Page 57 of Body Language
I turned just enough for him to see my smile then slowly lifted my middle finger. “Handle your business, Mr. Givelle.”
Ty was parked right where I knew she’d be, leaning on her steering wheel with that grin that always showed up when I did something bold. I climbed in, slamming the door behind me.
“You ready?” she cackled. “You really flipped that man off.”
“Hell yeah,” I said, adjusting my jacket. “If Arlette wanna play petty and pull me off the finale, cool. Her dumbass doesn’t even realize that we are a package deal. ”
Before Ty could respond, Kendrix stormed up to the car, knocking on the window.
I rolled it down, leaning my elbow on the frame.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice sweet as poison.
“Where you going?” he demanded.
I tilted my head. “Didn’t I already tell you? My pleasure better not fuck up my business. But since you can’t keep your bitches in check, Arlette pulled me off the final set. So congratulations, you let your mess cost me money.”
His brows furrowed, like he didn’t know whether to get mad or apologize. That was my cue to keep pressing.
“You wanna know something, Kendrix?” I leaned forward so he could see the fire in my eyes. “The men I deal with would never let anything sabotage what I have going on. Not one. Because real men don’t create chaos between women. They control the room so that shit like that never can happen.”
I paused, letting that sink in before I continued giving him the cutthroat truth.
“You think that chaos between women is cute, Kendrix? It’s not. It’s weak. It’s sloppy. Real men don’t let women crash out over them like it’s a contest. They shut the circus down before the clowns even touch the stage. I don’t deal with men who let women crash out over them like they have the last dick on earth. I fight too good for that. And I got kids to raise. Jail ain’t on my vision board, Pretty Boy.”
Ty snorted beside me, trying to hide her laugh. Kendrix just stood there, chest rising and falling heavy.
“Where are you going, Pretty?”
“On a date.”
The way his jaw ticked? Whew. It was like I slapped him without lifting a hand. “The fuck you not. You not going out with nobody but me.”
That’s when I smiled. The type of smile that saidbless your delusional little heart.
I lifted my hand slow, pretending to study my finger. “Hmmm… no ring here.” I tilted it back and forth like I was checking for diamonds in a bad light. Then I pulled out my phone, scrolling fake fast. “Let’s see… pictures of an engagement? Nope. A little video of you asking me to be your girlfriend? Nada. Huh. Crazy. Must’ve missed that memo.”
Ty damn near choked laughing in the driver’s seat. I smirked, sliding my phone back in my purse.
“Sorry, Kendrix,” I said, sweet and sharp. “You don’t own me. I do what I want.”
His lips parted like he was about to check me, but I wasn’t done.
“That’s the problem with men now,” I continued, voice rising. “Y’all think just because you’re handsome and got some money that you’re automatically the only option. News flash, baby. Yourbitch in there losing her marbles over you while another man has a plate of grapes ready to feed me on a private island. Which one sounds insane to you?”
He licked his lips, smirking like he was tryna stay calm. “You really think I’m about to let you go out with some other nigga?”
I leaned forward, unbothered. “Aren’t you tired of me clocking your tea, Kendrix?” I ran my tongue over my teeth, real slow. “The fact you said ‘let you’ proves my point. You don’t let me do shit. I choose. And right now, I’m choosing what’s best for me. Not your ego. Not your mess. Me. Men like you think the world runs on your time. You really believe we just supposed to sit pretty, quiet, and wait for you to decide when we deserve effort. Like our lives are on pause until you ready to press play.”
“Pretty—”
“Uh uh,” I cut him off, holding up my hand. “Don’t ‘Pretty’ me like that nickname make you different. You can puff your chest all you want. You want me to only go out with you? Put a title on it. You want me to wait around while you handle your chaos? Clean that shit up FIRST. You want me loyal? Give me loyalty I can actually touch. Because what you not about to do is play king while I sit here acting like I ain’t the whole damn kingdom. Right now, you’re just noise. And noise don’t pay bills.”
Ty whistled low, shaking her head like she was watching a show.
He leaned both hands on the window frame, staring at me like he was two seconds from snatching me out the truck. “Come with me and I’ll figure all this out.”
I grinned. “Uhhh, how about…NO! I’ll never be the woman who puts her life on hold waiting for a man to figure out anything. Either claim me or stay the hell out my way. Because I promise you, there’s a line of men ready to give me everything you’re still debating and figuring out.”
