AUGUST, page 3
“Hey,” she spoke.
“‘Sup?”
“Oh, nothing. Listening to my grandma tell me how stale I sound reading this damn book.” She whispered the last part. The both of us snickered.
“I guess that means I’m up,” I whispered back.
We were standing too close, and her eyes went directly to my dick.
“Not him, Big Head,” I softly quipped.
Her gaze quickly snapped back to mine, and her eyes narrowed playfully.
“I smell August,” Mary called from the living room.
Shaking her head, Asia ushered me inside. She proceeded me to the living room with me licking my lips at the way her hips swayed from side to side like she was gliding on air. Her feet were bare, and I couldn’t help but notice how delicate and soft they looked. A peak at her toes had me stifling a groan. Mary’s apartment was a modest size. I shouldn’t have felt like the walls were closing in on me. However, with Asia present, it felt like I was suffocating off the attraction between the two of us.
“Hey, Mary.”
“August!” she sang. “I’ve been waiting all day to hear that voice.”
Laughing at the face Asia made, I went to Mary and gently touched her cheek.
“You miss me?”
“I do! Asia was supposed to finish yesterday’s book, but I had to stop her a few times.”
Perturbed, Asia plopped down on the sofa and crossed her arms over her breasts.
“See if I read to you once he no longer comes here,” Asia sassed.
“Who said I was goin’ anywhere?”
Mary coughed on a laugh. “You betta say that!”
Asia’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Walking over to her, I sat next to her and coaxed that frown right off her face with a simple look. I looked at her like I wanted her to reach into my mind and turn off the part of my brain that wouldn’t allow me to chase her. Not that I had to chase. Asia offered herself up to me in the way she fixed her eyes to my lips.
I licked them, promising that they could do exactly what she envisioned they could. Grabbing Riley Baxter’s book from the other end of the sofa, I cracked it open and saw that Asia hadn’t made it far. With ease, I picked right up where she left off. I didn’t leave Mary’s apartment until When Love Calls His Name was completely done.
A few days later…
“What’s got you laughing all hard?” Faith asked.
“I’m tryna figure out the same thing,” King added.
The both of them were down my neck while I was trying to finish this damn chapter. This nigga, Nino, had me cracking the fuck up. I enjoyed his book so much that I had to double back and read his brother’s book only for him to be over here with the shit too.
King leaned over my shoulder to try and look at my phone screen. I promptly made that shit dark. It wasn’t that I was embarrassed to be reading. King would just dig too deep and want answers that I wasn’t ready to give.
“Oh, you got you a lil’ boo? Is that what you hidin’?” he questioned.
Faith’s face lit up.
“Fix ya face,” I warned her.
“But this is good news,” she said.
King clapped me on the shoulder. “I agree with Faith.”
“And I agree with the both of them.” Tiffany came in from the patio with KJ and June following her. June came right over and hopped into my lap. He’d worn himself out playing outside with KJ. Our sons were as thick as thieves and would be as close as brothers. King and I promised to raise them that way along with their other cousins.
“All y’all worried about the wrong business,” I told the three of them.
“As your friend, I think it is my business,” Faith said. She was sitting on the loveseat, flipping through the television while the game was on commercial. The Lakers and Heat were playing, yet I hadn’t watched the first possession. I was stuck in a book.
“Yo’ business just walked through the door.” I dipped my head toward Jericho, who walked into King’s house like he owned the place. He came into the living room, spoke, and went straight to sit by Faith.
“I can’t get a hug, June?” Jericho questioned.
June tiredly but enthusiastically jumped up to go give Jericho a hug. They embraced each other like always. Jericho’s love for June was that of a father, and I would never come between that. Neither was I jealous. Shit the more family June had around him, the better. Jericho played no games behind either Faith or June. That was all a nigga could ask for. Once June gave Jericho his hug, he was right back in my lap, laying his head on my chest.
“You want a drink?” King asked Jericho.
“Yeah, that’s cool.”
“How was the drive?” Tiffany brought Jericho a plate of food like he asked for it. Her pregnant ass was always trying to feed some damn body.
“Shit, I’m so glad I’m comin’ off that road.”
Faith’s head jerked his way. Her breaths seemed to come out quicker. I had to stifle a smile.
“What do you mean?” Wide-eyed, she searched Jericho’s face for an answer.
Since she wanted to be petty with me, I gave her back the same energy. “He’s movin’ here is what he means.”
“Yay!” June was half asleep and still managed to hear what the fuck was going on. I kissed his forehead and chuckled.
“You’re moving here?” Faith looked nervous as hell. As smart as my son’s mother was, I shook my head at her question.
“I am,” Jericho responded.
The room fell silent as they stared at each other. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear some shit happened between them. Since we came back from Colorado, the air had shifted between them. Their connection had always been palpable, but this was different, stronger even.
Plus, Jericho had been making heavy moves since we touched back down. He said he needed a spot for his next barbershop J Cutz IV, and I was all too down to offer him the extra space I had in my building. Within a few short weeks, he transformed the empty building into a full-fledged barbershop. While I signed on as a silent partner, Faith agreed to be the shop’s manager.
