⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀AMOS PUSHED THE vehicle in park as he waited. He stared up at the large house, waiting for Apryl to exit out the tall, glass double doors. He glanced down, pinching at his nails as a small hangnail caught his attention. It was weird to him that even the smallest scrap of skin could hurt so badly. He lifted his index finger to his mouth, trying to trim it with his teeth as he returned his eyes forward. He paused in the middle of his action as Apryl skipped out, walking carefully to his truck even though she had sandals, that strapped around her ankles, on. He pushed his door out and exited, making his way around the front of the mobile. He couldn't help but admire her beauty— her petite frame, fair, clear skin and just the overall way she carried and kept herself up.
She giggled covering her face to the side behind her red nails that matched her read purse she held by the shorter straps in the opposite hand. She smiled hard as he beat her to passenger side, opening the door for her. She felt her cheeks heat in a blush as he grabbed her hand, lifting her up. He'd noticed her toes were painted red too as she did. He gave her a light smack on her butt as it flashed across his face, squeezing the material of her light washed jeans. Her long sleeve, white crop top hugged her small waist and chest as her charmed 'A' necklace sat in the middle of her chest. Amos leaned upward, placing kisses on her glossed lips as she pecked his back.
He hurried back around to the other side to get in and pull out of the long driveway. As he did, he could see in the corner of his eye her adjusting her bun of fresh, black box braids on top of her head. Her lashes flared outward as she concentrated. "You look so good, mama." He complimented, trying to keep his attention on the road. He'd planned a date for her and he was excited to take her on it just a week after being back in town from home. It seemed she'd prepared well in the meantime too—popping out with a whole new hairdo on him. "Like amazin', fo'real." He continued.
She bit down on her lip then released, looking down inside of his whip. "Thank you, baby. You look fine as always." He sucked his teeth and glanced at her, stretching his neck. "Yeen' gotta' compliment me back every time. Ian' needing that because I legitimately think you look. .so good." He emphasized at the end, letting his teeth sink deeply into his bottom lip as he got another glance before refocusing on the road again. It was baffling to her how much him and Kielce were such opposites. She hated she compared them but it wasn't intentional and almost unavoidable.
She leaned her body over the armrest and clamped her hand beneath his chin, gently kissing the side of his neck. She let her lips brush against his ear as she whispered. "You really tryna' get some right here, right now." He shook his head in disagreement. He licked his lips. "Nah, baby. Ion' need that from you eitha'. Just seein' ya' face turn me on. I really just wanna kiss you and on you the rest of the day." She remained quiet, not having a remark to that. All she could do was turn to the side some so she'd be slightly face to face with him, planting small kisses on his lips as he kept firm attention to the street. She held the side of his face, slowing her kiss and pushed his lips apart. Her tongue slithered in as she shut her eyes, humming into his mouth softly.
It was as he could feel the glint of bliss polish over his eyes. He pulled back, enjoying it too much too soon into their first date. He wanted to start things off wholesome, not having this in a while but later, it could down. She noticed him pulling away and figured he was holding back but she didn't take it personal. She knew his intent was to be a gentleman if anything, not a disliking towards her. He was a more and more reassuring to her and her insecurities. She sat back against the passenger seat, saying, "I wanna ask where we're going but I don't want to ruin the surprise. I'm so excited, though." She smiled. He side smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, don't. Just sit back and enjoy the ride." She glanced in the corner of her eye, overlooking him. His royal blue shirt hung loosely from his body just right as his two angel chains sat on top of his chest perfectly. She never seen him without them, but she questioned it. His fitted cap sat on the edge of his head, tilted to the side some. "Oh, I am." She responded smoothly. He chuckled.
"You are poppin' yo' shit right na'. Them braids too tight?" She laughed too, nudging his arm. She relaxed more in her spot and crossed her legs at the ankle. She blew out a light breath and stayed quiet for a moment. She tapped her fingers against her thighs as the radio played low. She'd just noticed that and was surprised since he always liked to ride with it blasting any other time. She reached her hand forward to turn it up, thinking she might've recognized a song she liked at the low volume as she did. Once her fingers gripped the notch, he swatted her hand away. "Nah, talk to me." He demanded.
