Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 62497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62497 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 250(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
I open the door to the small bar to find them both seated in a booth at the back with a bottle of wine in front of them. Alaska waves me over, and Kalilah offers me a small smile.
“You made it.” Alaska beams at me.
“Sorry I’m late. I had a client meeting that ran long,” I say, sliding into the booth.
“No issue. We already started. I hope you like wine,” Alaska says.
I scrunch up my nose. I’ve tried wine a few times and hated it every time.
“That look is not promising,” Kalilah says with a laugh.
My phone starts alerting me of notifications, and I look down to see a few new comments on my latest post. I’ve been enjoying taking photographs lately of my surroundings and some of myself and posting them on social media, though I haven’t shared my face yet. If I post a full-body pic, I put a blur over it, as if the picture was taken while moving.
“I’m not a fan of wine,” I tell her. “Plus, I’m not a big drinker,” I add.
Alaska pours a glass and then hands it to me. “Try it. If you don’t like it, all the more for me.” She shrugs.
I take the glass from her hand and sip it. It’s surprisingly nice. Better than whatever it was I had last time, that’s for sure. “Bad?” she asks.
“No, it’s nice.”
“Good. We’re going to order another bottle and get our drink on.” She waves the waitress over and orders two more bottles. Kalilah laughs, and Alaska turns to her. “You need the drink the most… You’re the one home with a kid.”
“She’s easy. It’s Kyson that’s the handful,” she says, picking up her glass. “He really needs to learn how to keep his hands to himself.” She shakes her head, but a ghost of a smile touches her lips. “Though, sometimes…”
“Zuko thinks I like to be touched,” Alaska says, rolling her eyes. “I hate hugs. Affection of any sort, really,” she explains to me. “But he just doesn’t understand it.” She pauses, then asks, “How is Kenzo? I suspect he and Zuko are alike.”
I shrug but don’t answer her question directly.
Kenzo is…primal, I think. Is that the correct word for it?
I’m not really sure how else to put it.
I reach for my phone and pick it up. Finding Kenzo’s contact, I send him a text message.
* * *
Me: What’s your favorite color?
* * *
He replies back straight away.
* * *
Kenzo: Black
* * *
I want to laugh. I should have guessed that much. But I see the dots appear again.
* * *
Kenzo: Yesterday it was red.
* * *
That doesn’t make any sense, but okay.
Me: Why red?
* * *
I mean, I get black. The man lives in black.
He replies straight away.
* * *
Kenzo: Because that’s the color you wore.
* * *
Yesterday, I was wearing a red dress. But how did he know?
“Is Kenzo texting you right now?” I raise my eyes to Alaska, who is smiling at me from across the table. “Tell him to crawl back in his hole and leave us alone.” She waves a hand in the air before she reaches for her glass again. “We came to drink, not for him to text you all night.”
I put the phone down and see it light up again.
“Have you spoken to him much?” Kalilah asks.
“No, not since that night I left your house.”
She nods as if she understands.
“Good, make him pay,” Alaska says, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
Kalilah bites her lip before she lifts her glass and takes another sip. “We can’t all be as fearless as Alaska,” Kalilah says.
“I’m not fearless. I just know my rights,” Alaska states proudly.
“Rights for what?” I ask.
“My pussy.” She smirks. “If he is bad, he won’t get it. If he is good, he very well may.” She shrugs. “I’m in charge. Sometimes I let him think he is, but we all know it’s me.”
“See? Fearless,” Kalilah says. “You do get he’s a killer, right? I mean, he hunts people for a living.”
Alaska raises her brows at her. “And your point?”
“Meaning…” Kalilah shakes her head. “You know what, never mind.”
“It’s a tale as old as time. If he wanted to do something, he would. He does what I ask because he knows it’s what makes me happy.” Alaska pauses and turns to me. “What does Kenzo do that makes you happy?”
He listens. Well, half listens, I should say.
He makes me feel seen.
I feel so much more powerful when he’s around.
Somehow, he gives me an ego boost without even knowing he’s doing it.
“I haven’t seen him in weeks,” I start.
“That’s not what I asked,” Alaska says.
“I don’t know how to read him.”
“Well, that’s easy. If you walk left, would he follow?”
“That makes no sense,” Kalilah interjects before she takes another sip of her wine.
“It does. If I walked into a house that was on fire—”