Page 5 of Stand on That

“Okay, get that money. What time you gon’ be done?”

“In about an hour.”

“You trying to chill with your boy?”

Fuck yes! “Sure. What are we going to be doing?”

“A little of this and a little of that. Dress comfortable.”

“Okay.” I was smiling so hard he probably heard it in my tone, and I didn’t even care. “When I’m done, I’m going to take a shower. Then I’ll text you, and you can be on your way.”

“Bet.”

When I was finished with my client, I cleaned the area that I braided in, and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat before I took a shower. I was clean, moisturized, and dressed when Lo walked into my room.

“You don’t believe in knocking, huh?” I asked as I sprayed some perfume.

“Where you going?” she ignored the question and flopped down on my bed. Since Darius told me to dress casual, I put on black yoga shorts and a matching sports bra type shirt that stopped just above my belly button.

“Darius is picking me up.” I had to tuck my lips into my mouth to keep from smiling as I searched for my lip gloss.

“Okay two nights in a row. I love that for us.”

Laughing, I looked over my shoulder at her. “Us?”

“Yeah, because when he starts tricking on you, you can start tricking on me. Duh.”

“And you know I got you.”

“Period.”

“What are you getting into tonight?”

“Me and ma are going to the movies. Dad went to a sports bar to watch the game.”

Rather than looking over my shoulder, I turned my whole body around. “Y’all going to the movies, and nobody invited me? Oh, y’all foul for real.”

“I came in here to ask you if you wanted to go. We decided last minute. We’re literally leaving in twenty minutes.”

“Better had been last minute,” I rolled my eyes before turning back around to check my reflection. It took a half second for me to decide that I needed to add earrings and a necklace or two. My ankle bracelet never left my leg in the spring and summer. I actually wanted to get a few more, but I’d been trying to do more saving than spending. Before Darius told me we were going to Antigua for my birthday, I had actually been contemplating a trip to Cancun with Quana, Lo, and Hailey.

I wasn’t going to mention Antigua until I knew Darius a little better and was sure he wasn’t just talking.

“Oh!” I remembered suddenly grabbing my purse. “I’m going outside because if Darius rings that bell ma’s nosey ass is going to have twenty questions. The first being how does he afford a Lexus?”

Lo hopped up while giggling because she knew I was telling the truth. The moment we were seated on the porch, I saw Darius’ Lexus rolling onto our street, and my stomach tightened. I liked him way too much, and I needed to chill, but I didn’t know how.

“Bye boo,” I grinned before getting up and rushing past Lo.

Even though I was approaching the car, Darius still got out. “Damn you that anxious to see a nigga?” he tossed a crooked grin my way that had my body going into overdrive. Kitty throbbing, thighs clenching, face flushing. No matter how discombobulated he made me on the inside, I’d forever play it cool on the outside.

“Boy please. Me and my sister were already sitting outside. Plus, my mama is nosey. Her first question would be how old you are. The second would be what do you do for a living that allows you to drive a Lexus.”

“Never really had parents in my business,” he smirked. “You sure you legal?”

“Nigga,” I frowned at him. “I could be thirty, and my mama and daddy are still going to be all up in my business.”

“I can dig that,” he laughed. “My pops was actually more interrogative than my mom when I was growing up. They didn’t mind me moving out at eighteen, but they didn’t like how I got the money to move out. I wasn’t in their house anymore, so,” he shrugged passively.