Grabbing my hand, he led me to the house. There was a beautiful pool in the back yard, and I could see that there were two rooms on the second story that had balconies. Once he opened the back door, I was in awe. Stepping inside, I was frozen in place. This house was amazing. “Haji… wow. This is a beautiful house.”
“Thank you. Get used to it. I’m ‘bout to take you on a tour and you can pick the room you’d like to sleep in. There’s four of them… well, five total. I don’t mind sharing mine,” he said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes and was about to say something before he cut me off. “Chill out Pretty, Black Doll. I’m just kidding… unless you wanna share. I ain’t gon’ object.”
I exhaled loudly, then followed him around the massive house. The kitchen was to die for, and I could imagine cooking lots of meals in there. After showing me the dining area and the front room, he took me upstairs. “Here are the bedrooms. This one and the one next to it have bathrooms inside them, but the two with the balconies do not. You’d have to go to the hallway bath.”
“Haji… thank you.”
I allowed the tears of gratitude to fall down my cheeks. I still wondered if there would be anything that he would require of me. Living this lavishly had never been a reality for me. I was so overwhelmed, that I could barely function. He walked closer to me and leaned in, kissing my forehead. “Let’s go get your things out of your car and we’ll go to lunch afterwards. There’s something I need to talk to you about, too. Just have an open mind. Okay?”
Shit. I should have known there would be a catch to living here. Closing my eyes briefly, I responded, “Okay.”
Vulnerability had taken over my life. I would do almost anything to not have to go back to sleeping in my car, especially now that I’d seen his home and knew just how relaxed this environment could be for me. Following him back outside, I got everything from the inside and popped my trunk so he could start getting my things from there. “Are you gonna sleep in one of the rooms with the bathroom?”
“Yes. Thank you. The one with the big window.”
“Quit saying thank you. I’m very interested in you. Because of my interest, I’m willing to do what I can to help you. I wanna get to know more about you. That cool with you?”
I nodded shyly, then followed him back inside. When we got to the room I would be sleeping in, Haji opened the closet and I almost died. It was bigger than my room at the condo. “Oh my God! This closet is going to swallow my lil clothes!”
I laughed loudly, but Haji didn’t crack a smile. “We gon’ have to change that then.”
He winked at me, then walked out, leaving me to myself with my thoughts. I threw myself to the bed, then wanted to stand and start jumping in it like a kid. I couldn’t believe that I was here. Fate was something I believed in, though. It had to be fate for me to meet Haji and for him to be so persistent. God knew that I would need him… that I would need somebody to have my back during this time.
When he came back into the room, he had the rest of my things. I sat up and for the first time since he’d seen me, he smiled. Smiling back, I stood from the bed and began bringing my toiletries to the bathroom. I didn’t have much. Haji came in with some of my hair stuff. “I left the towels in the trunk. You won’t really need those. But if you want, I can bring them in for you to put in one of the drawers in the closet.”
“We can do that later.”
He nodded, then continued to help me get my things situated. After getting everything put in the bathroom, we began hanging my clothes. “So, what made you want to become a chemical engineer?”
“I’ve always been good at math and science. After researching the area and I saw all the refineries, I decided on that because I knew I would be able to find a decent paying job in that industry. Why are you so hard? Why wouldn’t you give me the time of day before?”
“I umm… I thought you were playing games. You seemed like a playa to me. That’s the vibe I got, anyway. Being toyed with isn’t on my to-do list. When I date, it will be with a purpose. One day, I wanna get married.”
He nodded. “So, you said I seemed like a playa. I don’t seem like one anymore?”
“Actually, yeah. You do.”
He laughed and it made me laugh. His smile and laugh were so infectious. When he’d calmed down, he said, “Damn, baby. I used to be one, for real. The behavior left but the swag is still there. I ain’t being celibate or no shit like that, but I don’t be out searching for shit, either. But real shit, when I saw you, Pretty Black, I damn near lost all train of thought. You’re beautiful and I plan to show you that I’m sincerely feeling you.”
