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"You gonna just sit there and look or you gonna help?" Jass pouted while trying to clamp her bra in the dressing room. "My bad girl." I placed my phone down clamped it back together for her and returned my attention back to my phone.
"Girl what the hell has gotten into you and this phone?" She dropped the next shirt she was about to try on frustrated. I snapped my neck up. I hadn't told her about Meech yet but I hadn't noticed I was giving him all my attention lately either.
"Okay Jass, fine i'll tell you." I kind of enjoyed it being a secret. It seemed like once you started bragging or telling people that's when things got ruined. "I'm listening girl." She took her attention back to the clothes she was trying on. "So remember ole boy from the club...you know the one that helped us get out?" I hesitantly started explaining. She looked at me instantly. "What about him?" She threw the shirt back down and sat next to me on the bench all ears. "Well I ran into him at the mall a few days ago and we've kinda been talking." I bit my lower lip. "SHUT UP BITCH AND YOU DIDNT TELL ME WHAT?"
A knock on the dressing room door came "Please keep it low ladies." One of the workers impatiently spoke into the door. "You didn't tell me like what?" Jass repeated but in a frantic whisper. "No I didnt tell you Jass but it's only because it's not that serious with us." I explained. Which was kind of a lie since we'd be going on a date to the bowling alley that night. "Yeah right hoe I can't believe you didn't tell me." Jass playfully pushed my shoulder standing with a fake attitude.
"Yeah but now that you know you can help me pick what i'm wearing to tonight's date with him." I pursed my lips waiting for her reaction. "DATE!? What you waiting for bitch come on!" She pulled me off the bench and put her shirt on and began dragging me from store to store finding a cute simple fit for the bowling date.
*later that day*
"You are definitely cheating." I giggled walking to my seat to watch Meech hit all the pins for the sixth time in a row. "How you figure i'm cheating at bowling, maybe you just suck."
"I don't know you got money, you probably paid the bowling alley off to rig it for you." I threw a french fry at him as he sat down next to me. "You got money too Miss. Chrome hearts...you know that's my favorite brand right you get double cool points with me." He took a sip of his drink while admiring my outfit. "Really!? You like chrome hearts?" I played surprised knowing damn well I had a manic attack in the mall trying to figure out what to wear. Jass ended up stalking his instagram to see his style and it was so much chrome hearts you'd think he owned the damn brand.
"Yeah really." He mocked my voice. "You usually a bowling alley isn't my idea of a first date." It was the truth. With me being a college student I never really had time for dates. I spent most nights studying catching up on discussion boards, or listening to Ted Talks. So the when I finally did go on dates it was always high end, nothing ever fun really.
"Yeah I could've probably put a lil more spice into things." He sounded defeated. "Oh no it's nothing wrong with it I actually love it." I smirked at him. "I tell you what ma, I'm having this lil pool party coming up and I really wouldn't mind you being there." He grabbed my hand as if he'd just made the most romantic offer there is. "Well if I ain't got school that day pa I wont mind coming." I grabbed my hand away mocking him. "See I think you wanna be me so bad, it's okay to be yourself you know everybody ain't playa like me." He popped a fake collar and adjusted his big ass BMF chain. "Boy please, I got the sauce without the extra." I referenced his chain while adjusting my small charmed pandora necklace the same way. He let out the deepest heartfelt laugh. Even his security who had gotten a table of their own a few feet away chuckled.
"What's funny?" I picked up a fry pretending I was in my natural state. "Nothing I just really feel you." He licked his lips admiring me once again. He did that a lot and it made me so nervous...and want to come out my panties. "You know I can see when you do that right?" He laughed while examining my face. "Do what exactly?" I giggled while stirring my pink lemonade that sat in front of me. "Get nervous." He said plainly while licking his lips. Only one date in and he was already reading me and my habits, nothing more attractive. I bit my lower lip not knowing what to say. "See there it go again." He playfully nudged my arm so I could stop pretending to focus on my drink. "Why don't you open up to me ma let me get to know you."
"Well first of all pa I've known you for less than a week second of all i'd be willing to have whatever conversation without Mr. Top Dogs over there." I motioned my head towards his security so he could get a hint. "That's all you had to say, how about we take out drinks and continue this small talk in the whip?" He stood while taking my hand helping me stand as well. His security immediately stood ready to string along. He held a finger up to them for them to sit down. "Give me thirty." He simply stated before leading me out to the Benz he came in.
"So now that we alone...what do you wanna know about me?" I tried making the first move "Everything you want me to know." He said while flickering a lighter up to a blunt. "Well....My name is Leila for starters ....l o l." There I was getting nervous again. "Nice to meet you Leila." He chuckled while tapping ashes out his wood. "I'm in school to be a lawyer, I attend University of Southern California, I graduate next year actually, um My mother passed away when I was nine..." I trailed off. "Can I ask you something?" He cut me before I can finish going. "Of course." I smiled happy he was taking control of the conversation being I was terrible with conversation starters.
"Do you know who you are?" He took a drag of the blunt that was slowly turning into a roach. The question caught me off guard as much as I wanted to be offended I was intrigued with it because I didn't even know the answer. "Well when you ask that." I chuckled nervously. "Nah not even on no deep shit but when you just brought up college you ain't even get off into it like most people who take pride in it would...is that what you wanna be?" He looked at me with his light red tinted eyes waiting for my answer. I felt safe to open up. "To be honest...no....I only picked it up when my mom passed away because it sounded like something she'd be proud of me for." I shrugged trying to swallow back tears. Why the fuck would I cry on the first date? Jhene Aiko Right Here played softly in the background through his speakers the entire moment was too much to bear. "Why?" He simply stated while taking another puff before putting the roach out. "I'm not sure...I just wanted to feel like I was doing something ya know." I tried my hardest to sound relatable.
"I don't think that's good for you baby...at some point you gotta live for you." He adjusted himself in his seat while looking me in my eyes. Truth was I had been trying to find me for so long I thought i'd never find her. "Well that's easier said than done I've got family I need to make proud." I chuckled trying to turn the conversation light. "You also got you that's waiting to be proud." He said in the simplest way. The song ended. I could only hear my breath. For the first time in a long time someone had made me remember that I had me to take care of.
"You ain't gotta think to much about it come ere." He pulled me in and I was leaning into his seat while he rubbed my shoulder.
He handed me the blunt and I took it without hesitation.
Besides the fact that I had never smoked before I felt like I was about to find a new me with a feeling he'd be the one to help me...
Message from the Author: chapter four got some good stuff coming!
