“If this is my event, then I should be able to do what the fuck I want. I won’t be gone long so tell them to let Jerzy or Flip perform. I told them I would give them a slot anyway.”
“I think you let us take her home. People paid a lot of money to come see you, and as Logic said, it would be a bad look if you dipped out before the event ended. The meet and greet tickets were sold out, so I know there are a lot of people waiting to meet you.” Nova attempted to talk some sense into him, but I could tell he wasn’t listening.
“I already said what I had to say. I’m taking her home, and that’s final. Clearly, she got some shit she needs to get off of her chest, so that’s what we’re gonna do. I’ll be back as soon as I get her home safely. Logic, let my fans know I had to take care of an emergency, and I’m coming right back to party with them the rest of the night. Y’all can chill in my section if you want. There are plenty of bottles on the table, but you can order whatever you want. Dom and Nova looked at me with pleading eyes. I wasn’t going to ruin their night just because mine had been fucked up.
“Fine. I’ll order a ride and—”
“I understand it’s been a while since we’ve been around each other, but ain’t shit changed. I was trying to be nice and respect your feelings, but I wasn’t asking you for permission. Either you’re gonna let me take you home or take your ass back in the lounge. Those are the only options you have right now,” Keynauri declared. My mouth opened and closed as I stood there stunned.
No one had spoken to me like that in a long time, and I wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“Damn, he told you.” Dom snickered. My head snapped over in his direction, but he looked away. Nova giggled, and I wantedto cuss the two of them out. I should have made up an excuse to stay home.
“You’ve got thirty seconds to let me know what you want to do.”
“I want to go home, but please understand that you aren’t running shit over here. I don’t have shit to say to you, so don’t even waste your breath. Take me home and then pretend as if you never saw me. As far as I’m concerned, this is a horrifying nightmare, and I can’t wait to wake up from it.” I rolled my eyes, waiting for him to respond with some smart-ass comment.
“Whatever you say, baby. It’s still your world.” Keynauri grinned as he removed his keys from his pocket. He and Logic talked to each other for a moment. Nova and Dominique verified that I would be okay before everyone else went back inside. A part of me considered staying so I wouldn’t have to be alone with Keynauri, but my mood was too sour. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin everyone else’s night because I was in my feelings.
Keynauri passed the keys to one of the men standing next to him, and he scurried off. There were two other men standing on either side of him, and I assumed they were his bodyguards. It was odd to see this version of him. It was almost as if I expected him to still be in the same shape as the last time I saw him. Keynauri was much taller, and his features were more prominent. There were more tattoos on his body, including one on the top of his cheek. I hated to admit it, but he had grown even sexier with age.
After a few minutes, the driver drove up with his car. Keynauri attempted to grab my hand, but I smacked his hand away. He chuckled in response, garnering an eye roll from me. His guards followed us and opened the door to make sure we were secure. One got in front of the truck, while the other slid into the third row of the SUV.
Music filled the car as we drove off. Keynauri asked for my address, but I ignored him and leaned forward to give it to the driver. He plugged it into the GPS and asked if I needed to make a stop somewhere. I thought about telling him no, but the growling of my stomach made me change my mind. I asked if he could stop at one of my favorite seafood boil spots, Crab Paradise, which was open late on the weekends. A frozen daiquiri and a seafood boil were just what I needed to turn my night around.
I shifted in my seat so I could look out of the window. I sent a text to Que to let him know I was on my way home. I decided not to mention who I was riding with, because it wasn’t important. Eventually, I would need to sit him down and explain my connection to Keynauri, but tonight would not be the night.
Nova and Dom were texting me in the group chat to make sure I was okay, but I had no words for either of them. As far as I was concerned, they left me for dead. Yes, I was being dramatic, but they knew who I was.
Nova:I know you’re mad at us, but you need to talk to that man.
Dom:At least get some welcome home dick.
Me:Nova, fuck you.
Me:Dom, did you forget I was in a relationship?
Dom:Oh, damn. I guess I got ahead of myself. I mean is it really cheating? You said it yourself that Que was trying to secure him for more projects. If you put thatgood pussy on him, you would be helping your man. It sounds like a good idea to me.
I laughed out loud as I read his message. My friend really needed to get his life together.
Me:Boy, fuck you. I am not trading pussy for a business opportunity. Honestly, I’m not even sure how Que is gonna take it once I tell him who Keynauri is to me.
Nova:Yeah, I’m curious about how you plan to handle this. Are you gonna tell him the truth tonight or are you too mad?
At that point, I realized she wasn’t talking about Que. I couldn’t answer her question because I had no answer myself. All of this was coming at me, and there was no time for me to process everything.
I decided to wait until I got home to respond. Maybe by then I would have an answer to her question.
“Did you already order your food, or do you need to go in and place the order?” Keynauri asked.
Once again, I paid his ass no attention as I informed the driver that I needed to go inside to order my food. He made sure to tell me that they were in no hurry, and I could take all the time I needed. The guard on the passenger side got out of the truck and opened the door for me. I thought he would get back in the truck, but instead, he followed me into the restaurant.
“Welcome to Crab Paradise. How can I help you tonight?”
“Hey, can I order the seafood king boil with two extra eggs and extra mild and garlic sauce? Also, can I get a mediumHurricane Daiquiri?” They made their daiquiris strong, and that was exactly what I needed tonight.
“Sure thing, love. Your total comes to fifty-five twenty-eight,” she informed me. I opened my wallet to retrieve my card, but the guard beat me to it. It caught me off guard, but I made sure to thank him afterward.
