Page 24 of Autumn & Woods
The tequila went down smooth, warm, and just strong enough to quiet the nerves humming under my skin. I kicked off my wedges, and my feet thanked me as I took a seat on the sectional. Tucking one leg under me and watching him from across the room, I said, “So… now I want to know more about you. This mysterious weed grower persona.”
Woods raised a brow but said nothing at first, which only made me more curious. He poured us another drink and handed me my glass before sipping from his slowly. He came over andsat beside me, not too close, but not far either. “You think I’m one of them type of niggas, huh?”
“What type?”
“The kind that’s all looks, weed, and dick. No depth. No plan.”
I tilted my head, meeting his eyes. “The way you dress… your vibe… demon dick. So yeah, I’m assuming.”
He nodded. “You ever been wrong before?” His tone wasn’t defensive. It was a challenge. A dare.
I swallowed and looked away, feeling heat crawl up my neck. “Maybe once or twice.”
“Don’t let the appearance fool you,” he said, voice lower now. “I got grow farms. Heavy product. Warehouses. Private label partnerships.”
I blinked. “Wait… so you’re like… big time for real?”
“Black-owned and profitable.”
“Damn. What, are you like a millionaire?”
“Somethin’ like that. I keep shit low key for a few reasons, though.”
“Wow. So I reallydidmisjudge you.”
“You ain’t the only one.” He shifted closer, hand coming to rest behind me on the back of the couch. “I judged you, too.”
“Off what?”
He looked at me like he was reading every line of my face. “Thought you were just pretty. Good pussy. Slick mouth.”
“And now?”
“I see somebody guarded but wants to open up. Wants to let somebody in, but you’re scared. That’s cool. I get it. I wasn’t expectin’ shit to be like how it is.”
My breath caught before I sipped my drink to play it off. “Hmm. You’re good at reading people.”
“I’m good at a lot of shit,” he smirked, licking his lips. “So you wanna know ‘bout me,” he said, amused. “But I barely know shit ‘bout you.”
I tilted my head, smiling faintly. “What do you wanna know?”
He gave a lazy shrug. “Start wit’ what you love.”
That caught me off guard. Not what I do. Not where I’m from. But what Ilove. I let the silence breathe for a moment, then set my drink down on the table. “Hair,” I said softly. “I’ve always loved doing hair. Braiding, curling, cutting, coloring… everything. It started with dolls, moved to my friends, and never stopped.”
Woods nodded once, listening as I took a sip.
“Born and raised here in Tavern City. Graduated from hair school. I was hungry for it and I was good.” I smiled a little, then exhaled. “Things got… complicated after that. I couldn’t land a position in a salon, and my mom got locked up.”
His expression shifted. He was still calm, but more alert. “Word? What happened?”
“She tried to kill my father,” I said plainly. “Attempted murder. She swore it was self-defense, but… they had history.She was always accusing him of shit and… just being borderline crazy.”
Woods didn’t flinch. He just sat with it, like a man who knew what violence in a household looked like.
I kept going. “After that, it was just me and him. We left town and started over in Arbor Hills. New place, new beginning, new everything. I landed a job at a great hair salon and began building my clientele. Life’s good.”
He took a slow sip of his drink. “That’s a lot to carry, baby.”
