Page 32 of For the Love of City

PORSHA

CITY’S EXTENDED STAYING Atlanta meant that I was having to switch up how I greeted him when he got home.

I had a meeting that was the first step of solving the problems that were running through my head.

All the questions that I’d had over the last few months led back to one thing: I needed to slow down.

And not slow down on making money because I would never do that.

But I needed to slow down on the flights I was catching in and out of the city to do people’s hair and style them for shows and interviews.

Getting flown out had once been glamours but now people had worked my nerves.

I felt like the last issue that really stuck with me was when I was in LA.

Dealing with a major brand that hired influencers instead of professionals for their red carpet was the first red flag.

Their diva behavior that was being fed by their online followers had them being mean to every part of the staff.

And the actual famous people weren’t any better.

I still wanted to deal in hair, which is why I was going to an exclusive model with my personal services.

My old clients would be grandfathered in, but anyone new had to pay the price.

I’d become well known enough to be a name in my own right and I wanted to turn that into something that could make me money without me killing myself.

Which is why I was at this dinner.

This was the first step in the stemming of my denial of what I wanted out of life and out of life with Corey.

Because that was the direction I needed to go in.

Hanging with the girls and hearing how they’ll had to work through something, be it physical or mental or social, that they had to endure to get their man lit a fire under me.

I was not about to be the one to miss out just because I was afraid to change.

“You look beautiful tonight, Porsha.”

I nodded at the compliment as I held up my menu. I didn’t feel like being here and was truly in a bad mood because I was missing Corey. But I wasn’t going to let it impede this meeting.

“Thank you. I liked the designs that you sent over for the custom packaging.” I didn’t feel like making small talk but I got to the point of us being here.

“I mean the concept you have is smart. Selling directly to salons instead of trying to go direct to consumer means you have fewer people to convince.”

I looked at my dinner companion from across the table and smiled.

“It’s far easier for people who recognize quality to appreciate it for their customers.

I don’t have the desire to be the next social media hair vendor.

My standards are too high for that and I want to ensure that my name isn’t attached to anything foolish. ”

He smiled and it was easy to see why his family’s company sent him out to woo clients.

Jax was attractive in a very clean cut, corporate type of way.

The restaurant we were in was nice, some type of French and Asian fusion restaurant.

I hadn’t picked the place but I was always open to try new things.

I was already thinking about how I could get Corey here if the food was good.

I shivered slightly and then glanced around the restaurant.

I didn’t understand what made me feel that way as I looked at the other diners.

The room was brightly lit with the typical booths and white tablecloths.

It had the floral wall with the name of the restaurant mounted within it in fluorescent lights.

It was trendy and depending on how this food tasted would determine if it had the ability to survive.

The city was good for making this type of place hot but then moving on to the next thing.

I brushed the curtain bangs of the wig I’d put on for tonight out of my face even though they weren’t distorting my view.

I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary so I turned my attention back to Jax.

He nodded and ran his hand through his light brown hair.

“The individual packages are a much nicer touch. The research I did with other vendors shows they ship things in cellophane and plastic, which doesn’t make it feel as though their product is something they put much effort into.

And other vendors just get the wrapped hair and then repackage it.

I know your service doesn’t work that way. ”

“No, everything is—”

I got that feeling again and looked around the room. Instead of being confused as to what caused that tug in my gut, my eyes landed on the tall figure walking toward me looking good as hell in a suit. I knew my mouth was ajar and I couldn’t close it because that was the effect he always had on me.

“Porsha? You were saying?”

Jax didn’t even register anymore the closer City got to the table. And I knew by the scowl on his face that it was City walking toward me and not Corey. His mouth was just as soft but the hard look in his eyes let me know he was pissed.

I sat in my seat and just waited to see what he was going to say when he got over here. I couldn’t even open my mouth to let Jax know his life was in danger.

“What’s good, P?”

Oh, this was bad. No Pretty, no baby, no nothing to soften whatever he was going to say. Just P, not even Porsha. He was going to make sure I felt his pain tonight and that thought shouldn’t have excited me as much as it did. Pussy was crying real tears at the thought.

“How are you?” Stupid thing to ask but my damn brain wasn’t functioning.

The ability to form that sentence seemed to take everything I had in me.

