Page 8 of Blake University: HBCU Chronicles: Brynleigh & A.Z.
“I’ll think about it,” I lied. I didn’t want anyone like Q or his friends. Bree knew me well, however.
“That sounds like a lie. Bye.”
I giggled and snuggled underneath my covers.
Maybe I was the minority but if I was going to use my energy and time, I wanted something real with a man.
I wanted love for real or nothing at all.
Using men for money or them wanting to sleep with numerous women and not commit wasn’t appealing to me.
My eyes darted over to the vase of flowers that I’d placed on the dresser.
Maybe one day I’d meet a man as fine as A.Z.
that was educated, smart, and didn’t possess a judgmental bone in his body.
The next day when I arrived at work, A.Z. was out front leaning on a white Mercedes. There was no part of me that could deny that he was fine as hell. Like too fine for his own good. When I got out of the car, I walked over to him.
“You stalking me?”
A.Z. chuckled. I had never noticed it before, but he had a dimple in his right cheek. That made him even more handsome.
“Stalking? Nah, that’s not my thing. I just wanted to check and make sure you got the flowers.”
“I did thank you. I didn’t have any way to reach out to you and say thank you.”
“You could have gotten in contact with my sister.”
“I don’t go to Blake U, remember? I’m not there every day.”
“You single?”
My head angled to the left. “Why?”
“Because I want to ask you out on a date.”
“Why?”
A.Z. drew back. “Why? We really got off to that bad of a start? I can’t be interested?”
I looked him up and down while trying to decide if it was a bad idea. “Interested in what though? Because I’m far from a virgin, but I’m not looking for casual hookups.”
“I guess I’m not the only one that speaks on things they don’t know about. No disrespect at all, but I get pussy, and I don’t have to take most of them on dates to get it. I asked you out. Not to come to my apartment or vice versa.”
I didn’t want to be combative, but I had heard men sound even more convincing than him only to be full of it in the end. Maybe I called his bluff, and he wanted to pretend that it wasn’t just about sex.
“I guess,” I mumbled not even sure what it was that I guessed.
“We can go to On the Roof. They have some good food and strong drinks. That sound like a plan? Maybe tomorrow evening or your next day off.”
“I just so happen to be off tomorrow.”
“See,” he grinned. “It was meant to be.”
“Don’t push it,” I shook my head. “Please don’t push it.”
A.Z. laughed. “I’m willing to put in that work to make you realize that you don’t hate me.”
“And then what? What will happen if I decide that I don’t hate you. We gonna ride off into the sunset on your white horse?”
“We just might. While you’re cracking jokes that could very well be what happens.”
“I hear you. Well, I have to get to work. I can give you my number, and you can text me with details.”
“That’ll work. Once again thank you for looking out for Tyra.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that. I actually like her.”
“Wow. You’re never going to be nice to me, huh?”
My shoulders hiked into a shrug. “It depends.”
I gave him my number and walked inside to get to work.
Penz was super cool, but I just didn’t like being late.
Penz was a cool ass boss. He didn’t have a lot of rules, and he pretty much let me do my own thing.
Because of that, I paid him back by being professional.
I was hardly ever late. I hardly ever missed work, and he never had to ask me twice to do anything.
I wanted to tell somebody that I had agreed to go out with A.Z.
but who? If I told Yas, she’d scream loud enough to be heard in the next city and start doing too much.
I couldn’t tell Bree because she would ask questions that I didn’t know the answer to and that weren’t any of her business.
She’d ask me things like how much money his parents had.
For the moment, I would just keep it to myself.
Penz came to the front as I was putting my bag away. He flipped the sign to closed and locked the door. I ogled him with dipped brows.
“You know who Deonte Malone is?”
“Ummmm, no I don’t think so.”
“He plays for the Diamond Cove Knights and is in town for a few days. He’s like 6’6 with light skin and curly hair. I’m shutting down the shop for four hours, so he can get a tattoo. If it’s not him don’t let anyone in.”
“Okay.”
I had no clue who Deonte was, but I didn’t watch sports, nor did I keep up with athletes.
I was sure if I asked my sister, she could tell me at least three things about him.
I’d been at work a time or two when Penz did a rapper’s baby mama, or a very popular local person, but nobody that he’d ever closed down the shop for.
Before I left the night before, I made sure the place was spotless but still, I did a little sweep of the place to make sure everything was good.
Being that Penz frequented the strip club there were definitely days that he overslept and had his first customers of the day waiting.
Once, he had someone waiting for almost an hour, and I could tell that she was pissed.
