“Oh, shit,” Denise said. “Don’t tell me…”
But Samiah didn’t have to tell her anything. She could tell by her sister’s horrified expression that she’d figured it out.
She pulled on her jacket and stuffed her feet into her favorite quarter-strapped heeled boots. She’d be damned if she walked in there looking like an enraged, spurned woman. Or worse, some wounded animal. She would burst through those doors showcasing her fabulousness. Let that bastard see what he would be missing out on for the rest of his sorry-ass life.
“Where are you going?” A thread of panic lined the edges of Denise’s voice.
“They’re at the new restaurant a couple of blocks away,” Samiah answered. “The same place we were supposed to go tonight.” She stopped short. “He used the reservation I made. Son of a bitch. I was on the phone for a half hour trying to get that reservation.”
“You mean he had the nerve to bring another woman to a restaurant inyourneighborhood? He must have balls of steel.”
“I wouldn’t know.” And thank God for that.
She’d actually considered Craig a gentleman because he hadn’t tried to get her into bed on the first date. Of course, he’d tried on each subsequent date, but Samiah had made a promise to herself long ago not to give up her goodies until she was good and ready. The fact that it had never felt right should have been her clue that something was wrong. Apparently, her vajayjay had sensed he was a rat long before she had.
“And just what do you plan to do when you get there?” Denise asked as she followed her back into the bathroom. “Beat him up in the middle of the restaurant?”
“I won’t lay a hand on him. I just want to see his face when I walk in.”
Her sister looked down at the phone and gasped. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“What?” Samiah ran to her side.
“Another girl just tagged herself on the Twitter thread. She’s been dating this Craig guy too.”
Samiah didn’t just see red; she saw a burst of fiery crimson.
“This is like that TV show. You know, the one where the people meet online but you don’t know if they’re telling the truth about who they really are? What do they call it?”
“Catfishing,” Samiah hissed.
She’d been catfished. Or, at the very least, scammed into believing Craig was something he definitely was not.
A combination of mortification and rage congealed in her blood. Every single time she heard one of those stories, she’d felt sympathy for the poor, unsuspecting fool who got caught up in it. But that sympathy always came with a heavy dose of judgment. She couldn’t understand how anyone could be so gullible. Never could she imagine that she would become the victim of some slick-tongued, rental car–driving asshole’s scam.
“I’m not sure going to that restaurant is a good idea,” her sister said. “Maybe you should take some time to cool off.”
“Nope.” Samiah unwound the silk headscarf from around her head and used a wide-toothed comb to release her flat-ironed hair from the wrapped style. She parted it on one side and let the soft locks fall to just under her chin in a sensible yet sexy bob. Because, yes, she was determined to look like a queen when she cursed Craig’s lying, three-timing ass out.
She left the bathroom and, with one last look in the full-length cheval mirror she’d inherited from her grandmother, grabbed her clutch from the dresser and stalked out of her bedroom.
“What time is Bradley coming to pick you up?” she asked her sister.
“In another half hour.”
“This shouldn’t take long, but if I’m not back by then, use your key to lock up.”
“Don’t get yourself arrested,” Denise called from the condo’s front door. “And text me as soon as you get back.”
Samiah stuck a hand in the air and waved in answer as she marched down the hallway and into the elevator. She concentrated on taking deep, calming, cleansing breaths as she traveled from the twenty-first floor to the lobby without interruption.
She exited her building and started down Nueces Street, arriving at the restaurant in minutes. She spotted Craig’s clean-shaven head at a table in clear view of the entrance. Couldn’t the bastard at leasttryto be discreet? This place was steps from her home. She could have strolled by at any time.
Samiah told the hostess she was meeting friends. The young girl didn’t even question her as she invited her in. She made a beeline for Craig’s table, sidling up to him with a bright smile.
She infused as much cheer into her voice as she could muster and said, “Well, I guess your work meeting got canceled, huh? Lucky you!”
He jumped at the sound of her voice and looked up at her over his shoulder, his eyes wide with anoh shit, I’m caughtlook.