Corey was always a force but Corey mad? The lust rolling off of me would’ve had that man howling at the moon if he were a werewolf.

I had to be a toxic bitch because this aggression was a turn on.

Corey’s eyes were fixed on Jax but I watched as he chuckled while he worked his jaw in annoyance. “How am I? That’s what we doing?”

“I’m sorry who is this?” Jax was trying to insert himself into this and he really needed not to.

A slow smirk crossed City’s face and I saw the predatory look that televised I was going to need a safe word later. “Yeah, P. Who am I?”

I was still silent so Jax spoke up again. “Is this your ex or something like that?”

“He definitely is not—”

“You got that shit right. At least I don’t have to snap out on you about that shit.”

“Are you really doing this right now Cor—City?”

“You got damn right I am. Corey ain’t in the building at gotdamn all.

Tell this nigga who I am, P. Inquiring minds and all that.

” City pulled out the chair that was to my right to ensure his back was to the door and no one could see what was going on.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket smooth as hell before sitting his gun down on the pristine tablecloth.

To his credit Jax didn’t flinch, probably because this was Texas and guns were everywhere, but he didn’t know this man was ready to make him his next victim.

“Jax, this is a good friend of mine’s big brother, kinda like her adoptive father.”

“Oh, for real. That’s what I am?” City was nodding his head with a grin like he knew I was trying to be difficult.

Since I wasn’t about to play with my life any longer I tried to intervene. I reached over to touch his hand but that didn’t draw his eyes off of Jax immediately.

“C—”

His eyes finally drifted from Jax and on to me, the light in them brightening as soon as they landed on me. “That’s what I am to Lyrie, but what am I to you?”

“It looks like y’all need a minute and y’all got some shit that needs to be worked out.

” Jax started to push back from the table and I had to wonder if he was really about to leave me.

I mean yeah, I knew City was harmless, to me at least, but damn, he didn’t.

He was really about to run out and save himself without a second thought.

Definitely wouldn’t be using his ass moving forward.

“You right about that, you wanna give us a minute to handle this?”

“City, you are taking this shit out of context.”

When he wrapped his fingers around the handle of his gun I looked at Jax. He looked surprised but amused at the situation when he should’ve feared for his damn life.

“This the nigga you can be seen with? He ain’t even up his shit when I pulled mine. You think a herb ass nigga like this gone protect you?”

“This is a business dinner, City. I was speaking with Jax about the packaging for the hair and some of the marketing materials that his company designed for me. This was something I was going to tell you bout when you got home from Atlanta but you overstayed your visit. We were just about to sign the contracts and I would’ve been happy to invite you along but I didn’t know you were going to be home today. ”

“The invitation was extended to her spouse but she mentioned that you were out of town.”

My jaw clenched as I watched him take in what we’d both said.

Finally, his tension eased before he smirked at me like his behavior right now was normal. “It’s a dangerous thing to play around with my heart, P.”

“Which is exactly why I’m not. But if you would please let me finish this up I will see you at home. I mean your house.”

“You had that shit right the first time. Good lookin’ on the designs and shit.

I know they not on no bullshit because you see she got a fool behind her if you try to play with her.

You got another hour of our time before I gotta come and retrieve what’s mine.

Make it count, Jax.” He stood up from the table before extending his hand for Jax to shake.

To his credit he did so earning him a nod of respect from City.

When he turned his attention to me, this smile turned soft, but there was still a measure of foreboding in his eyes as he leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. He slid his face down toward my ear before he spoke.

“Make sure you eat up on this man’s dime, pretty. When you get to the house, I’m going to drain every bit of energy from you that you got. Feel me?”

“Corey—” His lips on mine abruptly shut me up before he deprived me of the pressure just as quickly as I’d been given it.

His hand went to my chin and rubbed it softly as he smirked. “Nah, you don’t feel me now, but you definitely will later.”

That warning sent Jax coughing, while I could only grin at his advice. With a wink, City walked back out of the restaurant and I couldn’t help but wish I was walking out with him.

“So, I’m assuming we need to get this order in as quickly as possible. He doesn’t really look like a man that says shit he doesn’t mean.”

I laughed and finally turned back to the menu because I knew better than to keep City waiting.

“Jaxon, you’d be exactly right.”