“I was drunk!” she said, her voice squeaking as she defended herself. “For some reason, food always tastes better when you’ve been drinking.”
Heavy chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Send me the address to your job right quick. I’ma head that way when I leave here.”
Thankfully, she had an hour lunch break. Adding his number to her contacts before she could text him, Cyren began storing it under the name ‘Heavy’ but erased it and typed out his government name. Smiling, she saved it, then copied and pasted her job’s address and sent it.
“Okay. I just texted it to you. You didn’t want anything to eat?” she asked.
“Nah. I ain’t really in the mood for food. Gotta taste for something else.”
Cyren gulped and thanked God they weren’t on FaceTime. He would’ve seen how easily his words affected her.
“Oh…okay. Well, I’ll see you when you get here. Thank you,” she quickly said, her words running together in a way that made Heavy grin.
It wasn’t a cocky gesture but more so one of appreciation. He liked making her flustered. Liked knowing he could pull reactions out of her without even touching her. Heavy hoped she caught on to what he was insinuating without taking it as disrespect. If she wanted him to eat anything, it’d be her.
“A’ight. I’m not too far away,” he said. “I’ll call you when I’m outside so you can come out.”
“Um,” Cyren hesitated, “I’m already outside.”
“You just sitting in the car?” Heavy asked, mind wandering.
“Yes. I was going to get some food, and then you texted me, playing on my phone.”
Truthfully, she’d forgotten all about grabbing something to eat once she and Gabi got on the phone. He had interrupted their yap session at the perfect time, honestly.
“A’ight. I’ll take the blame,” he accepted. “It ain’t safe to just be sitting in your car like that, either.”
Cyren frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I said so.”
She rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see it. “That’s not a valid reason.”
“It’s the only one you getting.”
“Very controlling.”
“Nah,” Heavy corrected, “I just know some women don’t watch their surroundings. You in the hood, too? Nah. Niggas are grimy and be looking for an easy come-up. Stay inside that job from now on, ‘fore somebody gets hurt.”
That somebody wouldn’t be her.
His words made her pause and think. The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind, but he was right. Cyren still struggled to accept that some people got it by any means necessary.
“Okay. You’re right. Next time, stay inside. Heard you,” she teasingly replied, but took his words seriously.
“See how easy that was?” Heavy jested. “You sound real good taking directions. I like that in you.”
Cyren melted in her seat. She wasn’t sure if he knew just how fucking turned on his words made her, and was sure those weren’t his intentions, but voilà, he’d flipped a switch. His confidence should’ve annoyed her. Instead, it made her smile.
“You always think you’re right?” she asked.
“For the most part.”
“That sounds insufferable.”
Heavy laughed, lowly. “You still smiling, though.”
Cyren’s lips immediately flattened. “You can’t see me.”
