#samplesunday: double date?

it’s been a minute since we’ve had one of these here, huh? this is a snip of my WIP. release date: tbd. name of project: tbd. unedited and subject to change. i think that covers all the bases, yeah? ok, enjoy!

Langston

I’d been in some pretty awkward situations, but the one I found myself in currently was quite possibly the most awkward one that I’d been in in quite some time. I glared across the table as the current source of this awkward shit held court with our group that was gathered around the small table in the dimly lit lounge. Nyema had reserved us a table near her set up and of course Sharice was the first to arrive, which I’m sure caused some confusion on Nyema’s part when she saw a stranger sitting at the table she’d reserved for her folks. And Sharice making a big ordeal of giving me a hug once we’d finally arrived really didn’t help my case here.

Nyema had yet to come to the table, but the daggers in her gaze as she looked over to us several times in the fifteen or so minutes we’d been here let me know that she was not pleased. And Lena, bless her heart, was trying to make Sharice feel welcomed as I tried to, discreetly move further and further away from her. When she first started working for our firm, Sharice made it very clear that she was interested in getting to know me outside of work and I’d halfway entertained the idea because she was definitely a baddie--smooth deep brown skin, coke bottle shape, and an ass that wouldn’t quit. But after I overheard her in the break room arguing with her baby daddy, I knew that was a bullet that I needed to stay clear of. That didn’t stop her from continuously trying to come on to me.

Neill’s ass knew this...and how I felt about her, so I was not sure what the hell he was thinking with this set up. When I questioned him about it, he feigned ignorance. Saying he just wanted me to not feel like a third wheel and that Sharice wouldn’t read too much into it. He absolutely couldn’t have been more wrong as Sharice had already made mention of this being our first date at least three times, allegedly joking. Our waitress was a little slow, so when I saw Nyema headed toward the bar I took it as my chance to try and grab her ear briefly. I took the table’s drink order, shook of Sharice’s insistence of accompanying me and made my way to the bar quickly. I strolled up to the bar, and rested against the bar top facing Nyema who acted like she didn’t see me at all.

“Nyema,” I said, gently tapping her wrist.

She took her time acknowledging me, turning her head and giving me a wan smile, “Langston.”

“You got a minute?” I asked.

She shook her head, “Not really. It’s almost time for me to get going.”

The bartender came back with a tall glass of sparkling water, garnished with limes and a cherry, and passed it to Nyema.

“Thanks, Jimi, keep these coming,” she said warmly, grabbing the glass and flashing him a brilliant smile.

Aight, so the cold shoulder was just for me as I expected. I flipped my wrist up noting that we still had a couple of minutes before her set was really slated to begin. Instead of asking again for permission, I grabbed Nyema’s unoccupied hand and led her around the corner from where we currently stood so that I could speak with her in semi-privacy.

“Langston, what the fuck? I told you I didn’t have time right now.”

I held a hand up, “All I need is one minute to tell you that what you see right now isn’t what it looks like. I didn’t invite Sharice here tonight.”

“Langston, you’re a grown man. A single grown man. You do not have to explain anything to me.”

“I just thought that after the other day…” I trailed off.

Nyema laughed, sort of mockingly which took me off guard, “Again...you don’t have to explain yourself to me at all. It’s all good and I’ve gotta go.”