"So what's on the agenda?" Melo asks
I pull him along on our walk with my hand wrapped around his wrist
"Don't worry about that," I let his wrist go and walk to a hot dog stand
"Is tha- Ohhh! Look at ya" the older man behind the stand smiles wide at me
"Hi Mr. Luie, it's great to see you" I smile back and wave
"Beautiful, as always. You know, my son Johnny's still single" he begins making my normal order: hot dog with chili, mustard, ketchup, nsd extra relish.
"Oh..." I laugh and shake my head "That's sweet. Um but this is my friend Melo"
"How you doin" Melo nods his head to Mr. Luie
"Treat this one good. And if not..." Mr. Luie raises an eyebrow and gives Melo a dirty look "We're gonna have some problems"
"No worries" Melo nods
"What you want?" Mr. Luie hands me my hot dog and glances at Melo
"Uh... Just mustard, ketchup, and chili"
"Mhm" he quickly assembles it and hands it to him "On me, as long as you promise to come see us before you leave"
"I sure will, tell Chiara and Jonney I say hi" I put a twenty in the tip jar and walk towards the subway with Melo
"Johnny hm?" he raises an eyebrow at me
"He's like 3 years too old for me, but he's sweet. Very Italian"
"New York italian or like for real italian?"
"A mix, I think he's more authentic italian then Luie but he wouldn't blend in if he went to Italy"
"Mmm"
"So, so, so..." I take a bite of my hot dog "Tell me about yourself dear"
"Mmm... Not much to say, everythings on google"
"Tell me about Ana"
Melo sighs "Ana... Um..."
"Right here" I point him in the direction of the subway entrance
"You sure you wanna talk about my ex on the first date?"
"Who says this is a first date?" I raise a brow at him. Melo stares down at me for a moment as his smirk grows
"Anyways. She was 32, fat bbl, instagram model, dry, clout chaser, blah blah you get the point."
"And you didn't see those red flags before you g-"
"I'll be honest, I aint really care. Just wanted to say i had bagged a baddie"
"That's your only ex?"
He shrugs "The only one note worthy, yes"
"Well okay then" I nod. We enter the subway, get through the gates, and get on the train. Melo sits close to me with his arm rested on the back of my seat
"Are you gonna tell me about yours?"
"My what?"
"Exes"
"Ah" I slowly nod my head "Yea, there's really only one"
"Who?"
"It's kind of embarrassing"
"Just tell me, I'm not gon laugh"
"Shiesty"
"My nigga Pooh Shiesty?!" Melo looks at me dumbfounded
"Yes"
"Like the nigga that's bout to go to prison?"
"That's the one"
"You fucked with a criminal? You lyin, you not bout that life"
"Well he wasn't in jail when we was dating nigga"
"But he still the same person"
"True, I guess?"
"So why'd yall break up?"
"It was a whole bunch of bullshit and like another group of people was startin mess, he was tired, I was tired. It just was too much and I didn't have the time for it"
He nods his head and twirls one of his curls
"I got a question" he whispers
"Okay"
He leans down, getting close to my neck and whispers "Was he also PR or am I special?"
"No he was not and no you are not"
"I'm not PR?"
"No, I'm saying you're not special" I smile at him
"Wow, you're so sweet"
"I know" I flash him a kind smile
"How did y'all even meet? That shit not clickin in my brain" Melo scratches his head
"Well a lot probably don't click wit you. But anyways, yea we followed each other n then I was friends wit people that were friends and collaborated with him. So, yea. Just kinda fell into each others circles"
"Who you was friends with??"
"Migos"
"How the fuck you get with the migos?"
"Ion know, it just happened. We're not close anymore tho"
"Why?"
I shrug, "Mess, Ion have no beef with them it's just I don't mess wit they crowd. Especially Saweetie"
"Spill"
"Another time"
- -
"How'd you get into basketball?" I look to Melo grimacing at his phone
"My parents" he doesn't bother glancing up from his phone "You?"
"Me what?"
"How'd you get into basketball? Or modeling- I mean, you know what I mean"
"How did I get into business?"
"Mhm"
"I- It's a family business"
"Right" he continues typing "Talk about yourself"
"I'm blue and like to go on hikes with jellyfish and orcas"
"Coo coo" he nods his head
"Nigga- Are you even listening to me?" I look up at Melo with his phone shoved in his face
"Hol up" Melo continues typing before locking his phone and turning to me
"Full attention" he sighs, leaning his hands down onto his knees to speak to me
"Don't-" I push his hands off his knees "Talk to me like I'm a child. You can stand up straight and not be rude, Lamelo"
"I wasn't tryna be rude that's just how I sta-"
"Just forget about it, Ion care" I roll my eyes and start walking off
"Dee I'm listening bruh" Melo grasp my wrist and pulls me closer to him
"Okay, good for you. I don't care anymore"
"What are you mad for? I was responding to a work email and then I gave you my full attention"
"I don't care about the attention. It's the talking to me like I'm a kid. I don't like that stuff bruh"
"Fuck is you talkin bout?" Melo begins walking with that sway almost limp that he usuallly does while twiddling with his sweatpants strings
"This" I demonstrate the hands on my knees hunch over that he did. Melo observes me for a second
"You deadass?" a smile creeps onto his lips
"Nothings funny so I don't understand why you're smiling"
"You know why I'm doing that right?" Melo peers down at me
"Why?"
"Cause I'm tryna to make eye contact with you but you always puttin yo head down" he chuckles "And you talk soft, I can't hear you all the time"
"..." I bite my cheek for a second "It's still rude though"
"Note taken. Next time I'll just pick you up to put you on my level"
I let a moment of silence pass "...I also don't like being picked up"
"Jeez, Dee. Do you want me to just lay on the ground and let you yell down at me or...?"
I laugh and push his arm "Not funny"
"Then why you laughing, goofy" he wraps his arm around my shoulder and continues walking
"Gravitron?" I glance up at him for confirmation
"You smokin dick if you think I'm gettin on a ride with no seatbelt" he smiles "I value my life"
"Do you value my happiness? Happy wife, happy life hm?"
"Not that fuckin much, lady. Go on head and cry about it"
"Boy" I push his arm off of me and smack him in the chest "Let's go"
"I'm not goi-" he sighs as I make puppy dog eyes and pleading gestures
"I will do anything for you to come on this ride with me. It's my favorite ride. Please Pumpkin, for me?"
"Pumpkin?! Nah just fo that I'm not goin" he side eyes me
"Don't be fooolish" I begin walking towards the ride with him following begrudgingly