My chest warms instantly, pride spreading through me. “That’s why I married her.”
“I ain’t gon’ lie though.” Bron scrubs a hand down his face. “She lowkey scares me a little.”
Titus laughs. “See, that’s what I need. A bitch I can be scared of.”
Dayton grins. “The sex must be—“
“Aye,” I cut in. “Chill with that. I’m not talking about my wife like that with y’all.”
That sobers him up real quick.
“My bad, man.”
“It’s all good,” I reassure. Then I smile, because he ain’t wrong about that.
I'm a lucky man.
12
Raya
Whoever cooked these ribs was doing the Lord’s work. I’m not even trying to be polite when I tear into the spicy, tender meat. Sauce is flying everywhere. Grease running down my fingers.
I’m so happy right now.
Every now and then, I’ll catch Ace’s eye. He’s sitting across the room with his idiot friends. God, men are so dumb.
All I had to do was mention a blow job and there they went, one-by-one, falling under my spell like dominoes.
Whatever, though. It worked. My man is smiling again, and I’m chilling with these ribs, trying hard to ignore the annoying ass little boy that keeps running through the room like an overexcited puppy. Whose kid is that? Fucking heathen.
“So then he asked me what my body count was.”
I pause mid-bite, my ears perking up.
Two women beside me lean closer together, lowering their voices conspiratorially. The brown-skinned one with the locs rolls her eyes. “What’d you tell him?”
I turn my nose up, because I have a feeling I know what’s coming. I’m preemptively disgusted, but I set my ribs down and roll a napkin around in my hands as I lean in to listen anyway.
The light-skinned one shrugs, tucking her black bob behind her ear. “I mean, I told him. I don’t have anything to hide. I’m not ashamed.”
“It’s not about shame,” I blurt before I can stop myself. “Sorry. I couldn’t help overhearing.”
They exchange a look that saysyes you could, bitch,and I guess I don’t blame them.
“I’m Raya,” I say, putting some brightness into my voice. “I came with Ace.”
“Oh!” The light one perks up. “I’m Tiffany and that’s Katrina. I came with Bron.”
My eyes shift over to the guys. They’re still deep in conversation, which is completely meaningless, I’m sure.
“So Bron asked you that?”
Tiffany nods. “We’ve been talking for a few weeks. I like him.”
“And you told him thetruth?”
They laugh. Loudly.
