Page 26 of He Don't Play About Me
And I was, I couldn’t hide it.
“I know when I was holding the ring, I could picture Islah in a dress.”
“When you can picture them on that special day, you know you picked the right one,” the sales clerk added.
I dropped 18K and left with my girl’s engagement ring, marking another thing off her list.
“You gonna give it to her tonight?” Bully asked.
I shook my head. “Nah, I still don’t know how I’ma make all this special for her. I want to do it big, you feel me?”
“Damn, nigga, a house and ring is not doing it big?”
“It’s time, my nigga, it’s time. Islah has done her part, but I was bullshittin’. I want to do this right.”
“I feel you, nigga, you will figure it out.”
We got back to Crenshaw, and I was ready to get into the house. I dapped Bully up and handed him the ring for Islah.
“Put this with the house key for me.”
He took it and nodded. “I got you.”
He walked off, and I walked up the steps. As soon as I opened the front door, I was smacked in the face with the smell of food.
Garlic, butter, shorty had something baking.
I was locking the door behind me when I saw Islah coming around the corner in this lil’ satin set that made me want to go get that damn ring from Bully.
Her hair was down, her skin was glowing, and that smile on her face? Was something I could stare at all day.
“You home early,” she said as she walked up on me to get some lovin’.
“Yeah, shit was dry today.”
She pulled away from me and saw the smirk on my face.
“You lying like hell.”
We laughed, and Islah took my hand, leading me to the table.
Dinner was already sitting on the table, candles were lit, a blunt was rolled, and wine was already poured.
I wrapped her in my arms and stared at everything. With all the chaos I had goin’ on outside, she built peace inside our walls.
We talked about nothing important. She told me about something she saw online. I barely caught half of it because I was watching how her lips moved when she talked.
After dinner, I helped her clean up, while touching and kissing all over what was mine.
When we were finally done, I settled in the living room while she hopped in the shower. It was quiet, only the sound of the shower running filled the apartment.
My phone buzzed, and when I looked at it, it was a play. That’s when I thought about the bricks in the closet and went and grabbed them.
I heard the water cutting off while I was setting up our workstation for the night: bricks, baggies, and scales.
I grabbed my henny and some smoke. I had a lot to get through.
When Islah came back out of the living room, she was in my briefs and a beater, lookin’ even better than before.
