Page 3 of Kisses Behind the Spotlight

“I brought more than enough cup noodles. You can have a cup or two,” he offered, shoving me to the side again. “Take the one out of the microwave since you’re so hungry. I can make another cup.”

“Xain, are you for real? I’m not eating cup noodles. Either whip out your phone to order me something off DoorDash or room service, or I’m going to start screaming. I don’t give a damn if I’m going to die of starvation anyways!”

“Go ‘head, scream,” Xain encouraged, standing on his feet to grab the duffle bag behind me. A pleasantly masculine combination of citrus and smoky wood smacked me in the face when Xain reached behind me, only making me hungrier. “You think I give a fuck? I said I bought cup noodles. This ain’t a fucking vacation. You’re here because you were sticking your nose in the wrong business. I’ll slap this duct tape across yo fat ass mouth and those lil ass wrists so fucking fast, you’ll add being thirsty and immobile on top of being hungry around this bitch.”

He tossed a roll of duct tape onto the table, and I swallowed hard. We stood immobile, staring at each other for what felt like forever. Xain was tall, dark-skinned, and built like he went to the gym daily. I could even be honest and say he was fine. Yet, Xain acted like a miserable nigga who didn’t get coochie on the regular.

“When will Stepp be back?” I questioned, indignation surging through me with each passing second.

“Ion fucking know. All I know is you better eat the cup noodles and shut the fuck up. You not about to pester me all fucking day.”

I went into the kitchen area and snatched the cup noodles out of the microwave. The small dining room table was a few feet away from Xain. I hoped he could feel my eyes shooting daggers at him with every angry bite I took of the noodles. They cured my hunger, but I wasn’t happy about it at all.

“See, the noodles doin’ you just right,” Xain laughed, not bothering to take his eyes off of the game.

“Xain, fuck you,” I spat, tossing the remaining noodle juice on him. His face and shirt were soaked.

He jolted from the sofa and snatched his shirt off to clean the side of his head. “The noodles doin’ you just right,” I cackled, but that quickly turned into a loud yelp.

Xain snatched me up by my right arm and shoved me towards the bedroom.

“Xain! Get…”

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The banging at the door startled both of us, and our eyes swiveled in that direction. “Xain! I know you’re not in a hotel room with another bitch! This how we playing it, Xain?”

Xain’s hand was over my mouth before I could yelp for help from whoever was looking for his deranged ass. He hoisted me into the air and carried me towards the bedroom while the woman continued beating on the door, shouting between every few words. The door beeped, and surprisingly it swung open. We were greeted by a beautiful dark-skinned woman with a perfect silk press and a professional dress hugging her curvaceous body. We all stood frozen for a few seconds until Xain broke the silence.

“Salena, let me explain. This is…” Xain started, but his words were cut short when the woman charged at us like a raging bull. I tried to sidestep and let them handle whatever they had going on, but the rage I thought she was about to unleash on Xain went straight to me. Salena mushed my face so hard that I fell against the back of the couch.

“Are you fucking my husband?” Salena interrogated, hovering over me like an animal stalking its prey.

“Nah, we in here playing badminton,” I taunted. “What other reason do consenting adults get hotel rooms?”

If she wanted the truth, she should’ve asked nicely. Hell, I even figured the lie would get Xain to leave with this dizzy bitch. It was clear that their relationship was on the rocks for his wife to pop up here on her lunch break, ready to show her ass.

Salena lunged forward, but Xain snatched me up to separate us. “Bae. She’s lying!”

“You’re in a hotel with this woman with no shirt on, but you expect me to believe your lying ass mouth and not my own eyes? Fuck you, Xain. And you’re protecting her. Your hands are on her, not me, your wife.”

“I’m handling something for Vincent! I swear it’s not like that,” Xain explained, but his wife shrugged him off.

“It’s your birthday week. We are supposed to be in Greece, but you canceled the trip last minute, claiming something came up. Is this what came up, Xain?”

“I promise. I swear this is Anila’s niece. Get Vincent on the phone! This ain’t what you think it is. This hoe lyin’.”

My head was ping-ponging between the two, watching the intense marital showdown, ready to hear what would come next. Xain might not have been cheating, but he definitely wasn’t prioritizing his marriage. Canceling his trip to Greece to hold me hostage was definitely a choice. “Hoe? Boy fuck you! Don’t call me out of my name.”

Xain shoved me away from him and moved towards his wife. Over the drama in their crumbling marriage, I made strides towards the door, hopeful that Xain would be too distracted to care about me escaping. However, that wasn’t the case at all. I only made it a few steps before he snatched me back by the hem of my shirt like a bad-ass kid, and shoved me further into the hotel room. That gesture infuriated Salena, and she spun on her heels, storming towards the door. Xain released my shirt and jogged behind Salena.

“Don’t touch me, Xain!” Salena screamed, swatting his hands away. “Even if I were dumb enough to believe that you aren’t in here laid up with her, that doesn’t make it any better. You chose work over quality time with your wife again!”

Loud sobs escaped Salena as she rushed out of the room. Xain’s head swiveled between me and the door his wife stormed out of. I could see the competing impulses warring in his mind. Should he chase his wife or remain on guard with me? After a few seconds, Xain snatched me up and carried me into the bedroom.

“What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be going after your wife?” I badgered, struggling against his grasp, feet kicking the air.

“I am. But you have to stay here!” Xain exclaimed before plopping me down in the small, dark closet. I stumbled back from the force of him dropping me, my head tapping against the wall. Before my brain could fully process what was happening, the door slammed shut in my face. When I jiggled the doorknob, the closet door wouldn’t open. This motha fucka had wedged something against the door to lock me in.