that,” the guy said.
Chris folded his arms across his chest. “Naw, man. You got something to say, you need to say it to me, not her.”
“Chris!” I yelled. “ Let’s go! ”
Chris shook his head but never took his eyes off of the guy. “Get back in the car, Marli.”
The guy raised his hands. “Look, man, listen to your woman. I ain’t got no beef with you. She’s the traitor.”
Chris dropped his arms and raised his voice. “What the hell does that mean? Traitor ?”
“Chris! Chris come on !” I shouted and then began walking toward them.
“Baby, get in the car. I’ll be right there,” Chris said.
“ Baby? I got you wrong, huh, playa? She done blackified you. Look, my bad, man. Didn’t mean no disrespect. Like I said, my beef ain’t with you, it’s with her.”
“You got beef with her, you got beef with me,” Chris said evenly.
I finally reached them and grabbed Chris’s arm. “ Chris, please , let’s just go. He is not worth all of this trouble.”
Chris looked at me and then back at the guy. He shook his head. “You’re right.” He glanced at the guy as we walked away. Then he stopped and turned around. “Don’t make the mistake of disrespecting my girl, again, man.”
We made it to the car and I climbed inside and sighed with relief. Chris pumped the gas, staring the guy down until he drove away. When he finally climbed back into the car, I tore into him. “Are you crazy?! That guy could’ve had a gun or some buddies lurking around the corner, waiting to jump on you. You must’ve been out of your mind, getting up in his face like that!”
He shook his head. “Naw, I knew he wasn’t dangerous. He was a coward, that’s why he confronted you and not me. I could’ve easily whooped him up.”
I turned and looked out the window. “That ego of yours is gonna get you hurt one day, and I don’t wanna be the one to witness it when it happens.”
“It’s not like I started it. He shouldn’t have disrespected you.”
I released a frustrated sigh. “ Chris …”
He sighed and after a moment of silence said, “I’m sorry, Marli.”
I closed my eyes and rested my head against the back of the seat. “Fine. Let’s just go.”
I felt his hand as he caressed my cheek. “Marli, look at me.”
I opened my eyes and turned my head toward him. He kissed me softly on the lips. “I’m really sorry, okay?”
“I said it was fine, Chris. Can we just go?”
Chris reached over and grasped my hand. “You mad at me?”
I sighed. “No, I’m not mad.”
“Good.”
He smiled as he started the car and pulled back onto the street.
About twenty minutes later, Chris drove into a parking deck downtown, parked his car, and led me to the building next door. We entered what looked like a hotel lobby and I started to feel a little apprehensive. Why was he taking me to a hotel? What did he really have planned?
I was beginning to feel more than a little disappointed. I believed that Chris was different, that he was after more than just sex. My face dropped along with my spirits as we boarded the elevator. And as disappointed as I was in Chris, I was even more disappointed in myself for not insisting that he take me home. But it was like I couldn’t make myself say it, and I couldn’t control my own feet. It was as if the old me, the expert booty-caller me, had taken over.
“This is where I live. I have a condo upstairs, fifth floor,” he said as he pressed a button on the panel. I watched as the five lit up.
“Oh, okay.” I still didn’t quite know what to think.
“You scurred?” he asked, leaning in close to my ear.
“No,” I said defensively.
“Yeah, you were. You thought we were in some hotel and I was gonna try to have my way with you, didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t,” I said, sounding pretty
Chris folded his arms across his chest. “Naw, man. You got something to say, you need to say it to me, not her.”
“Chris!” I yelled. “ Let’s go! ”
Chris shook his head but never took his eyes off of the guy. “Get back in the car, Marli.”
The guy raised his hands. “Look, man, listen to your woman. I ain’t got no beef with you. She’s the traitor.”
Chris dropped his arms and raised his voice. “What the hell does that mean? Traitor ?”
“Chris! Chris come on !” I shouted and then began walking toward them.
“Baby, get in the car. I’ll be right there,” Chris said.
“ Baby? I got you wrong, huh, playa? She done blackified you. Look, my bad, man. Didn’t mean no disrespect. Like I said, my beef ain’t with you, it’s with her.”
“You got beef with her, you got beef with me,” Chris said evenly.
I finally reached them and grabbed Chris’s arm. “ Chris, please , let’s just go. He is not worth all of this trouble.”
Chris looked at me and then back at the guy. He shook his head. “You’re right.” He glanced at the guy as we walked away. Then he stopped and turned around. “Don’t make the mistake of disrespecting my girl, again, man.”
We made it to the car and I climbed inside and sighed with relief. Chris pumped the gas, staring the guy down until he drove away. When he finally climbed back into the car, I tore into him. “Are you crazy?! That guy could’ve had a gun or some buddies lurking around the corner, waiting to jump on you. You must’ve been out of your mind, getting up in his face like that!”
He shook his head. “Naw, I knew he wasn’t dangerous. He was a coward, that’s why he confronted you and not me. I could’ve easily whooped him up.”
I turned and looked out the window. “That ego of yours is gonna get you hurt one day, and I don’t wanna be the one to witness it when it happens.”
“It’s not like I started it. He shouldn’t have disrespected you.”
I released a frustrated sigh. “ Chris …”
He sighed and after a moment of silence said, “I’m sorry, Marli.”
I closed my eyes and rested my head against the back of the seat. “Fine. Let’s just go.”
I felt his hand as he caressed my cheek. “Marli, look at me.”
I opened my eyes and turned my head toward him. He kissed me softly on the lips. “I’m really sorry, okay?”
“I said it was fine, Chris. Can we just go?”
Chris reached over and grasped my hand. “You mad at me?”
I sighed. “No, I’m not mad.”
“Good.”
He smiled as he started the car and pulled back onto the street.
About twenty minutes later, Chris drove into a parking deck downtown, parked his car, and led me to the building next door. We entered what looked like a hotel lobby and I started to feel a little apprehensive. Why was he taking me to a hotel? What did he really have planned?
I was beginning to feel more than a little disappointed. I believed that Chris was different, that he was after more than just sex. My face dropped along with my spirits as we boarded the elevator. And as disappointed as I was in Chris, I was even more disappointed in myself for not insisting that he take me home. But it was like I couldn’t make myself say it, and I couldn’t control my own feet. It was as if the old me, the expert booty-caller me, had taken over.
“This is where I live. I have a condo upstairs, fifth floor,” he said as he pressed a button on the panel. I watched as the five lit up.
“Oh, okay.” I still didn’t quite know what to think.
“You scurred?” he asked, leaning in close to my ear.
“No,” I said defensively.
“Yeah, you were. You thought we were in some hotel and I was gonna try to have my way with you, didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t,” I said, sounding pretty
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