Lonely Together

08

VALENTINO

A few days had passed since my date with Mariah, and I'm not sure I had even so much as smiled since then.

I had never been a happy person—it just wasn't who I am. The closest person in my life I had to being happy were Ashti and Wesley's daughter, Riley, and that wasn't even enough to make me crack a genuine smile most times.

Yet with Mariah, it came so naturally that I never even noticed it until she smiled along with me as well. It terrified me. Although we hadn't gone too far at all and had only been on two dates, things still seemed to be progressing fast since she had already been at my house. I couldn't deny that I liked it though.

I also couldn't deny the fact that my secret was already beginning to eat away at me. I could already tell she thought I was this on-the-right-track gentleman type guy—which I was—I just happened to be in the most notorious gang in the country and maybe even the world.

I never put Mariah in danger, the night at my club we had undercover guards around us and on our date as well. But that didn't eliminate the fact that even my mere presence put her in more danger than the average person.

After texting Mariah all Wednesday night, I woke up Thursday morning with a mission. Standing from my bed, I rushed down the hallway and into my office where I immediately got on my computer.

For about ten minutes, I searched for bookstores around me that also had cafés. That was one thing about Mariah that I had learned so far—she loved iced coffee and reading. She was a nerd but I liked it.

As soon as I found a place with good reviews and reached for my phone to call her. She told me that she was off of work today, so I just hoped she didn't have anything planned.

"Hey, Valentino," she spoke sweetly over the phone, sounding fully awake.

"Do you have any plans this morning?"

"No...why?" She said suspiciously, dragging out her statement.

"Get dressed, we're going somewhere," I told her simply, a smirk on my face as I anticipated her reaction. I knew it would be good.

"Demanding are we?" She remarked over the phone and I knew he had a smile etched on her beautiful face.

"Just be ready. I'll be there in hour."

"It takes you that long to get ready?"

"No, I know it takes you that long. Don't forget that you weren't ready last time."

"Touché," she said with a soft laugh before hanging up the phone.

I stood from my desk and made my way back to my room, taking a quick shower before getting out to shave my face. I did so as slowly as possible to avoid any cuts, so she was definitely right about my taking a long time to get ready.

When I was done, I slipped on a pair of black jeans and a black, long-sleeved button up over top. I liked to mix dressy with casual, so I slipped on a pair of black and white Jordans on my feet and put my small, gold chain around my neck. I fastened my watch, slipped on some rings, sprayed some cologne, and grabbed a jacket before I was out the door and on my way to pick her up.

I waved at her doorman quickly and made my way over to the elevator without him protesting at all. I made a mental note to look into who owned her apartment—there was no reason that there shouldn't have been precautions about who was allowed upstairs.

I knocked on the door of her apartment, but doubted she could hear me from the loud music blaring from the side. Surprisingly, she opened the door quickly while she picked her hair out ferociously. I really liked her hair in an afro.