Xander
I sat in my blacked-out Denali Yukon in Hayven’s driveway for a few more moments before I got out and knocked on her door. When she did open the door, all I saw was red.
“Where the fuck are your clothes, Hayven?” I asked, pushing her out of the doorway, closing and locking the door behind me.
Hayven was standing before me in a purple towel that was too small to cover her curvy frame.
“I was just getting out of the shower when you started knocking, and I didn’t want to keep you waiting. Plus, my spirit told me it was you, or else I would’ve put some clothes on.”
“Your spirit? Don’t open the door like that again. Me or not. Go put some clothes on. I’ll be on the couch.”
She nodded and turned to walk upstairs. I knew I shouldn’t have watched her go upstairs. Her ass was peeking out the bottom of her towel. I groaned and adjusted myself. I made my way to the living room, and while I waited for her to come back down, I sent my homie, Matthew Harrell, or H as we call him, a text.
Me: I need you to put in an alarm
H: When? Where?
Me: Now. I’ll send you the address
“What brings you by?”
Hayven was now wearing a black V-neck shirt, black leggings, and purple socks on her feet.
“I’m returning your phone,” I said, extending my hand with her phone in it.
“I was looking for this last night. Thanks for bringing it back.”
“No problem. My homie, H, is going to come by and install your alarm system. We can go to breakfast while he does.”
I watched her face ball up into the scowl she wore yesterday when I told her that I threw the pictures of her and her fuck boy ex out. She was cute when she was mad. I’m sure this look may have been intimidating to children, but Hayven didn’t scare me.
“I see you didn’t get the memo yesterday. Can you try asking me what I want instead of making decisions for me?” she asked before getting up and attempting to walk away.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me as I stood from the couch. “I see I ain’t the only one who didn’t get the memo yesterday. It wasn’t my intention to take away your choice about the alarm, but I want you safe and if that’s wrong, then so be it. I’m not apologizing for that.”
She relaxed against my chest a little, but her breathing picked up. I could feel how fast her heart was beating because of how close we were. It probably didn’t help that my mans was saluting her.
“Relax, Shorty.”
“I am relaxed.”
“Then why is your heart beating so fast?”
Her maple brown cheeks turned rosy red, and that made me smile. I’d never seen a woman react to me the way Shorty was. Most women who approached me were confident and knew exactly what they wanted, not that I was offering anything more than a hard dick and a few orgasms.
Hayven, on the other hand, was reserved and had an innocence about her, which also told me something else. Her ex wasn’t taking care of her in the bedroom.
She pulled away from me. “How long before your friend gets here?”
“Probably a few minutes.”
“Okay. I’ll go put on clothes.”
“You’re fine the way you are, Hayven.”
“Can I at least brush my hair?”
I chuckled. “Yea, Shorty.”
She nodded before disappearing upstairs. A few moments later, there was a knock on the front door. I knew it was H, but I asked anyway.
“Who is it?”
“Open the door, muhfucka.”
I opened the door. “I know Ms. Pat raised you betta.”
He waved me off. “When you get a new spot?”
“It’s not mine. It’s a friend’s.”
“This friend must be a woman.”
“Mind ya’ business.”
“You are my business. What kind of package?”
“Deluxe. Cameras outside, in the garage, doorbell, and in the house. Just not in any of the bedrooms or bathrooms. Put motion-sensor lights outside.”
“She running from somebody?”
“Nah.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. She moved in yesterday, and I’m not feeling how she just opens doors without asking who it is.”
“It was one time, Hershey. Damn! Let it go. I told you my spirit told me it was you,” Hayven said, walking downstairs.
Her hardheaded ass changed clothes anyway. She was now dressed in a black maxi dress with a pair of gold sandals on her feet that showed off the lavender polish on her toes. Her hair was out in a fro and framing her face, and she rocked a pair of large gold hoops in her ears.
“Dayyyyyuuuuummmmmmmm!” H exclaimed, then whistled. “Wait. Pause. Did you call this midnight-looking fool Hershey? And did you say your spirit told you it was him?”
“Watch that shit, H.”
“Yes, I did call him Hershey. And yes, I did say my spirit told me it was him. Leave him alone, Hershey. I’m Hayven, and it’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Matthew. Trust me. The pleasure is all mine.”
“You must want me to body yo’ ass.”
H laughed. “Fuck outta here with that shit. I’ll see y’all when y’all get back.”
I placed my hand on the small of Hayven’s back, guided her out of the house to my truck’s passenger side, then opened her door.
“Thankies, Hershey.”
“Call me X.”
“Just because your friend made fun of the nickname doesn’t mean I’m going to stop calling you by it.”
“It’s your world, Shorty,” I said, closing her door.
When I got around to the driver’s side, I saw that Hayven had leaned across and opened the door for me.
“Thanks,” I said as I started the car and backed out of her driveway. “What do you want to eat?”
“I like pancakes and waffles, if that matters.”
“Don’t do that shit, Hayven. What you want will always matter to me. Like I said yesterday, if you don’t like the way I handle something, use your mouth and say that shit, and don’t be dismissive when you’re talkin’ to me.”
I turned the music up and drove a little faster to get wherever the fuck we were going to eat at. I started to take her ass to McDonald’s and be done with it, but I decided not to be a complete jackass. We ended up at Ms. Pearl’s Diner, a CG staple the guys and I go to after leaving the club.
I parked quickly and got out to open her door. Mad or not, my parents raised me to be a gentleman. I placed my hand on the small of her back and guided her towards the entrance. When we got inside, I ushered her to a booth in the back. I let her slide in on the opposite side of where I was going to sit.
“Thanks for still being a gentleman, although you’re mad at me.”
“Don’t insult me, Hayven. Mad or not, I’ll always treat you with respect. My parents raised me with some sense.”
“Noted.”
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