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Shakira was nodding along the entire time like everything I had planned sounded good. But then I realized I’d forgotten one of the most important parts, treating it like an afterthought when I said, “Ohyeah. And they’ll also be filming me for part of the trip, which would mean filming you too unless you don’t wanna be, of course.”
“Filming you for what?” Shakira asked. “Social media content?”
“I’m sure it’ll end up on social media,” I told her. “But nah, it’s actually for a TV show that focuses on what athletes do outside of their respective sports.”
“You’re talkin’ about Beyond the Bench with Bleu Taylor?”
“Yeah, how’d you know?” I asked, genuinely curious since it wasn’t like Shakira wasthatinto sports.
But it all made sense once she explained, “Hunter was featured on one of her Sunday segments before it became a full thing, andthat’show I found out Bleu is friends with the nail lady I use whenever I’m in NYC. So now we follow each other on social media and occasionally “like” each other’s pictures, which basically means we’re besties.”
Smiling at her logic, I replied, “Well I’m sure yourbestiewould be thrilled if you showed your face on camera for a few seconds.”
“I’d be happy to,” Shakira confirmed as she hopped down from the counter, a smirk on her face when she moved to stand in front of me and added, “Gotta let these hoes know you’re unavailable.” And when she tightly wrapped her arms around my waist like she was staking her claim, I couldn’t help but laugh as I sucked my back teeth and suggested, “Man, ain’t nobody worried about me.”
“Please,” she stated in disagreement. “I can guarantee there’s plenty of filth sitting in your Instagram DMs right now that says otherwise.”
“And your shit is probably just as bad,” I argued, Shakira opting not to confirm or deny what I already knew when she replied, “Don’t deflect, Kendall.”
That honestly wasn’t my intention, but the facts were the facts. And since we were already on the subject, I decided to take the opportunity to let it be known where I stood with all that when I proclaimed, “As long as you ain’t entertaining none of that shit, I’m good.”
“And the same goes for you, Mr. Dogwood,” Shakira replied, the warning glare she paired with it lowkey comical since she knew good and well I wasn’t on that. But with her relationship history considered, I knew she had every reason to be deadass, which meant I was just as serious when I cupped her face and told her, “You have my word.”
