Page 38 of Love's Most Wanted

“Guilty.” He took a sip of his Peruvian cola. The way he sat back, looking all fine and broad-chested, made me clear my throat and focus back on the menu. I had more confidence when I didn’t have to look at him.

“That’s terrible. I wouldn’t want to travel with you,” I joked. “I need a travel companion that will eat snails along with me.”

“For a pretty girl, I might.” He smirked sexily.

“Unique. That’s strike one.”

“Aight, damn. And who said a nigga was talking about you?” He frowned, folding his muscular arms on top of the table, enticing me a bit.

“So you weren’t calling me pretty?” I closed the menu, deciding to get the chicken, too, because I was way too famished to get anything weird right now.

He opened his mouth to answer but the waiter came back with the appetizer we’d ordered, saving him.

We dived in, talking about lighter topics, and he kept it platonic, thankfully. Our food came shortly after—piping hot—and the chicken with the seasoned rice and the spicy sauce tasted amazing.

“Good, huh?” He grinned widely.

“It is. I can’t even lie. This is probably the best chicken I have ever had.” I shoved another thick, juicy piece of meat between my lips as I watched Unique shovel rice between his. “What made you get two girlfriends other than being a greedy man?”

I had to know. I’d always assumed it was because Unique was just like most niggas having an uncontrollable sex drive, low maturity, and an inability to commit. But having talked to him more, I was seeing a different side to him.

“I’ve never been greedy, love. Way I grew up, I couldn’t afford the shit.”

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“Youngest of six boys and then my mama got married to Asif’s father which added another brother. Then she got pregnant with my baby sister. Can’t really be selfish, greedy, none of that shit with all them damn siblings.”

“I can see that.” I smiled. I had four half-siblings but had never met them. A couple years ago, I reached out to my half-sister after finding her on social media, but she left me on read. I left it alone after that and decided I wouldn’t try again.

“But um, I’ve dated a lot of women, especially once I started to work onDough Boyzand had to attend a lot of parties, functions, and different shit where I met all kinds of women from all over. And I noticed every time, no matter how much I liked her, she would always be missing something for me.

“Then I met Aurora, thought she was the one, but the same thing applied. Met Daisy, and it was the same thing. Dated them casually at the same time, thinking it would hit me one day like with my brothers, but it never did. I realized that no woman would have everything I needed.”

I nodded, still not agreeing with his choices but happy it wasn’t the typical response most men gave like ‘I’m rich, why not’ or ‘because I love sex.’ Dumb asses.

“Do you think you’re everything to them? Maybe it’s boxes you don’t check, but they overlook it because they want you. That’s kind of what love is, Unique. No one is perfect, but you have to find the one whose flaws or shortcomings are acceptable for you.”

“If I ain’t checking a box, they haven’t alerted me to the shit.” He took a sip of his drink before setting it back down and folding his arms behind his now empty plate. “And honestly, a lot of shit I don’t realize is something I want in a woman until I run across it.”

“What do you mean?” I ate some more.

“For example, until I met you, I didn’t know I would like for my woman to have goals or at least some hustle about her ass.” He put his hand up and added, “This ain’t flirting, either. I’m just keeping it real. Hearing you talk about pivoting ya current career and putting together a business plan to get that loan was attractive as fuck for some reason.”

I could only nod, not wanting to say too much.

“I can see that. It’s a part of dating, to be honest. Like now, I know I don’t want another famous man because they have too much means to cheat and get away with shit. Give me a regular nigga, please.” I chuckled, taking down some of my own cola. I noticed Unique gave a half-hearted laugh as if he didn’t like my statement much.

“They not all like that.”

“Yeah right.” I ate more of this good ass food. “Like now, you’re out with me but you could easily have told your women that you’re working—running lines or any damn thing.”

“I could have, but I didn’t. I told them I was going to have some food with a friend.”

Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “Did you tell them it was a female friend and one you married?”

“I didn’t.”

“Of course you didn’t!” I laughed humorlessly, stuffing my face. “Men are incapable of being honest but especially the rich ones.”