I was at a loss for words, so I nodded and continued to hang up clothes. When we were done, he led me out of the closet and closed the door. From what he was showing me, he was a sweetheart and I hated that I might have prejudged him based on my assumptions. Once we were downstairs and inside the kitchen, he turned to me. “You are free to do whatever in here, like it’s your house, too… I mean, except bring another nigga in here. You haven’t expressed a desire to get to know the nigga standing in front of you, so you may not be interested. I don’t have a choice but be okay with that if that’s the case, but if you choose to be with somebody else, you gon’ have to go to his shit with that.”
I shook my head slowly. I didn’t wanna tell him whether I was interested or not, but I could already tell that he wasn’t gonna make that easy for me. Catching me off-guard, he pulled me to him. Letting his eyes scan me from head to toe, he licked his lips. “So, what’s up? You feeling a nigga or not?”
“I don’t know yet. You seem cool to be around, though,” I said softly.
He gave me a one-cheeked smile. “Just cool, huh? I got a lotta work to do, then.”
As he gently pulled me to the door, I grabbed my purse from the countertop where I’d left it when we first got here. “So, where we going for lunch?”
“Chick-fil-A.”
I laughed and clapped my hands, feeling super excited. He chuckled and I couldn’t help but reach up and pinch his cheeks. They were so chubby. I was willing to bet he’d gotten that as a kid all the time. When I did, though, he stopped walking and stared at me. He knew I was feeling him, no matter what I said. “Chick-fil-A cannot be that damn good to you.”
“But that’s where you’re wrong. That spicy chicken sandwich is everything. And the lemonade? It tastes like I licked the pearly gates of heaven.”
“What the hell?” he asked, then laughed loudly. “I didn’t realize you were so funny.”
“I’m usually not, but someone rescued me from my own stubbornness and pride. That has me feeling so amazing. But it also has me wondering what I did to deserve such a blessing.”
Choosing not to respond to me, he grabbed my hand and led me to his Benz. Opening the door for me, he held my hand until I’d sat, then closed the door. I’d never sat inside a Benz. My God. The seats were so plush. When he got in the car, he smiled at me. “I know we’re just going to lunch, but do you know what you’d like for dinner? We can cook or we can go to dinner.”
“Can I cook something for you as a thank you for taking me in?”
I slid my hand over his as I awaited his answer. “Pretty Black, it’s taking everything I got in me to be a gentleman. I been wanting to kiss you since we first got here. I said that because if you touch me one more time, those pretty-ass lips gon’ feel mine whether you ready for that or not.”
Slowly pulling my hand away, I exhaled slowly. I’d admired his lips since day one. “I’m sorry,” I said softly.
“You good. But yeah, you can cook. Tell me what you wanna cook so I know if we need to go to the store.”
“You have rice? Beef meat? Vegetables?”
“I have rice. What type of beef meat?”
“Stew meat.”
“It’s frozen, so it might be best to just go to the store.”
I nodded. After getting to Chick-fil-A, Haji opened my door and held my hand all the way to th
e entrance. Once we’d ordered our food, we sat in a booth to wait for our order to come out. At that moment, I remembered that he said he wanted to talk to me. “So, what did you wanna talk about, Haji?”
He shifted in his seat, then looked up at me. “I wanted to know if you’d marry me.”
7
Haji
“Na what na? You couldn’t have said what I think you just said. No, I imagined it. I’m tripping. What did you say?”
I smiled slightly. “I wanted to know if you would marry me.”
“Umm, is this a joke? I feel like I’m being filmed for some kind of show like Punk’d or something. You can’t be serious.”
“When my dad died, he left a will to be read to the family. He left his three sons a million dollars each, property, and jewels, but I was the only one who had a stipulation placed on getting my inheritance. I have to be married and stay married for six months. I’m asking you to marry me, but you’ll be free to come and go as you please. While I really am feeling you, I’m not sure that I’m ready to marry anybody, for real. After about seven or eight months, we can get it annulled. In return, I will take care of you financially and when I get my money, I’ll give you a hundred grand.”
