Meant to be Yours

by Sequaia

  Mr. Lewis wasn’t Sonic, so keeping it real with him about Aúrea and my situation was as easy as putting my right and left legs into jeans. The old Prentice would have been afraid of being honest with him. The years of him being the present father figure I needed pulled me out of that shit quickly.

  “I’m going to tell you like I told her. There’s a magnetic force between you two, and since she’s come back, you’ve already picked up where you left off. You’re looking out for her, proving just how important she is to you. Life hasn’t been easy for her. You know that more than anyone, so give her the time she needs . . . Eventually, she’ll be your wife.” Chuckling, he patted my back.

  “All right, old man. I gotta go.”

  “It was all good until I brought up marriage.” He laughed heartily while I shook my head.

  “Nah, I really got shit to do.” Which was partially the truth. There was no doubt in my mind that Aúrea and I could take those vows. My future didn’t even seem like one without her in it. Still, the only thing I was ready for right now was a relationship—marriage and all that could come later.

  “Thanks, son,” he said, taking the envelope full of cash. His calling me son was his way of letting me know that what we had just engaged in was friendly banter. It was also his way of letting me know what has been evident since the day I met him, which was he had my back. He could’ve cussed me out from this way to Sunday, and there would still be no doubt in my mind concerning how he felt about me. I dapped him up one last time, then dipped.

  My seat hadn’t had time to warm before my cell rang. Seeing Aúrea’s name flash across the screen brought a smile to my face. My ass really had it bad.

  “What’s up, beautiful?” The smile on my face was surely heard in my tone.

  “Um, nothing much. I wanted to know if you had time to meet up with me?” She sounded like she was unsure, and that shit made my stomach turn a bit. Her reservations about me were nerve-racking.

  “Something wrong?” The joy and easiness that was in my tone had turned to panic.

  “No, Prentice,” she snickered. “I want to come to see you and talk . . . about . . . us.”

  “Pull up. I’m at my consulting office. I’m about to shoot you my location.”

  “Okay.” She perked up, and my dick jumped. Knowing she wanted to talk to me about us had me feeling good. Yeah, the conversation could be one that wouldn’t make me too happy, but her saying, “us,” kept me hopeful. If the relationship weren’t what she wanted, she would’ve used a different choice of words, I was sure of it. I was also sure of the moment she told me she was officially mine, that we were breaking this desk of mine in.

  Since it would take some time for her to get to me from her college campus, I decided to take care of what I drove all this way for. My client needed a spreadsheet, which would present him with ideas for opening businesses and the different income brackets. Investing was another of my specialties, so he would also be getting information on the best ways to invest his money to make it grow. As much money as I made in the streets, this was my favorite hustle. Helping people, using my knowledge from both books and the streets to make them and me more money, was rewarding.

  * * *

  “Mr. Mayor, you have a guest by the name of Ms. Aúrea here to see you,” my assistant Leslie spoke, peeping her head in my office door. Apparently, the smile on my face was contagious because Leslie was smiling too. Surely, she didn’t know what she was smiling about.

  “That’s fine. Let her back, and you can take the rest of the day off.”

  “You sure? You’re supposed to have a—”

  “I’m positive, Leslie. You have the rest of the day off, with pay.”

  “Okay, see you later.” She rushed her happy ass out, and there was no dispute from me. The quicker she got out of here, the better.

  “Your assistant rushed out of here like she had the winning lottery ticket,” Aúrea teased, stepping into my office.

  Standing from my desk, I met her halfway, immediately pulling her into my arms and kissing her lips.

  “You missed me?” she giggled in between kisses.

  “You know I did. I hope you and Nijah got y’all girl time outta the way because you coming home tonight.”

  “Home?” she questioned as if I said something wrong.

  “Yeah, home,” I reiterated.

  When she backed away from me, my heart felt like it dropped to my balls. Though my instincts told me to pull her back into me, I decided not to. She came to speak to me, so I would let her control the narrative.

  Somewhat.

