Page 14 of Smoke

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why aren’tyoudancing?”

“I ain’t really no dancing ass nigga. I’m too big for all that.”

“So you don’t dance when you go to the club?”

“Nah. I drink, smoke, and females dance on me. I might grab a cheek or two—consensually, of course, but that’s about it. If I’m a little lit, you might get a couple of two-steps out of me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sounds like a party pooper to me.”

“What? You telling me you’re the life of the party?”

“I’m in mommy mode all the time. My idea of a party is turning up to Kidz Bop with Korri.”

“You gotta get out more. Loosen up. I would offer you a blunt to relax your mind, but you can’t have that. You’ll just have to enjoy a natural high and say fuck that nigga.”

I nodded. “Yeah… Fuck that nigga.”

Devin shook his head. “You don’t even sound right cursing like that. I took you for a lady.”

I laughed. “I’m very much a lady, but I curse like a sailor at times.”

“I’m gonna test that theory.”

Our gazes locked, and he smiled at me again. I blushed and tried to distract myself by eating my dessert. Much to my surprise, Devin sat with me until I finished. Conversation wasn’t lacking. I found him easy to talk to, and I even got him to dance to a song or two. His siblings were watching us hard and whispering among themselves. I got the feeling that he really wasn’t the type to be this friendly with a female if he wasn’t taking them to bed at the end of the night.

By the time I was ready to go, my feet were on fire, and I was ready to get in my bed. Again, Devin offered to escort me home to make sure I was safe. The fact that I hadn’t seen or heard from Patrick all week long had me a little on edge. He could pop up at any time on his bullshit, especially if he knew I was alone. I decided to accept the escort.

He loaded my makeup case into my trunk and waited until I got into my car before getting into his. I had to be crazy to have a man who was practically a stranger follow me home, but somehow, I felt safe with him. Knowing the family he came from worried me a little when I first found out who he was, but the vibe in the building tonight was nothing but one of peace and love.

We pulled up to my house about twenty minutes later. He pulled in behind me and got out. I popped the trunk, and he grabbed my makeup case before following me to the door.

“Thank you for making sure I got here safely,” I said as he set the case just inside the door.

“No problem.”

I stared at him for a moment before opening my mouth. “Could I ask you for a favor?’

“What’s up?”

“Would you mind checking to make sure nobody is here? It would give me peace of mind.”

“I can do that.”

I opened the door and allowed him to come inside. The moment the door closed, he produced a solid gold gun from nowhere that made me swallow hard.Of course, he was carrying. I waited patiently as he checked every inch of my house. Ten minutes passed before he came back.

“All clear.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, love.”

He walked to the front door and opened it. That was when I saw the cop car out front.

“What the hell…” I mumbled.

“Don’t worry,” Devin assured me. “That’s one of my niggas on the force. He’s gonna be here all night so you can get some sleep. I can only imagine you haven’t slept much lately.”

I immediately began to tear up. I hadn’t gotten a good night’s rest in so long. Little bumps in the night had me out of my bed and hiding in my closet. It was the main reason I was getting a gun. If someone broke into my home, I had every right to protect myself.

---