Page 21 of The Prodigy

That was plenty plausible, actually.

I hadn’t even begun to think about how or when I was gonna tell my father about this. Or what I’d say. I wasn’t in the habit of lying to him, but it didn’t seem like I had much of a choice.

The truth wasn’t safe to tell right now.

“Okay, that’s the story.” I hoped that would satisfy him. If I could keep him content, he’d probably loosen the reins. Maybe even let me go back home.

His attention was already elsewhere. The menu. The window. The candle at the center of the table.

I sighed.

“So what about dating?” I said.

His eyebrows knitted together. “Dating who?”

“The marriage isn’t real, right? I don’t wanna sit around alone. I like going on dates.”

“I mean…” he trailed off, his forehead creased as if he was in deep thought. “You can’t be out here dating. That wouldn’t make a lick of sense. No nigga worth his salt is letting his wife go out with other dudes. Nope.”

“So then…what?”

“So then I guess I’ma have to take you out sometimes if that’s what you like. If that’ll keep you from shriveling up and shit.”

I chuckled at that. “Gee, thanks.”

He drank half of his water. “So we established that you like to go on dates. Can we talk about whatIlike to do?”

I already knew. Well, one particular part of me did, anyway. It was obvious by the way he was looking at me, his eyes sitting low, lip pulled between his teeth. My mind wanted to me to resist, but my body was good and ready.

I swallowed hard. “What do you like to do?”

His full lips curved into a grin, and a chill went up my spine at the sight of it. “Just keeping it a buck, I love sex,” he said. “I need it, too. Sometimes I can’t get to sleep unless I nut one good time.”

How romantic.

Our waiter came just then to take our drink orders. I ordered a pina colada. Jakari thought that was hilarious. He laughed at me, then ordered himself a Hennessey and Coke.

“Bartender ordering a pina colada. Ain’t that some shit. Anyway, that’s my thing. I like to fuck. Where do you stand on that? I know I said I wouldn’t touch you, and I won’t if you don’t want me to. But you gotta understand. I can’t go too long without it.”

“Are you asking for permission to have sex with other women?”

“I ain’taskin’shit. I’m telling you where I stand.”

“So you’retellingme you’re gonna cheat.”

He spread his hands. “I’m giving you the real and letting you decide.”

I thought that over. “So if I say no to sex, that’s me deciding to let you cheat. Is that what you’re saying?”

He peered at me. “Why do you call it cheating?”

“Because we’re married, and because you think me dating is cheating on you.”

“Well…that’s different.” He rubbed his hands together. “Niggas have sides. It’s just what we do. Wouldn’t nobody bat an eye at that, so it’s not like I’d be out here disrespecting you. And I wouldn’t be parading none of these hoes all over town. But you out in public with another nigga?” He shook his head. “That don’t work for me.”

“Okay, then what if I wanted to have sex with somebody else in private. Would that be okay if nobody knew?”

His face balled up. “So you won’t fuckme, yourhusband, but you’d fuck another nigga? Hell, nah. That don’t work, either.”

“So basically what I’m getting is that until I’m ready to sleep with you, you’ll be sleeping with somebody else.”

He smiled. “I’ll try my best not to, wifey, but I can’t make no promises.”

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