Silence.
“Ty!” he barked, hating to be ignored.
“What Dexter?”
“Stop calling me that shit.” He pushed the door open.
“That’s your cornball ass name, ain’t it?” Tyler rolled her eyes. “How you out here being a hoe with a name like Dexter? Dexters are lame. Dexters get bullied in school. Dexters get cheated on by their wives.”
“Fuck you, Ty,” Dexter chuckled, taking the bottle from her. “Ain’t shit lame about me, and you know that. I been the same nigga since day one.” It was a lie. The Dexter that chased her was nothing like the arrogant asshole grinning at her. Then again, he was always arrogant. She was the one who had changed.
The day Tyler met Dexter, she was out with Bobbi at a nightclub. She was only sixteen at the time, but nobody seemed to care about her age. It wasn’t the first time Bobbi took her to a club full of grown men, nor was it her first time throwing back shots of 1800 like a pro. Unlike a lot of girls her age, Tyler could hold her liquor, and Bobbi had no problem passing her the bottle.
“Oh my god,” Bobbi squealed. “Dex is about to walk over here.” She grabbed Tyler’s arm.
“Who?” She frowned, snatching her arm away. All night, Bobbi had been doing the most, and it was honestly embarrassing. Her friends weren’t any better. Their attempts to come off as bougie bitches were a fail. They were in a thousand-dollar section, rocking designer clothing, wearing high-priced bundles, but drinking Tito’s while making sure they didn’t get the bottle in their pictures. Tyler watched them stiffly dance all over one another, trying to get the attention of the men on stage. Every time a nigga with big chains and icy grills walked by their section, they were tooting their asses in the air as if they were baboons.
“Hey Dex,” Bobbi seductively waved as he approached their table. Bobbi’s friends started pushing up their breasts and raking their fingers through their hair. Dexter was known to travel with a gang of niggas, and they wanted parts.
“Sup B.” Dexter gave her a quick hug. “What you doing here tonight?” He stepped back, putting space between them.
“I heard Oakwood was in the building and you know I wasn’t about to pass up the chance to party with yall,” Bobbi gloated, reaching out to touch his chest. “We got a section and been partying all night.”
“I feel that.” Dexter nodded before peering over at Tyler.
He had been trying to get her attention all night, but Tyler ignored his advances. He had even gone as far as trying to call her on stage, but she gave him the thumbs up, letting him know she was good. The entire time he rapped, Tyler stood there not in the least bit interested. She didn’t bob her head or nothing. He almost thought something was wrong with her, but there she sat rocking in her seat to Drake. “Who’s your girl?”
“Who?” Bobbi glanced behind her.
“Baby girl with the long braids.”
Following his gaze, Bobbi frowned when her eyes landed on Tyler. She was sitting there rocking from side to side with a cup glued to her hand. Her eyes danced around the club, oblivious to the fact that she was the center of attention. Mentally, Tyler wasn’t in the club. She was somewhere on a stage singing her heart out while a crowd chanted her name.
“My little cousin,” Bobbi emphasized the word little as she patted the top of Tyler’s head. “She’s a little too young for you.”
“Bitch don’t play with me.” Tyler knocked her hand away. It didn’t matter that Bobbi was five years her senior, she wasn’t the type to let anyone lil dog her. Cousin or not.
“But you are,” Bobbi squinted. “Anyway, what’s up with you? I’ve reached out a couple of times.” She turned back to Dexter.
“I’m a busy man, shorty, but let me holla at your cousin real quick.”
“She’s sixteen,” Bobbi blurted out, causing Tyler to snicker. She was used to the shade her cousin casually tossed around. Bobbi hated for anyone to get more attention than her, and whenever she brought Tyler around, that’s exactly what happened. It didn’t take much for Tyler to be noticed. If it wasn’t her contagious laugh, it was her mean mug. People were always in her face, telling her to smile, and Bobbi would make a snide remark while bringing the attention back to her.
“What’s your name, lil cuz?” Dexter asked, focusing his eyes on the cutie with a baby face. He wasn’t too concerned with her age. Sure, she was on the younger side, but she was the prettiest girl in the club. There were a lot of fine women in the club vying for his attention, but none of them stood out like her. Tyler wore a plain black t-shirt knotted in the back, ripped jeans, and two long braids that fell over her shoulders. She looked innocent, but he watched her take shots of liquor like a grown man.
“Your name?” Dexter repeated.
“Tyler,” she answered.
“You enjoy the show?”
“Not really, this not my style of music.”
“You don’t like rap?”
“I like rap, just not this street, kill a nigga if he looking too hard rap,” Tyler said matter-of-factly.
“Ah ok, you just don’t like my rapping.”
