Nina rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I said.”
“I know but you do.”
Because Jio always made her feel seen. Not just admired but seen with the naked eye, and trust, it was a huge difference that mattered so deeply to her.
Most people saw Nina Marcelle and nothing else. She was more than a CEO. She wasn’t just a living legacy and public figure. She was a girl with crushed feelings that still got out of bed every single morning and put one foot in front of the other.
She cried herself to sleep plenty of nights, wishing she had her man to hold her until she drifted off to sleep. Nina missed telling him all of her secrets, wishes, dreams, and desires. Hewas her best friend, and with him in her corner, she didn’t question every decision she had to make.
“Are you happy?”
The question arrived unexpectedly and just like that, everything shifted. Nina tried to crawl out of his lap, but he wouldn’t let her, so she chose to look away instead.
“Why can’t you answer or look at me?”
She knew he struggled with rejection.
Happiness had become a complicated subject because she had her career. Her parents were slowly loosening the reins. Her schedule was filled on a daily basis but she liked the routine she’d fallen into. She was being more diligent with reconnecting to old friends and finding new ones. She discovered her purpose, or at least she thought that she did. The question was a loaded one that she didn’t have the answer to.
“I’m not miserable or anything,” she shared with him.
Nina was still searching for happiness that didn’t include Jio, but she wouldn’t dare say that. His feelings mattered to her and they always would.
The awkward silence in a crowded strip club told him everything he needed to know.
He’d always been a professional at reading between the lines.
“I made you happy and that’s okay because you made me happy too.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. His voice was softer and the guard had come down.
Nothing else needed to be said. She remained in his lap like a little girl who wanted to be held by her daddy, and he puffed on his weed, getting higher than ever.
They were old friends, former lovers, and two people who had survived each other and somehow still found themselves sitting at the same table. His folks were ready to roll to the next spot. They made themselves into their orbit. Nina was always fascinated by how his family doted on him without making toomuch of a fuss. He was the leader and they all knew it. Jio didn’t verbally demand the respect. It was as if the leadership merely existed inside his bones. It was normal for everyone to listen and trust him, including her.
Nina figured that someone Jio knew had entered their section because a genuine smile appeared on his face. When she turned around, it was Peaches that she saw.
He reached into his pockets and handed the woman every dollar he had.
“Nigga, no…” she shook her head. She had a good night tonight. His money wasn’t necessarily needed.
“Take it.”
“No, man. I’m good.”
“Take it before one of these other hoes snatch it up,” he kept it real.
She rolled her eyes as she slipped the money in her fanny pack.
Nina smiled, it was moments such as these that reminded her why she had fallen in love with him.
Eventually she stood. “Give me a hug. I’m happy I came out tonight,” she said to Peaches.
“Me too! Don’t be a stranger.”
Nina promised to do better and she planned on keeping her word.
“I’m out of here, Peach,” Jio announced.
“So that’s it?” She eyed him up and down.
