Page 71 of Love's Most Wanted

“I do, but I don’t have the funds for it right now. Plus, I need to focus on research and other things. My phone causes me to doom scroll.” I began putting everything away.

“I get it. But how am I gon’ contact you? Email?”

“Yeah, that could work. But what do you need to contact me for?” I was grinning before I could finish the question.

“To get my fucking makeup done. Why else?”

“Well, you’d be the first in a while.” I half joked but felt the pang in my chest every time I thought about that fact.

“How ya number get exposed?”

“Zosia. She saw it on a bill and showed it on her live to millions of people.” I shook my head.

I noticed Unique was quiet for a long time, making me look away from the fridge.

“You still fucking with him?” His brows dipped.

“Of course not. The bill must’ve been an old one. She was saying he’d been gone overnight, and I guess she thought he was with me and dug it up.” I shrugged. “You look like you’d be bothered by me messing with him.” I went around the bar.

“I would be.” He shook his head at himself as he exhaled. “I preached all that shit about being in a poly relationship just to wanna trade it all in for you.” He pulled me between his legs, just looking at me like he couldn’t understand what I was doing to him or where I’d come from.

I hated that I blushed and smiled while staring into his face, imagining his lips on mine again. The one kiss we’d shared was brief, but it left a lasting impression on me. I’d dreamed about it for a week after.

“Is that what you did?”

“Well, that was the plan until Daisy made her own exit.” He smirked. “When you free?”

“I’m only free for single men.”

“I’ll be single. How is Friday evening?” He pressed his forehead to mine, and it was a chore not to kiss him.

“Depends what the climate is like this Friday.”

“It’s gon’ be very clear. I promise.” I could only smile and blush like I always did with him. “You got me right where you want a nigga, KK.” His voice took on a serious tone.

* * *

THE NEXT EVENING…

The UPS man knocked loudly and jolted me from my nap like he always did with his ignorant ass. The mailboxes were too small in this building for packages, so the doorman always let the delivery men up to drop off anything bigger than an envelope.

Gathering my thoughts for a second, I sat up then padded to the door. Opening it, I found a small package.

Picking it up, I looked down the hall again to see if I could see the UPS man, but he was too quick, having already gotten on the elevator and rode down.

Letting my door shut, I grabbed some scissors to open the box and saw it was an iPhone. My lips parted in surprise before I powered it on and began setting it up. This had to be from Unique. No man was as thoughtful as him.

As soon as my service came through, I got a text message. I could immediately tell it was from Unique, making me store his name as I wore that same goofy ass smile he could always pull out of me.

Unique: Thought you could use this. I need to keep tabs on my wife. :) See you Friday, love.

I read it a few more times before telling him thank you and then getting right to signing into all my apps. I couldn’t help but notice how nervous and excited I was for Friday to come, however.

“Sorry about that, Unique.”My agent, Audrey, walked into her office, closing the door. “My husband acts like he cannot watch our daughter for an hour while the nanny is at the dentist.” She shook her head, and I laughed as much as I could.

Usually, meeting with Audrey meant good shit on the horizon, but with all this shit going on with the show, I couldn’t see anything good coming. My career and personal life had been in a fucking tailspin. The only highlight had been Kabrina, and though I liked her ass, a lot, the shit was frightening.

I’d seen love, marriage, and relationships destroy people—namely my parents. It was a long ass time ago, and though I didn’t remember every waking moment, I remember the dread and the sour ass mood—the cloud hanging over our household twenty-four hours of the day.