“Hurry up, shawty. I’m hungry as hell, and being around you is not helping the cause.”
Joi’s face warmed followed by her body as she hurried to grab shoes. Not because he rushed her movement but simply because she needed to breathe. Well, in a way that wasn’t rapid like the beat of her heart and the thump of her pulse against her temple. East had taken over all her senses, and she wasn’t sure if she needed to leave with him but being alone in her apartment wasn’t a good idea either. At least in public and sharing a meal, she could enjoy him without the risk of being labeled.Hoe!
Ha.I will definitely give it up if we stay here. Joi grinned, then shook her head at the revelation. It was her truth and there was no point in denying it. She wanted East.
An hour later, the two were seated at South City Kitchen in Buckhead and well into their meal. It was a few miles from her building and one of Joi’s favorite spots. She didn’t eat there much because the food was expensive and it wasn’t the type of place where you ate alone. Reg never wanted to take her anywhere nice because he was inconsiderate about the things that she liked.
“I thought this was your favorite spot.”
East had taken notice of the fact that Joi had basically been playing with her food since it arrived. A few bites here and there, but most of her time was spent watching him while East damn near inhaled the hanger steak platter he ordered.
When they arrived, East was hesitant at first glance of the menu, knowing he was about to be hungry when the meal was done. His palate was simple; burgers, fries, fried chicken and fish, so the items on the menu didn’t sit too well with him. It took a minute for him to decide but figured he couldn’t go wrong with steak. However, he did substitute the kale for a double side of collards. It worked in his favor because the food was good as hell.
“It is.” Joi’s expression dropped slightly while she waited for East to state his case.
“Then why are you playing in your plate instead of eating?”
Joi’s eyes darted down to her plate then expeditiously over to his before they rolled up to East. The entire time she was running through a list of lies to tell about why her plate was damn near still full.
“I’m eating,” she tossed out with a half-smile, causing East to chuckle.
“Very slowly. You can order something else if you’re not feeling that.” He motioned to her plate, which held lump crab cakes, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
East wasn’t a fan of seafood, so he wasn’t feeling her selection either, but she seemed excited when she ordered it.
“No, I’m going to eat it. It doesn’t make sense to waste the money.”
“It’s not about the money. That shit looks nasty.”
Joi’s grin surfaced slowly because of the ill look East presented. He clearly wasn’t feeling her food selection, but his disapproval still looked sexy on him.
“Oh my god, you’re so extra.”
“Nah,that’sextra.”
East lifted the last of his steak and shoved it in his mouth before leaning back in his chair, eyes glued to Joi while she dipped her fork into her mashed potatoes and guided them to her lips. He watched as she allowed them to part, slightly tugging at the fork as they gently closed against it until she removed it from her mouth.
Joi kept her eyes on him the entire time, and although his dick was challenging the expensive fabric of his jeans, he kept his expression even, aside from the slight smirk teasing at the corners of his lips. Joi warmed, no matter how big or small his smile was. Each version of it drew her in and had her craving the man.
“Tell me something, shawty.” East’s delivery was casual and smooth. She waited, assuming a question was coming, but quickly realized he had asked her one.
“Something like what?”
“Anything you think I need to know. The point of this is for me to see what you’re about.” East laughed inwardly at his inquisition. Not once in his life could he ever remember openly asking a woman about herself.
Now, there were plenty who would toss facts at him that moved through his mental Rolodex and never once took up space. He didn’t remember personal details about their lives, only the best angle to put a woman in so she could handle his deep stroke or her schedule so he knew when the optimal time to hit her up was. Yet, here he was, specifically inquiring about Joi.
“Why do you want to see what I’m about if you don’t date? That’s something a man who wants more than sex does. That’s not you.”
East laughed hard, another thing he didn’t do often. It started from his core and pushed through his chest so fast he couldn’t curb it. “The fuck is that supposed to mean, shawty?”
“It means exactly what it means. You said you don’t date. That means your only intention with women is to have sex.”
“Damn, you really think very little of me. That’s your way of saying I’m shallow as fuck.”
“Shallow? That sounds dangerously close to being feminine, like the word hoe, which you told me not to use in reference to you.”
East laughed again but with a little less force behind it. “You got that, but you also get my point. I don’t just look at a woman and see pussy.”
