Quiet Storm

Chapter 14

Pandora Monet Renee

📍Pandora's House

Atlanta, GA| February 8th, 2023

"I know you lying," Syx said, eyes wide as she curled her legs up on my couch. "Tell me you did not just say girlfriend."

"Deadass," I grinned, biting down on my bottom lip as I poured more champagne into our glasses. "Legend asked me to be his girl last night."

Sasha gasped and damn near knocked over her mimosa. "Bitch, what?!"

"Yes!" I squealed, unable to keep the blush off my cheeks. "We was at the beach... painting. He had this whole lil' setup with wine and the ocean and candles and all that romantic ass shit. And then... he turned his canvas around and boom—'Will you be my girlfriend?' was written right under this lil' painting he made of me."

"Okay—first of all, who raised him?" Syx leaned forward. "Because men are not moving like that anymore."

"I'm saying!" Sasha tossed a piece of pineapple into her mouth. "That's a full Pinterest date. My man don't even text me back till 4 p.m."

I laughed, tucking my legs under me. "It felt different. Not forced. Not performative. Just... real. Like he sees me."

"Bitch, you glowing," Sasha said, squinting at me with a playful grin. "Your skin always been nice but now you radiating like your coochie happy."

"Not too much on the coochie," I laughed, hiding my face behind my glass. "We haven't even done all that yet."

Syx raised a brow. "Y'all still ain't—?"

"Nope. Just kissing. Flirting. Vibes," I said softly. "But like...he don't rush me. He don't pressure. He just be there."

Sasha looked impressed. "That's grown man behavior."

"And he smell like Tom Ford and accountability," I added, making all three of us burst into laughter.

We played Cards Against Humanity for a bit, the game filled with outta-pocket answers and belly-deep laughter. Then while Sasha loaded up Love & Basketball on the TV, Syx and I started wiping down the counter and putting up the brunch mess.

"I got a question," Syx said, glancing over. "You think this thing with Legend could get serious?"

I paused, placing the syrup bottle in the cabinet before answering.

"Honestly? Yeah. If he keep showing up how he has been... I could see it going somewhere real."

Syx smiled, her eyes soft. "Good. You deserve that. After everything with Carson... it's about time."

"I'm tryna receive it," I whispered, hugging her tight before we joined Sasha back on the couch.
And as the credits rolled on the movie, I texted Legend:

Ora💕:
You got me cheesin' all day, bubs. 😌

📍Legendary Ink

Atlanta, GA| February 8th, 2022

"Bro, stop playing—you asked her to be your girl?" Lamar blinked at me like I'd grown another head.

I smirked, setting down the tattoo gun I'd just finished sterilizing. "Yup. At the beach."

Lennox laughed from across the shop, flicking his lighter and setting up the hookah. "Damn...I thought y'all was just vibin'. You done cuffed up already?"

"She different, man," I said, grabbing my phone and unlocking it to show them the painting. "I had this canvas and wrote the question under it. Whole setup. Wine, ocean, her lil' sundress blowin' in the wind... it was fire."

Lamar whistled low. "You on some movie shit, bro."

"Exactly," Lennox said, pulling in the hookah smoke and exhaling slow. "Niggas out here takin' notes."

"I ain't do it for clout. I did it 'cause she make me feel... at peace. Like I can breathe when I'm around her. Like...I ain't gotta put up no front."

Lamar sat down on the couch and looked over at me. "So you serious-serious?"

"Deadass," I nodded. "I been with hella girls, but none of 'em made me wanna paint some shit or just talk about life at 3 in the morning."

Lennox raised his brow, grinning. "Look at my boy falling."

"Ain't nobody falling," I said quickly, trying to play it cool. "Just tryna do it right this time."

Lamar laughed. "Y'all kissed yet?"

I smirked, leaning back in the barber chair. "Hell yeah. At the beach. Felt like a movie. 

"Oh, he in deep!" Lennox cracked up. 

I flipped them off and pulled my phone out, texting her back.

Bubs🖤:
I hope that smile ain't left your face yet, love. You been on my mind all day.

Lamar started loading the playlist on the speaker while Lennox prepped his next client.

"So," Lennox said casually. "Now that you boo'd up, what's up with you and Syx, huh?"

Lamar perked up quick. "Oop. Yeah, we all saw that kiss y'all tried to sneak at game night."

"Man, y'all annoying," Lennox muttered, trying not to smile.

"We had a bet," I smirked. "I won ten bucks off Lamar. We all knew it was gon' happen."

Lamar groaned, pulling out his wallet. "Damn it."

Lennox shook his head but smiled to himself like he was proud of it.

As the tattoo machines buzzed again and the hookah filled the air, I felt it—peace. Real peace. The boys, the shop, and this girl... Pandora. Maybe for once in my life, I wasn't just moving. I was building.

And I wasn't doing it alone.