“Sevyn, your savings account is dwindling. Your short-term disability has just turned into long-term, but you’re not even receiving the full amount of your normal income.”
“You won’t let me pay any bills, so that money is just sitting there. I have enough to shop for myself.”
“I’d rather you save it for a rainy day in case something else happens.”
“Why should I, when you’re not doing it? You’re a cop. You don’t make a ton of money, sir.”
He stood from the bench that he sat on and walked toward me. Grabbing my hands, he lowered his head and brushed my lips. “Let me worry about that, okay? Besides, I’ll always give my woman whatever her heart desires. Money ain’t a worry, Sevyn.”
“Your woman?” I coughed, getting a little choked up over his declaration.
“You have a problem with something that I said?”
“I just don’t know how we jumped there.”
“I’m not the type of man who takes shit for granted. I don’t do casual sex, Sevyn. As long as you’ve been living with me, you haven’t seen a parade of women coming in and out of my place, and you haven’t seen me rushing you into my bed.”
“No, I haven’t.”
“That should tell you what type of man I am. I told you that you had less than three seconds to stop what we were doing, because in another five, I was gonna make you rethink everything you ever thought about sex; and your life wouldn’t ever be the same. When I gave you this good dick, that meant you automatically belonged to me. I don’t sling this around to every woman. She’s gotta be a woman after my heart. The minute you let me in your bed, you walked into my heart too. I ain’t going nowhere. Told you your life wouldn’t be the same. You must’ve thought I was a joke.”
I felt the need to check him and put him back in his place. “Deuce Fullwood, you don’t run me. I say when I’m someone’s woman and when I’m not. You’re so full of yourself.”
“I’m not full of myself. But you were full of me last night. Keep talking shit, and I’m about to fill your mouth with me in this dressing room.”
“Oop!” I rushed back into the dressing room and locked the door behind me.
“That li’l latch ain’t keeping me out, just so you know. Oh, yeah, and you’re still my woman,” he called out.
I couldn’t help but shake my head and giggle. I removed the outfit I was wearing and tried on a dress. The minute that I stepped out, he frowned.
“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”
“Girl, where you think you’re wearing that to?”
“Uhm, I don’t know. I just thought it was nice to have.” I realized that I didn’t have anywhere to go. Not any friends to do anything with. I had nothing to do but sit in the house day after day, and it had been driving me insane.
“Get in there and take that off.”
“You could take me somewhere in it.”
He shook his head. “Not gonna happen. Instead of arresting folks, I’ll be the one brought up on murder charges that night.”
A slow smile crept over my face. “I’m serious. You could take me out on a date.”
“I’ll take you on a date, baby girl, but you’re not wearing that dress. If you put that dress on, we’ll be having a date night at home.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s boring, Deuce.”
“Whatever. You heard what I said.”
I returned to the dressing room and tried on a few more outfits. When I was finished, Deuce snatched them all from me and headed to the checkout line.
“I can buy my own stuff, Deuce.”
“I know you can, but I told you that I’m doing it.”
“What happened to my independence?”
