Page 140 of 4 Corinthians

I sat there, phone in my hand, Cori in my lap. The lights were off, but the track lights lined the walls.

“Uri,” Cori moaned. “You’re squeezing me.”

“I’m sorry,” I replied.

I didn’t realize I was holding her as tight as I was until I loosened my grip. I felt her let out a deep breath and smile against my chest. I kissed the top of her head, then dropped my head back against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. I waited until I felt her breathing even out, then called Nine.

“Hello?”

“Robert called me,” I told him. “He wants to meet.”

“When?”

“He said he would be in contact,” I replied.

“Nigga probably fucking with you,” he chuckled. “What do you want to do?”

“Meet with him when he calls,” I answered. “Then kill him.”

Corinthians

Uri walked into the shop, and I watched him through the mirror as I cut my last client's hair. He’d been in and out all day, showing up between meetings to sit with me. He pointed to my office, and I nodded.

After I finished her hair, I set up her next appointment, walked to the window, and stayed there until she was in her car and had pulled off. Once she was out of sight, I double-checked the locks, flipped the open sign, then headed to my office. When I walked in, Uri was sitting at my desk, his attention on his phone. I approached him from the back, wrapped my arms around his shoulders, and kissed his cheek.

“Hey,” I said, then kissed his ear.

“Hey.” He looked over his shoulder at me, smirked, then licked his lips. His grill sparkled against the light. It was something about seeing him in a suit with those grills in his mouth that turned me on every time. He held my chin between his thumb and index finger. “What’s on your mind, beautiful?”

“How good you look,” I answered him, and he bashfully looked away. His hand left my jaw, and he chuckled. “I know you are blushing.”

“I’m a grown-ass man; I don’t blush,” he answered with a smirk. “Plus, I don’t think I can.”

I kissed his cheek then went to sit behind my desk. “You can,” I told him with a laugh. “You’ve done it a few times before.”

“Nah,” he denied, shaking his head. “I ain’t ever been accused of blushing before.”

“Maybe because nobody but me has ever made you do it?” I asked.

Uri nodded, licked his lips, then nodded. “I can't deny that,” he said. “You’re the only one who has ever had my heart.” He tapped his chest. Now it was my turn to smile and look away. “Oh, you over there blushing now?” He stood, rested his hands on my desk, and leaned across it. “What you blushing for, Cori? I make you happy?”

I looked at him. “You do,” I told him. He nodded, then leaned closer to me. I met him halfway, kissed him, then sat back. “Now what are you doing here again for the millionth time?”

“I can't come see you?” he asked as he sat.

“You can whenever you want.”

“Alright,” he laughed and nodded. He pointed to my desk, and I looked down to see a black folder I hadn’t noticed before. I picked it up, then looked up at him to see him smirking. “You going to open it?”

“What is it?” I asked, and he shrugged. “Uri, what is this?”

“Open it and see,” he told me. I set the folder down and stared at the name engraved in gold on the front. U&C. “What is this?”

“Open the folder, Cori,” he said.

I nodded, then opened the folder to see a full business proposal for me to open another shop. Not only were there specs and profit predictions for one shop, but four others. Designs for shops as well as a full expansion idea for other states.

“Uri?” I looked up at him, then back at the folder. “You did this?”