I stared at him across the table and gave him the same kind of smile he had been giving me all morning. Fake as hell. “Yep, I’m good. I’m just fine.”
He reached across the table and picked his phone up like he was about to silence it, but before he could, it started ringing again. I looked down at my menu and didn’t ask one question because I didn’t care. At least that’s what I wanted him to think but then it just wouldn’t stop so I finally broke.
“You gone answer that?” I asked casually flipping the page more interested in deciding between grilled salmon and shrimp pasta.
He glanced at the screen, frowned, then hit decline. “Nah.”
“Oh.” That was all I said and I didn’t question him further about anything. The waitress walked over, smiling at us both as she sat fresh bread and appetizer on the table before asking if we were ready.
“I’ll do the salmon,” I told her, handing her back the menu.
“And I’ll take the ribeye and make it medium,” Rome said before closing his menu. The waitress nodded and disappeared, leaving us alone again. Rome reached for a piece of bread and broke it in half. “You been real quiet.”
I shrugged. “Ain’t much to say Rome.” I told him, because hell, it wasn’t.
He studied me for a little bit before leaning back in his chair. “So, you still mad?”
I looked up at him and furrowed my brows. “What you think?”
His tilt his head staring me in the eyes. “I already apologized.”
I almost laughed because an apology without changed behavior was just another lie like any other time. I removed my Dolce and Gabbana shades and sat them on the table. It was so hot, I was glad I sleeked my hair back into a long ponytail.
“I hear you.” I replied instead of saying something slick.
“Hearing me and forgiving me two different things Nay.”
“I know.”
He took a deep breath before reaching for his drink. “I’m trying, Nay.”
Trying? I thought shaking my head inside at how fine he was. I had truthfully never run into a man finer than him or maybe I felt that way because I had been blinded by love for so long.A man’s word was all he had and that word would’ve meant something if I didn’t know who I was dealing with. Trying didn’t erase all of the bullshit. Right on cue, his phone started ringing once again.
He looked down, irritated as hell, snatched the phone off the table, and stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
He walked toward the front of the restaurant before answering. I didn’t need to hear the conversation because I already knew exactly who it was and my bet was it was the chick saying she was pregnant. I leaned back in my chair and slowly exhaled.Good, go entertain your other life.That gave me a few seconds to actually think while my mind drifted right back to the fifty thousand dollars. Every time I thought about it, I went back and forth with myself. One minute I felt guilty as hell. The next minute I remembered why I took it. Yeah, that money wasn’t mine, and I knew that. The problem was neither was the money Rome stole from me but somewhere in the middle of all that wrong, my life had become one big gray area. I pulled my phone from my purse and opened my messages under the table:
Me:Call me in exactly two minutes and make it sound bad.
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Lulu:What happened?
Me:Nothing! Just trust me.
I locked my phone and slid it back into my purse just as Rome started walking back toward the table with his face was all balled up like whoever had called had gotten on his last nerve. Rome slid his phone into his pocket before taking his seat like nothing had happened, but I clearly knew he was irritated and trying to play it off. His jaws were tight as hell, and he grabbed his glass and took the rest of the shot.
“You okay?” I asked keeping my voice in a neutral tone.
He shrugged. “Yeah man, it’s just people always wanting something.”
I nodded like I believed him because that was probably the most truthful thing he’d said all afternoon. The waitress came back balancing our plates before carefully setting them in front of us. The smell alone would’ve normally had me digging in, but my appetite had been off, and it was probably from stress. My mind was moving too fast to enjoy food as well.
“You barely eating,” Rome said, cutting into his steak as I frowned. I didn’t like a steak if it was well done. I hated to see any pink or blood at all in mine. Meanwhile his ass was eating like it was his last meal.
“I will.”
He raised a brow. “You sure?”
