Guarded

Chapter 2

Toni

"Hmmm..." I rolled my eyes.

"So what I'm trying to say is I'm a cool ass dude. Like people love being around me all the time. I might even say I'm a lil celebrity, ya feel me. Girls even be tryna stalk me...trying to find out where I stay and shit. I'm just a handsome dude so why wouldn't they?"

I stared at my phone in disbelief before putting it back to my ear.

I had met this dude about a week ago at the gas station and gave him my number. I had no intention whatsoever to actually talk to him which is why after our first conversation, I saved his number so I knew not to answer when he called. This nigga tricked me today because he called me from a different number. I usually didn't answer unknown numbers but since I've recently put in job applications, I wanted to be on the lookout.

It was finally the weekend and I was at the mall with Jojo.

"Pssstt." She tapped my shoulder to get my attention.

"Yea?" I said putting the phone on mute. I didn't care that dude was in mid-sentence. I didn't even know his name.

"Let's go to the food court."

I simply nodded my head before following her direction. We had only been here for about thirty minutes and our hands were practically full already.

"Aye yo?" I repeatedly heard from the phone.

"Girl, just hang up on him. I'm surprised you stay on the phone as long as you did."

The aggravation was clear on my face and Jojo seemed to be enjoying my pain.

"Let me put him on speaker so you can hear the shit he saying. Baby boy done all but told me he famous but if I remember correctly, his ass was in a beat up rust bucket and ugly as hell at the gas station."

"Man you just missed out...I had me a little yacht party the other weekend. I was tryna hit you up to come fuck with me but I wasn't getting no answer. I had bout' twenty bottles man...we was getting fucked up. Then we slid to the club afterwards and drank even more." He continued, going on and on.

I mean mugged the hell out of Jojo as I watched her about to fall out her seat, laughing.

"Oh shit!" I said really loudly into the phone, making it seemed like I had a huge emergency.

"Wassup? You good?"

"Oh no. The police just pulled me over. I guessed they saw me on the phone."

Jojo looked at me wide eyed before laughing even harder. 'Shhhh bitch' I mouthed to her.

"I thought you was at the mall baby."

His use of baby nearly gave me a baby barf but I held it down.

"Nah, I left about fifteen minutes ago." I replied in a rushed tone.

"Okay well ima let you handle that. Call me back when you get a chance."

"Never will I ever." I pressed the end bottom and sat my phone on the table, not even responding to him.

"You better than me. He would've got the 'opps my phone going dead' a long time ago."

"I try not to be as harsh as you Jojo. You be straight dogging dudes out without a care in the world."

"That's because zero fucks are given. I can't be wasting my time trying to spare a nigga feelings. All they want is the nookie anyways."

I understood where she was coming from but I tried not to be unnecessarily rude to people. Don't get me wrong now...I wouldn't dare let somebody walk over or try me but I believed in karma.

"Anyways, while you was over here talking to your future husband, I got you a philly steak from Charley's." She pushed my sub over before taking a bite of her own.

"See that's why I mess with you. You know me so well." I sniffed, wiping an imaginary tear from my eye. I took a huge bite from my sandwich, happy to discover she loaded it with the works just how I liked it.

"So you see how my love life is going...the occasional bum nigga here and there. Wassup with you?" Jojo made sure her mouth was clear before she begin to answer me.

"Not too much been popping. Just keeping a couple phone buddies in line to stay entertained." She sighed.

We were both similar in many ways. With our smooth milk chocolate skin, cute faces, and nice-shaped figures, you wouldn't think we had any trouble finding what we wanted in a guy. That just simply wasn't true. Guys now and days expected every girl to fall in love by their second purse, but that wasn't the case for us. I could buy my own shit and what I couldn't afford, I would go without. And don't get my started on the ones that thought they were a blessing to earth. I loved me a fine dude just like the next bitch but an overly conceited one would turn me all the way off.

Most people didn't even believe me when I said I was still a virgin. Yes, in 2016 there was still one nineteen year old virgin that existed. I was proud of the fact and in no rush to change it.

"Okay..." Jojo got up to throw away our trash before returning. "Let's get back to the shopping. I still gotta hit up Macy's for my fragrances." She popped her lips and grabbed the bags she already had.

I could honestly say I never met a girl that liked to spend more money than her.