JAZMINE P.O.V. -
"I am not wearing this." I took off the dress Lauren was trying to get me to put on.
Don't get me wrong it was a cute dress, but this was not the occasion.
"Jazz why?" She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips.
"Didn't you say we were going to his house?"
I asked her now standing in just my underwear and bra, putting the dress on a hanger
"Yes."
"So why are you so insistent on me looking like I'm going to the club? This is overdoing it."
"Because you can intrigue his mind on your own. But girl you got to intrigue his body too. Make him feen for your curves. Let him know, you come down this road proceed with caution cause honey this body is dangerous." She doubled snapped her finger.
"I rather not." I put the dress back in my closet.
She was not going to put me out there, when all she had on was some high-waisted shorts and a crop top.
"You're dressed down." I told her coming out of my closet surveying her outfit.
"I'm not trying to get a man. You are. So you got to dress like it. I just want him to truly see how beautiful your body is, and sometimes an outfit can do that." She got her make-up bag off the bed and sat in front of my vanity mirror.
" Them curves look a lot different and more intriguing when the package is together. Even skinny women know that. Why you think they add shit like butt pads and push-up bras? To make curves, that you already have. You just have to accentuate it with the perfect outfit."
"Lauren that's going to make it blatantly obvious I'm dressing up for him."
"And?" She shrugged looking at me through the mirror.
"He's not going to pay me attention anyway. Especially if other people are going to be there. I'm going to fade to the background like I always do." I laid back on my bed, thinking about it.
"You know what Jazz I just feel like having a good time tonight. If you want to wallow in self pity and low self-esteem. Then do that by your damn self. " She looked at me through the mirror, then starting putting on her foundation.
I stared at the ceiling just wishing Lauren would understand it is not that easy for me. She she was this social butterfly that ran her mouth a mile a minute, talking to everybody, and my only comfort was my work and DJ since Ant died.
On top of that, Ant was the only boyfriend I ever had. I didn't know how to communicate that easily with the opposite sex in matters of the heart. It made me awkward and nervous. On top of that, I don't like being rejected. I rather just avoid it all together than hear him say, he doesn't want me.
"You go and have fun." I got up and grabbed my nightclothes out the dresser.
"Jazzie are you serious?" Lauren stopped applying her make up and looked at me annoyed.
"Yeah. You came here to hang out with him anyway." I put on my night pants.
"Would you just give it a fucking chance? And if tonight is not what you expected, then I'll just drop it."
"No, I'm good." I put on my night shirt and got in the bed underneath the covers.
Lauren shook her head and then sat on the edge of the bed.
"Jazz I swear. You're never going to find anybody like that. Being all scared and shit. If you want love you got to be willing to put yourself out there. And no, everybody is not going to be a catch. You're going to meet some jackasses. But there is someone that is going to love you, for all of you sis. I just know. But you got to give love a chance. You got to try. If Aug is not the right one, what do you lose?"
I thought about it.
"You need to learn from some of these ugly dudes. They will come up to a woman anywhere the street, the bus, the store, the club. Hell, even your doorstep and try to holla, knowing they might get rejected. And 99.9% of the time they do. But it doesn't stop them. Cause I guarantee out of all the women they ask, somebody gives them a chance. Or they at least get a number."
I laughed because that is true. Dudes be persistent.
"Please come."
I really didn't want to. I hated rejection, but Lauren was right I did need to give it a chance.
"Yeah I'll go."
"Yay!"She got giddy and clapped her hands together. She gave me a huge hug.
"You chocking me."
"Sorry. Come on get ready to get your man." She did a little dance standing up, whining her hips like she was Jamaican.
She was a pure, grade A mess. 😝
-------
"Why would you come to the door with no shirt on? Nobody wants to see that bird chest." Lauren pushed passed Aug when he came to open the door.
"Because you don't call before you come. Ever." He turned from her to me.
I felt completely naked as he surveyed my body from the ground up. Finally landing at my face.
"Hey." He said in a low, soft tone I hadn't heard before.
"Hey." I awkwardly smiled.
Stop smiling Jazz please you look a mess. I heard DJ's voice in my head and I immediately stop smiling.
I was trying hard not to stare at his chest that was in front of my face, seeing as he was taller than me. The artwork that adorned his chest, was interesting I thought. A woman with some breast. Hmm...? Who was she that she was blessed to face every woman he slept with, reminding them how she was forever on his body. Even his potential wife.
"Umm Aug, that's my sister Jazz."
"Word?" He looked at both of us.
"Yeah she told me she represents you now."
"Yeah. I look forward to working with her. She cool peoples." He said that looking dead in my eyes, and bit his bottom lip.
I was about to faint. I never noticed how absolutely gorgeous he was upclose until now. I even noticed he had little freckles outlining his nose and the skin that spread outward toward his cheeks.
