Page 33 of The Hellcat Barbies: Zora
“So what’s the move?”
“I’m taking her out tonight,” I said. “And I’m not doing any halfway shit. I want her beside me, not around me. That’s the difference.”
“That’s the most grown-up shit you’ve said in a minute,” Case replied. “She’s gonna appreciate that.”
I didn’t need assurance, but I let the comment sit. I knew what I was doing. This wasn’t about impressing her. It was about intention. About making room for her on purpose, not by accident.
By evening, when the appointments slowed, I pulled out my phone and stepped to the back to call Zora/
“Hey,” she answered once our call connected.
“What you doing today?” I asked.
“Nothing. I’m home.”
“Good,” I said. “Be ready at eight. Pack a bag.”
There was a brief pause. “A bag?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m taking you somewhere for the night.”
“You’re not giving any hints?”
“No.”
She let out a breath. “Alright. I’ll be ready.”
“Text me when you’re dressed.”
“Okay.”
I hung up and walked back out. Case raised his eyebrows.
“You set it up?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stop thinking and follow through,” he said. “Women know when a man means it.”
I finished my station, swept my floor, and shut down for the day. Every step felt direct, not rushed. I wasn’t stumbling into something… I was choosing it, and tonight, she’d see exactly what that meant.
***
I locked the front door behind us and walked Samerah out to the car. She had her little overnight bag on her shoulder, dragging it like she didn’t feel like carrying it but refused to hand it to me. I helped her into the back seat, checked her belt, and shut the door. By the time I got in the driver’s seat, she was already watching me through the mirror.
“Daddy,” she called out, fingers tapping her thigh, “is Miss Zora your girlfriend?”
She didn’t crack a smile or giggle. She wanted an answer.
“Yeah,” I said. “She is.”
She didn’t look surprised. She just nodded slowly.
A few seconds passed before she asked, “Do you love her?”
That one made me glance back. “Where you get that question from?”
“I’m asking because Kaia said her daddy loved her mommy,” she said, still sitting straight in her seat. “And I was thinking maybe that’s how it is with you and Miss Zora.”