“Oh,” was all Faith said.
King appeared with Jericho’s beer and handed it to him. “Now August will have somebody else to hang out with besides me and my wife.”
I mugged King while they shared a laugh.
Jericho waved King off. “Shit, that nigga don’t get out much.”
“Exactly. It’s like pulling teeth trying to get him to do anything,” Faith added. She was still recovering from Jericho’s news. It was written all over her face that she was flustered.
“Aye,” I drawled. “Can we get off the August train?”
“For now.” Tiffany eyed me while she joined her husband on the other sofa. KJ huddled in between them, with King eventually shifting him to lay across the both of them.
This was taking me right back to Colorado. Right back to a time when love really came and tapped on my shoulder. Not just love but the whole aspect of family. I wanted that shit. Just as much as I wanted it, I was scared to want it.
Asia’s big, brown eyes flashed before me. Her smile and dimples were attractive as fuck. They had me in their clutches. Those eyes, though. I knew they could see straight through me. If I wasn’t careful, Asia would have me giving in to temptation. That wasn’t something I could afford to do with the wrong woman.
June’s soft snoring brought my attention to him. He was another reason I couldn’t afford to be caught up with the wrong woman. My son’s stability was everything to me. Bringing women in and out of his life wasn’t the life I wanted for him. So besides the fact that my own issues would likely keep me lonely for some time, so would this little boy whose life meant more to me than anything.
Jericho and Faith’s back and forth took everyone’s attention off me. Going back to my book, I tuned them out and continued reading. Between this book and Asia, I wanted to fall in love so fucking bad.
Chapter Four
AUGUST WELLS
Something loud interrupted my sleep. It took a minute for me to realize it was my phone. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I looked at the screen and grimaced.
Nate.
I let the call go to voicemail and didn’t bother checking that shit. At least once a week, it was the same shit. My phone would ring, I would ignore it. It was simple just to block the number. I refused to admit it but some part of me was comforted by these calls, which I disliked with a passion I couldn’t name. Nathaniel Wells created me, but he’d also tried to destroy me. Yet, getting these calls gave me peace that at least he was still alive.
If King knew that I was torturing myself in this way, he would have me committed. He’d be angry as hell if he found out that I was still putting money on Nate’s account to even allow his calls to come through in the first place. As much as I loved King and the relationship we’d built over the last few years, allowing anything or anyone to jeopardize that wasn’t going to happen.
Climbing out of bed, I made my way to the bathroom to get my day started. I stayed up too fucking late last night finishing another book. It was nothing for me to start a book and finish it in the same sitting. For some reason, reading about love had me emersed in a way I didn’t want to come up for air. Maybe it was because I was living through the characters. Reading about gangsters falling in love gave me hope that love could be for everyone. Even a nigga as fucked up as I was.
Closing a book was like dumping cold water on myself; I crashed back to reality quick as fuck. Which was why I didn’t finish one book without having another book already on deck. If it was how I could ease my mind to get through the night, then I would dive into the newfound hobby with the same enthusiasm I would’ve a bottle of alcohol.
“August, Roy says he’s dropping off his truck around three this afternoon,” Tez poked his head in my office door and said.
“I told him to be here at nine.” Just because he had other niggas in the hood scared of him, Roy thought he could run shit when it came to me and Lily’s.
“I told him that, bruh. You know I can’t stand dealing with that nigga.”
Tez reminded me so much of myself when I was twenty. He had next to no patience and stayed having a different girl every other week. Many times I found myself coming at him the way King used to come at me. When I caught myself doing that shit, I’d just laugh.
“He thinks Lily’s is supposed to stop and cater to him whenever he comes through. That shit irks my fuckin’ nerves, mane.”
Lily’s, the autobody shop I’d founded and owned for a little over two years now, was my other baby next to June. My passion was taking cars apart and putting them back together. I did everything from car wraps, tints, sound systems, paint jobs, and much more. The talent I had for this shit was unmistakable. So much so that I had amassed many clients over the years I’d been in business. I dealt with athletes, politicians, doctors, lawyers, and anybody else who could afford me.
Social media and word of mouth fueled my business. Where I thought Lily’s would only be a local autobody shop, it blew up to something more than I could’ve ever imagined. Lily’s was nationwide. If my granny were alive to witness my accomplishments, she’d be proud as fuck of me.
“I’ll call him,” I told Tez, who mumbled something under his breath before closing my door back. I paused what I was doing to call Roy before the hour was too late.
“Aye!” he answered the phone.
“I told you to be here at nine,” I replied without preamble.
“Mane, I’ve got other shit to do. I’ll just drop it off at three like I told that soft ass nigga.”
I bit down on my back teeth to keep from spewing the first words that came tumbling forth.
“Nah, don’t even waste ya time, big dawg. If you drop it off, I’m gon’ have it towed to the fuck up off my shit.”
Silence filled the line for just a second. Then he said, “Nigga, do you know who I am?” He sounded flabbergasted on the other end. I couldn’t believe that at one point in my life, I was just as inconsiderate and arrogant as this nigga. I’d sounded just as dumb as he did right now.
