Page 21 of A Player's Prayer
“Oh my gosh!” She jumped into my arms, almost causing me to lose my balance. Hugging me tightly, she grabbed hold of my hand and all but dragged me toward the ticket booth. “You’re going to be my new friend. You’re going to come to my princess tea parties and everything!”
Once inside the aquarium, Adrian woke up little AJ, and we had a good time. Watching the kids light up at all the differentanimals and exhibits was really a sight to see. It was my first time visiting, but it definitely wouldn’t be the last. The city’s aquarium had exceeded my expectations.
“My bad for bombarding you with the littles.” Adrian bumped my shoulder and nodded toward the kids. They were leaning against the glass that held a plethora of stingrays. “I stopped by Skip’s this morning, and when Gi Baby found out where I was going, she called for AJ and invited her damn self.” We shared a laugh as he draped his arm around my shoulder. “She likes you.”
“Good to know I’m not askeezer.” I bucked my eyes, elbowing him. “I know no one told her that shit but you. You need your ass beat.”
“Man, chill out.” He chuckled while blocking my hits before positioning his arm back around my shoulder again. He smelled so damn good today. I’d been doing a great job of keeping myself in check the past week we’d been hanging out. “My girl has an eye for ladies she thinks are good for her uncle. Seems to me, she found one…”
As we walked behind the kids, I peered up and eyed Adrian’s side profile instead of responding. Here lately, he’s been dropping little subtle hints about wanting to be with me, and I would be lying if I pretended that I didn’t think about what it would be like. Underneath his ignorant ways, he is very clever and sweet. He was a perfect blend of aggression and sex appeal to have me intrigued. However, I was tired of being in survival mode when it comes to relationships, and I’d rather not try again.
“Me and you wouldn’t be any good together.” I giggled at him rearing his head back. “I’ve heard and seen how women act over you. I think I’ll pass.”
With his body close to mine, I admit that it felt nice. He said nothing as he simply kissed my temple. He was alwaysaffectionate with me, so the gesture didn’t catch me off guard. We flirted a little here and there, but it was nothing major because I knew how smooth Adrian could be. I heard the things he said to women when we hung out. There would never be a shortage of women vying for his attention with the way he twisted his words. Like now, as we were watching the kids enjoy the aquatic scenery, a clownfish was watching us.
“Wow… don’t you guys look cozy.” A light-skinned girl approached us, startling us both. She was really pretty and slim, but the mug on her face let me know she wasn’t too happy seeing me here with Adrian. “I came here to celebrate my little cousin’s birthday and imagine my surprise when I see you pull up, looking like a family withher.” She pointed her frail finger at me, and I wanted to break the shit in half. This hoe didn’t know me to be jabbing her fingers in my space. “Who is this, Wild? Our replacement? Is she the reason you’ve been blowing me and Talena off?”
Ignoring her, Adrian continued to sip his slush as if she weren’t here, yapping away. I tried to pull away from him, but he held me tighter. Seeing as though she couldn’t take the hint, I decided to intervene.
“Hi, I’m Dakota, and trust, I’m not anyone’s replacement. This is a family-friendly facility, so if you have any concerns for Adrian, maybe schedule some time to see him later.”
People stared at our interaction but said nothing as we walked away. We weren’t loud—Adrian was just a Mills, which caused everyone to stare, no matter what was happening. The girl didn’t seem to appreciate being ignored, so she continued to follow us, talking shit along the way. The more we walked, the louder she got. Now, I was annoyed, but I wasn’t the only one.
“Uncle Wild… the girl behind us is acting like a chicken head with the loud talking.” I tried to hide my laugh as Gi Baby frowned at the girl’s outburst. “She’s going to scare the fish.”
Taking her hand and grabbing AJ, I led them to another exhibit and told Adrian to deal with his girl before I got pissed off. As we got in line to watch the dolphin show, Gi Baby tugged my hand.
“Yes, ma’am?” I asked as I led us to our seats.
“Are you my new auntie?” she asked innocently. “Are you my uncle’s girlfriend?”
“We’re just friends, baby girl. Look!” I pointed as the dolphins began to float around in their little pools. “It’s almost showtime.”
Seeing that they had her attention, I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing I wanted was to be badgered by a child about her whore of an uncle. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as the unknown girl cried at Adrian’s retreating back as he made his way over toward us. The way he carried himself, he knew he was that nigga. Eyeing the girl once more, I could tell he leaves a trail of broken hearts everywhere he goes. I’ll be damned if he ever breaks mine.
“Man, you’re crazy as hell if you think Alabama is going to the national championship this year.” Adrian mugged me from his end of the couch. “I bet you money them niggas won’t see shit outside of the Lil’ Caesar’s bowl for the next three years.”
“And the Georgia Bulldogs?” I asked just to piss him off. With the way his face was scrunched up, I knew I had him. “They’re just as sorry—wait! Okay! Okay!”
Tickling me like he’d lost his mind, I twisted from his clutches and ran to the bathroom. He knows I’m ticklish, but that doesn’t stop him at all from torturing me. Making it to thebathroom just in time, I could hear him laughing on the other side of the door.
“Man, bring your pissy pussy ass out of there so we can watch a movie. Gi Baby got me watching them lil’ niggasLilo and Stitchsince that’s the theme for her tea party next week.” As he walked away, I heard him mumble, “Where the fuck am I going to find a Stitch onesie for my big ass?”
Laughing, I handled my business, thinking about how stupid he was. Being around him consistently has been a breath of fresh air. There have been times when I’ve wanted to send him back to his hoes because the way his phone dings all day is sickening. Washing my hands, I looked at myself in the mirror. It was time for me to do something about this mass of curls on my head. Since Adrian decided to bombard my personal space so late, I was dressed in my favorite nightshirt from Walmart.
Looking at it reminded me of Zaria. We used to buy matching muumuu’s and have the best sleepovers in high school. Adrian had been kicking it heavy with me since she left. As promised, he followed me home that day so he could watch her get her things and leave. She said nothing to me as she stormed inside and packed her stuff, but she had a lot to say to Sed and Bear as she cussed on the phone about me being a fake-ass hoe. As badly as I wanted to beat her ass, my love for her wouldn’t let me. I didn’t know if she made it home or not because she hasn’t answered my calls or messages. While I was cool on her, I didn’t wish her any harm, so I was hoping she had made it back to Florida safely.
“Talena, if you call my phone one more muthafuckin’ time, I’m going to go down to the chicken plant and show your nigga how I nutted in his safety shoes after you sucked my dick.” He paused for a minute before continuing, “Erica, you know you better shut the fuck up before I tell that nigga, Cal, how you stole some of his re-up money and bought me a PS5. The services ofyou and your homegirl are no longer required. I haven’t touched either of you in weeks. I’m chilling with my best friend. Bye.”
Listening to how he handled those girls almost made me feel sorry for them. Their self-esteem must be in the toilet to tolerate his mouth. I still hadn’t arranged an understanding of his behavior because the way he handles me is completely different from how he handles others. The version of Adrian that I get is the one that makes me want to ride him like a pony.
Making my presence known, I said, “There’s no way I would give you any play just for you to talk to me like that.” I shook my head as I plopped down on the couch beside him. He’d already popped the popcorn and dimmed the lights. “You’re so mean.”
“How?” he asked with a mouth full of snacks. “I’m single, and I’m honest. Plus, I’ll never handle you like that. You know that, right?”
“Oh, I know. There’s a small scar on your lip now to prove it.” I snuggled up under him just for his phone to ring again. Glancing at the screen, it was someone named Ava.
In true Wild fashion, he answered on speaker. “What’s up, bobble head?”
