If I would have came in trying to force her to get over the shit with aggression, she would have poked her chest out and shut down on me, but making her laugh seemed to have done the trick. She was out of my arms, doubled over laughing for a good little minute. When her laughter died down, Rosalyn wiped her face as she stared at me with shining eyes.
“You a fool. You know that, right?”
“I’ll be whatever it takes to keep that smile on your face.” With a pout, she returned to my arms, tilting her head for me to lower mine and give her a kiss. “I know this is a big deal to you but it ain’t shit to me. I don’t give a fuck about a damn pimple or you being on your period. If you can’t see that, I ain’t doing somethin’ right.”
“You’re right, you’re right. I just… have strived to be perfect for so long that I hide any imperfections.”
“That ain’t necessary wit’ me. I promise.”
Rosalyn ran her tongue across the corner of her mouth before smiling and hugging me again. Since her schedule for the day was free, she devoted it to me. I got some nice, slow, sloppy head before we went to the sex shop. She insisted on me getting a rubber pussy for moments like this or when we were out of town and away from each other, and she ended up getting a fuck machine that I honestly couldn’t wait to see her use while I teased and tasted her until she begged me to stop.
When we left there, we stopped by the mall to get some rolled ice cream and she of course couldn’t go without getting some wallflowers from Bath and Body Works. We ended up going back to my place for the evening, and even with us doing basic shit, I could honestly say there was nothing else that I’d rather spend my day doing.
Chapter 9
Rosalyn
Man, say. I was really in my fucking bag, and I didn’t have to escort or rely on men to be in it. I’ve been so busy shopping for the girls and getting new clients on my own that I had to give my escort clients to Candy and a few other ladies on my roster. About six weeks had passed, and I was still in disbelief sometimes about the changes that had happened within my life – personally and professionally.
My mother and I had gotten even closer now. Since neither of us was in the business anymore, we bonded in other ways. Every Sunday we went to church together and had brunch, and about once or twice a week we shopped or did research online for her and Stanley’s wedding. I wasn’t the emotional type, and it took a lot to make me cry, but I damn near shed a tear when she asked me to be her maid of honor.
There were so many other women she could have asked, and I was super honored that she even considered me.
Me and Candy were getting closer too. We talked every day and saw each other once or twice a week if her schedule allowed. With her taking quite a few of my clients on, she didn’t have much time to give. That ended up becoming a problem for her man, who in turn gave her an ultimatum. Not exactly sure why he did that, though, because he should have known Candy was not the type to choose him and love over money. I think she would give it up one day when the right man came along, but for now, that was the least of her concerns.
As I logged into my website to check my new inquires, I couldn’t help but smile at the picture of me and Ishmael that was saved as my wallpaper. I still couldn’t believe that he’d expressed his love for me. There was no denying that his love was real, but it was taken to a whole other level to hear him say it. And he didn’t even start acting funny after I didn’t say it back. He really meant it when he said he was willing to be patient with me and take things slow.
Still, I tried my very hardest to show him with my actions that I loved him until I was able to say it with my words. That seemed to be enough for him, because he was always talking about how much he appreciated me and everything I gave him as his woman.
His woman.
We were officially a couple, and that in itself was a big deal for me.
But I was still taking things slow.
As long as my secret and my past hovered over me, I didn’t want to move too fast and jeopardize what we were building. At this point, I was content with making the most out of every moment we had to spend together.
Looking over the latest inquiry, I made a mental note of what the man was looking for. In the notes section, he said that he was looking for help with getting clothes for his daughter. This would be the first time I’d ever had to shop for a little girl before, but I was willing to give it a try. After taking a sip of my coffee, I dialed his number and hoped he wasn’t at work and unable to answer. Half the time when I made that initial call to my clients it was in the morning because I forgot everyone wasn’t self-made like me. I’d end up having to leave a message, and they would text me while they were at work or call me when they got off.
He didn’t answer, so as soon as his voicemail message ended, I left a message saying, “Hi. This message is for JD. JD, this is Rosalyn Kennedy. I received your inquiry on my site regarding shopping for your daughter. When you’re available to discuss the details further, please give me a call back at 901-840-6606.”
After disconnecting the call, I returned my attention to the other three inquiries I had. Not long after, I received a text message. It was from JD.
901-343-8871: Hey. I can’t talk right now, but I would like to get the details established now if possible. I need the clothes for my daughter’s fifth birthday party.
Hi. That’s fine. Let me know as specifically as you can what you want me to purchase and from where or the brands. I will also need to know her sizes and favorite colors.
It took a few minutes, but eventually we got all the details together. Her birthday was Wednesday, which was two days away. Derrick wanted the delivery then if possible so she could wear one of the outfits for her birthday. If not, he was cool with having them to give to her at her birthday party this weekend. My turnaround time was forty-eight hours minimum depending on how specific my clients were and how easily accessible their requests were.
So far, I’d been able to personally deliver all packages at this point, and I really enjoyed getting to meet my clients. When I met with men, Ishmael always wanted to come with me. But hell, as crazy as Memphis was, you had to watch out for women too. They would set you up for these niggas in a heartbeat.
Since Derrick needed the clothes Wednesday, I decided to put him at the top of my list and get right on it. He was okay with my price and cash app’d me immediately. Upfront, I requested an estimate of how much I thought the clothes would cost plus an additional fee for my service, then they paid the rest of the balance when I had everything and sent them pictures for their approval.
Ishmael and I hadn’t seen much of each other over the weekend, so when he called while I was on my way to the mall, he told me that he would meet me there. I tell you. Effort was sexy as hell. He could have easily gone home and told me that he would see me later, because I was sure he hadn’t gotten much sleep overnight. Instead, he offered to meet me where I was even though he hated shopping and going to the mall.
I made it to the mall first, but instead of going right in, I waited in my car for Ishmael to pull up. As soon as he did, excitement consumed me. His music was so loud I heard him before I saw him, but when I did look up, it was to see him reversing into the parking spot next to me. When our eyes locked, Ishmael winked at me before returning his attention to what he was doing. Once parked, he cut his car off and looked his face over in the visor mirror before getting out of his car.