I chuckled. I’m not on childish anything. I just know that you have a girl an?—”
“You heard me say that?”
“Nah, I didn’t have to. She introduced herself when she picked up Niema. Usually, women don’t go around introducing themse?—”
“But you didn’t hear me say it, did you?”
I smiled because he was trying to check me. “You’re right I didn’t, but again what was I supposed to say?”
“Probably should’ve hit a nigga up and asked. You’re vocal about err’thing else, right? I’on like that childish not talking shit. Talk to me. And nah I ain’t calling you childish at all. I’m saying that shit was childish you pulled.”
I blinked a few times just looking at him. “It wasn’t childish at all. I simply decided that it was inappropriate for me to be talking to you. How was I supposed to know that the woman who you’ve yet to say isn’t your woman wasn’t your woman? To me that sounds like a miscommunication between the two of you.”
He chuckled, before standing up straight and stepping into my space. “That isn’t my woman, besides if she was, she wouldn’t have felt the need to introduce herself as such. She would’ve given you her name because she felt secure in that instead of listing an attachment to me.”
“Is that right?”
He nodded his head. “Now let me ask again and maybe this time I’ll have some clarity. We're back speaking, or are you still on some childish shit?”
Laughing I took a few steps back because his eye contact was intense. His entire being was intense and I’m sure he knew that. I mean how could he not. Even with space between us, North’s six-foot-four stature towered over me. Then he was nowhere near a scrawny or small man. He was the complete opposite with the body of an in-shape athlete. It wasn’t too much muscle like some of the football players you see, but it was that of a soccer player or basketball player.
“Yeen gave me no answer, but you feel the need to create space between us.”
“Because you’re too close.”
“Nah, I ain’t close enough.” He stepped forward again. “I fuck with your personal space. Smells good and feels even better.”
Again, I was laughing. “How is it personal if you’re all in it?”
He had to laugh as well. “But on some real shit, I like you and this, don’t fuck it up on no overthinking shit. I’m not tryna play you, Omyia. I’m trying to get to know you and see what’s in this space. Can I do that?”
“Mhmm answer me something, though.”
He nodded his head for me to ask my question.
“How do you know my father?” I peered at him hoping the answer differed from that in my mind. No matter how attracted I was to North, I couldn’t entertain that street shit too.
“I used to cop from him when I was in the streets.”
I nodded. I got the past tense in his explanation, but I needed to be sure. I didn’t work well off assumptions. “So, you’re no longer in the streets.”
“Nope. I did my time with them.”
I looked him over for a while, then I nodded my head.
He and I spoke for a few more minutes, then he had to leave, and I knew I was about to go in the house and have to hear Bernard be Bernard. The moment I walked in the house I heardhim clear his throat from the kitchen. That meant bring your ass here.
The moment I entered his eyes were on me and I could hear his thoughts before he even opened his mouth.
“No, I don’t know him like that. No, I am not dating him. And no, I’m not fucking him.” It might’ve sounded vulgar, but that’s how you had to talk to my father. He needed definite answers, with no hesitation.
He chuckled. “I haven’t even asked.”
“But you were about to. You were about to ask me every question that I just answered, right?”
“Maybe, but you’re grown, and I realize you can handle yourself. Good to know who I’d be killing if things did go left.”
“Things with he and I aren’t like that, so there is no?—”
