What a sight. Journey’s strapless dress clung to her. Smooth thighs caught the light, skin a brown sugar glow. That wig covered her face. Man, I swore to one day snatch it clean off. She’d chase me? Please. Not with them lil’ shrimp appetizer legs. I’d have her spinning in them heels, talking about, “Montana, give it back!”
Then I’d do what any gentleman with good sense and bad intentions would do. Wrap that wig up real careful in a bonnet and tell her we had a real date tonight. Not some fake help-me-clean-up-my-mess date. Nah. A date.
Me, her, that hair I planned to thread around my knuckles. I’d whisper,You can keep the wig, bébé. But this right here?I’d caress her scalp with some peppermint oil.This mine now.
I could already hear her sigh, that softmmmsound women make when they forget to be mad. I had to blink that image out before I embarrassed myself in public.
Nah, let me tell the truth.
A Black woman’s crown told her story with strength, softness, and fire. I needed to know the weight of it. Her hair’s scent after wash day. How did her coils spring back to life in my palms after gripping them? Journey denied me that, though.
She’d denied me. Didn’t know the kind of man I was. Not a player. Nah, never that. Momma raised me well. Didn’t ruin no women who hadn’t come running after Big Country.Big Country. My alter ego paced around in my chest, saying,Let’s own her for a while.
My brain?
Had me standing here with my chest aching because of all her layers. She didn’t trust me enough to strip her. No wig, no guard. Just her.
And since she wasn’t my usual type, I was drawn to her. Drawn to everything about her.
I snapped out of it. Moved to her, straight to the booth, cocked my head for Journey to make space. She didn’t. I sat anyway, feathered my fingers through that wig, and stopped myself from rolling my eyes.We gone take this off you soon, boo. Let your hair loose.
“Montana.” She shoved my arm with hers. “You’re squishing me!”
I chuckled, shifted an inch.
Texas hugged the other woman, then slid into the booth beside her. When I’d pointed her out at Journey’s apartment days ago, he’d seemed interested. But now? Church folks saw more action after the pastor ordered the congregation togreet somebody new.
Since he wasn’t into her, the clock started ticking. Did I need to remind Tex who was paying for dinner? Not that the bill mattered. Having her friend here was supposed to make things smoother for me.
“Montana, Shanice.” Texas rushed through introductions, tone flat as a cold drink left in the sun. Bruh. That tone told me everything. Thiswasa fake date. Not mine, though.
“Look at y’all, touching. Whispering like middle schoolers.” Head in hands, Shanice gazed at us dreamily.
“Secrets.” Texas chuckled, gesturing toward the nearest server. He ordered appetizers and drinks, then clutched Shanice’s hip. “If I didn’t need to put any meat on this girl’s bones, I’d leave y’all to those secrets.”
Shanice laughed.
Journey sat up straight and bumped my shoulder. That little movement sent a jolt through me. Funny how close she was. Besides me helping at the restaurant and taking Darius to Chuck E. Cheese, this was as close as we’d been.
Journey snorted a laugh. “Youdon’t need to put any meat on her bones. Thirty, forty pounds bigger, smaller, that would be who she is.” Another little laugh escaped her, as if annoyed to have to school him.
“Dang, Journey, I meant no harm,” Texas muttered. “You on me like a big sister.”
My brother and Shanice escaped before the food arrived.
“I’m sorry,” Journey murmured after her second martini. “Tell your brother I’m sorry.”
“Nah. When guys judge a woman’s appearance, it implies they want her to change. You had a point. He’s got a big mouth.”
“No. Even now, Washington stopped visiting us first, right before Christmas. I could understand … him missing his son. Then Ten. I get it. People help out, and then life gets in the way, sooner or later. Texas still follows us in the morning.”
“Chère, he goes to make himself breakfast and lunch.Freefood ever since he moved outta Tennessee’s place.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve. So much for starting the year fresh.” Her bottom lip stuck out.
That pout right there. That’s how men lost common sense and bank.
“Take things too far with me. I don’t mind.” I sipped my cognac. She stared at me, breath sliding over my lips like she was deciding whether I was worth the sin-tax, then downed her drink.