However, ninety-eight percent of his Google reviews were good, and most reviewers complimented the friendly staff which was me, and the cleanliness of the shop.
From my peripheral, I saw someone approaching the shop door.
The guy at the door damn sure wasn’t Deonte.
He stood about 5’8 and had to be more than three hundred pounds.
The guy behind him did favor the description of Deonte, however, so I assumed the guy in the front was his security.
Penz had gone to the back, so I rushed over to unlock the door.
“Hi, welcome to Inked by Penz.” I smiled at both men and didn’t miss Deonte sizing me up while licking his lips.
He was fine as hell. Being eye fucked by a rich athlete gave my ego a little boost, but I didn’t get too hype.
I didn’t like cocky and arrogant men, and there was no way he wasn’t both those things.
I was sure he expected me to be drooling over him, but I’d never been a groupie, and I wasn’t about to start being one.
“I have a few forms for you to complete and sign, and then Penz will be right with you.”
“Bet.” Deonte bobbed his head. “If I’m scared, will you come hold my hand?”
My gaze poured over all of the tattoos on his arms and neck. His flirting was a little cheesy, but he was cute.
“You have a good thirty tattoos that I can see. Something tells me that you’ll be fine,” I smiled at him.
“What if I just want you to hold my hand because you’re pretty?”
I didn’t expect his comment to make me blush but from the way my face was heating up, I had to be blushing. Before I could think of a witty response, Penz entered the room and saved the day.
“What’s up my nigga?” he gave Deonte dap then greeted the guy with him.
The trio walked toward the back of the shop, and I perched my booty on the stool that sat behind the counter.
It wasn’t the most comfortable, but I could sit in the chairs in the lobby or in Penz’s suite when I wasn’t busy.
Since the shop wasn’t open to the public, I went through emails to see if I needed to respond to anyone.
I went through a mental checklist of everything that I needed to do and stopping by the mall was one of them.
Granted, I hadn’t been on a lot of dates, but I’d never been nervous about one.
The fact that I was actually nervous about going out with A.Z.
tripped me out. I could damn sure handle his mouth and his attitude.
He wasn’t even my usual type, so I shouldn’t care too much about impressing him.
And I wasn’t one of those females that felt the ‘square’ type of man was lame.
I could deal with a square. I just liked to be able to relate to my person and fit easily into his world.
I didn’t think that would be likely when it came to A.Z.
I scrolled through my phone for a bit, read a chapter from my current read, and let Omar in the shop.
“Thank God you’re here. It’s boring as hell today,” I chuckled.
“Oh yeah, Penz is tattooing Deonte right?” I nodded. “Well, me and my client pulled up at the same time. As soon as she comes in, you can lock the door back and kick it in the room with us if you want.”
“Bet,” I nodded again.
I knew Penz wouldn’t mind if I hung out in his suite, but since Deonte was in the NBA, I didn’t want to give groupie vibes. Omar went to his suite, and a pretty brown-skinned female walked in with a smile. I returned the gesture and moved to lock the door.
“I have a few forms for you to complete and sign, then I’ll take you to Omar.”
I had been conversing with Omar and his client for about an hour when I had to use the bathroom. I was also hungry and about to let Penz know that I was going to grab some food. He was done with Deonte, and they were walking toward the front of the shop.
“You single?” Deonte asked shocking the shit out of me.
My eyes swept over his iced out watch, his thick, diamond encrusted chain, and his stark white teeth.
I was pretty sure all he had to do was breathe and the baddest females out there would part their legs like the Red Sea for him.
I had no clue what he wanted with me because I wasn’t the type to let him say and do whatever he pleased just because he had money, and I damn sure wasn’t about to compete with every social media influencer and IG baddie in the world for his ass.
However, I felt I’d be doing myself a disservice to not at least have a conversation with him.
“Yes, I am.”
“Cool. I have a condo here, so I’m here frequently. I’m leaving town tonight, but I’ll be back in a week or so. Let me get your number. Maybe we can hang out when I get back.”
“Sure.”
I refused to get excited as I rattled off my number to him.
I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how most rich men behaved but if I needed a lesson in rich nigga behavior, my sister and her friends would spill tea every single time.
I’d yet to hear of any of them having a happy ending with the dope boys, athletes, and rappers that ran through them.
I for sure wasn’t going to tell my sister about Deonte because she would become obsessed with knowing how much I was trying to milk him for, and I wasn’t in the mood for that.
I didn’t want to have to owe him anything, and I didn’t want him feeling like he could treat me any kind of way because he was tricking on me.
All that being said, giving him my number was probably a waste of time, but I did it anyway.