I began shaking my head, and she stopped talking mid-sentence.
“I’m sorry, Liv, but I’m not interested in anything more than what we’re doing right now.”
Our server returned with our food before she could respond. I thought Livvy would have a lot to say when he left, but she remained silent and began eating her food. Her disappointment was obvious, and of course, I felt bad, but not bad enough to agree to something I wholeheartedly didn’t want.
“Look, Liv?—”
“It’s fine, Sylas. You don’t have to explain any further. I thought we had a connection, but clearly, I was wrong.”
“You weren’t wrong, Liv. We do have a connection, or this thing would’ve ended months ago. It’s just not that deep for me,and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit it’s not that deep for you either.”
We continued eating, leaving my words lingering in the air.
“Yeah, you’re right. If our connection was deep, there’s no way either of us would’ve been cool with the other seeing other people,” she admitted.
“You damn right. Now that we’re back on the same page, you got plans tonight?”
She looked at me seductively. “Only if they include you blowing my back out.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
“What happened to you last night?” Maison asked after letting me into the home he shared with my sister.
“Livvy had a better offer.”
He chuckled. “I hear you. Y’all been kicking it for a minute. You think she might be the one?”
I removed my coat and boots before he led me into the basement he’d converted into his man cave. Before we sat in front of the seventy-two-inch television, he grabbed each of us a beer from the small refrigerator.
“It’s funny you say that,” I finally responded.
“Why?”
“She is, in fact, not the one, but she hit me with the ‘aren’t you ready to settle down’ question last night.”
“Oh, shit. How’d that go?”
“I thought it was about to go left for a minute. I was honest but gentle with her. After giving it some thought, she realized we’d never be anything more than fuck buddies. We finished our dinner and did what we do best.”
Maison shook his head. “I don’t know how you get so many women to agree to sex-only relationships.”
“Don’t try to make it sound like I got a harem of women following me around offering up pussy on demand.”
“Nigga, you got hos in different area codes, and Livvy is the first one to ask you for a commitment.”
“I only deal with a handful of women, who just so happen to live in different area codes. Before we even take it to the bedroom, I make sure a commitment ain’t what they’re looking for.”
“Shit. Even in my single days, I didn’t pull ’em like that. It’s too much work.”
I chuckled. “Considering you’re married to my baby sister, I’m glad juggling multiple women doesn’t interest you.”
“Your sister is my heart, and I’ll never do anything to fuck up what we have.”
“I believe you, or I wouldn’t have let you marry her. Where is she, anyway?”
“Her and Mama Rita went to lunch and then shopping. I hope she doesn’t come home with more clothes for the baby. The room we’re using for the nursery is already full.”
Maison and my sister, Taylor, had been married for three years and were expecting their first child. They both worked in finance and met at a company where they were both employed, but Maison had since moved on to another company.
