Page 17 of The Hellcat Barbies: Zora
I nodded. “We’ll test her again, but yeah… she’s solid.”
The front door opened, and that’s when I caught sight of Zora walking in with two big bags in her hands.
“Ain’t this some shit?” Case chuckled.
I cut him a look and walked over before he could get another word out. “What you doing here?”
She lifted the bags. “I brought lunch. It’s enough for everybody.”
I shook my head, smirking. “You didn’t have to do that, shorty.”
“I wanted to,” she said, her eyes holding mine steady.
“Well, in that case… I appreciate you,” I told her, my voice dropping low. “Come on, walk with me.”
I led her to the office, shutting the door behind us. She set her purse on the desk while I put the food down.
“What’s all this?” I asked, stepping closer. “You feeding a nigga now?”
“Don’t make it bigger than it is, Semi. It’s just food.”
“Nah,” I said, brushing my thumb under her chin until she looked at me. “It’s you showing that you care. That’s different for you.”
She didn’t argue, just held my stare. That was all the opening I needed. I leaned in and kissed her, slow but heavy, taking what she wasn’t saying out loud. She kissed me back; her hands pressed against my chest like she meant to stop me but pulled me closer instead.
When she finally eased back, her voice was soft. “I should get going.”
“You gon’ let me see you later?” I asked, eyes never leaving hers.
“Yeah… later.”
I walked her out, my hand resting low on her back until she stepped outside. By the time I came back, Case was grinning like a fool.
“So that’s how you doing it?” he asked, eyebrows raised.
“Mind your business,” I told him, dropping back into my chair.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Aight… just don’t lose focus, my boy.”
I looked back toward the prospect in the chair before giving him my attention. “I’on lose focus, so don’t get that shit twisted.”
Case smirked but let it go. We went back to watching the interviewees, but even with the noise of the shop running steady, the thought of Zora still ran rampant in my thoughts.
***
I dropped Semerah at my mama’s before heading across town to Zora’s. Soon as she opened the door, Mama gave me hersignature look that let me know she was about to get in my business.
“So…” she started, leaning on the doorframe. “I heard through the grapevine you went on a date with the girl that does Maya’s hair.”
I smirked, shaking my head as I stepped inside. “Who told you that?”
“Maya,” she shot back.
I kissed her cheek before she could go further. “Yeah, I took her out. That’s all you need to know.”
Mama raised her brows, eyes narrowing like she was trying to read me. “Mhm. That’s all I need to know, huh? You smiling a little too much for it to be ‘just a date’.”
I chuckled, setting Semerah’s bag down. “You always got jokes.”
