Page 14 of Three of Hearts

“Actually, let me get two. One for tonight and one for tomorrow night.”

“You not from here, huh?” he asked, ringing up my pre-rolls.

“What gave it away?”

“What up doe. That’s some Detroit shit.”

That made me laugh because I hadn’t even noticed I said it.

“Yeah, I’m from the D. Just down here on business.”

“Okay, that’s what’s up, man. I’m Malcolm, by the way.”

“Q,” I responded as we dapped each other up. “And Malcolm as in Dr. Malcolm, the owner?”

“That’s me.”

“Aw, shit, congrats on the grand opening. My Uber driver recommended me, said you had the best loud in the city.”

“Thank you, thank you. He ain’t lie.” He laughed.

“I’m setting up shop not too far from here. I got a chain of auto body shops back in the city, and I just came down here to finalize the first location here.”

“Boss nigga shit. I see you. Congrats, man. I’ma definitely slide through for your grand opening. You got a business card?”

“I keep ’em on deck,” I said, handing one over to him.

“Appreciate you. Alright, I’ma close this bitch up and get home to the Mrs, bro. Nice meeting you.”

“You too, dawg. Have a good one,” I said, walking out the dispensary. My Uber driver must have had some bills to pay because he got me back to the Glenn Hotel in record time. It had become a habit booking this hotel the several times I had to fly down here since making the decision to expand. It always felt weird being here without Niecy, though. I locked the door behind me as I shook out of my wet peacoat and stripped out of the rest of my clothing down to my boxers. I don’t remember the last time I took a whole joint to the face by myself, but I was excited. Niecy and I were more social smokers. We indulged if the night called for it but it was a rare occurrence.

I turned the shower to the hottest setting and let the steam fill the room, lighting the joint. I set my phone up on the bathroom counter and FaceTimed Niecy.

“Hey, boss man!” she greeted, smiling from ear to ear.

“Hey, pretty mama. What you cooking?” I asked, watching her standing in our kitchen stirring a pot on the stove in a sexy pair of boy shorts and a tank top, her hair pulled on top of her head in a messy bun and glasses, her thighs looking soft and thick in all the right places. My dick reacted immediately getting hard against my thigh, aching for her touch.

“Beef stew. I had a taste for something comforting since I’m here all alone.”

“See, that’s why you should’ve come with me,” I said, taking a hard pull, the smoke filling my lungs. “You got me over here having to celebrate by myself and shit.”

“Now you know we’re going to celebrate when you get back. I’m so proud of you, baby.”

“Thank you, sweetheart. Ay, do me a favor in the meantime, though. Turn around real quick.”

She smirked as she complied, turning her ass to the camera, winding her hips slow and bending over for me until I could see the shape of her pussy through those shorts. I was two seconds away from changing my flight to a day sooner and catching the first thing from here to Detroit if we weren’t interrupted.

“Oh, shit, my editor is calling. Let me call you back, babe,” she said, rushing to grab her phone.

“Fuck, Niecy,” I complained, adjusting my dick that was hard and straining against my boxers.

“I know. I know. I’ll call right back. Promise. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I knew she wasn’t calling right back. When her editor called, it was a minimum hour call discussing the nuances of her book. But I wasn’t going to get in the way of her grind just like she never got in the way of mine. Instead, I finished off the joint, showered, and lay in the bed, realizing I should’ve only smoked half.

I lay there stuck, consumed by my thoughts running wild. They haunted me with images of Nikki. Her face. Her lips. Her legs. The way she felt. The way she smelled. The way she tasted. I felt guilty. Guilty because I wasn’t supposed to be lying here stroking my dick thinking about her. Guilty because I was thinking about how pretty her mouth looked wrapped around me, her tongue working me slow. Guilty because I couldn’t stop myself from imagining what it’d be like to slide inside her with my hand around her throat. I spit in my hand and massaged the tip in a circular motion, allowing myself to indulge in the craving I’d been suppressing for the last six months. I kept telling myself this shit was normal. That any man’s dick would get hard thinking about a woman as sexy as Nikki, especially since Niecy and I had talked about her to death. I was well aware that my wife had fucked around and caught feelings, but for some reason I wasn’t willing to let myself even think of Nikki in a romantic way because the reality was, she was gone. It was one night of fun. And it wouldn’t happen again. I also didn’t want to give my wife a reason to think I wanted anyone else but her. I knew how insecurities could so easily seep into the cracks of a marriage, and I’d be damned if I let such a beautiful moment we shared together be the reason for any issues in ours. But I also knew the woman I married. She was understanding to a fault. She was my best friend, and she always held space for my feelings. So I knew I needed to talk to her and let her know she wasn’t alone in what she was feeling about Nikki. Niecy and I had stepped intouncharted territory without the proper preparation, and this was the result; longing.