I went to the kitchen to turn on my laptop while setting the machine for my morning cocoa. I pulled up the daily listing of job opportunities I thankfully hadn’t unsubscribed from.
The brewer began to whistle the same time my phone lit with a notification from my video doorbell.
“What kind of satire shit is this?”
Jabari’s Porsche sat in the middle of my driveway like he owned the place. I stomped through my living room, locked and loaded with an attitude I felt dissipating when I laid eyes on him.
Clean, masculine aromas filled the foyer, awakening my senses when I pulled back the door. Jabari Owens stood there like I ordered him, wearing a black polo with a patch of the Exotic Escorts logo on his chest, jeans, and a pair of Retros. “Jabari? How are you here?”
He raised an unruly brow. “I’m familiar with the place.”
“Yes, that’s been established. But…” His gaze left my face, slowly sweeping my body and making my words falter. The softening of his lowering eyebrow reminded me of the cropped cami and tiny shorts I slept in. I crossed my arms over my chest, hoping my nipples weren’t noticeable before, though his lingering gaze dispelled that wish. “—but why are you here?”
His eyes rose to mine. “I’m here to give you a ride to work because your car is at the office.” He glanced at the smartwatch on his wrist. “I didn’t think I was arriving too early since your shift starts in thirty minutes.”
I stepped back to shield myself from a passing car and told him to come inside.
“I thought I was fired.”
I failed miserably at standing still. It was hard not to fidget with his attention on me. The way he looked at me in pajamas that barely shielded my nudity made me too aware of the fact we stood in a place we’d had sex in—many times.
“Why?” He asked. His brow again rose curiously.
“It’s obvious.” I shrugged, cautious as I answered. I wanted to gauge where he stood. Jabari tried hiding it last night, but I knew he disapproved of me [redacted]. The change in his attitude was the reason I assumed I was fired. But his showing up the next day reminded me that, just as before, I didn’t know him as deeply as I assumed.
“It would be obvious if I said you were fired.” Jabari’s head leaned to the left. “Did I say that?”
An arrogance came over him that spoke to the center of my legs. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, trying to soothe the thumping between my thighs. I needed to find me some new dick. Fast.
I must’ve not responded soon enough because Jabari stepped closer. “Did I say that, Oaklynn?” His tone was low and soft, making the question sound like a plea I didn’t possess the will to deny. I couldn’t when he was looking and smelling the way he did.
The beeps from my frother gave me an out I took while tossing an “excuse me” over my shoulder as I left the living room. Needing space beat out my self-consciousness about my near-nakedness, and my ass jiggled while I scurried to the kitchen. I snapped the top on the tumbler I filled with hot chocolate and removed the used pod from its holder to give myself a few extra moments of solace.
Suddenly, I felt his presence before he made it known.
The skin on my neck began tingling with warmth as it always did when my body sensed him. My mind was short-circuited as I tried to override its bullying of memories of Jabari sucking the soul from my body at the very counter I stood in front of.
“Can you answer my question?”
I took a deep breath and turned around. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to his penetrative gaze and found my voice. “No. You didn’t say that.”
His eyes lowered to my body, unashamedly staying there until they crawled back to my face. “Then you should get dressed so we can go. You can leave your drink. I have a fresh cup for you in the car.”