“Look, I’on give a fuck about none of that. Respect my business or go somewhere else. Matter fact, go somewhere else.” Without another thought, I hung up and went back to doing what the fuck I was doing. These niggas were crazy.
Shortly before noon, I paused in handling paperwork to go see Mary. I made it to Ensley Shores, waving as I entered. After signing in, soon I was knocking on Mary’s door.
“Come in!” Asia’s voice slid across my skin, raising the hairs all over my body. Shaking that shit off, I opened Mary’s apartment door and walked in.
“Afternoon!” Mary spoke with a grand smile.
Asia was assisting Mary to her recliner. Of course, I took over. Asia nearly jumped out of her skin when my hand came in contact with hers to remove her grip from Mary’s arm.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” As I got Mary settled, I curiously wondered why Asia was so jumpy.
She went to the table with me joining her.
“All these books have been read?” I questioned.
Asia shook her head. “What you see on this table are all new books.” She pointed to the bookshelves. “Those are completed. There’s hundreds more at my grandmother’s house.”
My mouth dropped.
“Her house,” Mary corrected. “She has an extensive library in there.” Asia smacked her teeth. “It’s the truth. Did I not sign the deed over to you?”
“Yes, Grandma.”
“Okay, then. Stop actin’ like it’s not a blessing to call it yours.”
My eyes bounced back and forth between them. Asia stared at her grandmother, wanting to say more. Eventually, she just shrugged.
She picked up a book and handed it to me. “This is the book she wants only you to read to her.” She rolled her eyes with emphasis.
I cracked up right along with Mary. “Aight, cool. But back to this library. You gon’ give me a tour?” I shouldn’t have been fueling this mutual attraction we had for one another. I knew better.
Her eyes widened behind her glasses. I held the smirk that tugged at my lips. Ruffling her feathers was too easy. While she got her thoughts together, I read the back of the book to see what it was about. Really, I was avoiding eye contact so that Asia wouldn’t see the longing in my eyes.
The attraction I had to her was so thick, my heartbeat had to match hers. My fingertips never forgot the feel of her beneath them, and all I’d done was tweak her chin. That proved that Asia was too much for me. Her pull was too strong. I had to do what I could to fight it.
“Answer him, Asia Lynn.” Mary was being an instigator. This time, my smirk emerged.
“I-I guess.” Her shyness was a direct contrast to the fire in her eyes.
“Cool,” I replied while moving to the couch. I sat down and made myself comfortable.
Asia disappeared from the living room just to return with a mannequin head and tripod. She sat the items on the sofa, then disappeared again. This time she returned with a blonde, long ass half-done wig and a box of supplies. She saw me looking and made a face.
“What?” she asked, plopping down on the other end of the couch.
“You made that?”
She beamed with pride. “I did. I’m finishing it up today.”
“That’s wassup. It’s nice,” I told her. She tried containing it, but her smile stretched across her face.
Leaving her to weave the tracks, I cracked the book open and started. Page one had me stuck. Hell, the first sentence had me stuck.
“Is there a problem?” Asia’s soft question had my eyes snapping to her.
“I mean…” Nervously chuckling, I scrubbed my hand over my beard. Mary’s books were getting freakier by the page.
“Don’t tell me you’re a virgin, August.”
“Grandma!” Asia was so embarrassed her eyes almost popped out of her head.
“What? I know my J. Chary.” Mary looked offended by Asia’s high-pitched tone.
“No, ma’am, I’m not.” I was far from that shit. Being celibate surely had me feeling like a damn virgin, though. That was probably why my nose flared any time Asia’s scent floated my way.
“Get to reading and stop acting shy then.” Mary’s tone snapped my gaze away from Asia’s.
I started J. Chary’s book, surely blood red in the face while reading this freaky shit.
Chapter Five
ASIA ANTHONY
In a rush to leave out of the house my grandmother gifted me, I almost missed the letter taped to the front door. Elijah’s handwriting was unmistakable. Snatching the letter down, I scowled at the note he’d left me.
I won’t rest until you’re out of this house! Mark my fucking words!
Balling the paper up, I chunked it inside of the box holding several bags of bundles that I needed to dye today. I had too much work to do then to be thinking about Elijah and his antics. Last summer, it was a shock to me when my grandmother decided to gift me her house. One thing that ate at Elijah was, although he practically ran my grandmother’s life, he’d never been able to have her sign him power of attorney. Therefore, my grandmother handled her own affairs as if she were still home and living her regular life.
While I didn’t know much about my grandfather, I’d like to think he was a good man. However, dealing with Elijah had me wondering if his behavior stemmed from him seeing his father treating his mother that way. Elijah was so nasty to me that I avoided him at all costs. The same went with his wife, Lotus, my half-brother Eli, and my half-sister Tera. The three of them were no better than Elijah. Tera hated me, and Eli hated that I got something he felt belonged to either him or one of my other cousins. Which was crazy as he owned his own properties. Eli was in the streets out here, perpetrating to be a gangster when his ass grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Whether he was faking or not, I’d seen Eli’s temper before. He came off as a nigga who liked putting his hands on women.
