Читать книгу Careful of the Company You Keep - Angie Daniels - Страница 13

7

Danielle

I watched Ron with that bitch on his arm. I didn’t want to stare, but his walk demanded my attention. I hadn’t seen him in five months and just the sight of him caused old feelings to resurface. There was something about him that did things to me. He had obviously moved on, yet I couldn’t help feeling jealous the way the two of them were hugged up. I felt hate. I felt love. I felt like going over and demanding that bitch leave my man alone. Luckily, I remembered he no longer belonged to me. Damn! Am I ever going to get over him? It’s been months, yet he’s all I can think about. I am so pathetic. I don’t know if I’ll ever love anyone like him. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to.

“I know who that is,” I heard Renee say when she returned to the table with our drinks.

I should have known Renee was going to bring Ron back up when she returned. Knowing her, she went over to the bar just so she could get a closer look. “Who?” I asked, trying hard to sound like it didn’t matter one way or the other.

“He’s with that bitch Rosalyn.”

The name didn’t ring a bell. “You know her?”

Renee nodded and took a sip. “Yep. She used to mess with my cousin Dirt. Straight ho. I heard she’s got the package.”

“Which package?”

She pursed her lips. “Herpes.”

“Hell nah!” I couldn’t help but feel relieved by what she said even though it was probably just one of the hundreds of rumors floating around this little-ass town.

“Danny, if that’s what Ron wants, then so be it.”

That was easy for her to say. She left her husband because she caught him fucking another man in the ass. The only reason Ron and I weren’t still together was because of my daughter’s lie. I wanted so badly to get out of my seat and go over there and talk to him. Don’t you dare do it! Fine. Besides, I’m sure Renee would kick my ass if I even tried.

I sipped my drink and watched the two of them walking around the building, he in front and she right behind on his heels. As much as I hated it, they looked good together. She had more curves than a cul-de-sac. Full breasts. A wide ass and a narrow waistline. She was wearing low-rider jeans and a midriff sweater that showed off her belly ring. Ron was wearing loose-fitting jeans and a T-shirt that couldn’t hide the massive muscles in his arms and chest. I wanted to reach out and take a bite. He had bowed legs. Dammit! Just knowing someone else was now riding my dick was hard for me to accept. Instead, I was left feigning for him and thinking if he would just give me one more chance things would be so much different.

My nostrils flared. It wasn’t fair! I had waited almost two years for him to grow up and get a job. And as soon as he had gotten himself together and things in our relationship had just started to get better, my daughter stepped in and fucked everything up.

“You need to quit staring before he notices.”

I blushed. I should have known Renee was watching me. “Damn, am I that pathetic?”

“Danny, I know you ain’t still trippin’ off of Ron. After he spat in your face, he would be the last man I’d want to be with.”

I took a sip from my glass, ignoring her comment, and was glad when David came over and led her back out onto the dance floor. Sometimes my best friend gets on my last nerve. What she’ll never understand is that it doesn’t matter how long I date Calvin, I will never get over my one true love. No one can make me feel like Ron does. The brother was slinging dick for days, and nothing beats being in bed with a thug.

I forced myself to look around the room but my eyes kept landing on Ron and that ho he had on his arm.

If Portia hadn’t lied, we’d still be together.

Or maybe not.

I released a heavy sigh. Maybe it was time for me to let go and move on. After all, it was Ron’s loss. I had been a hell of a good woman to him for over two years, and up until the last couple of months all he had done was use me. My utilities had gotten turned off so many times even though Ron claimed he had paid the bill. Then there were the calls from his baby’s mama in the middle of the night. For real, he wasn’t even worth my time and I wasn’t sure why I still wanted him, but I did.

Just get over him.

I looked over in time to catch Ron looking in my direction and quickly turned my head. The last thing I wanted him to know was that I still loved him.

Renee returned, reached for her drink, and brought it to her lips, then started bobbing her head. Everything was going to be all right. I could feel it. As long as you stop staring at Ron.

Focusing on the opposite side of the room, I spotted a tall, thuggish-looking brotha with Hershey’s chocolate skin. Good God Almighty! I had never seen him before in my life, and I thought I knew everybody. My heart started pounding. And when he glanced over in my direction and the two of us made eye contact, I wiped my mouth to make sure I wasn’t drooling all over myself.

Renee noticed, too. “Goddamn, the cutie is sweating your ass.”

“And I’m checking his ass out, too.”

It wasn’t long after, he walked across the room and stopped right in front of our table, and I thought I was going to fall out of my chair.

“Hey, sexy, you want to dance?”

I was tongue-tied. All I could do was sit there and stare at his sexy gold-tooth smile.

Renee intervened. “Hell yeah, she wants to dance.”

Nodding, I rose from my seat and followed him out onto the dance floor. The last time I was caught slow dancing in the club with another man, Ron had come over and started a fight. I glanced over to the right to make sure Ron wasn’t paying attention. He wasn’t.

“What’s your name?”

I smiled up at my partner and wrapped my arms loosely around his waist. “Danielle. Yours?”

“Chance.”

Ooh, his name was just as sexy as he was.

I leaned against him, and together we swayed side to side to the beat of the music. I gazed up into a pair of mesmerizing hazel eyes. Damn, could the brotha possibly be any finer? “You new in town?”

“Yes and no,” he began with a pearly white grin. “I went to school at Lincoln University and used to kick it up here all the time.”

“Where’d you grow up?”

“St. Louis. But I’ve been back a month. If I can find myself a good woman I’d have a reason to stay.” The music slowed down and Chance pulled me snugly into his arms and I closed my eyes and smiled. Damn, it felt good being held by him. Why couldn’t it be this way with Calvin?

When the song ended he pulled back slightly and stared down at me again. “I’ll let you get back to yo girl. But first put your number in my phone just in case you try to sneak out before I get those digits.”

I smiled and tried to hide my excitement. The last thing I wanted him to know was how much I was feeling him.

“Holla at me before you leave.”

I nodded, then sashayed back to the table and caught Ron staring. I tossed my head back and laughed all the way back to our table. Good for his ass.