She lowered her head to her hands and mumbled. Lifting her head, she shook it slowly. “I knew there had to be a catch to your generosity. Nothing is ever free, and niggas don’t just do shit out of the kindness of their hearts anymore. I should have known better.”
Taking a deep breath, she again slid her hand down her face. The young lady brought our food to us and took the plastic number sitting on the table. Once she walked away, she said, “So what happens if I say no?”
“Nothing. You can still stay at my place as long as you need to, and I’ll still be interested in getting to know you… pursue something meaningful with you. I’ll just be able to get what’s mine a little sooner if you say yes. My pops never liked the fact that I wanted to come to America or that I was screwing around my first few years here. He hated that I stayed after finishing school. So, he put those stipulations on me getting my money. Please, Pretty Black?”
“Let me think about that. I don’t know. Shit! This is a lot to think about, Haji. Getting married isn’t something I take lightly. How long do I have to decide?”
“As long as you need. I’m sorry that I made lunch awkward, but I needed to see what you would say. Just the fact that you have to think about it got me all excited. You could have said no. You wouldn’t have to work or do anything... just live in peace, baby.”
She know she could use the money. It would be in her best interest to take the deal. “So, you saying I would be your legal concubine. What about umm… uh… will I have to have sex with you?”
“At least once to consummate the marriage,” I said with a smirk.
“You full of shit. Consummate a fake marriage?”
“Well, you asked.”
I chuckled as we ate. I could admit that this was a lot to think about for her. However, for me, it was simple. If she started feeling more for me, we could stay married. She was the woman I wanted, and I felt that shit in my bones. When she’d put her hands to my face and pinched my cheeks, I wanted to snatch her ass up then. “What stipulations are there?”
“We have to go out every now and then… you know, be seen together like now... somewhat affectionate like we were earlier. That’s about it. It has to be believable.”
She took a bite of her chicken sandwich and she didn’t say shit else while we ate. I knew I shouldn’t have said shit about her marrying me. I let Jarius pump my ass up about this and I felt weird as hell. I was gonna call and cuss his ass out when I had time alone.
Once we’d finished eating, we headed to the store to pick up a few items, then headed home. Having Chinara in my home was surreal. I’d been fiending for her touch and now that I could possibly get it, I jumped the gun by asking her so soon. Had I let her get more comfortable, she probably wouldn’t have felt like a fish out of water.
After walking inside, I retreated to the bonus room above the garage to shoot some pool. I needed to think. I probably should have waited to ask her that. Shit! Pulling out my phone, I called Jarius. He answered on the first ring. “What’s up?”
“I might have scared her off listening to yo’ ass.”
“What the hell you talkin’ ‘bout?”
“I asked Chinara to marry me earlier.”
“Nigga, already?”
“Yeah. She didn’t totally shoot me down, though. So, it’s possible she could still say yes, but I shouldn’t have let yo’ ass talk me into that shit to begin with. It sound so fuckboy-ish. How am I gon’ convince her that I really do have feelings for her with this looming over us?”
“Quit tripping, man. Let whatever gon’ happen, happen. Pretty Black gon’ be down. I think she prolly feeling you, too. Whether she wanna admit that shit or not. Once she thinks about the shit, she gon’ see that it’s a win-win situation. I got a head I’m cutting, so let me know what she say.”
“A’ight, man. And remember to watch yo’ damn mouth. She’s my pretty black.”
“Aww nigga, shit.”
He ended the call. I was tripping. I was way more worried than I should have been. She didn’t say no. So, it probably wouldn’t be any hard feelings even if she did. Turning on the music from my phone, I went poured me a glass of Henny. My nerves were still shot because I was anticipating what she would say. She could decide to not give me her answer for months. As I sipped my drink, she came back down the hallway into the room. Walking closer to me, she lowered her head and said, “I’ll do it.”
