“I’m not going to lie, you rushing off is making me believe that piece of meat thing now. Why won’t you stay for a minute? I can have some breakfast brought up for us.”
“Breakfast?” I looked out of the window and saw that it was indeed time for breakfast. As much as fear made me want to run, the way Hawk looked, the luxury of this condo, and the thought of a warm breakfast on an empty stomach did sound good.
“Okay, I’ll eat and then get back to the girls.”
“Alright. Bet.” He replied without asking any further questions and walked out of the room. I went into the restroom and went into his drawers plundering around until I found a stash of never been used toothbrushes and brushed my teeth before turning on the shower. I didn’t have to search far for products to use because Nina had plenty of high-end products on a shelf inside the large step-in shower. I lathered up with soap on a towel I got from the towel cabinet, and the smell of fruit filled the room as my skin was coated with a product that made it feel soft as hell. Once I was done, I stepped out and put on a robe that was hanging next to the door. Then I walked out to the hallway and followed the scent of food all the way to the kitchen.
On the counter was a whole spread of food, neatly sealed and laid out.
“How long have I been in the shower?”
“It doesn’t take long for them to get food up here to me. I’m a priority here.”
“I see.” I looked over the wide spread of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and other breakfast foods. There was so much that I couldn’t even decide where I would dig in first.
I grabbed a plate from the counter and went around picking up the items I wanted, then sat on the barstool to say a quick prayer in my head before I started eating.
Thank you so much, God, for your blessings and for making this holiday season a little better than the ones in the past. I pray that you continue to work on me and know I mean no harm with anything I do. I’m only trying to be happy. Amen.
I finished before opening my eyes and seeing Hawk staring at me like he saw a ghost.
“What?” I giggled, pouring syrup over one of my pancakes.
“Nothing. Just haven’t saw anyone say grace before they eat in a while.”
“Really? That is something that I always prioritize. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s hard when the food looks as good as all of this does, but I will feel guilty without it.”
“That’s what’s up.” Hawk nodded his head, taking a bite of what looked like Canadian bacon.
As soon as I put the first bite of pancake in my mouth, my phone rang, and I rolled my eyes, irritated that someone was interrupting my breakfast. Not only was it someone interrupting, but it was Josiah’s annoying ass cousin Brandon, who only knew my number because at one point in time, Ari andJosiah tried to make us a thing. We didn’t make it past the first date, though. He was way too immature for me.
“You're not going to answer your phone? Don’t worry, I know how to be quiet.”
“Yeah, I know. But I don’t know why this person is calling me.” The phone stopped ringing.
A text came through immediately, and the urgency and all-caps really threw me off.
Brandon:CALL ME BACK ASAP. We here at the hotel, calling Josiah, but he's not answering. We been in the lobby for over an hour trying to get in contact with Ari. I haven’t talked to this nigga since Friday, but he knew we were coming today.
I took a deep breath, and that got Hawk’s attention again.
“I promise, if you need to take the call, you can. I don’t think you will enjoy your food the way you should until you get whatever that is taken care of.” He read me like a fuckin book.
“You are right. Just let me see what is going on.”
I stood up from the counter, walked out of the kitchen, and down a hallway.
“Come on, Ari, pick up.” I talked to myself until the phone finally answered, just before the voicemail picked up.
Ari had sleep in her voice when she answered her phone.
“Hello?”
“Hey, has Brandon called you? They are in the lobby looking for Josiah to go upstairs.”
“Oh,” she cleared her throat.
“I didn’t see a call because I had my phone on Do Not Disturb. The only people who are able to get through are the ones I saved as favorites.”
