Page 18 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

“What?” she smirked.

“We ordered the exact same thing,” I said.

“I know,” she shrugged.

“So why are you eating mine?” I asked.

Rebel shrugged. “’Cause yours looked better.”

“They literally came from the same fryer,” I shook my head, laughing.

“I said what I said,” Rebel pursed her lips.

James laughed so hard he nearly dropped his drink. “I ain’t never seen two people argue over food they both ordered.”

Jenay shook her head. “I don’t think they arguing.”

“Nah,” James said with a grin. “This just how they flirt.”

Rebel and I both looked at him.

“The fuck?” Rebel said loudly.

James held both hands up. “My bad.”

Jenay laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes. “I told you before we came over here...”

She pointed between me and Rebel. “We ain’t stand a chance.”

The date continued, and I found myself paying more attention to James than I ever intended. Every time that nigga laughed at something Rebel said, I noticed. Every time he leaned in a little closer to hear her over the music, I noticed. Every smile he threw her way seemed to get under my skin for reasons I couldn’t explain. The fucked-up part was, James wasn’t doing anything wrong.

He was just trying to get to know Rebel, exactly like I’d planned. So why the hell was I getting so damn annoyed? I took a long sip of my bourbon, hoping it’d drown whatever this feeling was, but it didn’t do a damn thing. The more they talked, the tighter my jaw became, and I hated myself for it because this was exactly how I wanted the night to go... or at least I thought it was.

After another hour or so, I’d had enough. Between James making Rebel laugh every five damn minutes and Jenay trying to keep a conversation going that I barely paid attention to, I was ready to call it a night. It wasn’t that the date was bad. James and Rebel seemed to get along, and Jenay was cool as always. So why the hell was I so ready to leave? I couldn’t answer that. I just knew the longer I sat there watching another nigga smile at Rebel, the more annoyed I became.

A little while later, Jenay glanced down at her phone before looking over at James. “We should probably get going.”

James nodded. “Yeah, I promised Ma we’d stop by the house tonight.”

The four of us stood from the table, and Jenay pulled Rebel into a quick hug.

“It was so good seeing you again.”

“You too. We definitely gotta do this again.”

James smiled at Rebel. “It was nice catching up.”

“You too.”

The two of them hugged before James turned to me and pulled me into one of those quick one-armed hugs men always did.

“Appreciate you setting this up.”

“No doubt.”

Jenay looked between me and Rebel with a knowing smile.

“Y’all don’t stay out too late.”