“She was so pretty, Nae. I really didn’t think she would like me at first being as though she already has her own mom,” Breesha said to me while we were laying down in my den watching TV. My daughter was off to my mothers, and my husband was in the studio as usual.
“That’s cute. When are you supposed to see her again?” I asked Breesha.
“Dontae is supposed to be picking her up today. He asked me to come over, but I’m going to just let the two of them hang out. You know, have some daddy daughter time,” she said.
“Oh okay and where is Mani today?” I asked Breesha.
“Girl I don’t know what Mani is doing. She was supposed to be going out tonight with Rashard, but I got a feeling her scary ass might bail out on him,” Breesha said.
Laughing, I asked her, “Why you say that?”
“Girl, Mani little ass is scary as fuck. Rashard will turn her stuck up ass all the way out. I don’t know if she’s ready for him.”
I sat back and had to think about it for a while. If Rashard was anything like his cousin Dontae, then Mani sure as hell was about to have a problem on her hands. Mani wasn’t used to being with a thug ass nigga, so I didn’t think that she would be able to handle Rashard either. Her parents always kept her sheltered from this lifestyle, whereas Breesha and I was already exposed to these niggas out here. The boys that Imani would date were squares, and Rashard was way out of her league. But then again, I knew my cousin and I knew that she was able to hold her own. Besides, if anybody fucked with my little cousin, Breesha and I was on that ass like white on rice.
Chapter 12: Imani
I was home getting ready for my date with Rashard. Lately, we’ve been talking on the phone and texting, but now I decided to take him up on his offer and go on a date with him. I found out that he was 24 years old and his full name was Rashard Lewis. He and Dontae were the owners of their tattoo shop. He told me about his past when he was a dope boy and everything else. My heart was telling me to stay far away from him, but my body and soul were intrigued to know what he was all about. For some reason, I felt like
I would get hurt by putting my heart on the line with him. I wasn’t his girl or anything, but from the conversations that we’ve been having lately, I’m kind of beginning to feel him and I just hoped he feels the same way about me.
Another problem that I was having is that the fact that every night we are on the phone talking, I can constantly hear when his phone buzzes, indicating that he has a text message. I mean, some nights we would be on the phone at like two in the morning and his phone would be going off like that. There were so many signs that were telling me to stay away, but my body just wasn’t listening.
I had just finished doing the finishing touches to my makeup. I only applied a little bit of eye shadow and a few drops of foundation. I glossed my lips with my pink lip gloss and made sure my hair was on point. I had it parted down the middle, with loose curls flowing down my back. I walked back inside my room and prepared to get dressed. I was sporting a gold tight-fitting Gucci dress with a gold fur vest. On my feet was a pair of 6-inch pumps from Steve Madden. I had a shit load of going out clothes, even though my ass never went any damn where. Breesha and Nae treated me like their daughter, instead of their cousin, so their asses were always shopping for me whenever they would shop for themselves. Even my mom would still buy me clothes whenever she went to the mall. I was spoiled from all over, so I just hoped that Rashard was able to put up with me.
After I finished getting dressed, I gave myself the once over and I had to admit that I was the shit. I looked like I was about to walk down a runway, instead of going out for dinner. I took a quick mirror picture in the floor length mirror in my bedroom, and sent a picture of my outfit to Breesha and Nae. There was a knock at the door, and I knew it was Rashard. I grabbed my gold clutch from off my dresser and I was out the door.
“Damn,” Rashard said once he saw me.
I gave him a sly smile and looked him over. He looked so fine with his white button-up, long-sleeved polo and his white True Religion jeans. On his feet was a pair of white Timberlands. He was flossed out with diamonds around his neck and a big face Rolex shining on his wrist. He grabbed my hand and walked me to his awaiting all-white Chevy Camaro. He was being the perfect gentleman tonight. I hope his actions were genuine and he wasn’t just doing this so he could get some pussy, because that wasn’t about to go down no time soon.
“So where are we going?” I asked once we got settled into the car.
“Prime 112 on South Beach,” he said, putting his hand on my thigh.
“I’m going to need for you to relax, beautiful. You good with me, you don’t have to be all nervous and shit around me,” Rashard told me. I guess the nervousness was written all over my face. For some reason, I couldn’t control the fact that I was a little nervous. Maybe it was the simple fact that I was feeling him, or because I hadn’t been around a guy that I actually liked in a long ass time.
Thirty minutes later, we were pulling up to the fancy restaurant. I’ve been here once before, and that was one year for Breesha’s birthday dinner. Rashard had already made us reservations, so when we walked in, the host took us directly to our table.
After we ordered our drinks and food, I sat back staring at Rashard, taking him all in. He was just too damn fine for words.
“You keep staring at a nigga like that, I’m going to have to take your pretty ass out of here and handle you in the car,” he smirked. I gave him a smirk back, forgetting that his ass was always talking shit.
“Let me ask you something Rashard, and be honest,” I said, taking a sip from my wine.
“Whatever you want to know, lil one,” he said, looking me dead in my eyes.
“You could have any girl you want, why you decide to be here with me? I mean, I don’t even seem like your type. You look like the type to chase after these fast ass hoes that’ll let you treat them like shit. If that’s the impression that you got from me, you might want to leave me alone,” I said sternly.
“You done?” he asked after I finished giving him my speech. I just shook my head yes.
“First of all, I know you’re not one of these hoes running around here, which is why I’m feeling you. You think I would bring you out here if a nigga wasn’t trying to see what’s up with you? I just want to know where your head is at, lil mama. I ain’t never think about settling down with no bitch, but you got a nigga ready to turn in his playa’s card,” he said, sounding sincere.
I gave him a look because I didn’t like how he just called me a bitch in the process of telling me his story.
“Not like that lil mama. I’m just saying, I’m feeling the fuck out of you. You try to act all shy in front of a nigga, but I know that there’s more to you,” he said, taking a sip of his drink.
“And another thing, I hope you didn’t plan on getting any pussy tonight, because it’s not even about to go down like that,” I warned. Truth is, I was still very much a virgin and I didn’t plan on giving it up until I knew I met the right one.