She blew out a soft breath and returned it to it's prior volume. She rested her back against the cushioning and thought while twisting her lips to the side. "I kinda wanna drop law school." Amos furrowed his brows and disagreed.
"Nah because if I get in some trouble, I'ma need you to be my lawyer." She chuckled, glancing at the side of him. "Then don't get in any trouble." She teased, he shrugged. They made small eye contact before him refocusing broke it. "But seriously, I don't know. I've been out of it. This break has been a big relief of all the stress I was under and I'm starting to wonder if this is what I really want to do. Besides there's more opportunity in New York." He nodded slowly to indicate he was listening.
"Whateva' you decide, I'll support. I just think you've came to far to just drop out, but y'know what do I know. I've never been to college." He encouraged. "Yea," She said softly, glancing out the window now with those thoughts back on her mind. They'd be running through it continuously but would slow down with Amos around. He was becoming to her as she was to him; a comfort, a safe place.
The continuous conversation made their ride fly by. They'd arrived to their destination within the next couple of minutes. He parked and cut off the ignition as she stared off into the distance out of the windshield. She could feel the small butterflies rove about within her stomach. She felt the sun hit her bare skin as her door was opened. He grabbed ahold of her hand and helped her down, smacking her butt once she was out. He let the door shut as they walked up to the facility slowly. "I didn't know what your favorite flowers were so I decided to bring you to a garden of 'em." He'd googled places to give himself ideas and the Atlanta Botanical Garden is what he settled with.
It wasn't too overtop but he felt it might've been pretty to her and right up her preppy alley. She smiled a close mouth smile widely as kept her eyes forward. He glanced into her face, doubting his decision as she didn't really give any reaction. "You'on like it?" She disagreed with a slow shake to her head.
"No, Am' I love it. It. .just kinda reminded me when I was a little girl. My dad have brought me here a couple of times." Amos sucked his teeth, disappointed in not bringing something new to the table.
"Damn, you've been here. I wasn't tryna' bring bad bad memories, my bad. We can g-" She giggled small at his panic. She rubbed her thumb against the top of his hand to rest his nerves.
"I mean I am from here since a little girl. I've been mostly all places here." He nodded in agreement, she did have a point. "But no, they're not bad memories. Total opposite. Kinda bittersweet because that's when he did have and make time for me." She mumbled towards the end, trailing off. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I know you'on talk about him much. It's aight, I hate my dad too. When the last time you've seen him?"
"I don't hate him. Just wish we had more time, sometimes. I live with him, but we haven't been face to face in the same room in some weeks now. Even then, it seemed it was a brief moment." Apryl reminisced before snapping back into the moment. She grabbed ahold of his wrist, pulling him to the entrance. "Enough of that, let's enjoy our first date, baby!" She exclaimed excitedly.
He followed close behind as they got into the area after compensation for entry. They walked through the garden of flowers, different scrubs and trees. They'd admired the different sculptures that were made out of greenery, but the one that always stood out to apryl, even as a little girl, was the woman sculpture near the waterfall. It reminded her of the goddess from Moana now later in life once seeing the movie.
Te Fiti always gave a representation of a black woman in her opinion —strong, powerful, able to create something that everyone seemed to enjoy and take from her. Without her, there would've been nothing but she gave willingly. Even that wasn't enough, instead they had to have her heart. An egotistic man stole her heart for his own image. It angered her as it would anyone and of course as a black woman, her anger would be written in. Anger boiling like lava, to where she became it. Painted as monster, Te Kā, because her pain was misunderstood. Heartless, destructive from the hurt and pain causes of a man. Yet soon as it was returned, she immediately forgives.
