Page 18 of For the Love of City
“Since you saw I just met the lady—”
“You must be Travis.”
That hand was out again and he took it with a grin. Her tone sounded teasing but I ain’t even like that. Like they had inside jokes and shit I didn’t know anything about. When he kissed the back of it, I cocked my head cause he really had me fucked up.
“I am.”
She laughed before taking her hand back unimpressed by his actions. “You can keep that pretty boy shit right where you got it. I already know you’re the ho’ of the group. No, thank you.”
“That shit would’ve normally broken my heart but since Lyric loves you I know we gone be cool.” He held his fist out for her to dap him up and she kept him waiting.
Her brow arched in a way that she didn’t believe his ass could be friends with women. She would be right, but giving how I was reacting to her, Trav would definitely have to see her as another sister to look out for.
“I promise I’m good.”
She finally bumped fists with him and relaxed her face. “Well, it’s good to finally put faces with the names. Lyric sings y’all’s praises and I have to thank y’all for stepping in for her when you did.” Her eyes kept darting up to me while talking to him and she caught me staring each time. I didn’t give a damn that she knew I was looking, Porsha knew she was bad.
“Wouldn’t be able to call ourselves men if we didn’t.” Something in her eyes sparkled and I needed her to know it was dangerous as fuck for her to be at all impressed by me. Cause I would take that and run and have those black daisy dukes she was wearing on the floor while she braced herself against the ceiling as I slurped her pussy like an ice cream cone.
“True, but the idea of being a man can get bastardized along the way. A lot of niggas see keeping it real as only looking out forthemselves. Y’all were solid and even though you’ve known her longer, she’s like family to me. So thank you again.”
“You sound like you’d beat a bitch’s ass behind Lyrie.”
“Definitely would. Her so-called bestie would be the first one on my list.” The way she rolled her eyes and folded her arms over the silk black tank that covered her body was a clear sign she hated Trice.
“That girl ain’t getting the time of day from me or anyone else in this room, P, chill.”
Lyric strolled in with the team security that had escorted her up from the field. Besides them wanting to ensure that she didn’t get hurt on their field, I’d seen the way the team really fucked with her. If I didn’t know how Lyric’s aura could pull you in and make you love her, I would’ve been surprised. The owner’s family looked like they ain’t fuck with niggas too much unless they were on the field. Him ensuring she was good meant Parker wasn’t like them people he shared blood with.
Lyric made her rounds hugging everybody and dancing with the kids briefly. I offered to get her a plate cause I knew she’d been too nervous to eat before she performed. She refused and said she would fix her own. Porsha went with her since she hadn’t eaten either and now my eyes were split between which one of them I was watching harder. Lyric was because I still couldn’t shake making sure she was good. And my attention for Porsha was as simple as I wanted her.Bad.
“I already know. Don’t mess this up for Lyric, bruh.”
I looked at Trav’s ass like I didn’t have no clue what he was talking about. But since his ass had known me since before my damn nuts dropped, he knew what type of time I was on.
“Stop playing it ain’t shit.” I waved him off but couldn’t help watching the way her head tossed back as she laughed. Her plate was filled with food, which I appreciated cause I didn’t want anybody around me who thought they were too damn cute to eat.
“Bruh, your eyes got stars in them right now. That’s notain’t shitno matter how you want to say it.”
I finally stopped staring at shawty to face the field. Looking at Trav’s smug ass face was not about to happen. “She badder than a muthafucka, of course I’mma look.”
The cheerleaders were heading off the field and then the players were coming out to get started with the game.
“And try to toss my ass into this crowd for an unscheduled crowd surfing session if I tried to do the same.”
I grinned at him finally looking his way. “I’m glad you already know so I ain’t got to explain to Lyric.”
“Not you taking out your boy behind a baddie.”
“Nah, I know better. She all the way out here and I’m in Atlanta—”
“And we already spent a bunch of time here as it was. Lyric gone be here and you know your ass has separation anxiety and shit after being away from her too long.”
I scoffed but that nigga wasn’t wrong. Lyric was my lil baby and keeping her from visiting me for all that time had been a lot. Besides that, it was hurting me just as much as her to not see her. Her stubborn ass took it on the chin but in her true brat nature she got me out early so we didn’t have to be apart. Then she went off and got a man and said she was moving states and shit. Travis couldn’t talk, though. He was hurt that she stepped back from him but he understood it. We were used to it being the three of us handling shit. Being around with a piece missing was hard. Especially since he got to visit and she didn’t. I knew he would be strong but seeing Lyrie cry or get upset seeing me locked up would’ve had me pulling a Shawshank with a spoon and a pinup poster.
“That’s a flight or two. Right now I ain’t trying to get into something that ain’t gone be serious. I just got my Black ass out them walls. She don’t look like the type of girl that fucks witha felon.” From her hair to her boots, everything about that girl screamed high class. She looked expensive, not in a bad way because shawty was definitely down to earth. But she looked like she had standards and I was sure that I didn’t check the boxes.
Travis laughed and picked up his beer from the table. He was on drink number two since there were kids around and no smoking allowed. He took a sip and gave me a look like I’d missed something.