  “So what’s up?” My left brow raised as my eyes met hers.

  “Um, I was thinking about all the time we’ve been spending together, and I wanted to tell you face-to-face that . . .”

  The rapid beating of my heart could be heard through both my ears, almost deafening all the other sounds around me. I wasn’t this dude anymore, the guy who feared shit, who was hung up on a woman like I couldn’t get another. For Aúrea, I was, though. Shit was embarrassing and mind-boggling.

  “Prentice, did you hear me?” She took my hands into hers, bringing me back from my thoughts.

  “Nah, my bad. What did you say?”

  “So now that I’m ready to be your girlfriend, you don’t hear it?” She pursed up her lips, tilted her head to the side, and looked at me sideways.

  “Oh, we official now?” My smile was so big, the corners of my mouth had to be about an inch from my ears.

  Shit, if she thought Leslie acted like she just won the lottery, my joy was like the first Black president getting elected into office.

  “That’s what I said unless you want to change—”

  Before she could let that dumb shit slip from her mouth, my lips were on hers, kissing her as if we wouldn’t be able to kiss again for years.

  “Mmm,” she moaned into my mouth . . . The invitation I needed to take things further. Lifting her by her ass, I carried her over to my desk, where I sat her down.

  “You wore this short-ass skirt to school?” I noted, rubbing my hands feverishly over her exposed thighs.

  “Only because I knew I was coming to see you,” she spoke breathlessly, placing her lips back on mine.

  Aúrea’s lips and tongue tasted like strawberry Starburst. I worked my hands all the way up her thighs until my fingertips reached the hem of her underwear. That was as far as I’d gotten before she was lifting her ass off my desk to assist with the removal of her panties.

  As hard as my dick was, there was no way to avoid the craving for her juices. So down I went, pulling her a little closer to the edge, hoisting her legs in the crooks of my arms.

  “Ahh.” Aúrea’s moan was loud enough to shake the walls. That was one of the things I loved about our intimacy. She was never quiet. She always voiced how good I made her feel . . . loudly.

  Wanting to bring her to her peak quickly so that the tension building from my balls to the tip of my dick could be relieved, I quickly flicked my tongue across her clit. Then I pulled it into my mouth, sucking with just enough pressure to make her quiver.

  “Prentice, I’m com . . . coming.”

  “Let it go.” Mumbling my order seemed to be all she needed as her legs began to shake, and I could taste her sweetness on my tongue.

  “Mmm,” Aúrea moaned again as I stood and dropped my pants, completely freeing myself. In one quick thrust, I slid into her slippery folds and held myself there. Her pussy was something to brag about, which was why I was a damn plum fool behind her ass.

  Slowly, I began to slide in and out of her, looking down at her juices coating my shit, and that had me ready to bust just knowing she got that wet for me.

  “Prentice, you feel so good.”

  “Shit, you feel good too. Come for me one more time, A. I’m ready to bust.”

  I was trying to hold it, but the excitement of us becoming official and the way she was spilling onto and hugging my dick, the usual lengthy sex we had was not a
possibility right now.

  “Yes,” she agreed. As I sped up and used my thumb to put pressure on her clit, I wanted this second nut from her to be a bigger one, and what I wanted I got because she came so hard she pushed me out of her. Not missing a beat, I placed myself back inside of her, stroking a few more times before pulling out and nutting onto the chair clients sat in. It would be replaced today.

  “I’m going to go to the restroom and get paper towels,” she said, pulling her skirt down.

  “My private restroom is right there,” I motioned toward the door at the far-right end of my office.

  “Okay.”

  “You can handle that.” She extended her paper towel-filled hand toward me while she motioned toward my nut that was drying on the chair.

  “I’m throwing that mothafucka out. Don’t trip.” Taking the wet towels from her hand, I used them to wipe my hands before setting the paper towels on top of the mess I made on the chair.

