Page 37 of Cause When You Love Someone
“Tuh. I’ll try my best,” he spat.
Once the pair walked off, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Ishmael speaking to a man in the section next to us. The chocolate man sported a low-cut and gold in his mouth. The men looked nothing alike, but judging by the looseness in Ishmael’s shoulders and his pearly whites on display, I could tell they knew each other.
Drawn to him, I found myself fixing my silk press and dabbing the corners of my lips as I approached my bodyguard.
“Did you forget about me?” I asked in a soft voice.
“Never.”
I glanced at the man and woman at his side. “Are you going to introduce me to your friends?”
“Hm. I don’t know these people.”
The small lady rolled her eyes and pushed Ishmael back. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Essen, Ishmael’s best friend.”
My eyes drifted to the man covered in tattoos.
“Durk,” he said, lifting his head.
“Nice to meet you both.” I read the charm hanging from Essen’s necklace. “So, you all are a part of the Sons of Eshu?”
Durk frowned. “Damn, Ish. You been telling your girl our business?”
I grinned at the idea, but the grimace on Ishmael’s face wiped it away.
“We work together. She’s not my lady,” he replied.
“You say it like it’s impossible. We both know the truth,” I sassed.
Essen snickered into her hand. “Talk yo’ shit, girl!”
Somewhere between compliments and flirting, I ended up hanging with Ishmael and his folks. The men were all big in stature and energy, and their wives were welcoming. The group interacted like they were kin, making me realize how much I missed having solid friends in my corner.
When the men stepped away, a pretty lady with red hair, an hourglass figure, and a scar running down one side of her face tapped my knee. “So, you’re Ishmael’s . . .”
“Hm. Client.”
“Ha! Girl, please!”
The full-figured woman Ishmael introduced as Stevie giggled while she pushed her long braids off her shoulder. “Blaze, leave her alone. Maybeclientis Ish’s nickname for her. You two looked cozier than just client and bodyguard.”
I groaned. “Damn. Is it that obvious?”
“That’s not something you should sulk about. Of all the men in this crew, Ishmael is one of the most . . . intentional. He’s selective with who he talks to and who he brings around the family.”
Essen interrupted the playful interrogation with a pointed stare. “You’re a lot calmer than I expected. I’m not going to lie, when I learned Ishmael was working for you, I thought there would be a problem.”
“I’m no saint, but a lot of what people judge me for is fake. A lot of what is shown on reality TV is contrived drama.”
“So, that wasn’t you beating the paint off a Benz a couple of months ago?”
My eyes raced to the woman I knew to be Stony. “Nah. That was all me.”
“Oh, I’m not mad at you.” Blaze giggled as she passed a tray of shots around. “I’ve done some crazy things for love, and even worse for revenge.”
By the time Ishmael came over to grab me, I walked away tipsy and committed to a future lunch date with the ladies.
I didn’t ask any questions as Ishmael led me to the rooftop, and to my pleasure, there weren’t many people occupying the area.
