“Youngin?” I giggled. “How old are you, anyway?
“Thirty-seven.”
I playfully pouted. “You got me by two years. I’ll let you live.”
“I know.” He shrugged before sitting next to me.
“You know? How do you know how old I am?”
“You forget I have access to your leasing application? May 20th is your birthday. You have a clean renting record and no criminal record. You have a high ass credit score, and your full name is Arielle Anne Nichols. I know your social security number and license number too. Oh, and I know your license plate number from your parking space information.”
My cheeks heated. That was all very personal information, but then I realized I didn’t really mind that he knew any of it. For some reason, I had a feeling he wouldn’t do me wrong with having that information. Now, if it was Donzell, his ass would have ran my credit to the ground and some more shit.
Speak of the devil. My phone buzzed on the countertop, and his name flashed across it. With a sigh, I reached for my cell, but Kareem snatched it up before I could.
“This another one of your brothers?” he asked quickly.
“No, I only have one?—”
“A family member?”
“My ex?—”
The words couldn’t even leave my mouth properly before he slid his thumb along the screen, and then he tapped the speaker button so I could hear.
“Aye, nigga, is you done callin’ her, or you need me to block you for her?”
“Who the fuck is this?” Donzell snapped. I cringed because his voice sounded whiny, like a child about to throw a tantrum. How I put up with him for so long would forever remain a mystery to me.
“The nigga who’s about to give her the world. I’m assumin’ that ain’t somethin’ you’re capable of since she’s sitting here wit’ me havin’ breakfast right now.”
The nonchalance in Kareem’s voice turned me on. I shouldn’t be amused right now and definitely not wet, but damn he had me wide the fuck open for his sexy ass.
“Man, put her on the phone. I ain’t tryna hear none of that. Where she at? Arielle!” he shouted, and I cringed. The last thing I would do was answer his irritating ass. Instead, I took a bite of my breakfast sandwich and moaned. It was so damn good.
Kareem had his eyes on me the entire time, and he chuckled. “Yeah, so check it, she ain’t available now, and she ain’t ever gonna be available again. Go find somethin’ safe to do, lil nigga. She’s no longer safe. Feel me? Shorty is good over here. She don’t need you checkin’ on her no more. I got this. You got my permission to be useless somewhere else. Now, I’ma block you on this phone and enjoy my breakfast with this gem you done lost. Don’t call back on a new number either. You seem like the type, and the shit is embarrassing.”
Donzell started to say something, but Kareem hung up, and I shook my head with a smile on my face. I ate my food and watched as he went to Donzell’s contact and blocked his number. He put my phone down and went back to eating his food.
I stared at the side of his head for a full minute before he spoke.
“You got something to say, say it, mama.”
I wanted to reach over and caress the side of his face. That was what I really wanted. I wanted to feel the soft hairs of his beard under my fingertips and kiss his jaw and then his lips.
“You’re really just ready to come into my life and take over.” It was a statement because I already knew his answer. I woke up this morning sad that his ass had dipped on me, and he just had to prove me wrong. He was here to stay, and that thought thrilled me but also made me wonder why.
Why? Because he feels the same way you feel about him. It ain’t rocket science, bitch.
“The question is, areyouready? Are you ready for a nigga like me? Because I can guarantee it ain’t gonna be nothin’ like the last nigga or any nigga before him.”
My head bobbed up and down before I could even process his question. I was a hopeless romantic. The kind of energy he brought was exactly what I wanted and needed in my life. I had already tried to run from it. I would be a fool to throw this chance away again after getting a second chance.
With determination written all over my face, I nodded. “Sure am.”
“Aight, we’ll see, Mermaid.”
We finished our food in silence before Kareem stood up and reached for my container again.