  “Soo, what’s next?” Aúrea asked me with a bright smile on her face and her hands at her sides as she shrugged her shoulders slightly. It was funny that she was trying to put on this shy, innocent act when her legs were just spread wide as hell for me, without issue.

  “Shit, you gon’ be at the house when I get there, with my dinner ready,” I joked. Well, almost. If she’d provide all that for me, there was no way I’d turn it down.

  “Getting ahead of yourself now, aren’t you?” She was still smiling, but the shy girl act was gone.

  “Nah, ya man just putting in my request.”

  “I need you to know something,” she spoke seriously, catching me off guard.

  “Anything.”

  “When I was with my ex, he was demanding, abusive, both physically and verbally, which you already know. I understand that you are joking, and even though I’m putting up a brave front, it’s hard for me not to feel a bit afraid. I need you to be a little more conscious of what you say and how just until . . .”

  Her words trailed off, and I knew she was trying to say until she “healed,” and it pissed me off. Dude was definitely going to meet Von in hell. We had gotten comfortable with each other again, me more than her, and I felt like shit because my being comfortable made me forget what she’d been through.

  Pulling her into me as gently as possible, I placed my right hand on the right side of her face before pecking her lips softly.

  “I apologize. I never want you to think I’m disregarding what you’ve been through and how you feel. Having you back in my life has been one of the best things to happen to me in a while, and I won’t front, a nigga got a bit excited.” The crooked grin on my face that most women found attractive, hopefully, brought her comfort.

  “I know you’re aware that I won’t hurt you, but I’m going to reiterate that shit anyway. I’d hurt myself before hurting you, and I’m bodying anyone who tries to hurt you. You know that, right?” My eyes bore into hers as she smiled slightly and nodded.

  “Good. Now, I’m going to try to chill some with the things I say that could trigger messed-up emotions for you, but if I slip, don’t be afraid to tell me that I’ve made you uncomfortable and always remember, it’s never because I’m out to hurt you, but because yo’ heart and yo’ pussy got a nigga sprung.” We both smiled at that statement.

  “I know.” She leaned in and kissed me this time before stepping back.

  “So, I need to get to my place and chill with Nahji for a bit. Then I’ll meet you at your house. How much longer will you be here?”

  “Shit, about another hour or so. When Nijah supposed to leave . . . I mean, is she staying? Shit.” No matter how I worded the question, it sounded terrible. Luckily, it didn’t offend Aúrea because she just laughed.

  “That sounded so wrong, and you know you’re not my only friend, right? Plus, I don’t want you to be my only friend.” She laughed. “Anyway, she is debating on staying out here for good, which I’m very happy about, and if she stays, she will be at my place, and I will be at yours.”

  “Ours,” I corrected her.

  “Ours,” she repeated, beaming.

  “Come on. I’m going to walk you to the car and finish up here so I can get home, and we can exercise again.”

  “Prentice, I’m not moving out of my place just yet. We talked about me living on my own and taking care of myself, remember?”

  “I do, but I thought I gave you enough time with all that.” I grinned. It was worth a shot. I knew when Aúrea’s mind was made up, there wasn’t much I could do to change it. I would still try, though, and even if she didn’t move in with me, I still wanted her to consider my place hers and that she could come and go as she pleased. Would having her there daily be better than the latter? No doubt, but I was going to try to honor her wishes.

  “You do not have all of your marbles, I’m convinced,” she laughed.

  “Maybe not, but my offer still stands, and my casa is su casa, regardless of whether you move in.”

  There was nothing to say to that, as she hadn’t actually told a lie. When it came to her, maybe I was a few marbles short. Taking her by the hand and leading the way to my car, I felt like a new man.

  “Prentice Mayor?”

  Aúrea and I barely exited the door of my office before police officers met us. Out of instinct, I pushed Aúrea behind me, stepping in front of her as a shield.

  “What’s up?” It was hard as hell to play cool when my stomach was in knots. There was a lot I’d done today and, shit, every day, and though my hands didn’t touch any of the illegal products I dealt with, in the court of law, my ass would still be found guilty. My mind raced, trying to figure out why these mothafuckas were at my place of business, specifically looking for me. Yeah, this was my shit, but it was all legit.

