for me to get into the passenger side seat of the car.

I didn’t respond because I for sure had nothing to say. Maybe he was right, but it was somewhat of an Arcadian way of thinking if you asked me.

Seconds after I settled into my seat he was getting in on the other side and he smelled heavenly. There was no possible way he smelled this good every day.

I turned my face to the side while he drove. I couldn’t fathom watching him grip the steering wheel like he was and not think about how those hands would feel on me. Malik was a walking bad decision and no matter how much I wanted to make it, I couldn’t. I couldn’t go down that rabbit hole and not be fucking stuck, it just wasn’t possible.

After driving and listening to his music for long enough, he turned it down and I could feel his eyes on me.

“You look good today, Lil’ One.”

I smiled inwardly, before it just took over my whole being. “Thank you.”

“Full day?”

“Something like that, but two of my clients canceled last minute.”

---