Page 24 of A Player's Prayer
Internally throwing the biggest bitch fit of my life, I redressed and left out of her crib. I wasn’t going to let her see me sweat, but I for damn sure was lost about how she was able to disassociate just now. After fucking on my bitches, I dealt with tears and long text messages, complaining about not staying the night.
For ten minutes, I sat in my car and stared at Dakota’s bedroom window. It was when she cut the lights off that I snapped back to reality. Bringing my truck to life, I left her spot and sped all the way home. If Kodi thought she was going to give me some pussy and hoe me immediately after, she had another thing coming.
We go together now, and I was going to show her just howwildI can be if she said otherwise.
“You know… when you told me you wanted to take me to breakfast, I should have known it would be here.”
With my arm thrown over her shoulder, she and I entered my favorite breakfast spot in the hood: Waffle House. There’s never been a time I came to this place and it wasn’t hitting. Yeah, it was a little dirty. Sure, the workers would come across the counter and beat your ass at the drop of a dime. The food, though, was always on point.
“Baby, after the way you put that thang on me, you deserve all the All-Star meals your heart desires.” I chuckled as she mugged and elbowed me. “I’m just playing, man. Bring your mean ass on. I see a table in the back.”
Leading her to a booth away from the small crowd, I stopped her from sitting opposite me and made her slide in on my side. I fucked up by having sex with Kodi because now I’m addicted to her.
“You act like you like me or something with how close you’re sitting next to me.” She smirked before pushing her glasses up her nose. “Let me find out Big Mama got the juice.”
“If you’re referring to that waterpark you call a pus?—”
“Good morning and welcome to Waffle House.” I snapped my head up at the sound of Talena’s voice. I frowned at forgetting this damn girl worked here. “Are you getting your usual, baby?”
Squinting my eyes at her, I glanced over at Kodi, who didn’t have a care in the world. As she glanced over the menu, I gave my attention back to Talena.
“Listen, I’m not here for no shit with you this morning.” I leaned over the table toward her so she could hear me over the early morning chatter. “If you have an issue providing service to me and my girl, let me know so I can get somebody else over here. I don’t want to show my ass in front of all of these people today.”
“Not your girl, love,” Kodi sang from beside me as she placed her menu on the table. Smiling, she leaned over and read Talena’s name tag. “Good morning, Lena. I would like to order the patty melt, if you don’t mind, with an apple juice to drink. Also, if possible, can you put the animosity and bullshit to the side and save it for him?” She thumbed my way. “I’m only here for food. State your grievances to him when I’m not around. Thanks, love.”
Seeing her so nonchalant turned me on and pissed me off at the same time. Here I was doing some shit I’d never done with her, and she was treating me like I was a simp-ass nigga.
“Lena, bring my usual.” I sighed, throwing my arm back around Kodi. “I’m watching you. If anything looks strange with my shit, I’m smashing your face into that hot-ass griddle.”
Looking back and forth between Kodi and me, she rolled her eyes before leaving the table. I know she probably felt a way, but if she knew nothing else, she knew I meant everything I said.
“You know you’re wrong for bringing me here knowing one of your girls works here.” Kodi started once Talena placed our drinks on the table, looking like she was about to cry. “This shit is disrespectful, Adrian.”
“Okay. Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way.” I removed my arm from around her and shifted to face her. “I’m single, but there are women I fuck from time to time. As of late, believe it or not, I’ve cut them all off.Shehappens to be one that I’ve ghosted. I didn’t think about the fact that she works here when I dragged you out of the house this morning. My main concernwas spending time with you, Kodi. A nigga wants to get to know you better, on a serious tip. If all you gon’ do is give me bullshit and lip about everything, we can nip this shit in the bud now. I know the first few encounters with me weren’t the best, but I’m trying to show you something different.”
I was serious as fuck about what I’d just said to Dakota. If she was going to trip on me at every turn, we could end this right now.
“What do you want from me, Adrian?” She tilted her head and smirked. “Honestly.”
“To show you I’m all man and not some little-ass boy.”
“Ok.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I guess you told me, huh?”
Making small talk until our food came, I was enjoying her company as I had been since we started hanging heavy. Shorty wasn’t just a pretty face with some juicy pussy. She could hold a conversation and listen to understand what a nigga had to say. We were so deep in our own world that we didn’t notice Talena standing at the table with our food.
“Here you go; bullshit and animosity will be given at checkout.” Lena gave us a flat smile before walking away. I wanted to wring her fucking neck, but I had something better for her.
“She’s maddd…” Kodi giggled as she bit into her sandwich. Covering her mouth as she chewed, she turned to me. “You think I want to deal with that? That’s why last night can’t happen again. Adrian, I like you and the time we spend together, but let’s stay friends. You have too much going on.”
“Fuck her,” I said honestly as I cut into my waffle. “These broads don’t mean nothing to me at the end of the day. If I were your man, the last thing you would have to worry about is a hoe. You can believe that.”
I don’t know what made me say that to her, but in my bones, I felt it was the truth. What Dakota and everyone else didn’t understand was that my choice to have multiple hoes was just that, a choice. I never said I couldn’t be monogamous; I just didn’t see it for myself or want to be. With the right person, anything was possible, including me being a one-woman man.
“So you mean to tell me that you, Adrian Mills, Mr. ‘I don’t give a fuck if they were twin sisters,’ can go from having a harem of women to being loyal to just one?”
“I’m as loyal as they come, baby.” I winked at her, causing her to blush. “I know my words don’t mean shit because of what you’ve seen and heard me say. I can assure you, though… the only thing my woman would have to worry about is how I would be dicking her down when my ass got home. My woman would be secure in not only our relationship, but also in the type of man I am. These hoes get what they see, awildnigga with no regard for their feelings.”
“And your woman?” she asked breathlessly as she hung onto my every word. “What type of nigga would she get?”
