“Friday dinner?” he asked. He pulled me in for one last kiss.
“I can’t wait,” I said.
Walking out, I knew something had shifted between the two of us. We’d talked this morning in a way that didn’t leave room for pretending. He told me things he’d been carrying. I told him things I usually kept to myself. There was no sex to blur anything. No distractions. Just the truth.
It made everything feel more real than I expected.
I didn’t feel fully prepared for any of it.
But I wasn’t pulling back either.
January 10th
Friday had finally come, and I was deep on my couch with my laptop balanced on my thighs, rewatching footage from last week’s derby bout. I was taking notes on what I needed to work on when someone knocked on my door. I glanced at my phone. It was barely one p.m., and I wasn’t expecting anyone. I’d specifically told Tessa I needed the day to catch up on shit I’d been putting off all week. Having a man had me lowkey busy. And I had a date tonight, so I needed to use my time wisely. DaVinci loved it when I got dressed up and cute, so I planned to spend a little extra time on my look for him.
The knock came again, firm like the police. The kind of knock that said whoever was on the other side wasn’t going anywhere.
I set my laptop aside and walked to the door, very aware that I looked a mess. My hair was in that awkward in-between stage, old dress that had seen better days, fluffy socks. This was not the look. I hoped it was someone tryna sell me discounted internet.
I checked the peephole, and my whole body had the nerve to react. DaVinci was on my porch in Amiri jeans, a white hoodie, and Jordans.A garment bag was draped over his shoulder, his gold chain glinting at his collarbone, his Rolex and Cartier pinky ring catching the daylight. Two women stood behind him, each holding a full makeup kit. My heart rate sped up.
“Halo,” his voice carried through the door, low and amused. “I know you in there. Open up.”
I closed my eyes and opened the door before I could talk myself out of it. When I did, he looked me up and down. Old dress, socks, half-done hair, and all. Instead of judgment, there was straight heat in his eyes. The kind that made me want to close the door just to breathe.
“What is this?” I asked.
“We got an event tonight.” He said it like it was nothing. “You’re coming with me.”
“An event?”
“My annual gala.” He tipped his chin toward the women behind him. “They’ll get you ready.”
Brixxi barked from her bed in the corner, and he looked over at her. “What’s up, Brixxi? You tryna go?”
“Uh, hell no, because neither am I.” I crossed my arms. “You can’t just show up and tell me I’m going to a gala.”
“That’s exactly what I can do.” He stepped in close. The air shifted, carrying his scent. “I told you I was taking you to dinner. This is dinner.”
“This is not dinner. This is a gala with cameras and stuff. Gossiping with Lola or whatever her name is already in our business.”
He twisted his lips, clearly not caring about anything I had to say.
“You’re right. It’s better than dinner.” His eyes held mine, challenge and certainty all in one look. He knew I was going to fold, eventually. “Now you gon’ let us in, or you gon’ make these ladies stand on your porch all day? I done told them how sweet you were.”
“I thought you said I was mean.”
He shrugged with a grin.
“Fine, come in,” I said, stepping aside.
“Sometimes I get to be the boss, and you like that shit. It’s okay, I won’t tell anybody,” he murmured, brushing a soft kiss over my lips as he walked past me. The satisfied tone made me want to jack him up and kiss him at the same time.
The women filed in behind him, and suddenly my small living room felt crowded with expensive equipment. They moved like they’d mapped the space out already, claiming my dining table and turning my apartment into something off a reality show.
“Hold on.” I held up my hand, trying to regain some control over a situation that was rapidly spiraling. “I didn’t agree to this. I said dinner. You said dinner.”
DaVinci sank onto my couch like he owned it and picked up my laptop. “Derby footage? You can watch this tomorrow, baby. I got a theatre at the crib.”
