Debt

37: Extraction

Daryl slowly built up Khadija's confidence. He hadn't even gotten around to getting the info he wanted out of her, which was irritating Trina, who felt he was just falling for the woman.

Daryl did legitimately like Khadija. He had stopped to talk to her initially because she was pretty. But then he learned she was Lokie's ex-girlfriend. He had more use for her.

Khadija was still going to work for Shawn every day, not even realizing what all Daryl wanted with her. All she knew was that he made her feel good. He made her get over Shawn. When she saw him, she felt less and less for him. But apart of her was always going to care for the man she knew as Lokie.

When Daryl touched her, speaking Spanish in her ear, it gave her shivers. When Daryl took her out in public, holding her hand, she felt like she got to be his trophy, and she liked it.

As far as Khadija knew, Daryl worked in a pharmacy. And as far as he knew- so she thought- she only helped take care of her elderly grandmother.

Daryl was taking Khadija on a date to the movies and dinner and hoping she would invite him in tonight. They had been seeing each other for six months now, and he genuinely was beginning to like her.

Trina was becoming impatient with her brother's distraction. She wanted her vengeance. And his wooing this bitch was doing nothing. Pablo's plan for Evan was already a fail because unlike a normal graduate, he decided not to go to the senior all night party. They needed to get to the main thing.

Daryl rang the doorbell, and Khadija came out in a pair of short denim shorts, hugging her ass and hips along with a bejeweled spaghetti string top. She stood at about five-eight with the heels she had on. Her hair was braided on one side and curled on the other. Her lips were shined to perfection, her makeup flawless.

"Wow. You look... Good," he told her. She smiled.

"Really? You think so?"

"I know so. You look good."

He held his hand out for hers, and she accepted. "Thank you."

He led her to his convertible and looked over at her as the wind blew her hair. She was gorgeous.

He took her to the movies, letting her decide on That's My Boy. Listening to the sound of her laughter was magical to him. But he didn't lose sight of his goal as they left the restaurant.

"Where do you want to eat?" he wondered.

"I don't know," she answered, seeming surprised to have the choice. "I like Mickey D's."

He put his arms around her. "Baby, this is a date. I'm not taking you for cheap fast food. I want to sit down somewhere that people can watch us be together and see how beautiful you look."

She smiled softly, kicking the sidewalk. "You choose," she decided, looking up at him.

He took her to TGI Friday's, not wanting to put her in a place she would be uncomfortable.

The whole time they were there, Daryl was everything for her that Lokie was not. He would hold her hand, caress her arm, listen to the pointless drama of still living in her mother's house.

By the end of the night, they were standing on her porch in the warm summer heat, hugged up. He looked down at her, staring right into her eyes. And when he kissed her, she relaxed into him, inviting his warm mouth to cover hers. He pulled her closer, making her want the night to last forever.

"Come in, please," she invited.

Daryl easily followed Khadija in as she threaded their fingers and led him past her mother and grandmother's rooms to her own.