Page 18 of Obsessive Love
PYRITE
This was her element; I knew it when she gave us her game plan.
I sat back, watching Fable talk to Mama and my brothers.
She knew what she wanted to do to get out of here.
The crazy thing was, she wasn’t leaving.
That decision was made the moment I saw her at her bakery.
Taking her was my only option because letting her go would never happen.
I sat forward, resting my elbows on the table. “Each team will have an exclusive line?” I questioned her, and she nodded. “How will that work?”
“You’ll have to add a Story Time front to the arena,” she answered with a slight shrug. “I’ll sit down with all your starting players to get their opinions on what they want named after them.”
“What will be their options?” The thought of doing this sounded dope as hell. No other teams offered anything like this. It would be a lot of fucking work, especially with the arena being used year-round, but whatever she needed to happen would.
“Cookies, cake bites, bars,” she replied, and I nodded. “How many teams use the arena?”
“Right now, five, but I have plans,” I answered. “You think you can handle that?”
“Yes,” she confidently said, and I sat back. Yeah, she could, and if she couldn’t, I would ensure she didn’t fail. Failing was never an option for a Stone.
“When do you want to start?” Mama asked her. I knew how Mama’s mind worked; she was ready to move once she latched onto an idea. This was right up her alley.
“We already have,” Fable replied as she looked around the table. “The samples you just tasted are what I’m thinking of right now. We will narrow it down from here with a process of elimination.”
“I say all of them stay,” Amethyst suggested as he reached across the table to grab a lemon bar and a small, sweet potato pie bite. “Cuz this shit good as fuck.” He stuffed a bite into his mouth and nodded. “Yeah, all of it stays.”
“We are going to need more people,” Fable turned to me and said. “Who do you have in mind?”
“I’ll have the teams meet on Friday,” I said without thinking.
“How long can you afford to close the arena for renovations?” Mama asked, and I sat back in my seat and ran my hand over my hair.
“There are fronts in the arena already, right?” Fable asked, and I nodded. “Then there is no need for renovations. I’ll use one of those.”
“Nah,” I laughed as I pushed back from the table and stood. “That’s not happening.”
“Why not?”
“Because my name is on the arena,” I answered as I walked away from the table.
The fact that she thought she would have a regular front was comical.
There was no way I was going to let her have anything average.
Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with the fronts in the arena, but Fable would get nothing but the best. I picked up my phone from the island and dialed Zane’s number.
“Hello?” she answered out of breath.
“How soon can I get you to renovate a front at the arena?” I asked as I watched Fable. Why she thought I was playing was beyond me, but I could show her better than I could tell her.
“I can get you on the schedule for the first of next month,” she answered. “Why?”
“Put me down; we can go over specifics tomorrow if you have a chance,” I replied.
“Yeah, that works; I’ll come by the arena to look at the area you want to use,” she said.
“Bet,” I said, and then we hung up. I set the phone back on the island. “Make me a list of all the equipment you need.”
“Pyrite-”
I stepped around the island and closed the space between us.
Fable stepped back until her back hit the wall, and she looked up at me, surprised.
“I’m not asking you, Fable; I’m telling you to tell me what you need so that I can take care of it.
” I wrapped my hand around her throat and tilted her head up.
“Don’t question me when it comes to handling business.
When you need shit done, I’ll get it handled.
I trust very few, and when I put my money on the table, the people who collect it from me are worth their price tag. ”
“I don’t need-”
“Don’t tell me what you don’t need, Fable,” I said, shaking my head. It was taking everything in me not to shut her up by kissing her. “Just let me handle it. You understand?”
“Yes,” she answered with a quick nod of her head. “Yes.”
“Thank you,” I said. I kissed her forehead, needing some connection to her, then stepped back. “Talk with Mama; I’ll be back shortly.”
“Why are you here?” Xoey stood on the other side of the door with a mug on her face.
“I need to see Javien,” I requested, and she shook her head. “What do you mean no?”
“That’s not how this works,” she said as she crossed her arms. Seeing Xoey not dolled up or using one of her personas always made me double-take.
She was beautiful, with her golden skin, a face full of freckles, full lips, a button nose, dark eyes, shoulder-length locs, and square glasses.
I asked her once why she hid who she was from the world, and she said there were very few people who’d never hurt her enough to make her feel the need to hide.
I was one of the few and never took her vulnerability for granted.
