“They get that honestly.” Marv smirked before looking over at Navy. “You mind if I go see what these fools talking ’bout? They probably done started an argument with security already. They wild as fuck.”
“I’ll survive,” she teased.
“Them niggas don’t know how to act when they get together.”
“I believe it.” she said.
“I’ll be right back.” He pushed his chair back and disappeared into the growing crowd before I looked over at Milan. She’d been staring at her phone for the last couple ofminutes, looking like she has an attitude every time another notification popped up on her screen.
“You good?” I asked.
She sighed. “I forgot I volunteered to cover breakfast tomorrow.”
I looked at my watch. “What time?”
“Seven.” She laughed to herself before locking her phone and slipping it into her purse. “If I don’t leave now, I’ma hate myself in the morning.”
“You want me to have the driver take you?”
“I already called an Uber.”
I gave her a serious look. “When you with me, that’s an insult to call an Uber. That’s what I have drivers for. You’re good when you’re with me. Cancel the Uber.”
Milan slowly licked her lips and smirked. “Damn Lev, I was trying to be considerate.” She nodded before standing, straightening the front of her dress with both hands. “Y’all have fun. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I sent a text to the driver letting him know that she was heading out and to make sure she got home safely. “Aight.” I simply replied to her before adjusting my Glock in the small of my back making sure it was secured. I wasn’t fond about being in overcrowded places because that’s when the most shit popped off so I had to always make sure that I wasn’t caught slipping.
After hugging Navy goodbye and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, Milan disappeared toward the front entrance, leaving an empty chair between us that neither one of us moved to. For a few seconds, we just watched the room. The DJ had officially yelled over the mic now as a birthday celebration erupted across the floor as two bottle girls carried sparklers through the crowd while people standing from nearby tables started to clap and record. The waitresses squeezed between dancing bodies like itwas second nature, and what had started as dinner had officially become another Saturday night in Miami’s party life.
“You come to places like this a lot?” Navy asked, turning the stem of her glass between her fingers while looking around. “This is my first time here although I heard about it. It kind of reminds me of Tootsies Cabaret.”
“It depends.”
She smiled. “On what?”
“Whether I’m working or enjoying myself.”
“And what about tonight?”
I looked over her. “I ain’t decided yet.”
She kept that smile on her face before she took another sip of her drink with her eyes drifting back toward the dance floor. “I don’t think I’ve been out like this in…probably over a year.”
I didn’t answer right away, instead I kept listening to every word and every little hesitation that came before she decided how much she wanted to say. “I used to work so much, then…” She stopped herself, giving a small shrug before forcing a smile. “Life happened; I guess.”
Life happened,I thought to myself. Other people would’ve let the conversation die there, but I wasn’t most people. “I’ve learned that’s usually code for a story.”
She looked over at me for a second before letting out a deep breath. “It usually is.”
I made sure I gave her my undivided attention. “But you ain’t ready to tell it.”
She stared in my eyes for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head. “No…not yet.”
I nodded. “Fair enough.”
I didn’t push because I didn’t need to. People volunteered information when they were ready. My job was simply paying attention when they did. I could tell everything about my presence made her nervous.
Navy took another sip of her drink while her eyes followed a chick near the edge of the dance floor who had been trying to teach her man the same two-step for the last five minutes. The nigga kept moving in the wrong direction, nearly stepping on her toes every time she pulled him closer, and Navy finally laughed when the girl gave up and pushed him away.
