Page 37 of The Need to Know

My pale pink romper it was. Summer was here and the Georgian heat did not come to play. The spaghetti-stringed outfit provided plenty of skin, from the cleavage to my legs. Paisley and I’d just gotten our toes done so everything was set.

I thought about pulling my hair back into a bun, but decided at the last minute just as my doorbell rang that loose and big was the look of the day.

Scorsese ran by me up the steps as I came down them, as he often did when he sensed a stranger coming over.

In the mirror by the front door, I did a last minute primp session: smoothing out my eyebrows, adjusting my cleavage, angling my body to see if my ass looked cute in the peek-a-boo slit the romper offered. This wasn’t a date, but that didn’t mean a girl couldn’t be on her shit.

After taking a deep breath, I let it out and pulled the front door open.

Ezekiel stood on my front porch, his eyes instantly zeroing in on me as a big grin spread across his handsome face. “Hey.”

I took a step back, leaving room for him to enter. “Hey.”

Ezekiel didn’t budge. “So, you ready to go?”

We weren’t staying in. A small sense of worry left my shoulders as the vagueness of this being sexual or not went out the window.

I grabbed my purse from my front table and looped it over my shoulder. “Yeah.”

Ezekiel stepped to the side. “After you.”

In my double driveway, a nice, huge, black Escalade with tinted windows was parked beside my car.

Of course he drove something lavish.

Ezekiel came up beside me, taking my hand and escorting me over to the truck. “Excuse the size. I would’ve taken my Acura, but for what I had planned, I needed the room.”

He had planned something for us. Just the idea of him putting in effort had him in my good graces. Strike one.

With his hand on the small of my back, he went and opened my door for me and helped me inside.

The truck held a new car smell, which mixed with whatever cologne Ezekiel wore. In the large space of the Escalade, I was consumed with the scent of him swirling around, intoxicating me.

He came and got in behind the wheel, pushing the Start button before settling back and buckling in as I did the same.

The radio resumed, Ari Lennox was on, and I admired the way Ezekiel appeared to be a fan as he made no effort to change from the R&B songstress.

“Before we go, let’s get one thing straight,” he began as he glanced at me. “You’re safe with me.”

“Ezek—”

“Nah, I know you don’t know me, but I’m not like them corny-ass dudes you used to. You’re straight with me.” The serious look on his face had me simply nodding along. “You sounded scared on the phone and I just want it clear now that I’m not on no creep shit.”

I had a right to be apprehensive. A multitude of men sucked, but being positive, I decided to extend Ezekiel some courtesy. “Okay.”

“Paisley know you’re with me, right?” he made sure to ask.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Cease knows I’m with you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ezekiel shrugged as he faced behind us and backed out of the driveway. “I gotta watch my back, too, I’m not just anybody.”

I rolled my eyes and tried to hide my smile. “Uh-huh.”

“How was work?” he wanted to know as he began driving toward his destination.