Her entire perspective ran through her head as the waters trickled down from the fingers of the scrub. The flowers that made up her hair bloomed the colors of green, pink, and purple. Not vibrant colors but calm as the rest of the scenery. She breathed in deeply. Apryl felt the need to apply the lesson she'd gathered from a children's movie. She needed to forgive the man who'd stolen her heart. Who might that be? In turn, give back to the man who restored it. She glanced over at Amos and smiled slightly, admiring his glances over the scenery she very well knew wasn't probably a scene of his personal liking. But he'd done it, gone out his way, out of his comfort zone for her.
He must've felt her glares piercing into his skin as he faced her instantly. He side smiled and raised an eyebrow in wonder of what boggled her mind. She bit down on her lip, "Wanna get something to eat?" She asked before he could question her of her staring. He agreed as she led him to a snack hut she recalled them having middle ways of the park. It wasn't long before they found one, then both getting sandwiches and beverages plus kettle corn for Apryl since he didn't care for that type of popcorn, they found a nearby bench, away from the others but where they could still enjoy their surroundings.
Apryl chewed on the popcorn as she held the sandwich up in her lap. Her drink sat between the two as Amos took a bite out his sandwich. He licked the leaking condiments off his fingers and lips swiftly, looking over at her. Apryl did the same before rubbing her thumb over a spot he'd missed. She couldn't help but lean over and leave a kiss along his lips. He reopened his eyes once she eased back and looked at her lips. "I know it's not much, you probably was expecting some fancy shit for the first date but I wanted to do som—"
"Amos, you never have to try to impress me. I mean look. I've been to five star places because of my dad but the one place I mention about remembering good memories from is here. I don't need all that extra stuff. I've got you and all this, this sandwich, popcorn, and flowers means more to me than any restaurant or uppity art exhibit or something could mean." Amos smiled, her taking the words right from his mouth. "I mean, of course I'd enjoy that too," She nudged, making him laugh. "But this much more wholesome and personal . .to me."
"You sumn' else." He chuckled more, looking away. He bit into his bottom lip and glanced back at her. "You everything." They stared off into each other's orbs for a moment, almost as if they were getting lost. Here he was some, some hood boy from the rough patches of Virginia with some rich girl in the middle of Atlanta. Who would've guessed. Months ago, you couldn't have convinced him. A lot had occurred though you wouldn't have convinced him of happening months ago. Breaking their eye contact was the sound of his phone ringing. He retracted it from his back pocket and looked at the contact identity.
"It's Ramon." He said disappointedly, but mostly surprised. Apryl looked at him. She hid her slight let down as she urged for him to answer it. "I don't wanna ruin the date." She gave him an uncertain look as he sighed small and slid the icon to answer. She sipped her drink as she couldn't hear Ramon, but heard the short words Amos would say as a response. Probably not even a minute later, he hung up. He flicked his straw before taking a sip from it. "They wanted me to. . work a shift tonight. In 'bout an hour." He muttered.
He gave his attention to her as she hid her disappointment. She smiled with her mouth closed as she stood up quickly. She held out her hand as she'd stuffed her foods into the opposite one. "Well we better get to walking fast, huh? I at least want you to see the China doll lookin' sculpture. It's like my second favorite. Oh, how I wish you could see the park at night and on holidays? So gorgeous, with all the lights and stuff." She talked continuously as he'd stood up and allowed her to lead him the rest of the date.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀RAP MUSIC BLARED through the speakers of The Ace as it was only moments before opening. These tunes are motivation to hype the dancers up as their time was soon to come. Ramon held the back door open as Amos walked through slowly. He glanced around the back of the club as the door was closed behind him. "Glad ya' could make it. Now tonight might be'a bit of an uproar, homie. Nun ya' can't handle though." You could hear the Hispanic accent in his voice. Amos nodded, not wanting to say too much.
He'd hated he had to end the date early with Apryl for this, but she seemed understanding. She was the one who got him the job in the first place and he was the one who wanted it. It was what had to be for now for him to continue to take her on more dates, but with earned money. The two men walked through the club as some dancers would pass by, but Amos refrained from looking. He clinched his jaw unknowingly and asked, "So where i'ma be?"
