Ahhhh. I got it. “She’s cramping your style, huhn? Can’t fucking run like you want?”
I can’t lie and say that fact didn’t make me feel uneasy my damn self. I hadn’t seen Tynisha since Jordan’s birthday party back in April, and even then I hadn’t had much of an exchange with her because although I had no details of the affairs that led up to Zoey being with that French prick, I knew Tynisha did. She and Zoey were officially girls and I was no fool as to believe Tynisha had no idea their relationship was turning physical. But what could I do? I’d pushed for that relationship—not friendship, just a relationship. What they grew into was beyond my control. It was simply another one-way stupid ass decision I’d made for Zoey that went wrong.
Alton was about to respond, but Hakim returned. “Yo, Stent!” Hakim called out to me when he arrived. “I have someone I want to introduce you to. He runs a summer camp for underprivileged children in North Philly, and wants to get some ‘6ers to visit them before the summer ends.”
Hakim moved and motioned for me to follow him. I looked over to Alton to tell him I’d be back. We walked out of the other doorway of the kitchen. From that side, I got a view of the open floor plan and could peruse the large living room and dining area next to it that was separated by a partitioned wall. There were droves of people talking and laughing over the mild music flowing. The energy was great. I would have expected nothing less from Hakim. He was a cool and standup dude.
“Hang on, Stent,” Hakim called over to me. “Stay put. I’ll find Brog and bring him to you.”
I guess that was more sensible than having my tall ass flocking behind him all over the place. As soon as he walked off, a waiter stopped my way and offered champagne. I took a flute as I continued to scan the room. At some point the crowd shifted to my left and created a path to a group of people talking. I lowered my glass as I strained my eyes to see if it was really her.
It was.
My heart fumbled in my chest.
Have you ever walked into a room and looked at someone and said by the end of the night you’d be fucking them? A man of my lifestyle had been privy to that experience. In my younger years, my boys and I, including Alton, would walk into a club and casually point out who we’d be leaving that place with. And we did. As sure as I felt the alcohol seeping into my bloodstream, I knew that I’d be fucking her before I closed my eyes for the night. And that was where my night turned wrong.
She was speaking animatedly to a small circle of people who looked at her fixedly, clearly amused by the story she was telling. They all seemed to be hanging on to her every word. This surprised me because she never fed into this type of crowd. I couldn’t help but ogle her from bottom to top. She rocked platform snake print Red Bottoms, a chunky gold ankle bracelet, a silk purple jumpsuit that seemed to hug her in all of the right places, but not all over, giving her an extremely classy…mature appearance. Her arms were draped in gold bracelets, varying in shape and size. The sight of the thicker ones on her wrists had a similar sensation spiking my groin that the one on her ankle did to me. They reminded me of her, restrained. Her neck was draped in a thick gold rope that started as a choker and wrapped into a lower hanging neck piece below, and her hair was long and tamed.
I was sure Tynisha had influenced much of her fashion, but Zoey worked the grace and poise needed to pull off the overall look. She was incredibly sexy, appeared cultured and metropolitan. This was all clear by the dainty bend in her other wrist while she held a glass of wine. Zoey’s body now held more feminine grace. Though she was still a slender woman, her hips were present in a voluptuous manner to accompany her plush ass. Her breasts that had always been bountiful were now perky and accommodated her entire curvy, fit and firm body.