She nodded and went inside, completely oblivious to what I was waiting on.
Ava got closer, still staring at her screen. She hit a crack in the sidewalk or caught her heel wrong and tipped forward. I moved quickly and caught her by the waist. My hand landed on that tiny dip and stayed there. Ava froze for half a second, then lifted her head. Her eyes met mine and her expression shifted from surprise to irritation, then to lust.
She looked at my hand first. Then she looked at my face.
“You fallin’ for me already?” I asked so smoothly that it forced her to giggle.
“Really, nigga?”
Then I laughed with her. “Yeah, that was corny. It sounded better in my head.”
As our laughter faded, she didn’t step back right away. Neither did I. My hand stayed at her waist, and I knew it was too long because her breath changed and her eyes stayed on mine.
Then her gaze slid past my shoulder. She looked through the glass and something crossed Ava’s face.
“You brought your girlfriend, I see,” she said, pushing my hand off of her. Then she took steps back, putting space between us.
“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just something I need to do for the development project. That’s it.”
Ava’s eyes rolled. “Mm humph.”
She stepped around me and walked into Voss before I could say anything else. I watched her go and hated how much I wanted to follow her instead of going inside to do what I came to do. If I was the type of man who wanted to be tied down,I would’ve made Ava mine. But I hadn’t switched up for any women, so I needed to fall back and chill.
I walked into Voss and Saint came up on me.
“What up?” I greeted as we shook up.
“What up?”
“Shiiid, figured I’d bring Sienna out since the media will be here.”
“Good call,” he told me. “I’m glad you came through. I was going to call you when this shit was over. Me, Icon, and Legend decided we’ll bring your boys, the Street Kings, on. We need to kick it with them niggas to feel them out. If they on the up and up, we’ll supply them.”
I nodded once. “Good shit.”
“We know them through the streets. They seem like cool niggas who are about their money, but we gotta rub elbows with them on some personal shit. You know how that go.”
“I feel you. I appreciate y’all being willing to put them on.”
Then Saint’s eyes got serious. “But them niggas gotta move weight.”
“I already told them that. I’m sure they can handle it.”
Saint stared at me a second. “They better.”
“They will.”
“That’s what I needed to hear. And since these your people, if they fuck up, you gon’ be the one to fix it.”
“They won’t fuck up.”
Saint slapped my shoulder again. “Fa sho.”
My eyes drifted back toward the entrance for a second, searching for a ponytail and a pair of light eyes.
Then I forced myself to focus.
SINCERE BELLAMY