Ramon made a gesture with his pains facing downward as the moved down. "I was gettin' to that. You'll be workin' the floor tonight. Just look afta' the girls, make sure nobody get too handsy, feel me?" Amos nodded again, this time in understanding as the background got his attention. He'd seen men unloading things from a van into a nearby room. He noticed guns on the men's side, making him wonder what they were into. Was everything here legit? He felt he'd be stupid to even think it wasn't anything twisted possibly going on in a strip club on top of being in Atlanta.
"Ayo, you good?" Ramon patted his backhand against Amos chest, breaking his attention from the background job. He bobbed his head up and down, tilting his head downward to look at his contact with him. He started with the triangle tattoo on his forearm that resembled the illuminati figment. He glanced back up at his face, making Ramon chuckle and retract his hand. "My bad, homes. I was just tryna' get ya' attention," he head nodded in the way he was just formerly looking, "but aye, maybe you'll be a runner one day."
Amos knitted his brows together. Before he could question his meaning, someone's voice called out for him as it got closer. "Aye, Ray." The two turned to the voice as it was now right upon them. Amos stared in the face of the man as the guy did the same but soon faced back to Ramon. Amos took note of the few dents in his forehead whereas tattoos along his face dropped not far below them. "They need ya' in the back." His slouchy eyes found Amos again in curiosity. "And who might this be?"
"This Am', new muscle in the building." Ramon nudged the back of his elbow against his side as the two didn't break the intense eye contact. The tension was unsettling, but neither could place it anywhere other than two men in each other's presence and not knowing of the other. The guy nodded his head slowly, flexing his jaw slightly.
"Aight." He said simply. He shrugged his shoulders and put his fist into his hands. "Just wonderin' why I'm just now findin' out." He reached into his pocket, making Amos' eyes follow and take a small step back, but he'd only retrieved a pack of cigarettes, pulling one from the box and lingering it between his lips without a light.
"Aye, Apryl brought him in. Y'know I'd run it by you, P." P scoffed, looking at the two. He sent Ramon to help the others with a head nodded backwards as he glanced at the time on his watch. "I guess bout time for you muscle. Floor two." Amos looked at him and only turned away to find a staircase. He felt no need to say anything to him nor pick a fight tonight. Something about the man, or 'P' as Ramon referred to him as, felt strange. He didn't ignore that unsettled feeling he felt. However if anything, he'd just wished to return to Apryl. For one, to ask how she'd had connections as she did with this place and the men who worked inside of it. For two, to finish the earlier day into the night and of intimacy.
P looked over Amos, not able to put his finger on what about him bothered him. He hated new faces especially once he didn't recruit. They were in too risky of a business to be hiring just anybody, they'd have to prove trustworthy. He also believe out of anyone, Apryl would know that considering. It must've been a little so-called boyfriend of hers, who her father would not come close to approving. It was obvious he must've not known about the new male in her life. His intent wasn't to throw her under the bus, though. He'd find out in due time. "Pierre!" He turned to the voice of Kitty as he stormed up to him. "You've had me at this fuckin' club all damn day. I want some food, water, something! Ian' leave Virginia for this shit!"
"Yeah, you also ain't got shit in Virginia either. I told you I got you then I got you. Yeen' gotta be pushing' up my back about the shit." Kitty looked at him as if he was crazy and it was then Pierre calmed his tone with him. "Aye, listen, go to the food bar and getcha' some wings on me and whatever else you want then meet me in room B and I'll tell you what I'ma need you to do. Yeen' strippin'. .but. . You may be trickin'. Feel me? Lucky for you, you'll get more percentage than any of these other bitches that has helped out by doin' it and it'll be more than you was makin'."
Kitty looked at him unamused for a mere moment before sassily brushing past him in the direction of the bar he'd saw earlier on the lower floor. Pierre took a deep breath of all the occurrences at the moment and pulled a lighter from his other pocket. He secluded the cigarette with his hands as he lit it eventually, taking a few pulls from it so it'll catch. "Let's get this shit poppin'! Bitches, stage. Get the doors open!"