“When you handed Javien to me, there were no takebacks.”
“I don’t want to kill him,” I sighed.
“I know,” she said with a shrug. “That was never a thought I had.”
“Then let me talk to him.”
“No,” she said. “Handle your woman, don’t bring your ass over here for her brother.”
“I just want to talk to the nigga, Xoe!” I was getting frustrated, but I knew that Xoey didn’t care. “Damn, let me talk to the nigga.”
“First off, don’t yell at me,” Xoey said, stepping back. Her hands dropped, and I noticed that her left arm went behind her back. There was no doubt in my mind that her hand was wrapped around her gun right now. “And my answer remains no.”
“That’s on me, I apologize.” I put my hand to my heart and patted my chest twice. Xoey grilled me before she nodded. “Now, can you tell me why?”
“Because when I do, and you hear what he has to say, you’re going to kill him,” she answered, and my stomach dropped into my ass.
“Why?” I asked. Xoey sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose, and then shook her head like she was fighting internally with what she wanted me to know. “Xoey man, just tell me why; I swear I won’t snap.”
“You’ve never been a liar; don’t start now,” she laughed softly. “Especially since you don’t know what I know.”
“Then just tell me,” I said.
“Pyrite, you trust me, right?” she questioned, and I nodded. I trusted Xoey with my life. I had her riding shotgun a few times to prove it. “Then let me handle this, okay? This shit with Javien Jr. is on me. Just go back home and keep falling in love with my bestie.”
“Man, I ain’t falling in love with her ass,” I denied, shaking my head. Shit was true, too, because I was already in love with Fable, and had been since the moment I saw her.
Xoey laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, okay, if you say so.” She moved her arm from behind her back and put her hands on her hips. “When are you going to take her out on a date?”
“Date?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Take her somewhere nice, let her dress up, feel pretty. Having her locked in the basement and your room ain’t it, friend.”
“I gotta do better,” I agreed as I nodded. “Cool, I can do that.”
“I know you can.” She reached up and put her hand on my shoulder. “Now go, spoil my bestie; let her out of that damn house. Show her off.” She moved her hand from my shoulder. “I got this shit with Javien under control.”
“Alright, Xoey,” I said, nodding. “I’m going to let you handle this for now.”
“Good.” She gave me a big ass smile, and all I could do was shake my head. “Now, get off my porch so I can get ready for work.”
“What’s the job tonight?”
“911 operator,” she answered with a shrug. “It’s been boring lately; hopefully, someone I know calls in.”
I stared down at her, confused as hell. “Xoe, why the hell would you want someone you know to call? Wouldn’t that mean their life was in danger?”
“Doubt it,” she said, waving me off. “If anything, they are the reason for the drama, and I can get the inside scoop firsthand instead of waiting for one of you nuts to tell me what y'all did.”
“Man, bye,” I laughed as I walked away from her door. Her ass was crazy as fuck for no reason. There was no way anyone we were connected to would need to call the police.
I stood outside Fable’s door with a fruit bowl, debating whether this was cool.
When I left, I expected her to try to escape or talk Mama into letting her go, but instead, they stayed in the kitchen, talking and cleaning.
I watched their interactions, loving that Fable was relaxed with Mama and they were building a relationship. I needed them to be close.
“Bitch Nigga!” the damn bird yelled as he flew down the hallway. I hated that nigga majorly. “Bitch nigga!”
“Fuck you, bro!” I yelled back, and his bitch ass made a noise like he was laughing at my ass.
I wiped my hand down my face, then scanned my thumb to unlock the door.
When I was about to turn the handle, I stopped and shook my head.
Barging into the room wouldn’t win me any points, so I stepped back and knocked. “Ay, you feel like some company?”
“Would it matter?” Fable replied, and I chuckled.
“Yeah, man, it matters,” I answered. “Tell me I can come in.”
“It’s your house, Pyrite,” Fable replied.
“Tell me to come in, Fable,” I requested firmly. “That’s the only way I’m coming in, with your permission.”
“Come on, Pyrite,” Fable said, and I smirked.
I turned the handle and opened the door, expecting to see her in bed.
Instead, she was on the floor, notebooks in front of her and a sketch pad in her lap.
She was dressed in an oversized T-shirt, and her hair was pulled into a messy bun that sat on top of her head, secured with a satin scarf tied around her edges.
“What’s the problem now?” I asked, looking at her, then at the bed.