Page 23 of Only if You Catch Me
“And me? I was collateral damage?” she smirked.
“That day I saw you at the pool party, my interest was piqued. I saw the rock on your finger, and I respected it. Saw you with him, and I thought it was a little funny, but I still respected it. Just had to wonder why the hell I kept running into you all of a sudden. Even when I mentioned the twelve hours with you, I didn’t expect him to be lame enough to agree. I was just checking his gangsta really.”
Persia shifted in her seat, and I knew me bringing that situation up had pissed her off. She had a right to be upset. What her husband did was foul. He didn’t even deserve to be called her husband.
“I don’t even know why I’m about to tell you this,” Persia shook her head as she stared at the menu. “I went to the house to get some things, and I went in his closet. He had $15,000 hidden. Whole time he was telling me he only had $20,000 when he really had $35,000. He let me sell my ring and take my own money to put up the other $40,000.”
I glared at her with disgust. I wasn’t disgusted by her but David, that nigga was a piece of work. “Yeah, I did you a favor, shawty. That nigga is a sucka. I would have dead ass gone on a robbing spree before I ever considered letting the next man haveaccess to my wife. And she damn sure wouldn’t have had to put any money up. Fuck nigga.” I seethed.
“It is what it is. It’s just crazy how you spend years with someone and then just like that in the blink of an eye, it’s over. Like that one little action caused the entire marriage to be over? That’s crazy.”
I didn’t like the doubt that her eyes and tone held. She was second guessing herself, and that was going to piss me off. “There are a lot of actions that only take a split second that change the trajectory of a person’s life forever. It only takes seconds to be murdered. It takes minutes to cheat. The minute he didn’t choose you, damn right it should be over. No questions asked.”
“So, where are we going when we get off the yacht?”
“The mall. I have somethings I want to buy.”
Hours later, we were in the Chanel store. I was looking for a gift for my mother. Persia was walking around the store. I peeped her pick up a pair of Chanel sneakers. Walking over to her, I pointed to the bags inside the display cases. “Which one of those you like the best? My mom’s favorite color is pink, but I don’t know how often she will carry a pink bag.”
“Ummm, they’re all gorgeous, but I definitely think she’d get the most wear out of black, white, or maybe even red. That black is a freakin’ classic.”
I chuckled. “Women call every bag a classic, then you get them and only carry them a few times.”
“I’m definitely guilty of that, but if I got a Chanelly, my baby would get carried. Too much,” she giggled and set the shoe down.
“You don’t have a Chanel purse?”
“Nope. I’ve thought about it numerous times, but I’m not sure I’m in the place where I can spend that much on a bag without feeling guilty. I just think $11,000 for a purse is something I have to prepare myself for.”
“Which color do you want?”
Persia looked at me with a slack jaw. “Hell no. I’m not letting you buy me a Chanel bag.”
“Why not?” I was genuinely confused.
“Because I still don’t really know you, and a bag that expensive,” she shook her head. “I don’t want to feel like I owe you anything.”
That comment got a snort out of me. “What would you owe me, Persia? Pussy?”
Her face flushed.
“Shorty, I never been a lame nigga in my life. I can get pussy without dropping thousands on a bag. I don’t do things with strings attached. I tried to give you money back for paying your man’s debt, and you wouldn’t take it. Now, you don’t want to take the purse. Keep blocking your own blessings.”
“I mean since you put it like that,” she replied slowly.
“Nah. You missed your chance.” Persia rolled her eyes, and I shook my head. “What color do you want?”
I ended up buying Persia a purse and the Chanel sneakers she was looking at. I got my mother a purse, and I bought myself a few pairs of sneakers and a few outfits from KITH. Persia had followed me to the mall in her car. When we were done shopping, we walked toward the exit.
“You want to keep running the streets, or you feel comfortable enough to go to my crib? I can call my chef to come over and cook us dinner. You still have like six more hours with me.”
“We can go to your house,” she replied skeptically, and I smirked.
I would never attempt to pressure Persia to have sex with me. No lies were told when I said I didn’t expect anything from her because I copped her a purse. I liked her, and I was pretty good at reading people. The attraction was there on her end. She was hesitant, however, and I didn’t blame her. If she didn’t want to have sex with me, all I could do was respect it but if it happened naturally, I was gon’ knock the lining out that pussy. Toya called as I drove home and though I knew the conversation probably wouldn’t end well, I answered for her.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, um. I know we haven’t exactly been talking, but I need a favor. If you don’t want to that’s fine.”
