“Your relationship with your sons’ mothers?”
The question made Tech chuckle, and Blossom slightly angled her head to the left. At thirty-nine years old with a flourishing career, she didn’t do baby mama drama.
“I was with Tasha for thirteen years. We got together when we were seventeen, and I know that ‘we were young line’ is a cop out, but I was young.” He shrugged. “I started getting money around that time. I was probably making around $10,000 a month and for a teenager”—Tech kissed his teeth—“man, you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t rich.” He laughed at the memory.
“I loved Tasha. I took good care of her and my kids and the same way I made time for my kids, I made time for her. It wasn’t as much as she wanted, but we traveled, shit, we visited more than ten countries before we were thirty.”
Tech paused for a beat, and Blossom saw that he was reminiscing. He pushed out a sigh and continued. “Unfortunately, I was cocky and on some other shit. The first time I counted $100,000, you couldn’t tell me a fuck ass thing. I made it clear to anybody with eyes and ears that Tasha wasmy woman. She wasn’t going anywhere, and she was never to be disrespected. But I wasn’t faithful and eventually, she got tired of my shit. She took the boys and left. A few years later, I met Selena, and we had Mario.”
Shifting in her seat and taking another sip, Blossom processed Tech’s words. They weren’t too bad. Possibly, he could have been leaving things out. Maybe he was verbally and physically abusive. Who knew? And while she would never tolerate cheating, him cheating years ago, wasn’t enough to make her totally write him off. Just yet.
“And how is your relationship with Selena?”
Tech shrugged. “She’s significantly younger than me. Not on no R. Kelly shit,” he clarified, “but there is an age difference. When I went away, I never expected her to hold me down. I took care of my kids the entire time that I was away and, in the beginning, I looked out for her too. But if you’ve moved on and you’re openly dealing with other men, then no, I’m not getting your hair and nails done or funding trips.” He shrugged, unapologetically.
“Even when I stopped doing for her financially, we were still cool. We communicated about my son, and that was it. Now that I’m home she feels some kind of way because I haven’t stopped by to see her. Mario is fourteen. I can communicate directly with him. I’m not sleeping with her or blurring any lines. I don’t want to be with her, and I’m not going to think with my dick and complicate the situation.”
The server came over to take their food orders, but Blossom was damn near in a trance. She wasn’t even aware of how intensely she was staring at Tech until the server stared at her when Tech told him to take her order first.
“Oh, um.” Blossom cleared her throat and looked down at the menu. “I’ll start with the lobster bisque soup.”
The entire time the server took their orders, Blossom’s mind was racing. Tech was a smooth talker for sure. He said all the right things while making eye contact and sounding sincere. If he was lying to her then he was a good-ass actor, and that was what she was afraid of. Blossom dated guys that had book sense and common sense but no street sense. Tech was a reformed dope boy; maybe lying and manipulating women was his specialty. Or maybe he really had grown and matured while he was in prison. The man was fifty for goodness’ sake. When he told her his age, Blossom was very surprised. He was in great shape for his age and damn sure didn’t look it. She knew she was doing too much when she found herself wondering if he could keep up in the bedroom.
She was a birthday away from forty, but she was still younger than him and had never dated a man that much older than her.
“Did I scare you away?” Tech’s gaze focused on her as the server walked away.
“Scared me away? No,” she replied, slowly. “It doesn’t matter what the situation is. When you meet a person, you have to take everything they say with a grain of salt. We can say whatever sounds good but as you pointed out, actions speak louder than words. I don’t have a lot of experience with relationships. I had one boyfriend for a year before I met my ex. I do know how to spot red flags and bullshit, however, so I should be okay.”
Tech gave a subtle nod.
“You were locked up for a long time. Some men come home and try to make up for lost time. All the sex they missed out on when they were locked up, they seem to think they can really make up for it when they get home. You want to be tied down? Or are you interested in having your way out here?”
With a chuckle, Tech lifted his glass and finished off his drink. “I don’t think there’s enough energy in the world to make up for eleven years of no sex. I will never lie like I don’t want it.I want it bad, but I waited eleven years. I can wait a little while longer. I could easily go out and find a quick fuck. I’ve been focused on reuniting with my kids and getting my business in order. And when I do start having sex, one woman can do the same thing that five women can do.”
Tech was smooth indeed. Blossom made a mental note that she was going to have to be careful with that one.
Lethal walked into the lab, and the first person he spotted was Khrome. She was sitting with that same anxious expression on her face that he had become accustomed to. It was as if she was in permanent fight or flight mode. Khrome always appeared on edge like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and he didn’t like it. What Lethal also didn’t like was that each time he saw her looking timid and nervous, his disdain for her lessened a little more. It was difficult to be angry with a person who was out here just trying to make it, even if he was one of her victims. Lethal didn’t think she was nervous that he might not be the father. She hadn’t sought him out for a test, he asked her.
“What’s up?” he asked as he sat beside her. She had made the appointment, so as long as she had signed in, he didn’t have to do anything.
“Hi.” She gave him a nervous smile.
Before he was drugged and overly inebriated, Lethal vividly remembered every detail about their encounter. He approached her. He didn’t do thirsty women. She was slightly bashful but still confident. Her head was held high, and she knew she was sexy. Maybe it was the alcohol in her system. Maybe she really was feeling herself that night. Minus the scheming part, that Khrome was sexy. Lethal hated that she was walking around likea scared puppy waiting for pussy-ass Cam to jump out of the shadows.
“I can’t come to the bar tonight, but I can send my brother up there to make sure you’re good.”
Khrome shifted nervously in her seat. “You don’t have to do that. I can just ask security to walk me out to the Uber.”
“Nah,” he replied with finality. “My brother gon’ come get you and take you back to the hotel. You said it was paid for a week. You gon’ renew that shit?”
“I don’t really have a choice. I’ve been thinking about buying a CPN. I don’t have credit, and I have a criminal record. I can’t get a decent place in my name, and I don’t have anyone to sign the lease for me.”
“And if you get caught with that CPN you’re going to lose the apartment and have even more charges on your record.”
“I know that,” she mumbled. “I don’t exactly have a lot of choices. I’m not bougie, but I don’t want to stay in a run-down hotel. If I have to pay weekly to have a roof over my head, the little money that I have is going to go fast. I’ve been applying for jobs that I can work when I’m too big to bartend, but I haven’t heard anything back.”
Flexing his jaw muscles, Lethal interlocked his fingers and stared at the floor for a moment. He couldn’t believe the thoughts he was having. He had changed from wanting to put hands on Khrome to being Captain Save-A-Hoe.
