Page 61 of Certified Pressure
“It was good,” I said finally.
Her lips curved into a smile, but it was the kind of smile you give when you’re not sure how you feel about the answer. “That’s good,” she said. “I’m glad you had a good time.”
I nodded and moved to my bag, pulling out a fitted dress I’d been saving for the right moment. I didn’t say anything else, and neither did she. The silence between us wasn’t heavy, but it wasn’t light either. We weren’t arguing, but we weren’t the way we used to be. Something in our friendship had changed, and it had started the moment she decided to keep her time with Pressure to herself. Now I was doing the same.
I grabbed a towel and fresh thong, and headed for the bathroom. I didn’t look back, but I could see her in the mirror one last time before I closed the door. Her shoulders wererelaxed, but her eyes had that faraway look, like she was thinking about something she wasn’t going to tell me.
The bathroom was warm and filled with the faint scent of lavender from the soap the maids stocked in the cabinets. I hung my dress on the hook behind the door and set my towel on the rack. Turning on the shower, I let the steam fill the space while I thought about the night ahead. Dinner wasn’t just about food—it was another chance for everyone to be seen, to compete quietly or loudly for Pressure’s attention.
But right now, I didn’t care about them other bitches. All I cared about was the way Pressure had me feeling.
Trill-Land, Jungle Estate
After a shower and throwin’ on somethin’ smooth, I took the elevator downstairs to join the women for dinner. The chef had the dinin’ room set up right. The table was laid out with candles burnin’ low, silverware polished and plates set for a feast. He went all out. There was ribeye steak cooked just how I like it, lobster tails with lemon wedges, salmon with some creamy dill sauce, roasted chicken stuffed with spinach and cheese, racks of lamb, and jumbo shrimp scampi. The sides was stacked too. We had baked macaroni with three cheeses, mashed potatoes loaded with butter, grilled asparagus, wild rice, and a whole salad spread. He had cornbread muffins with honey butter and desserts lined up on a cart. Red velvet cake, peachcobbler, chocolate mousse. Drinks covered everything from champagne and wine to tequila and fresh fruit punch.
I made sure to talk to his ass before I sat down. After what happened with Zaniyah the other day, I wasn’t lettin’ that shit happen again. I told him to ask every woman what she couldn’t eat and make sure none of it was on the table tonight.
The ladies was dressed to impress tonight. All of ‘em looked like they wanted my attention. Dresses hugged their curves, hair and makeup on point, and heels clicking across the floor like they was walkin’ a runway. Some went loud with bright colors and thigh splits that damn near came to the waist. Others kept it simple but sexy, lettin’ their confidence do the talkin’.
I let my eyes travel the table slow, takin’ in the view, but my mind drifted for a second. I could still taste Pluto on my tongue, that sweet mix of her pussy and the way her body had given in to me earlier. She swore she was keepin’ her guard up, but she let me in a little more than she planned, and now she was sitting’ at the table with no idea a nigga was still thinkin’ about it.
My gaze landed on Kashmere for a second, and she caught it. She didn’t smile, but there was a spark there that made my chest feel heavier in a good way. That woman had been keepin’ me entertained since the night in the hot tub, and the way she looked right now had me remembering exactly how she felt under me. She had on a dress that made her skin glow, and for a second, I almost forgot we wasn’t alone.
Then there was Toni Roc, sittin’ with her arms restin’ on the table, laughin’ at somethin’ one of the girls said. Baby girl had this way of sneakin’ under my skin without even tryin’, and I knew she was just waitin’ for her next moment with me. Shid… I was waitin’ too.
Between the three of them, my focus had been stretched thin these past few days, and I wasn’t mad about it. But tonight, I kept my expression cool. No matter what was in my head, I hadfourteen women sittin’ at this table, all of them here to be seen, and every single one of them watchin’ me just as hard as I was watchin’ them.
I pulled out my chair at the head of the table and sat back while the conversations kept goin’.
I was just listenin’ when Chanel Banks leaned toward me from a few seats down. She had that polished look on her face like she’d been waitin’ to talk.
“Pressure, I feel like I ain’t been able to spend no time with you,” she said. “Every time I look up you with somebody else. You wasting your time with women who ain’t even worth it.”
I kept my tone even. “You’ll get your time if you chill.”
She smiled but kept goin’. “I hear you, but I’m just saying, these women ain’t about shit like I am. I know what I bring to the table, and it’s better than what you been sittin’ with. All I’m saying is, spend more time with me and you will see.”
Before I could answer, Toni Roc leaned back in her chair. “Girl, shut the fuck up. If you was all that like you think you is, you’d have gotten your time already. Maybe he just ain’t checkin’ for you. Could be your personality. Could be them patchy ass elbows. Who knows.”
Some women laughed, some gasped, but before Chanel could come back, Lola Reign spoke up. “Clearly, you’re miserable, Chanel. Like real miserable.”
Chanel rolled her eyes slow, pushed her hair back, and said, “And clearly, you’re a man, bitch.”
The table went quiet. Lola frowned at her, and I caught the way her shoulders tensed, and her hands moved under the table.
“Shut the fuck up,” Lola said. “Matter fact, I wish I was a nigga so I could beat your ass right now.”
Chanel leaned forward. “Girl, please. Look at them big burly ass hands. I ain’t never seen a bitch with a pussy as big as yours. You probably got your dick tucked in your asshole right now.”
Some women covered their mouths, and a few shook their heads.
Lola was about to fire back, but Savannah Bleu jumped in. “Only way to settle it is to show Pressure your pussy.”
Lola’s face twisted. “Girl, huh? I’m not about to expose my pussy at a table full of bitches. Get the fuck outta here!”
It was heatin’ up quick. Voices was gettin’ louder and insults kept flyin’.
“Everybody calm the fuck down,” I said, my voice cuttin’ over all of them. They went quiet, but the tension was still there. I didn’t say anything else out loud, but in my head, I was already on it.
