Page 1 of Heartless
1 – MEADOW
“I swear if that were Chris, I’d kick his ass from here to Zimbabwe,” Kaia says, shaking her head as she rests her chin in her palm.
“Baby, I thought we weren’t going there tonight,” Chris says, leaning into his wife and wrapping an arm around her.
He kisses her temple, and my best friend turns around and gives him a sexy smile.
“Onyx means no harm. Flirting is in his nature,” my cousin-in-law, Makenzi, affectionately known as Mak, says.
“Give the man a break. He’s not flirting,” my cousin-in-law and Makenzi’s husband, Shep, groans.
“Oh, he’s flirting, baby,” Mak says.
“Yeah, he’s definitely flirting,” Kaia agrees.
“No, he isn’t,” Shep disagrees.
“What’s he doing, Shep?” Kaia asks.
“He’s conversing with a beautiful woman who happens to be desperately in need of some attention,” Shep explains.
“She’d get some attention if it were me. I’d pull that fake, cheap ass weave from her head and check her ass before stepping to him to let him know what it is and what it ain’t,” Kaia says.
“Either that or walk out of this lounge, hop my black ass in the car, and drive home. While he’s still figuring his shit out, I’ll be putting his shit out,” Mak says, glaring at Shep.
Mak isn’t an insecure woman by far, but she’s gone through a few things with Shep. Their marriage has had its share of challenges, including a six-year-stint where they were married but separated. Not even speaking to one another.
So, I know that her words are associated with that time in her life, which was painful for both of them.
“I would never,” Shep says, holding his wife’s gaze.
“Make sure you don’t,” she says, rolling her eyes and turning her gaze back to my husband.
“Chris knows his ass better not pull some shit like that. I won’t lie. I’m an insecure bitch,” Kaia says.
“Insecure as hell,” Chris chimes in.
“Excuse me?” she asks, drawing back in mock horror.
“Stop. Both of you. Because you two love starting arguments that you use as fuel for hot, makeup sex later,” I say.
“Damn, Kaia. You out here putting all our business in these streets, babe?” Chris asks offensively.
“No, babe. Just telling Meadow because she’s always getting on me about arguing with you. I needed her to lay low on that because if I took her advice, that shit wouldn’t be as hot as it is,” she says, kissing him.
I roll my eyes while Mak places her hand over her mouth to hold her laughter in, and Shep looks on, confused and concerned.
“Yeah, mind your business,” Chris says to me, pointing in my direction as he finally comes up for air.
Unable to hold it in any longer, I fall out laughing, and Mak does too before she takes the mouthpiece of the hookah into her mouth and begins smoking.
“I just say lay off Onyx. He doesn’t mean any harm. He never does. It’s not his fault that the ladies need attention, and he loves giving it to them. After all, he doesn’t mess around, and he always lets them down easy,” Shep says.
“Well, she’s about to get all the attention she deserves,” I say, smirking.
“Now that’s a woman who isn’t afraid to claim her man,” Kaia says as I get up from the table and head to the bar where my husband is ordering drinks.
A curvy, light-skinned sister is resting her hand on his shoulder. The movement is so subtle that most wouldn’t have seen it or recognized it for what it was. My husband’s shift is so slight, almost imperceptible, but just enough that he turns to face her full-on, forcing her hand to drop from his shoulder.