smiled sheepishly. “Visiting someone.”
“Is that someone a guy?” He asked flashing the craters in his
cheek.
“Yeah, why?”
“A boyfriend guy or just a friend guy.”
I could feel Toni's stare burning a hole in the side of my
face.
“An it's complicated guy.”
“I figured. Pretty girls are always caught up in something
complicated. Can I see your phone?”
I didn't know what made me hand over my phone so freely but I
did. I unlocked the screen and handed it to him. He was cute but a little too
aggressive having just met me and all.
“Here, whenever you need something a little less complicated call
me.”
He put his number in, handed it back to me and then
disappeared into the crowd. He listed his contact name as “uncomplicated” it
was cute so it made me smile but I knew I would never call him. He had sort of
a creepy vibe going on.
“What the heck is up with that?” Toni was almost yelling.
“You actually got a number, what is the world coming to? Kya Renee Grant I'm
impressed and you better call him.”
“Call who?” Xavier asked. He was now standing in front Toni.
I frowned when I saw him because he was holding a bottle of beer and half of it
was already gone.
“You dummy, you were taking forever!” Toni winked at me.
“Whatever man. E, this is Toni.” Xavier looked and Ethan and
then back to Toni.
“So I hear you've been looking for me?” Ethan said.
“Something like that.” Toni said with a flirty grin.
“Oh really and what are you going to do with me now that you
found me?”
He placed his hand on the wall behind Toni so that they were
close but not touching.
“I guess you'll just have to spend some time with me to see.”
She said.
“Aye we can just chill upstairs. I'm not with a crowd
tonight.” Xavier said. I’m sure he was just afraid of running into to one of
his situations while I was around.
“That works, let me get my keys from Rick.”
Ethan disappeared into the crowd and reappeared again shoving
something in his pocket. The four of us made our way back to Xavier’s room this
time opting for the elevator instead of the stairs. I moved close to him and whispered, “So
you're drinking tonight?”
“Chill, this is it.” He said nodding toward the beer in his
hand.
“Okay.” I said without looking at him. I knew he still drank
occasionally but it didn’t mean that I was okay with it. I could see images of
him drunk, high and barley aware of where he was or who he was with. The “with”
was always some low class girl that opened her legs way too easily simply for
the right of being able to say that she had been with Xavier Adams. Mhm I bet.
When we reached Xavier’s room it was empty so Ethan and Toni
got cozy on the couch while Xavier sat in the arm chair with me on his lap. He
had one arm bent behind his head and he was messing with his hair while the
other hand rested on my stomach underneath my shirt. He was always so comfortable with me. It's
like we never missed a beat and were right back where we had left things every
time we fell back into our old habits.
“So what's up with your name?” Toni asked Ethan. They were
snuggled up in one corner of the sofa. Very comfortable for two people who had
just met ten minutes ago.
“What do you mean?” Ethan asked with a strange look on his
face. I couldn't help but notice how perfectly smooth his dark chocolate skin
looked and how the glare from the lights above his head made his low cut neatly
trimmed jet black hair shine.
“I mean what sane black woman names her son Ethan?” She threw
her head back so that she could see his face.
Ethan laughed. “Hell I don't know because my mom is white.”
“Wait what, stop playing.” Toni slapped her hand down on
Ethan's leg.
“I am serious.”
“Uh boo there's no way you're mixed with all this sexy dark
skin.” Toni traced the muscles in
Ethan's arm with her finger.
“I'm not mixed but my mom is white. I'm
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley