Duh, nigga.
My expression went cold on instinct, a defense I’d built over time. His stare pulled up memories of the last time we crossed paths, and I wasn’t trying to go back there.
“I forgot about you the minute I left your house,” I spat out with a grin.
It was a lie. I’d thought about him every day since.
“Bullshit,Halima,” DaVinci said with that cocky grin, stepping closer. “I’m the only nigga in this room you see right now, ain’t I?”
Yes. Dammit, yes.
I’d die before I admitted it. Had this been the plan all along?
I could feel Winnie, Malik, and Sametra watching us, could sense their confusion, especially with him using my real name. Something I had never told this man. I was just as confused as they were. But maybe I wasn’t confused at all. We weren’t supposed to know each other. I never told Sametra about the one interaction at a fire scene. She had her own shit going on, and I wasn’t going to bother her with something so trivial.
“Wait, who? Who is Halima?” Malik asked, looking confused, eyes bouncing between DaVinci and me. We looked at him at the same time and then back to each other like we’d practiced this.
“Y’all met?” Sametra asked.
“You want to tell them about our meet-cute, or should I?” DaVinci asked, that grin never leaving his face, and his eyes never leaving mine. Our eyes remained locked for so long that I was sure it could break the Guinness World Record, if there was one.
Meet-cute? This arrogant ass man was definitely my secret admirer, and his ass is going to admit to it before the day is over.
“He's got drama I don’t need. A crazy ex who pulled a Left-Eye and damn near burned his house down while he was busy flirting with me. He’s a walking red flag, that I’m not ignoring. Nothing to tell. And don’t call me that, you don’t know me.”
There. That should put some distance between us. Remind everyone, including me, that this man had drama I didn’t need.
He laughed. Actually, laughed in my face. “I’ll give you that one, Halo. But I didn’t expect a firefighter to be so fine and so mean. You were doing all that yelling. Acting jealous and shit.”
Jealous?
“You fucking wish.”
“See, mean as a muthafucka.” I watched him stroke his perfectly cut beard that looked perfect against his succulent lips. He was gorgeous, and pictures just do him justice. I loved a southern man, the swag was different, the lingo was different, the confidence was on a thousand.
“I’m not mean,” I said, flipping my hair because I needed something to do with my hands that wasn’t grabbing his shirt again. “I’m just not pressed. You've got too much shit with you. You play with me, your house is the last thing you’ll need to worry about.”
His eyes sparked at the threat. He liked that too. I shook my head.
What is wrong with this man?
“So you were interested before the drama? That’s what I hear.”
“No.”
Another lie.
Winnie snorted beside me. “She’s lying.”
Winnie, I swear to God—
“Halo’s your biggest fan!” Winnie’s eyes were lit up like a Christmas tree at the entertainment before her.
I turned slowly, promising this agent of chaos death with my eyes. “Winnie, what the hell?”
“What? Don’t miss your chance with this fine-ass man. She wears your jersey for every home game she catches.”
I’m going to kill her.