"Can she come in? Please." Lauren interrupted our moment. Pushing him out the way.
"Oh sure. Y'all can chill in the living room while I finish up dinner." He closed the door behind us.
Somehow as Lauren led me to his living room, he felt like a ghost walking behind me. And I felt him burning a hole through the back of my dress with his eyes.
I was starting to regret, listening to Lauren and wearing this dress. He sees chicks that were this stuff a hundred times a day. With better bodies I might add. I felt like rushing out of his house, going home and hiding. Never to be seen again. This was such a thirsty move.
"You cool chilling in here?" Lauren asked me.
"Oh yeah. Sure."
"Aight. I wanna catch up with Aug for a little bit." She left me in his living room alone, while she went with him in the kitchen.
AUGUST P.O.V. -
"What you cooking?" Keke came and sat at my counter.
"How bout you wait till I finish?" I opened the oven and took out the pan of barbecue chicken I was cooking.
"Just for that. I'm putting your black ass on snapchat."
"Don't do that Ke." I laughed.
She turned on her phone and put the camera towards the food I was cooking.
"Jealous I'm bout to eat this bomb ass food in this bitch, without cho ass. Yassssss!" She turned off her phone.
"You not invited over here no mo'." I closed the oven.
"I don't need your permission to come over your house."
"What?" I laughed. "Do you hear how stupid you sound?"
She sat back at the counter.
"So how you been?"
"Cool. Just hoping Usher give me another chance."
"He will. You know God got you. Nobody can take that away."
"They trying Ke. They trying." I checked on the rice.
"And that's why you got my sister. She's not going to let them do that."
I looked at her. She said that in a suspect way, like she was hinting at something. And she was smiling looking all crazy.
"What-chu smiling at?" I smirked at her.
"You single. Jazz single. Let's make this happen."
I shook my head, smiling.
"Come on Aug. She's gorgeous."
"Not gon debate that." I said stirring the vegetables.
"She's smart. Masters Degree in Communications from USC. Graduated magna cum laude."
I already knew this, but I didn't tell her that.
"Sounds smart." I got some wine glasses down.
"She's successful. Can pay her own bills. Not looking to ride off your coattail."
That she was. Comes to find out she was one of the best publicist in the game. Worked for a larger firm, then started her own. I admired her ambition to be an entrepreneur.
"But there's a problem isn't?" Ke looked at me annoyed.
"Nah it's no problem."
I lied.
"Aug you're lying. What's the problem?"
I stood against the counter and sighed.
"I'm not into that love shit Ke. And if that's what she looking for I can't give her that now. You know that. I'm just looking to chill."
"August you need to give up that no love shit. Everybody gets fucking hurt. Everybody. But you don't give up on it, because someone hurts you. You keep trying until you find the one whose going to love you back and make the hurt worth it."
Everything she was saying was true. But I wasn't trying to set myself up to be love's fool again.
"I can't Ke. She seems nice. I'm sure somebody will wife her up in no time."
"Just not you?" She looked at me like she was just completely done with me at this point.
"What you want me to do? It's not personal. That's just not where I am in my life. Ain't nothing worse than forcing a nigga into a situation he ain't ready for. That's when the real hurt begins."
She sighed and rolled her eyes at me.
"You really mad at me?"
"I just don't get it. You niggas complain about wanting a good woman, then one gets right in your face and you run the other way. I don't get it. I don't get it." She went back in the living room with Jazz.
I palmed my face taking in her words. Everything she said was the truth. That is what we want, but then we not ready for it when it comes.
I wanted love no doubt. In an unstable profession a girl would give me stability and balance I've been searching for.
In fact, I think my life would be much better if I had a girl to take care of me and make sure I was okay.
I know for a fact, that incident with me falling wouldn't have happened if I had a girl. She would've made sure I was well hydrated and fed no matter how much I protested. And although I probably would've gave her a hard time, I would've listened.
But love hurts man, and when I hurt, I hurt bad. I promised myself I wouldn't put myself in the position to be hurt again, and for right now that meant not being in a relationship.
"Umm where's your bathroom?"
Jazmine stood at the counter, snapping me out of my thoughts.
She was more beautiful than I noticed before. Her curves sat on her thick frame like a sculpture made by God himself, and in that dress they were begging for my attention.
I know I said I wasn't looking for love, but sex wasn't out of the question. I hadn't had any since I got off tour and I just put clean sheets on my bed too?
Shiiiiiit, Her body underneath me, melting under my command was what I was thinking about since she walked in the door.
But she didn't seem like the type looking for that, so I wasn't going to make my request known.
"Down the hall." I pointed.
"Thank you." She smiled and walked out of the kitchen.
Leaving me to process my thoughts and her body. Damn.