Page 8 of The Smoke Hour

“Not at all, Josephine.”

“The name isn’t Josephine.”

“Well, that’s all I have to call you since I don’t know your name. Either that or the barefoot beauty.”

We stood in a standoff for almost two minutes before she relented.

“It’s KaifiyaMichelleSimmons.”

“KaifiyaMichelleSimmons, I’m just interested in why you thought it was okay to bust up in my club and show your ass, literally and figuratively. Ya li’l ass thought you were Josephine Baker up on that stage.”

“Why don’t you allow women in here?” she asked, ignoring my comment.

“I do. You just didn’t fit the qualification list. Or maybe that’s what you were here to prove. That you should be added to my roster.”

“In your dreams.”

“Then why your ass up in here dancing for free?”

“Who are you?”

“Me? I’m Smoke.”

“What kind of name is that? Your mama just gave you a crazy name for no reason?”

She had a fly tongue.

I chuckled. “That’s not my birth name.”

“I told you mine. Now tell me yours.”

With a smirk, I replied, “A similar and more fun version would be I showed you mine, now show me yours.”

“Not a chance in hell,” she retorted.

“My name is Colton Joash Socco, but the people call me Smoke. Now, back to business. Why did you crash my club?”

“To have fun.”

“Oh, that’s right. You wanted to have one final night before you married the bastard. Who is he, by the way? Because if he’s a bastard, in my opinion, he’s a lucky bastard.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“You’re right, it’s not. But you’re my business, sweets.”

“Don’t call me that. That’s not my name.”

Tilted hickory-colored eyes flashed fire from them.

“What is it that you want from me?” Kaifiya asked.

“The truth about why a beautiful woman with a supporting cast of characters and so much talent packed into that fine, thick ass of yours would pull a stunt like you did tonight.”

“I don’t know whether to feel complimented or insulted.”

With a shrug, I replied, “Take it how you take it. I’m confused as to how a woman with so much determination, bravado,feistiness, and stubbornness found herself engaged to someone who doesn’t complement her and she doesn’t love.”

Her eyes lowered to the floor briefly, and her bottom lip trembled. That lasted only a moment before she lifted her gaze to mine again, and the defiance flared powerfully from them.

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