Page 29 of Pleasuring Professor Pisces
The promise of that money didn’t change my path. I still wanted to help others and give back. My mama had taught me that valuable lesson too.
“I have somewhere I have to be,” Koi stated and rushed away.
That was fine. I would find her little ass at the studio tonight. And if she didn’t show up, Chelsea was gonna give me her address. She thought I was playing. I wasn’t leaving her ass alone.
I was excited yetapprehensive to see Salem when he showed up in class. I had been deep in my feelings all weekend when he had not called or texted me back. I had gone from being angry to worrying and back to angry again. I allowed myself to have a full-on pity party and get deep in my feelings.
Yet, I couldn’t help but recall how his words and actions made me feel. All weekend, I ran several thoughts through my mind, from if he was selling dope again to if he was with another woman who appreciated him more. After checking the county jail website, I ruled out his being locked up, and I finally chalked it up to him deciding to “keep it pushing.”
My fickle emotions were a result of the duality of my Pisces nature, and accepting that was a part of loving me. I decided itwas for the best that we cut ties with one another. Seeing him in class made me happy that he was safe.
Despite my happiness, I chose not to engage with him because I knew it would be impossible to hide my emotions. I was scared that if I called on him, the first words that he spoke to me might cause me to react unprofessionally. After brushing him off at school, I avoided the studio because I suspected he might show up.
I was in my “art room” at home when the doorbell rang. It was a little after eight in the evening, and I wasn’t expecting company. I pushed away from the pottery wheel and wiped my hands down my smock.
I wore short, loose-fitting shorts and a raggedy T-shirt. My feet were bare and had specks of clay on them. I shoved my falling ponytail to the back of my head, but a few tendrils of hair still escaped.
“Coming,” I called out as I padded my way through my apartment. I froze when I peered out the peephole and saw Salem.
“Shit,” I mumbled.
“I’m not going anywhere, Koi. You might as well open the door. I saw the peephole go black, so I know you’re in there, and I know you saw me.”
Blowing my hair out of my face, I wiped my hands down my smock again and removed the locks from the door. I opened the door and peered up at him.
“You gon’ let me in, or we’re gon’ have this conversation out here?”
“Come in,” I mumbled reluctantly.
“You busy?” he asked after I pulled the door open and let him inside.
“Somewhat.”
“You painting?”
“No. Creating.”
“Creating what?”
“Why are you here?”
“Because you’ve been avoiding me all day, and I’m tired of the bullshit, Koi. I tried to catch up to you while you were in class, before and after classes, and then I showed up at the studio.”
“How did you find my apartment?”
He cast a beautiful smile my way, and those dimples twinkled. Everything that I had resolved earlier today began to crumble at his smile. He took steps toward me, and as I backed away, he grabbed me by the shoulders and stopped me.
“Chelsea. She understands that I mean you good. She knows that I would never hurt you and that you belong to me, woman. You need to understand that. Why have you been running from me, Koi?”
“I’m not running from you,” I answered, lowering my gaze to the floor.
Salem lifted my chin again. “That’s exactly what you’re doing, ma. I’m not the man that you run from, I’m the one you run to. The only one you should be running to.”
“I didn’t know what to think when you didn’t show up in class on Friday, and you did not answer any of my calls or text messages. The entire weekend rolled by, and not once did you reach out to me. I wasn’t sure what to feel or think, Salem.”
“What did I tell you when you were with me on Friday? I told you that my heart was all about you, and that I’m all about you. If some shit happens, rather than assuming the worst, give a nigga the benefit of the doubt.”
The tears sprouted in my eyes again, and I groaned. “I hate this. I’m such a big crybaby around you.” I sobbed.
