Page 82 of The Need to Know

Corey stared at me, hurt, and in another second, he finally got the message and walked out of my life. Hopefully forever.

The status quo resumed and I took in the empty state of Shéc, the music playing in the background, and my very curious best friend waiting for some type of detail.

Uh-uh.

I shook my head and went past her for the backroom. “You first, missy.”

Paisley sighed and then groaned. “I know, I know, I owe you.”

I went and stored my purse in the back before coming out and eying the sales floor. Product was missing in a few places, but other than that, I’d done a bang-up job closing last night.

I removed the hair tie from my wrist and gathered my hair and pulled it up into a bun. There was work to be done. As soon as I got the 411 from Pay.

Using my hand, I summoned her over to the suede chairs on the left side of the room and settled down. It was still early, we’d be hit for sure for the lunch crowd rush, but for now, Paisley had all of my attention.

She sat perched, with her knees crossed and her hands placed on top. Her back was straight and she wouldn’t look at me as she seemed lost in thought.

“It’s your fault,” was the first thing she said as she leaned over and swatted at me hard.

“What’d I do?” I challenged.

She narrowed her eyes. “You spoke him up.”

“Him?” I racked my brain and came up empty on who and what she was talking about.

Paisley deadpanned. “Sloan.”

Her ex. He was the reason she missed work and ghosted me all day?

“Spill,” I demanded.

Paisley cringed. “Well, after I left early Thursday, my mom called me over. Sloan was there.” She rolled her eyes. “My momma love that man and couldn’t help but invite him to dinner. I wanted to die.”

“That bad?”

“He looked that good,” she clarified. “Ugh, time was a friend to him. He’s filled out and more grown now, and one look had me ready to fling my panties.”

I knew what she meant. When Ezekiel stepped into my room after his shower this morning, smelling good and looking good I wanted to forgo all his plans and have him for breakfast. He probably hadn’t bullshitted me. One look at his member would make me want to lick it. Because feeling it beneath me when I sat on his lap? Good God.

“Anyway, Yovanna was going on and on, and the whole time I could feel that man looking at me. I told her I had to go, and she had the nerve to mention my Ladies’ Night gig,” Paisley said.

“He showed up?” I asked.

Paisley frowned. “I was so good! I was preachin’ and tellin’ them women what to do and how to do it, and then my ex shows up and all that empowerment went out the window.”

I felt bad for laughing. Damn. Sloan Strickland had to be fine to get Paisley like this.

“You guys hooked up, didn’t you?” I could read it on her.

She nodded shamefully. “It was just like before, but better. He touched my soul, Nas. I have never had dick that good.”

I felt my sex clench at the thought. It had been too long and I needed to get laid. I was definitely not hating or shaming Paisley for getting it good.

“Get that dick, girl, don’t let it get you,” I told her, putting my own spin on a famous line from Ice Cube’s The Player’s Club.

Paisley loosened up finally and let out a loud laugh. She swatted at me again. “Stop!”

“I’m for real. It’s a damn drought over here. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”