Nina finally gave him the eye contact he’d been feenin’ for. Her breath got caught in her throat. He hurriedly poured the sparkling water into the glass and added a straw. She took two huge gulps. The conversation had been going too smoothly, she should’ve known it wouldn’t last.
“You have grey hair,” she said in awe.
“Don’t change the subject, babe.”
The pet names would never go away causing her young and confused heart to skip a beat.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The one who was buying the drinks with the to tight suit on.” His tone remained calm, which somehow felt more threatening.
Nina leaned back. “He’s my classmate.”
She knew that he knew that she was aware that he’d probably memorized everything there was to know about Carter Hayes. Nina wouldn’t be surprised if he knew what his blood type was and where he got his hair cut. It should’ve concerned her, but this was typical Jio Gotti behavior. She wasn’t fazed, not a bit.
Jio stared at her for several seconds.
“You sure about that, baby?”
There it was...the word baby…
He was laying it on heavy now.
Babyalways managed to find its way beneath her skin and directly to her heart.
She hated how much she missed hearing him call her that. How could one stupid word have that much power?
“I'm very sure.” Her answer came out stronger than she felt.
“To remind you, I’m single,” she said with a boldness that she didn’t know she had.
She had to stand on her own decision, and this was a test.
Jio’s jaw flexed. She never missed anything when it came to him.
“I'm aware,” he nodded.
“I can do what I want.” She sat up straight and crossed her legs.
With every lingering second that he stared her up and down, she reconsidered her confession.
Jio lit his blunt again and said, “But not who you want.”
The statement landed exactly the way he’d intended, and she hated it.
Jio had spent years learning every version of her, and he’d be damned if another nigga got the woman he built up. He lovedPolishedNina.BrokenNina.AngryNina.ConfusedNina.Anxious and ambitiousNina.HolyNina.DepressedNina and his all-time never-changing favorite,FreakyNina. And shethought another nigga was about to get his baby? He would slice his neck open before he let that happen… the other man’s neck to be clear. Jio loved the public and private version of Nina. He could read her thoughts before they became real words.
“Touche,” she tossed back. If she wasn’t allowed to give her pussy away, then he needed to hand over the keys to his drawers. She didn’t want to even think about him fuckin’ other women, but she wasn’t stupid. Someone was draining his load.
Maybe it was the hoe from the bank.
They didn’t talk for a while. Peaches was on the stage causing a thunderstorm with how much money niggas was pulling out of they pockets. She was like a sister to him, so he didn’t draw his attention that way.
Instead, he took all of his lady in.
“Why didn’t you wear the other earrings I got you?” he wanted to know.
“I love these. I’ve been wearing them a lot lately,” she answered as she touched her ears. They were tiny diamond-encrusted hoops. Nina knew the pair he was referring to, but it was something about this pair that she loved. Maybe it was because they were the first set of earrings that he bought her.