  “Prentice, what’s going on?” Aúrea spoke softly as she took my forearm, squeezing it tightly. All that did was let me know she was scared for my ass, which pissed me off.

  “So you are Mr. Mayor?” the officer questioned again. He was about my height, maybe a little shorter, about an inch or so under my six feet. His nationality may have been Hispanic, yet many features made him look Caucasian as well, the blond hair on his head being one.

  “I said, what’s up? Why are you here?” The officer needed to get to the point.

  “We have a warrant for your arrest.” His words hit my ears like a ton of bricks, and I damn near shit my pants.

  “A warrant? For what?” My voice went up an octave. My palms suddenly felt like they were sitting in a puddle. This wasn’t my first time coming into contact with the cops. However, the times I had, it was on some petty shit. If they were here because of my weed and pill business, I’d be sitting in a cell way too long. Shit, a day was going to be too long.

  “Because your ass assaulted me.” The sound of Gerald’s punk-ass voice was music to my ears. Nah, seeing him didn’t bring me any joy, but if he were the reason for the cops being here, it was a punishment I could handle because the time would be short.

  “You called the cops on me, G?” I looked his ass up and down.

  “Who is that, Prentice?” Aúrea was now standing beside me.

  “My mom’s punk-ass boyfriend.”

  “You need to come with us, sir,” the cop interrupted.

  “Why? I didn’t touch his punk ass.”

  “Yes, you did. I have the medical records to prove it.” He held up a piece of paper that didn’t mean shit to me ’cause I didn’t care. Had his ass been put in the hospital from the ass beating I gave him, and he made it out, then maybe he didn’t get beat badly enough.

  “You can clear that up at the station. You have the right to remain silent . . .” The officer’s words trailed off as the feel of his partner’s hands on mine removed my attention from his words. His ass moved fast too because, within seconds, my hands were cuffed behind my back.

  “Noo, no, don’t take him.” Aúrea was full of panic as she tried pulling me away from the officers.

  “Babe, it’
s okay. I’ll be out soon. Go to the house, get my mom’s info, and call her. She’ll know how to contact my lawyer. I’ll be out quick, I promise.” Seeing the fear and panic on her face as the tears welled in her eyes made me feel like shit. This was the last thing she needed to witness me going through. Thankfully, this was a simple arrest . . . simple compared to what it could have been.

  “Are you going to be okay?” she asked, tears finally falling.

  “Babe, yes. Just do what I said. Keys to the house are in my office. Go do what I said so that I can get out and come home to you, all right?”

  “Okay,” she agreed, kissing my lips, not caring about the cops as they forced me into the backseat of the car.

  She stood there, watching as they drove off with my ass.

  26

  Aúrea

  Watching Prentice being carried away in a police car crushed me. How did a day that started so well end like this? When I came to my senses and told Prentice I was ready to be his girlfriend officially, we made love like we were supposed to, and it was supposed to be happening again, at his . . . well, our house and in his . . . our bed. Yes, being his girlfriend and being on some what’s-yours-is-mine type of thing would take some getting used to, except in this case because my heart was in the back of that police car with him.

  Taking a deep breath, I rushed back into his office and removed his keys from his desk. My nerves were on edge, and it took me about five minutes to figure out how to lock his office. Once I did that, I planted my ass in the driver’s seat of his Tesla. Saying fuck the speed limit, I made it to his home in record time. As always, Rocko and Chuck greeted me at the door. I patted their heads and rushed to his home office, looking for whatever information on Tasha he had. His mother hadn’t even crossed my mind, and to be honest, she was way at the bottom of my list of people to see. However, as I’ve always done for Prentice, I’d tolerate her ass. I just hoped she knew that I wasn’t a teenager anymore, and if necessary, she’d get her ass kicked or cussed out, whichever came first. Prentice would have to forgive me.