When I left the shop later that evening, I smoked my first blunt since being shot. I needed to smoke. It was the only thing that would calm me. I wasn’t prepared for how much seeing Leighton messed me up. Missed was an understatement. I wanted to snatch her up and kiss all over her face. All I wanted were Leighton’s thick thighs wrapped around my neck while I sucked on her clit. It wasn’t a lie when I told her Charlotte had been good to her.
It was possible that Leighton was over me and would never give me another chance. Since I didn’t try hard enough before, I had to try again. I would see her again when she came to pick her grills up. As I sat on the couch and smoked a blunt, I let my mind wander. I designed a pair of grills that I thought would fit Leighton’s personality. Some fly shit that would probably turn me on when she put them in her mouth. I didn’t want to hype myself because I didn’t know if Leighton would take me back.
I was a different person from when she first moved to Charlotte. If she agreed to take me back, I’d make it work. In the three years that Leighton had been gone, I’d had sex with quite a few women. In an effort to try and move on from her, I occupied myself with making money and chasing women. I hadn’t come across the woman that made me feel half of what Leighton ever made me feel.
When it came to Leighton there was no competition. She was one of one. All a nigga could do was pray she’d give me another chance.
LEIGHTON
Shaking my head as my sister blew hookah smoke through her nose, I sipped my drink. “This isn’t what I came to Diamond Cove for.”
“Leigh, you’ve been sewing and sketching so much, I’m surprised you don’t have carpal tunnel. You held the auditions and secured the models. You also have ten fire ass pieces ready to go, and the seamstresses are working six days a week to get the rest done. You deserve brunch and some good drinks,” Allison shouted over the music.
I had only been back in Diamond Cove for seven days, but she was right. I had been working my ass off and a few hours of good food and drinks wasn’t going to hurt anything. My mom took Jaxon to church, so me, Allison, and Lexi hit a popular brunch spot. The music was loud, the food was good, drinks were strong, and the vibe was unmatched. My chicken and red velvet waffles tasted like they were cooked in heaven.
In Charlotte, I had Gwen and Ashley, but there was nothing like being home with my sisters.
“You ready for your photoshoot tomorrow?” Lexi asked as she twerked in her seat while puffing on the hookah tip.
“Yeap. I told the photographer I wanted to pose with a Doberman Pinscher, and he found one.”
Allison’s brow hiked. “Um excuse me. When were you going to tell me? You know I’m traumatized by dogs and deathly afraid of them.”
My sisters were going to be in my promo shoot along with the models I found. Neither wanted to walk in the show because they were afraid to do so, and I didn’t blame them. There were two hundred tickets available and so far, one hundred thirty had been sold. It was going to be nerve racking at the end for me to stand in front of all those people and speak, but I knew it was necessary. Allison’s claims made my eyes roll.
“Girl, please. We were walking down the street, and you were kissing at the dog and telling him to come here. As soon as he started running toward you, you screamed, fell on the ground and started kicking. The dog came over to you, looked down at you acting like a fool, and walked away. You probably traumatized that dog more than he traumatized you.”
Lexi was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down her face. I sipped my drink while Allison mean mugged us both. After almost one full minute of Lexi laughing, Allison balled a napkin up and threw it at her.
“The dog is going to be on set with his owner. He’s trained. It’s not like he’ll be running around freely. And I’m taking my photos before everyone else arrives because I want to be able to watch the shoot and give my ideas to the photographer. I’m sure the dog won’t even be there when you arrive.”
“Better not be,” she grumbled making me chuckle.
The waitress came over with a strawberry Mimosa in hand, and I eyed her because none of us had ordered an extra. The three of us had split a picture of Mimosas, and I was tipsy. When she placed the drink in front of me, I parted my lips to protest, but she spoke before I could.
“This is from the gentleman in the booth to your right. He’s wearing a red shirt.”
Lexi’s nosey ass almost broke her neck trying to get a good look at my secret admirer. “Oh, he’s cute, but a little trifling,” her nose wrinkled. “He would have gotten points if he had sent the whole table drinks.”
I cut my eye at Mr. Red Shirt, and he wasn’t bad looking. I just wasn’t on the market. Or maybe I was on the market, but I wasn’t looking.
Allison scoffed while I was trying to decide whether or not I was going to drink the Mimosa. “So, if there were five of us at the table, it would have been your expectation for him to buy all five of us drinks.”
“Yes,” Lexi stated with raised brows. “Am I wrong?”
“Yes. You’re used to scammers and dope boys that ball out every day, but that’s not always real life. Men that work hard for their money don’t just throw it away because they have it.”
“That Mimosa is like $16 for a single. If it would have caused him financial hardship to buy three of them, he’s not what she needs anyway.”
“Okay, okay,” I held my hands up. “This is a cute little debate, but I have to agree with Allison. It would have been very admirable if he’d sent drinks for the entire table, but he doesn’t have to in order for me to consider him worthy. I’m just not interested in dating. Jaxon is only three months. I’m busy with a newborn, building a brand, and working to pay my bills. A man doesn’t fit into that equation.”
“If you put that bum on child support, you might not have to do so much. You could focus on your brand and let the side jobs go.”
I wasn’t in the mood to debate about Markell and child support. That was the deciding factor in me picking up the champagne flute and downing the Mimosa. Mr. Red Shirt foundhimself at our table. The head rush I got from downing the drink so fast allowed me to offer him a genuine smile. “Thank you for the drink.”
“You’re welcome. My name is Eric. And you are?”
“Leighton. And these are my sisters, Allison and Lexi.”
