Page 37 of Certified Pressure 3
He bit his bottom lip and gave me that look that always messed me up. “You look good too,” he said before grabbing a handful of my ass, smacking it once, and pulling me closer.
I laughed and pulled away before things went left. “Baby, let’s go before we end up not making it to lunch.”
He smirked and shook his head. “A’ight, come on then.”
Toni and Kay’Lo had left out first, riding in his car. Pressure wanted to drive us himself, so we took the G-Wagon. The way the sun hit the emerald paint made it look like money rolling through the city. Pressure had on his black shades, one hand on the wheel, the other hand resting on my thigh. Kevin Gates was playing loud and he was rapping a few words under his breath while I sat there just watching him.
I don’t know what it was about that man drivin’ that always did somethin’ to me. He looked so in control, so confident. Every move he made had purpose. I kept my hand over his while his fingers drummed lightly on my leg. It felt good just ridin’ with him, no arguments, no tension, just peace.
We pulled up to the restaurant a few minutes later. It was one of those upscale spots with a modern vibe — glass walls, palm trees out front, gold trimmings on the doors. I already saw Kay’Lo’s car in the front.
Inside, the hostess led us to a private table near the window. Toni and Kay’Lo were already seated, both of them looking good as hell, and like the perfect couple who were deeply in love. Tonihad on a black romper with her loud red curls bouncing and that big smile she always wore when she saw me.
“Okay, miss body,” Toni said, grinning. “You look good as hell, girl.”
I laughed and hugged her. “You know I was just about to say the same thing.”
We sat down, and the waitress came over with menus. Pressure ordered a drink for us before I could even open my mouth—a frozen pineapple margarita for me and a whiskey ginger for him. Toni got her a daiquiri, and Kay’Lo ordered a beer.
When it came time to order food, Pressure asked for jerk shrimp pasta, and I went for the grilled salmon with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Toni got Cajun salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli, and Kay’Lo went for the ribeye with mac and cheese and greens.
Once the drinks came, the conversation flowed easy. Kay’Lo was cracking jokes about how Toni was always tryna outdrink him, and she swore up and down that she could handle her liquor better than he could.
I laughed, shaking my head. “Y’all crazy.”
Pressure leaned back in his chair, watching everybody with that calm look he always had when he was relaxed. He wasn’t saying much, but his energy felt good. His hand was still on my thigh under the table, his thumb moving slow against my skin.
“So,” Toni said, glancing between us, “have y’all picked a wedding date yet? I mean, since this is an arranged thing, y’all should be walking down that aisle soon, right?”
I smiled and looked at Pressure, but his expression didn’t change much. He sipped his drink before answering. “We workin’ on it.”
Toni nodded. “That’s what’s up. Y’all gon’ make it big, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said quick, jumpin’ in. “I want it to be huge. You know, something that feel royal but still us. I been looking at venues and designers.”
Kay’Lo laughed. “You know this family big as hell. That guest list gon’ look like a festival lineup.”
We all laughed, and for a second, it felt light again, but as I looked at Pressure, I could feel that small shift in my stomach. He wasn’t acting uninterested, but he also wasn’t showing that excitement I wanted to see. I wanted him to ask questions, to get into it with me and to act like he couldn’t wait. But he just sat there calm, nodding every so often, letting me talk.
I told myself to let it go. I wasn’t about to ruin the mood. We were all laughing, eating and drinking. I wanted to keep it that way. The food was bomb, and the drinks were hitting just right.
But every now and then, I caught Pressure checking his phone. It wasn’t long, but just quick glances. I didn’t say nothing, but deep down, it made me wonder if Pluto’s name was what had his attention.
Toni looked at me mid-laugh and said, “Girl, y’all gon’ be the next power couple for real. I can already see the headlines.”
“Don’t gas her up,” Kay’Lo said in a joking tone. “She already think she the queen of Trill-Land.”
“Iam,” I said playfully, pushing my hair from my shoulders.
Pressure looked at me and smiled, and that one look made my heart slow down a little. For a second, I stopped overthinking and just enjoyed him being here.
We stayed at the restaurant for over an hour, talking about everything from wedding ideas to future trips we wanted to take as couples. Toni was already talking about how she wanted all of us to go to other islands together once the wedding was over.
By the time we finished our food, the drinks had us all laughing harder. Pressure was leaning back with one arm overthe chair, his shades pushed up on his head, watching everybody like he was taking it all in.
Kay’Lo slapped his hand across the table, laughing about something dumb that Toni said, and when they calmed down, Pressure leaned over and dapped him up. “I’ll see you back at the crib,” he said.
Kay’Lo nodded. “Bet. Y’all be safe.”
