too, and she isn’t chomping at the bit. Even my ex-wife is tryna get a loan and tried to threaten to take me to court to get Aiden so she could get child support – get her hands on this money. Women are callin’ me that I haven’t spoken to in years. Word spreads fast when you get a windfall. Lauren here isn’t impressed though. Interesting. I don’t think I’m too bad lookin’, not too shabby on the eyes. I take care of myself, drink a little too much beer every now and again and smoke, but other than that, I’m pretty fit. I’m not a deadbeat dad, I work my ass off, keep a nice house. I can fuck good, too. She doesn’t know anything about that yet, but I’m hoping she’ll find out sooner or later… She’s playing hardball. Yeah, I like this woman… I’m going to do everything in my power to get her.
“That’s crazy to me that you’ll just consider going out with me, instead of just agreeing to do it,” he added.
“I have the right to say no, too.” Her warning tone and face said it all. He was stepping on thin ice.
“Well, hell, you’re sitting here needing something from me, even begged for an extension for the building that you know I could renege on in a moment of pettiness, and you try your luck anyway. You aren’t caring about any of this, are you?” She shook her head, then glanced back down at the book. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or insulted.” Woman, you’re turning me the fuck on… “If you wanted to get rid of me, this is the wrong way to do it. I like a challenge.”
He smiled as her tinkling laughter made his heart flip.
“Aries, smell this.” Her face put on a euphoric expression. He sat down across from her, crossed his legs, and took the book from her hands. As soon as he inhaled, he began to cough, causing her to burst out laughing. She snatched the book back and rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”
“What the hell? Are you trying to asphyxiate me, Lauren? That’s a date rape drug smashed in between those pages, isn’t it?”
“You don’t inhale a date rape drug, Aries!”
“Chloroform then? Look now, I’m up for grabs.” He tossed up his hands and smirked. “You just say the word and we can be waking up to each other after a night of wining and dining and passion! No need to take me out like this!”
He could see she was holding in a bout of laughter, refusing to allow him the honors.
“You are too much. It smells wonderful! I love that old book scent.”
“You must like one week old roadkill too, then. Parfum el possum.” The woman snorted. “I don’t like how that smells, I don’t like old books and this room gives me the creeps… Looks like something off the Scooby Doo cartoon.”
“Now you know you’re out of order.”
It was then that he heard that ‘thing.’ That tone that it seemed only Black women had when they spoke, especially when fed up. He’d never heard it from her until then. She was a sista all right…
“I know you think I’m unrefined… unsophisticated.”
“No, that didn’t cross my mind actually, Aries. You just don’t appreciate anything. Especially if it’s not coated in motorcycle oil,” she teased as she flipped through a few more pages of her current selection.
I’d like to lather you with some oil, baby. Only if you’re butt ass naked…
“I appreciate some things. Like a beautiful book nerd with lips soft as pillows, skin smooth as satin, and eyes so pretty, I could jump in them and drown with a smile on my face.” Her smile slowly faded. “Tell me how a pretty thing like you doesn’t have a husband by now?” Her muscles seemed to tighten. “Thirty-six isn’t old by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a bit long in the tooth to not be hitched to any wagon. I sound like my grandmother now…” He laughed lightly. “She used to say a bunch of phrases like that, so excuse me… I just, uh, want to know why you’re single is all?”
Her eyes said so much right then, but she was speaking a language he couldn’t understand.
“My husband died.” Her words came out short, truncated, rough around the edges and dipped in remorse. She quickly turned away, picked up another book and flipped through it, her brows furrowed, the skin between