Page 20 of Love me Like XO

“Probably.” I left out the part about already knowing he was in there because he’d asked me to come to him.

When we got in, I told my brother to order my drink, because I had to use the washroom.” He agreed, not really thinking anything of it as I walked off toward the washroom which was conveniently located a few feet away from the entrance to Zero’s office. I didn’t like the smile that crossed my face as I walked in the direction of his office.

Before I reached his door, I was slapped with the familiar aroma of somebody’s cologne. Then there was his voice, one that I used to get wet at the sound of.

“You ‘on’t fuck with me no more?” his voice made my eyes roll to the ceiling.

I turned around and faced him. “Look it was fu?—”

“Don’t gimme that. It was better than fun. Shit was just getting too real for you and you didn’t know what to do.”

“C’mon Benson, don’t fuck it up with an unnecessary bitterness. It was fun while it lasted. Enjoy the rest of your night.” I went to walk off, but his hand on my forearm stopped that.

I turned around looking from his hand to my hand before I spoke. “You wanna let me go, before this escalates.”

“Nah we’re not done ta?—”

The door that we were standing in front of opened and out walked Zero with an expression I couldn’t read.

“You good, baby girl?”

“Yeah, she’s straight,” Benson answered before I could.

Zero shook his head. “See if you ain’t the baby girl I was talking to then you probably should shut the fuck up.” Then he turned his sight to me. “Let’s go.”

I snatched my arm out of Benson’s grip, only for him to keep talking. “You fucking this nigga now? You know what, fuck it. You’re damaged as fuck anyw—” His sentence was cut short by Zero’s fist connecting with the side of his face. That for sure shut him up and made him stumble into the wall.

“Get him outta here,” he said to a security guard I didn’t know was standing near us until I looked up.

Before I could respond or anything, Zero had pulled me into his office, and closed the door. I didn’t get embarrassed easily, but something about Benson saying I was damaged in front of Zero bothered me.

He walked over to the sofa and took a seat, never taking his eyes off me as I moved through his dimly lit office taking in the decorations, or lack thereof.

“What happened to the side of yo’ face?”

“My sister slapped me.” I didn’t even realize he had seen the mark.

“Did you beat her ass?”

I laughed. “Something like that. About what he said out there, I wa?—”

“Yeen gotta explain that to me. Any nigga who calls a woman damaged is a bitch.”

I nodded.

“After you finish chilling with your people, you’re leaving with me. We’ll get some real food, then go to my place.”

I turned around and looked at him. There was no question in his eyes, and that wasn’t a request. It was almost like a play by play of what was going to happen within the next few hours. “And how do you know I’ll be done by the time you are?”

He chuckled, then stood to his feet. “You will.” Before I knew it, he was standing in front of me. “Right?” His hands then found their way to the spot below my chin as he tilted my face up for me to look at him while he awaited a response.

“Yeah.”

His eyes smiled, but his lips didn’t get the chance because they were already assaulting mine, his bottom lip trapped between mine, and his grip firmly on my neck making it harder for me to even think about eating with my siblings.

ZERO

I watched Empress approach the high table her siblings occupied through the camera before I went back to my work. Shorty had my eye and that was for sure, and I’d be lyingif I said old boy saying she was damaged didn’t pique my interest. Lowkey, I wanted to know what he meant, but it wasn’t important enough that it would’ve changed how I saw her.

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