I might have spoken my mind and pissed a lot of people off, but my mama raised a gentleman. I knew not to let a woman who looked like her walk these streets alone. I wasn’t saying we were in the hood, but we definitely weren’t in the safest part of town, and she wasn’t even from here to know that. I doubted she even knew where she was going.
“Yo, Gina, wait up!” I yelled, jogging behind her.
“What do you want?”
“You know it’s not safe for you to be out here walking alone.”
“I don’t think I need a babysitter
“Yeah, but you may need company, walking this time of night. Where you going? I’ll take you.”
“I don’t need a ride. I got a car.”
“Okay, well, I’ll walk with you to your car.”
“Do whatever you want,” she sassed, walking in the opposite direction from the parking lot.
“Hey, you hungry?
“Kind of,” she replied snobbishly. It was apparent she was still mad at my ass, but I knew she wanted to eat.
“Alright. I know a burger joint that’s still open this time of night. If you’re not too bougie for burgers.” She stopped in her tracks, and I threw my hands up in mock surrender. I wasn’t trying to piss her off more than she already was.
“No one is too bougie for burgers.” She rolled her eyes again. This time, even harder than the last.
“You’d be surprised.”
“Well, lead the way,” she said, stretching her arm out in front of her so I could take the lead. Instead, I grabbed her hand and held it in mine. I could tell she wanted to resist, but at this point, she already knew I was getting what I wanted. So, she let me hold her hand.
Billy Ray’s Burgers was one of my favorite spots. It was like a hole in the wall, and I think it was his brother who owned the bar that we’d just left. That was how it was in Mississippi. Most of the businesses that were around each other were owned mainly by family, and this situation was no different.
It was easy to transition from one business to another, which was just another way family could support family. I liked the idea of one business supporting the other and the money staying all in the family. I believed that was the true purpose of having ownership, so you could put your family on.
“After you.” I opened the door to let Gina walk in, and her ass jiggled with each step. I couldn’t help but wonder how well it would move while I was giving her back shots.
“Thank you.”
“Welcome to Billy Ray’s.” The lady behind the bar greeted us as soon as we walked in. “You guys can have a seat wherever you like.”
We slid into the first booth on the right, one after another. I got on the same side as her because I wanted us to be close. I pushed up as close as I could to her, especially since she was trying to get as close to the wall as she could.
“See, now you trying to be funny,” she said, rolling her eyes with a slight chuckle.
She was acting like she didn’t want anything to do with me because of what I said, but I was confident that as the night went on, I would change her mind. I knew I wasn’t the easiest person to get along with because of how blunt I was, but women loved me. Gina could play all she wanted, but I would eventually break down those walls.
“I’m sort of a funny guy.” I shrugged my shoulders and flashed her a smile.
“You ain’t cute.”
“You only said that because you think I’m cute. It’s okay, baby. My mama blessed me.”
I knew I should have been focused on my situation with Lacy, but Gina was something I couldn’t pass up on, especially when I had so much stress in my life right now. I needed a distraction, and she was the perfect one. I’d be a fool if I let someone who looked like her slip by without at least making myself known.
“So, what you thinking about eating?” I asked as she glanced over the menu.
“I think I’m going to just get a burger. I need something to put on my stomach so I don’t be sick in the morning.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, especially since you almost drank everything in the bar.”
