Page 7 of Terrez and Shalene
“Sir—”
I cut my sentence short when he looked up at me. I was about to state the obvious about the bill being mine, but the “don’t insult my intelligence”expression he gave me made me think twice. He knew exactly what he was doing. My statement would’ve been pointless. I sat my ass back down as I watchedhim give the bartender his card. Once he was done signing the receipt, he sat next to me and took a sip of his drink before speaking.
“It’s good to see you in better spirits, Miss Lady.”
Just like the first time he spoke to me, his deep voice sent shockwaves straight to my pussy. My intrusive thoughts halted when I thought about the fact that he was just being nice. I knew firsthand that just because a man complimented you or did something nice didn’t always mean anything more than that. Furthermore, there were so many beautiful women in the bar I was sure he’d rather talk to. He didn’t look like the type of man who would go for a woman that was considered overweight.
“I am. Thank you for paying for my stuff, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“I’m well aware of what I do and don’t have to do. What you just saw was me doing something Iwantedto do. Now, you said thank you, so let’s move on from that. Why were you crying when I saw you the other night?” he asked bluntly.
“Sir, I don’t even know your name and you wanna know my secrets.” I chuckled.
“I plan to know more than just your name by the time we leave this bar. The reason you were crying is a little bit more pressing to me right now though.”
“And why is that?”
He took another sip of his drink before he gave me his attention. From the way he stroked his beard, I could tell he wanted to ponder his words before he spoke them. A man who thought before speaking was such an underrated turn on. It meant he had a good deal of self-control, which was something Brevin lacked.
“I don’t like seeing women in distress. Unless there’s been a death in the family, I don’t think a woman should be crying. Y’all are God’s gift to earth. Most days should feel like a walk in thepark. I’m well aware that’s not the case, but just how I feel.” He shrugged.
For a few seconds, I silently debated whether I should tell this man my business. I wasn’t the first woman to go through a divorce, but he was a stranger who happened to be my new neighbor. I didn’t want any bullshit where I lived, but he didn’t seem like the type to be pressed about anything.
“I’m newly divorced. I was crying because reality had set in that my marriage was over. Having to move into a new place solidified everything,” I stated.
“I’m sorry to hear that. It always feels like the end of the world when relationships end.”
“You’ve been married before?” I questioned.
“Nah, but I’ve loved a person so much that a marriage license wouldn’t have made a difference in how I felt.”
“I get that. Shit had gotten so bad that I no longer wanted the marriage, but it’s still hard going into the unknown. Especially with my daughter.”
“You’ll be good, Miss Lady. The way I see it, that nigga freed you for a reason deeper than even he knows. You may be hurt right now, but alignment is important in a relationship of any kind. Trust me when I say you’d rather be sleeping alone than sleeping next to someone you don’t know anymore. It leads to nothing but misery. With you having a baby girl, showing her examples of what a woman should tolerate is important. All relationships are tested but knowing when to pull the plug is the line between tolerance and happiness.”
I wasn’t sure if it was the liquor I’d been consuming or if his statement just hit home that had me tearing up. When Brevin first filed for divorce, I felt like a failure. I felt like I let him and Amayah down. Now, here we were, and a stranger was giving me a different point of view. Who would’ve known I’d get this type of advice by coming out to the bar tonight.
When he stood from his bar stool, I panicked. I wasn’t ready for our night to end. He also gave me a sense of comfort I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I hate to cut our conversation short, Miss Lady. I have work waiting on me. But if you take my number, I’ll call you in the morning.”
Without hesitation, I unlocked my phone and handed it to him.
“Text me when you make it in tonight. And that’s a demand, not a request,” he said as he walked off.
He was already mixed in with the crowd before I could say something about not knowing his name. Just as I stood to go back to the dance floor, my phone vibrated in my hand. When I looked at the screen, the name Terrez was there, and I smiled. Now that I knew his name, I couldn’t imagine it being anything else.
Terrez:I’ll see you soon Miss Lady.
Deciding not to respond right away, I went on to enjoy the rest of my night with Pat. I’d do as he asked and text him when we made it back to her house. It was inevitable that we’d be seeing each other soon since he was my neighbor. Even if the conversation we had tonight never led to anything else, I was happy Terrez had given me a new outlook on my situation.
Chapter 4
Terrez
“Everything been everything,man. Product, count, and everything in between,” D-Man explained.
D-Man had been rocking with me since before DP. When Little and I were running our own shit, he used to be one of the top block boys. He was about his money, but most importantly, he was loyal. The first time I met D-Man, his young ass was stealing a bag of chips and a honey bun from the corner store. From the way he was moving I knew it wasn’t his first time doing the shit. When I went to the counter to pay for my shit, I threw some extra cash to lowkey cover the snacks Damien had stolen. I didn’t wanna blow up his spot and get him caught, so I waited until I saw him outside to holler at him. He told me he was living in a group home and only ate when he was at school.
