“Promise?”
“Pinky promise.” We linked our pinky fingers with a shake. I got down to business pulling out a large pot for the cheese sauce. Danessa was in charge of the vibes, selecting jazzy rap music and pouring me a blackberry ginger ale over ice.
“How was your day?” I asked while mixing the roux.
“I registered for my classes.” She presented jazzy hands, giving them a shake.
“Okay, so it’s official, official. My baby is fittin’ to be an esquire.”
Danessa’s jaw flinched, and I knew what she was most likely thinking, it was too early for terms of endearment. Just months ago, we were incommunicado, and now I was calling her baby and telling her how good her pussy felt. Even I had to admit it was zero to one hundred in under seven seconds. The last thing I was trying to do was scare her off or give her pause. Danessa probably didn’t feel the same, but I was all in. Fuck time to think or test runs. Danessa was mine. I may not be able to pick a place to live, but the love of my life was decided and carved into my skin.
I added carnation milk. “I saw a lady do this online and I was intrigued.”
“Carnation milk?”
“Carnation milk and heavy cream. Disclaimer, she was White so if this turns out like crap, I’m going to blame the mayo DNA.”
“Is that how you spend your free time, scrolling social media?”
“Yep, those sites have the best thirst traps.” I winked playfully.
“I bet your DMs are overflowing with indecent proposals.”
“Nope, my DMs are closed.”
“Why?”
“Cause that shit’s weird. I don’t wanna hook up with a fan. The power dynamic would be off.”
“How do you distinguish between a fan and someone genuinely interested in you?”
“That’s the million-dollar question. Short answer, you don’t. So I prefer to meet people organically.”
Danessa sat on the other side of the island watching me layer the dish with the remaining cheese, while checking her phone. “Hmm.”
“What’s up?”
“Why did your assistant send me an email filled with legalese and a non-disclosure agreement attached?” Her tone was lethal as if I was two seconds from getting my ass cussed out.
“Excuse me?” Danessa turned her phone so I could read her screen. “Erm, I don’t know but you should disregard.”
“Did you ask her to send it?”
“No, it’s just standard.” I sprinkled the last layer of cheese on the dish.
“What does that mean?” Yep, she was pissed.
“Everybody does it.”
“Aldridge if you don’t stop fussing with the mac and cheese and answer my question.”
I washed my hands, drying them on a dish towel. “Normally when I meet or hang out with someone new and things level up, I have them sign an NDA. All the athletes do it. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” She scrolled through the agreement on her phone. “It prohibits me from talking about our relationship or acknowledging your existence.”
“No, it prevents people from telling tales outside of the bedroom. You’d be surprised how many women are ready to run to TMZ with stories.”
Her normally full lips were stretched into a thin line. “I’m not any woman.”
