Page 24 of Love Me Now: Baltimore & Madelyn
Shrugging, I didn’t have an answer. “I mean, when you say it like that, it does sound a lil’ crazy.”
He shrugged too. “A lil’ crazy ain’t never bothered me.”
I knew the level of Adir’s crazy, so I simply laughed.
Mid-laugh, Maddie’s gaze locked with mine. Gladden was still in her face, and the awkward smile on Maddie’s face caused my feet to move.
“‘Bout time,” Adir called after me.
Wading my way through the crowd, I never took my eyes off Maddie. The closer I got to her, the more I saw her shoulders relax. Jahdi stood on one side and Stacy stood on the other. Still, my presence was what brought her comfort.
“Evenin’,” I spoke to Gladden even though my eyes scanned Maddie from head to toe and back. Nervously, she smiled at me, and relief was evident in her eyes.
When I stood next to her, her supple body brushed up against my arm. Resisting the urge to swallow my tongue, I kept my attention on the matter at hand. Remaining professional was starting to become hard as fuck. Especially when I wanted to break a nigga’s face just to stop him from staring at my woman.
CHAPTER 9
MADDIE
Iwassittinghereminding my business, all in my head. Not a single message from my mother. Not a single message from my father. I finally broke down and called him just to be sent to voicemail. Although I wasn’t hopeful, I left him a voicemail. After a few days passed without him returning my call, I decided it was time to call my sisters. My mother was still at my house, with no sign that she planned to leave. Plus, she shopped nearly every week and was slowly compiling clothes in the guest closet. Of course, my mother was always welcome in my home. However, it seemed strange that she never even spoke about my father.
Calling Nati and Kara was the only option I had left. Neither of them had spoken to our father either. If it wasn’t for us being able to see him on his platforms, performing his duties, we’d surely think he was somewhere dead.
“Maddie, you’re the oldest. I think you should pop up on Dad and see what the hell is going on. Mama can’t stay with you forever,” Kara stated.
“Exactly,” Nati agreed. “You got a whole fine ass man on yo’ trail. She’s cramping yo’ style in the worst way.”
Although Baltimore and I were keeping things on the low, of course I had to tell my sisters about us.
“I don’t know,” I replied. “I’ve never popped on him before. He’ll think something is wrong.”
“Well,we think something is wrong, and as our big sister, we’re putting all the pressure on you to figure out what’s going on.”
Chuckling, I said, “Yeah, alright.”
After that phone call, my sisters checked in everyday to see if I’d made a move yet. I hadn’t. Even when they called to wish me a happy birthday and ensure that I received the gifts they’d sent me, they were grilling me about whether or not I’d gotten the courage to make the damn trip to whatever city our father was in.
The fact was that I really appreciated my mother’s help around the house. A night like tonight was possible because she didn’t mind keeping Genesis. Still, I was ready for her to go home.
This was my first birthday without DJ here to celebrate with us. Often, I wondered if there was anything I could’ve done to save him. Then, I thought about how he so callously chose his father and himself over me and his baby sister. The thought made me sick to my stomach, so I left it alone.
Heir was all too excited to start school just to give her something to do. Instead of going back to school out of the city, she decided to stay close. On days when she didn’t have class, she stayed in her room. That was okay because at least I could keep my eyes on her. So far, my baby was managing. She was building a relationship with Genesis and that was all I could hope for.
A part of me had almost slipped into sadness for the lack of relationship I had with the woman who birthed me. Then, Mayor Gladden appeared. At first, I thought to ignore him. He wasn’t very pleasant and was a flirt. However, Jahdi and Stacy were standing at my section entrance. They wouldn’t stand for Gladden saying or doing anything sideways. Plus, one look at Baltimore, and he came to my rescue with his fine ass.
He smelled so good standing next to me. I used his body as a shield of sorts. Gladden couldn’t keep his eyes off my breasts. The smell of liquor on his breath was so distinct I had to stop myself from gagging a few times.
“Baltimore Cooley,” the mayor uttered. “Your family owns Cooley & Brown Real Estate Firm. It’s been over a decade, but I remember you. Top three pitchers in the country. Guaranteed number one draft pick. What happened that you fell so far from stardom?”
Gladden’s snarky smile as he sized up Baltimore rubbed me the wrong way. Baltimore inserted himself between the mayor and me. I knew by the set of his jaw and the rigidness of his back that he wasn’t playing with the mayor.
“I get it, aight,” Baltimore started, “my boss is lookin’ good enough to eat.”
I nearly swallowed my next breath at Baltimore’s deep, soothing tone, and the words that spilled from his lips. Wide-eyed, I watched him maintain eye contact with Gladden as he continued.
“I can imagine you want to taste what’s between her thighs. You and every other nigga with a brain. I’m sure it tastes…good enough to die for. I’m sure it’s wet, tight, and the grip is surely worth every drop of nut it draws out of a nigga.”
The more Baltimore talked, the wider my eyes stretched, and the faster my heart beat. Describing my sex in such a way made her quiver and come alive as if he’d touched me there.