Page 15 of Love me Like XO

He nodded. “How did you get into doing all of that anyway?”

I shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to be in the beauty scene, but I couldn’t do hair for shit. Emmy got all that talent. I found that I could do makeup and fill the shit out of some thin ass brows. Lashes came after I went to school for my certifications.”

“Sounds like good money.”

“It is when bitches aren’t trying to be funny. What about you? What do you do?” I knew part of it, but most hood niggas had their side hustle… you know aside from being a hood nigga.

“I got a lil’ suite up north where I do Ink.”

Now I was shocked. “You’re a tattoo artist? Like you draw on people’s skin?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, but it’s just a one-on-one thing. I’on do too well with too many folks so it’s just me with whatever my availability is for that week.”

“Hmph.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I never would have guessed, but I bet the bitches love it.” Now I turned my body in the seat so I was looking at him.

“They probably do, but that ain’t on me. As long as the funds are right, I’ll draw whatever on a female’s body.”

I nodded. “And how much would you charge me to cover up a piece on my collarbone?”

“On the house, wife.” He winked.

“What’s with this wife stuff? You know I ha?—”

“You don’t and I’m manifesting that shit. The sooner you get it together and accept that I’m not letting up the better this will be with us. Plus you can let old boy down instead of me having to do it.”

I cackled at the last sentence of his spill. “Malik, you don’t even know me. How do you know you wanna be with me?”

“See this right here? It’s quality time. It’s date night, baby.” He took his attention off the wheel for five seconds to look at me.

He was so serious and for that exact reason I was turned on. He had energy for light years. Shit this was probably a bad idea because I could feel myself hanging on to each word he spoke. What the hell was I doing in this car growing increasingly obsessed with a man I knew nothing about?Absolutely nothing except the fact that he was giving me the attention that I wasn’t receiving at home.

“You never told me why.”I sipped from my water. The night had been going great, so great in fact that I had to remind myself that this wasn’t a date.

“Why what?”

“Why you call yourself wanting to be with me?” I felt childish as fuck saying that to him.

He smiled. “Why not you?”

“Malik.” I folded my arms and peered at him seriously.

“Probably gonna sound flat as fuck, but because you’re you. Driven as fuck and yo’ own person. I peeped all of that from talking to you for five minutes, shit it made me want to know more.”

I smiled. “It’s not flat at all. I can tell you meant what you said.”

“How? Let you tell it I’ve been tryna run game since we sat down.”

Laughter expelled from my lips. “Because you have. Being all attentive and maintaining eye contact.”

He joined in on the laughter. “What, you want me not to look at you?”

“I mean you can look at me, but not like that.” I pointed at him.

“Why not? It’s the best fucking view in the room.”

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