Damn! I didn’t expect her to make a decision this quick. Setting my drink down, I stepped even closer to her and grabbed her hands. “You sure?”
“Yeah, but I need to set some boundaries of my own.”
“A’ight. You want a drink?”
“Please. Whatever you’re having.”
I poured her some Henny in a cup and handed it to her, then gestured for her to follow me to the couch. We both sat and she angled her body toward mine as I tipped my cup back, killing the liquid inside. I scooted closer to her as I sat the cup on the coffee table. Grabbing her hand, I held it between mine and tucked my bottom lip in my mouth, waiting for what she had to say. After staring at me for a moment, she quickly downed her drink as well. Yeah, she wanted me just like I wanted her ass. I didn’t know why she was playing games.
She sat her glass next to mine, then looked at me. “When we’re here, that doesn’t give you the freedom to do what you want with my body. I give the greenlight for any… activities. And that’s if any activities are explored.”
Scooting closer to her, I could see the goosebumps on her skin. I stared at her lips for a moment, then licked my lips and leaned in, softly kissing her lips. Maintaining my position after taking my lips from hers, I asked against her lips, “Activity like this?”
Her nipples were straining against her blouse as I lightly slid my fingertips down her leg. My eyes were trained on those imprints. I wanted nothing more than to take all her shit off right now and please her body beyond her wildest desires. “Activity just like this, Haji. I didn’t give the green light.”
“Shit, you didn’t give a red one either.”
My dick was hard as hell, wanting to get at her. I knew I couldn’t proceed too quickly, though, or she was gonna withdraw altogether. Lifting my hand to her chin, I turned her face to mine. “I won’t do anything to this body that you don’t want me to do.”
My eyes left hers and scanned her body slowly, appreciating the spectacular view that her leggings and thin shirt gave me. “Chinara… you so damn fine and you know that shit.”
“I do know, Haji. But… I want to be sure about what I’m doing.”
“Understood, but can I kiss you again? That shit was like tasting a fine wine for the first time.”
I stared at her lips as my hand rested on her thigh. She nodded and I proceeded with caution, gentl
y grazing her lips with mine before going in for the kill. Kissing wasn’t normally my thing because I knew when I met a woman whether I wanted more than sex with her or not. This pretty, black, porcelain doll was in a category all her own. She didn’t realize that she possessed the power to have me eating from her palms. I wasn’t a soft nigga, but with her… shit, I would be cotton.
My lips connected with hers and I pulled her face closer to mine by the back of her neck. When the soft moan left her lips, I got a little carried away. I pulled her in my lap, and she was cool at first, until I grabbed her ass. She bolted from my lap like all this dick had electrocuted her ass. “This is what can’t happen,” she said breathlessly.
She left the room and I glanced down at my dick, knowing that I would be jacking off at some point. I wanted to wait until she was comfortable, but I knew that I would probably be fucking somebody else. Jacking off didn’t do it for me. I could let that nut off and that muthafucka would still be standing at attention.
I stood from the couch and left the room in search of Chinara. She wasn’t in her room, but when I looked across the hallway, I could see her on the balcony. Walking out to her, I knew I owed her an apology. I didn’t want it to seem like I was taking advantage of her because she had nowhere else to go. If I had to, I’d ignore her and just do my thang. Standing behind her, I somehow managed to keep my hands to myself and said, “I’m sorry, Chinara. From now on, I’ll let you dictate where we go… what we do.”
As I was turning to leave, she grabbed my hand, pulling me back to her. She hugged me tightly and laid her head on my chest. I really didn’t know what the fuck to do. I was standing there with my arms out in surrender, not wanting to touch her. She whispered, “I’m sorry. I just… this situation is a lot for me right now. I’m trying not to feel used… or like I’m being the user.”
Bringing my hands to her shoulders, I gently pushed her away from me. “You would have still been here if I didn’t have that situation. So, don’t feel used.”
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