While I waited on the bartender, I scanned the vicinity, and my heart jumped into my throat when I spotted him. Uno was standing a few feet away talking to a guy that was about an inch shorter than him and had dark skin. The Universe was being unpleasantly cruel because for the life of me I couldn’t figure out why I kept running into Uno. Each time I saw him, he looked even more handsome than the last. Or maybe my horny ass mind was just playing tricks on me.
The alcohol that was in my system was giving me bold thoughts. Thoughts that I shook off thinking there was no way they would come to fruition. But when the bartender came to take my order, I ordered my drink and told her to send Uno a double shot of whatever he was drinking. Shereeka’s nosey ass almost snapped her neck from whipping her head in my direction so fast.
“Who is Uno, and why are you sending him a drink?”
I gave her a knowing smirk but didn’t respond verbally. Shereeka cut her eyes into slits.
“Don’t play with me hoe. This man better have some real good dick or did a little tricking on you in the past to have you sending him a drink.”
“First of all, I’ve never had sex with him. We aren’t even like that. He works for my father. I just think he’s cute,” I shrugged as if it was no big deal.
Shereeka’s irises darted around the lounge. “Oh, if he works for Uncle Devin, he has bank.” Suddenly, she frowned. “Unless he’s one of the peons. Just tell me who it is.”
I was enjoying the fact that she was losing her shit. When she spoke, her tone was low, and her teeth were clinched.
“It better be that fine ass El Jefe looking nigga that’s staring this way with the curly hair, wearing a black shirt, and has a bust down Patek on his wrist.”
Heat radiated through my body knowing that Uno was looking. “Why do you assume that’s him?”
“Because he’s one of the finest men in this establishment and aside from his watch, he’s not even doing a lot, but I can tell he got it.” And Shereeka wasn’t lying. Her ass could smell money better than any bloodhound would ever be able to. She could point out the flashy men dressed in designer that she knew was broke, and she could point out the simplest dressed man that didn’t even have a watch on and know if he was holding. It was a gift indeed.
“Bingo, that’s him!” She kept her excited tone low. “The bartender just took him the drink, and she looked over here when she gave it to him. Girl, he is fine. You better ride that ride. Ohhhh he’s coming over here.”
My heart pounded like an African drum. I wasn’t even sure why I was doing the most and making things so complicated. I had never been bold enough to straight come on to a man. For all I knew, Uno had a girlfriend. Was I a hypocrite if I didn’t want to date a drug dealer, but I wanted the dick?
The cologne he wore announced his presence before he opened his mouth. “Thank you for the drink.” His voice came out in a deep rumble that sent chills down my spine. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Attempting to play it cool, I looked in his direction and shrugged passively. “Just wanted to say thank you for helping me move.”
“Your pops already paid me for that.”
“Yeah, well, I can say thank you in my own way,” I stuck my chin out defiantly making him simper.
“I heard that. Thank you for the drink once again,” he gave a curt nod. “And your tab is already taken care of. Enjoy ladies.” Uno winked at me, nodded at Shereeka and walked off.
The bartender placed my drink in front of me, and I wasted no time snatching it up. I was disappointed. Maybe even a little embarrassed.
“I know good and damn well he can’t be gay,” Shereeka chimed in. “Maybe he’s scared of your father. Or he has a girlfriend, and he’s one of the rare niggas that doesn’t cheat.”
“He doesn’t strike me as the type to be afraid of my father. If he really wanted to take it there with me, I doubt that would stop him. So, I’m going to go with either he’s in a relationship, or maybe he’s just not attracted to me.”
With a kiss of her teeth and a wave of her hand, Shereeka dismissed my comment. “Not attracted to who? I’m going to go with he has a girlfriend. Orrrrr, it’s Uncle Devin. Not even saying that he has to be afraid of him, but maybe he steers clear out of respect. I’m sure people inside his circle have heard about what he did to Lonzo.”
Just the reminder made my stomach churn. It was crazy how I hadn’t thought about Lonzo in years, but since my father murdered him in front of me, I thought about him every day. Numerous times a day. It didn’t really bother me that Kiwiwould never know him because I didn’t want a rapist in her life anyway. But being a witness to the violent way he died was something I could have certainly lived without.
We could sit and speculate all night. The fact of the matter was that for whatever reason, Uno didn’t seem to be interested in me. And maybe that was a good thing.
CHAPTER 4
UNO
“Dad,so if you get married, I’ll have a stepmom. I already have a stepdad, so that’s like four parents instead of two. So on holidays and birthdays, I should get extra gifts right?” Ace angled his head to the left and peered at me as I chuckled.
“I guess that’s one way you could look at it. You want me to get married, so you can get extra gifts?” I held the door of the barbershop open, so he could walk through it.
My question made Ace’s shoulders hike into a shrug. “It wouldn’t hurt. But I want you to get married, so you won’t be lonely. You and my mom broke up, and she met my other dad. You didn’t meet anybody.”
For some reason, that made me laugh. “I’ll meet somebody when the time is right. After me and your mom broke up, I was focused on other things. Like boxing.”
