Wanted For Pleasure: vol 3

|19| Honey I'm Home

"Thanks again for the ride, bro." I tell Tate in the car.

He turns the country music down to wink at me. "Don't mention it, man." He starts to drive with one hand, the other offering me a beer.

I take it only because I know he'll say it's rude or pussy not to accept.

"Thanks." I reply quietly, cracking the can open.

Nasty. I hate beer.

Tate laughs out loud. "Hey, I been meaning to ask you somethin'."

"What's up?" I burp, sitting back in the passenger seat.

Tate wets his paper thin lips, laughs, and then looks at me briefly. "You and Jasmine's ex, y'all were pretty close, I hear..."

"Oh, Jabari? Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I shake my head. "I didn't want to get into it, man, what she does with you is her trifling business."

"I guess you don't approve of us sleeping around, huh?"

I laugh at him. "I don't approve anything she does."

"You always give her a hard time like that?" He cracks up.

I hang my head. "Jasmine's Jasmine. Just, treat her right or you'll have to hear from Morgan."

"Speaking of, Morgan is such a darlin' little thing. You're lucky, man, I tell ya." Tate starts to smile as my fiancé is brought up.

I narrow my eyes on him, wondering why his eyes grew bigger at the mention of Morgan.

Oh, yeah, that reminds me...

"Actually, speaking of my fiancé, she told me you sent her a text after dinner the other night. What's that about?"

"I was just making sure she was home safe - being a southern gent and all." Tate claims, shrugging it off.

"I don't know about you being a gentleman, but I do know you kept complimenting her all night-"

"What, are you going to beat me up 'cause I think you bagged a ten? Listen, you have a total hottie, it would be disrespectful if I didn't think so. Take it as a compliment, her being hot is a reflection of you, man. Seriously, I meant nothing by it."

I stare at Tate a second longer but he doesn't fold.

He chuckles a little and then elbows me. "Dude, I'd never do that to you. Come on! Don't make me kick your ungrateful ass out of this Hummer."

"I'm gonna believe you." I ease up, taking another sip of beer.

Tate slaps my hand twice. "As you should," he exhaled heavily, "as you should."

✕

Slam!

I force the passenger door shut and carry myself and my bags to the front door.

Duke and Stevie come running, excited to see me. I know to them, it feels like I've been gone forever.

Tate stays in the truck, taking a phone call. If it weren't for Jasmine's freeloading ass being here, I'd ask him to leave.

"Honey, I'm home." I grumble sarcastically, dropping my keys in the appropriate dish in the foyer.

Hearing no response, I drop my luggage and walk further inside.

I make my way around the house until I see Morgan and Jasmine sitting with some lady at the dining room table. They're having tea and looking at different shades of white fabric squares.