"Where you think you going, looking all dressed up and shit? You got a date?" Cameron walked in my room unannounced as I straightened my snug white button-up shirt. I kept quiet since there was no reason to talk about what was happening this evening.

"Ah, shit! Our guy got a date, dressed to impress and shit. Ryker, come look at your friend! He 'bout to catch some digits and shit," Isaiah hollered excitingly as he leaned on the door frame. They weren't even supposed to know I was going out. Good thing they're staying at the house because they aren't mature enough to be where I was going.

How embarrassing it would be if they knew I'd be hanging out in the back room of a not-so-poppin' pub. They'd clown on me and find any way to insult me out of my lifestyle. It's bad enough they find my excitement for books and poetry a problem. Let's not go there on my love preferences.

"Ah, Lover Boy got a date! Damn, how long has it been since you've been on an actual date? Please tell me you ain't going with that one girl you got your eye on. Hell, fuck it. Even if it is her, let us know how the puss is because Isaiah failed on that mission. Don't look at me like that. I'm serious."

My face scrunched at his proposal, feeling instantly offended at how he spoke on Journee. I knew exactly why that feeling came about and it wasn't just because women shouldn't be talked about as such.

"First of all, it wasn't even my fault. She was there just for the food so you can't blame me for that shit. That hoe was a hog and wasn't no taking her away from that food. The only one who really got some ass was Cam-"

"And he won't say shit to us. So, it's your job to get to talking, Lover Boy. If I could, I'd punch his weak ass but I can't," Ryker interrupted in frustration as Cam smiled at their protest. Ryker's eyes watched me with an evil look and frightened me a little.

Smart man after all. Never tell Ryker or Isaiah about your dates or sensual festivities because they like to gossip as if they were TV housewives that have nothing better to do with their lives. If they can't get anything out of Cam, what makes them believe they'll get anything out of me?

"And you still ain't getting shit out of me! You guys already know that I knocked boots with someone. Something about that night at the bar made me change my thoughts about her. She's different from all these other women I've dated and I care about her. You guys will be alright and find someone who makes you feel the same."

The faces Cam got from Isaiah and Ryker were disgusting. Ryker came out with so much friction in his voice, saying "You've got to be joking. You starting to sound like Lover Boy over here. You letting the cat change you too, huh? Snap out of that shit and come back to real life. Anyway, let us know how it goes, Lover Boy. If you come home early, we'll already know how it went. Smack some ass for the rest of us."

I rolled my eyes and went to my car before Cam caught up with me to say "Don't listen to them. They just mad that they don't have no women in their lives. You know how Ryker and Isaiah are. Either that or they're tired of what they've been messing with. Have a good time, man."

How do guys think like that? As if women are nothing but sex dolls or objects? This is why women believe we all think with just our dicks. Can't even prove them wrong because most of us do that unless you messing with something we care about. There are those moments but they're never frequent like my friends.

Driving down to the pub was giving me a nervous feeling. The closer I got, the more worried I felt. This was something that should be familiar to me but my hands were clammy as hell and it wasn't even because of my set.

What if she didn't show up or something happened that made her not come? Fuck, what if she actually came and clowned my ass? What if she would be as shady as my friends? Hold on, she can't be anything like my friends because she was into it as well. But she could be a huge critic about my poetry.

She was stuck on my mind lately and that scared the hell out of me. Not just anybody had that privilege and the last time someone's been on my mind like this, besides my mom and sister, was when I dated Kyra. This was back in high school so it's been a minute. It took me a while to get over her because of all that relationship thing but something about her being with him put me in a better place. He could have her because they were perfect for each other.

After all that thinking, the pub showed up in the reflection of my windshield. Time to go show my nervous ass. Just had to go in there and get it over with no matter how much my heart was bouncing around in my rib cage.

I grabbed my notebook out of the glove compartment and headed on inside to be greeted by so many familiar people. Benefits of having Ryker as a friend, I guess. Good thing, the rest of the time, I hid under the radar while everyone else was dancing and not paying attention.

Afterwards, I hit the back room where my real people were: the people that don't know who Ryker was and were as chill as me.

I entered just in time to see my friend wrap up her quick spoken word on religion. She was anti-religion and continuously expressed her idea on the hypocrisy of it all. I couldn't relate to any of that since I was raised on Christian principles and happen to be very stubborn about my relationship with God.

Nothing wrong with everyone else believing in a higher power or whatever they believe in. As long as they don't throw their beliefs in my face to change what I believe in.

"Tripp Parker! Look at you, all dressed up and grown up too. Ready to hit that stage or are you still scared like the last time? Remember when-"

"Yes, we remember what happened last time. Can we not relive that?"

Hayden shrugged her shoulders as I cut her off before she said something she'd regret. New soft blonde-dyed hair with her natural petite frame, small cheeks, and light-blue eyes. Very poised in her own work and showed it every time I came here.

"I gotta say though. You did amazing up there from what I could see. Little nervous but I'll be okay. Something's just has me feeling different tonight."

We examined the couple that went up to perform a song. Hayden encouraged me with "Oh really? You know there's nobody here that'll make fun of you. This is a safe space, Tripp. You can be whoever you want to be and do what you want and no one will laugh at you. Promise."

Yeah, well, I invited somebody I care about into this safe space and she's never been here before. Good luck to me, I guess.

Once the producer got word of my presence, they wrote me in on the program but my heart sank a little as I looked around the room. My eyes searched the small crown to find no Journee in the crowd.

It was probably a good thing because Hayden was correct. This was our safe haven for us to just get things off our chest and there were some things I wanted to talk about. Some of those things happen to involve Journee and she didn't need to hear any of that. These were my people and there was nothing to be ashamed of here. I had this under control.

My name was called and I hopped on stage as the crowd clapped at my presence. Thanking them for being there, my fingers flipped through my little green book as the crowd grew silent for a while. I had the perfect poem to read with the right song for the band to play until...

"They better have some good food here, Journee, or I'm out. You know how I am about these places." A familiar voice echoed through the room and a bite on my bottom lip hit to contain my excitement.

Fuck that. My smile burst at the seams when the sight of Journee and her friends walked into the place. I lost feeling in my face as I watched her curved body walk in, decorated with a strapless red bodycon dress.

"The scenery looks as if this will be boring. Those boys bet not pop up around here."

"Yeah, J, I love you girl and I know you want to be adventurous and all, but where's the party at?"

I could overhear her friends Darian and Cassidy, I believe, speaking about the atmosphere and it didn't make me feel any better. But something that came out of a special woman's lips did.

"You know what? If it's such a big deal, go back home. I'll meet you all there later since you all don't want to be here. If you think you can handle it, shut the hell up for now." An aggravated Journee growled as she turned back to me and a smile flashed over her face.

Well, that put a quick pause in my reading but her intrigued grin kept me motivated to read. Somehow, my whole body froze at the sight of that sexy woman. 

****

Tripp's body not knowing what to do at the sight of Journee? Hmmmm.....

I'll make this quick since I'm about to post the last chapter. What do you think about about this chapter?

I hope you liked it! See ya soon!