Subject to change. Coming this Spring. Enjoy đ
âWhereâs the good in your bestie sleeping with the ownerâs son if I canât drink as much as I want to?â I asked, rolling my eyes as the other bartender wouldnât even look my way, for fear of stepping on Robâs toes after heâd informed me I had enough to drink.
Laughing, Rob continued with the complicated ass steps of whatever drink he was making. âThe good in it is that your bestieâs boyfriend can make sure you stay upright on that stool.â
âUpright is overrated,â I shot back, and Rob paused what he was doing, and turned around. Iris was always talking about his eyes, how they were so deep and soulful, the kind of eyes that saw right through you. I saw it. She loved it, but in that moment where he turned and looked at me, his expression marked with concern, I kinda hated it.
âWhatâs up with you?â he asked, hands pressed against the low counter behind the bar, as he leaned toward me so we could talk without yelling. âYou got your promotion, Zion passed his test today, you look good. But  you seem like something is⌠off.â
âIâm fine, Math Bae,â I teased, making him chuckle. âIâm good, seriously. Just tired. And tipsy. And tired,â I added again, as Iris and Gia came back to take the empty seats beside me at the bar.
âYâall are right on time,â he said, switching gears. Heâd probably mention his concern to Iris later, but I appreciated that even with his âemotional honestyâ shtick, he knew when to drop a conversation.
âOn time for what?â Gia asked, flipping a handful of her massive hair out of her face as Rob turned back to the drink heâd finally poured into the shaker.
âTo toast our senior stylist,â he said, then pulled down six shot glasses just in time for Derrick and Kyle to return from the chicks theyâd been flirting with across the bar. Kyle maneuvered into the space between my seat and the wall.
âSince youâre a senior stylist now, when are you gonna hook me up,â he asked. âI need somebody to touch up my locs for me.â
âWhat happened to whoever was doing it for you before?â Gia called, from a few seats down, and I sucked my teeth.
âHis dick is what happened, most likely,â I said before he could answer, then turned to him, daring him to contradict it.
He sucked his teeth. âYou just think I fuck every attractive woman I know, huh?â
I shook my head. âOf course not. I think you probably fuck every woman you know. Thatâs how being a hoe works.â
âDammmmn,â he said, putting his fist to his mouth as he laughed. âYou think Iâm a hoe?â
âAre you⌠not?â Iris asked, completely serious, and Rob almost choked on his own tongue laughing.
âWait a damn minute,â Kyle said, leaning back against the wall. âI know the â what did you call him, Iris, an Instagram honey? Yeah. â I know the Instagram Honey of the group isnât acting like he wasnât knocking âem down back in Cali before he moved here and Mrs. Black Iris came and settled himâŚâ
I laughed. âKyle, youâre an Instagram Honey too! And I mean⌠youâre a single man, Iâm not judging you for being a hoe. Hell, Iâve had my turn at being that too.â
âAs have I,â Iris added, shaking her head, and Gia chimed in the affirmative too, And Derrick chuckled.
âLet me come to my homeboyâs defense a little bit though â Donât you think him being a former professional baller might affect your opinion of him? Like, women hear that youâre in a certain profession, and automatically put that âhoeâ stamp on you, without really knowing.â
Gia shook her head. âNo⌠we put the âhoeâ stamp on men when theyâre fine Ââ not always because of the job. Hoe. Hoe. Hoe,â she said, pointing at Derrick, then Rob, then Kyle. âDonât get me wrong â no one is saying you canât be faithful, or couldnât be a good partner. I am saying that when good looking men arenât in committed relationships, theyâre usually hoes. Which a single person is well within their rights to be, if thatâs what they want to do.â
âBut I am not,â Kyle interjected. âYes, I enjoy the company of women, but contrary to what seems to be popular belief, I am not out here sticking my dick in everything that moves. And I donât appreciate the implication, Brandi,â he said pointedly at me, poking me in the side to make me giggle.
âFine, maybe not,â I laughed. âBut, answer this⌠You screwed the woman who was retwisting your locs didnât you?â
His lips pressed together as he gave me a blank face, and tried to keep from laughing, but he couldnât. He covered his face with his hand as he groaned. âMan, it was one damn time.â And we all burst into laughter.
Shaking my head, I watched Rob pour a creamy-looking liquid between the six glasses, then start passing them out, hesitating when it came to me.
âBoy, give me that damn shot,â I laughed, reaching across the bar.
He held it just past my fingertips, with a stern expression. âIâm only giving you this cause itâs your night⌠after this, Iâm forreal, no more.â
âFine, dad!â I slurred, then quickly cleared my throat, hoping no one else had caught it. Maybe I had had a bit too much. âWhat is this anyway?â I asked slowly, carefully, and Iris chimed in.
âYeah. It smells really sweet.â
Rob grinned. âWell, thatâs cause itâs inspired by our girl Brandiâs favorite dessert â pecan pie,â he said, then held up his glass. The rest of us followed suit, clinking our glasses together, and I couldnât help grinning hard as hell as they screamed âCongrats, B!â in unison at me before we all downed our shots.
âOh my God,â I moaned, as the liquor slid down my throat.
âWhat the hell did you put in that? Itâs amazing,â Iris asked him, and she wasnât exaggerating at all. Perfectly smooth, warm, sweet, creamy⌠I wanted to order another one, but I knew Iâd be pushing my luck.
âWhat you gone do for the bartenderâs secret? Itâs gonna cost you,â Rob flirted, and Iris pulled her lip between her teeth as she blushed. Kyleâs glass hitting the bartop beside me pulled my attention away from the lovebirds, and I looked at him just as he was turning to put his back to the bar.
Before tonight, I hadnât seen Kyle since that day in the gym, almost a week and a half ago. It felt like longer though, especially since Iâd been losing days to busyness with the details of my new title at the salon. But now that he was right beside me, looking good, and smelling good, andâ âThe shot was nice⌠but you taste better.â â Saying shit like that in my ear⌠my body was wide awake, and sending out signals that let me know it was time to go.
âI think that may have put me over the top,â I said, louder than intended, pulling myself down from my barstool. âIâm gonna head home.â
2 Responses
Wow what a teaser!!!!! I can’t wait for this to drop.
Yay! So excited!