Page 59 of Arris, Jayme & Dyani
Jayme wanted to get our nails and feet done. Darryl was just checking in and seeing what I was up to. He’d drunkenly shown up to my apartment after the apparent party D-Ville had thrown. He’d gone on a little tangent about how he was proud of me and was hoping he could spend much more time with me now that I lived so close. His drunken stupor was how I found out he, Arris, and some of their friends had gotten into a huge fight.
I was still texting back and forth with both of them when Arris came from the back. He gestured toward the front desk and said something to his client but his eyes settled on me. He nudged his head toward the back room. I hopped up immediately.
I followed him into the room he’d been tattooing in and stood in the doorway while he disinfected everything. When he finished, I took a seat in one of the two vacant chairs in the room.
Arris peeked at the food I’d brought him and went to quick work unpacking it.
“What’s up, baby?” He took a bite of the food.
“Just wanted to see you.”
“You missed me, huh?” he teased.
I giggled and rolled my eyes. Arris lifted an eyebrow. I nodded slowly.
A grin took over Arris’s face and he leaned in so we could kiss.
He told me about the next tattoo he had scheduled and the funny comment Blake made about something Jayme had done.
I looked down midsentence when my phone started ringing. My heart jumped and I looked around automatically even though Arris and I were in a closed room. I plucked my phone up and put it to my ear.
“Hey. What’s up?” I cleared my throat.
“Nothing. What’s up with you?” my brother asked.
“Nothing much.”
“You want?—”
Arris’s sentence was cut short when I kicked the chair he was on. His head tilted partially sideways and he cut his eyes at me.
“I was just calling to see what was up with you and make sure you were all good.” Darryl exhaled. “I meant what I said about missing you.”
“I miss you too.”
“Even though I’m busy and shit, I love you, and if you need anything, I’m just a call away, alright?”
“Yeah, alright.”
“Let’s plan some shit for us to get together later this week or next though, for real.”
“I would love that,” I confessed. “I’ll send you some ideas.”
“Alright. Good. I’ll call you later or tomorrow.”
“Okay. Be careful out there.”
“You already know.”
I smiled briefly but the expression fell when my eyes landed on Arris who just looked at me with a blank stare.
I hung up, exhaled, and collapsed backward in my seat. Arris shook his head but didn’t say anything. He just took a bite of his food.
“What?” I asked.
“Did you just try to tell me to shut up because you got a call, Dyani?” he asked.
“It was Darryl.”
