Carter shook his head as he watched his sister approach. He definitely wasn’t impressed by Miamor’s feistiness, but he liked a challenge. He knew that it wouldn’t take long for her to fall in line, so he let her smart mouth slide for the moment.
“I just got a phone call from Mommy. I told her that we’d do take-out and bring dinner home,” Breeze stated when she walked up.
“That’s fine with me, but first I want to introduce you to a friend of mine. Breeze, this is Miamor. Miamor, this is my sister, Breeze,” he said with a wicked smile.
Miamor, an embarrassed expression on her face, cut her eyes at Carter. He had let her sweat and show her jealousy, when all along he was with his sister. She smiled and shook the girl’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Breeze.”
“You too,” Breeze replied.
Carter stood to leave and didn’t say a word as he walked away from Miamor and headed for the door.
No, this nigga didn’t. Miamor watched his back as he made his way through the crowd.
Carter stopped at the hostess’ desk and wrote a note to Miamor. He asked the hostess, “Can you hand this to the young lady at the bar?” handed her a twenty-dollar tip, and then left out behind Breeze.
The hostess tapped Miamor’s shoulder. “Excuse me, miss.”
“Yes?”
“The gentleman that just left asked me to give you this.” The hostess dropped the folded piece of paper on the bar. “Thank you,” she replied as she eagerly opened it.
Meet me at the end of the South Pier tonight at midnight. Don’t front like you ain’t coming, ma. Do yourself a favor and be there. I want to get to know you, Miamor.
Carter
PS: Dinner is on me
Miamor smiled as her friends reappeared at the table.
“What did he say?” Robyn asked.
“Nigga didn’t say nothing,” Miamor said. “He came over here to tell me that chick is his sister, that’s all.”
The friends resumed their conversation, and Miamor threw in an occasional comment to make them think that she was paying attention, but her mind was on Carter. She was definitely going to the pier that night. She checked her cell phone to see what time it was and immediately started counting down the minutes until she saw Carter again.
Chapter Seven
Only God can judge me.
– Miamor
Miamor stood nervously at the end of the pier. Goose-bumps covered her arms as the mist from the turbulent ocean blew onto the pier and sprinkled her with light kisses. Looking out on the water, she watched the waves as they washed up onto the shore. The white foam that they created was the only color she saw as she stared out into the black night.
“What are you thinking about?” Carter asked. The sound of his baritone voice caused her to jump slightly, and she turned around to greet him. “You,” she replied as she looked up at him.
Carter took in her feminine essence as his eyes scanned her body. She wore a mocha-colored wrap dress that stopped mid-thigh. It fit snugly around her voluptuous frame, revealing one shoulder and her toned upper back. Her thick thighs and lean legs glistened under the moonlight, and her hair was swooped to the side in an elegant bun.
“You look nice.”
“Thank you,” she blushed as she wrapped her arm in his, and they began to walk toward his car. “So tell me where we are going tonight?” she asked.
“You’ll see,” he replied as he led her down the steps of the pier.
She followed him, but before stepping her feet into the sand, she removed her Louis Vuitton stilettos and placed them in her hands.
He chuckled at her as he watched her shrink before him.
“Shut up.” She hit him softly on the arm. “These are a three-hundred-dollar pair of shoes. Where are we going anyway?”
“You’ll see,” he replied as he led her to a secluded area on the beach.
Miamor followed him behind a row of huge boulders that sectioned off a small piece of sand and smiled when she saw the intimate midnight picnic that Carter had set up.
“What is all this?” she asked in delight as she sat down on the blanket. There were fruits, champagne, melted chocolate, and white rose petals everywhere. Carter had even gotten jarred candles and set them up around the sight. No man had ever gone through so much trouble to impress her, and she was taken aback by Carter’s effort. He was definitely a different type of man, and she looked forward to the night ahead.
“I want to get to know you. I don’t want there to be people around, or for you to feel like you got to put up an act in front of me,” he replied. “I see your tough-girl demeanor, but I’m not buying it.”
Carter pulled the champagne out of the ice bucket and poured two flutes. He handed one to her, and she gratefully accepted the drink as she lifted the flute to her lips.
“Why is it so hard for you to believe that this is me?”
“Because I see through you,” Carter replied. “I’m trying to get to know the real Miamor.”
“Okay, so tell me what you want to know?” Miamor folded her legs behind her and grabbed some grapes.
“Whatever you want to tell me.”
“There isn’t a whole lot to tell. What you see is really what you get.” Miamor didn’t really know what Carter wanted to hear. How could she sum her entire existence up in a couple words?
“No offense, ma, but I don’t see a whole lot,” Carter stated.
Miamor cut her eyes at him and stood to her feet. I don’t know who the fuck this nigga think he is. “Then what the fuck am I here for?”
She began to walk away. She didn’t know why, but tears came to her eyes as she stormed off. It wasn’t that she cared about what Carter thought of her. He wasn’t the be-all and end-all, but she was offended by the fact that she appeared shallow at first glance.
This nigga don’t know shit about me. He doesn’t know that I caught my first body when I was just ten years old. It wasn’t because I’m a killer or murderer, but because I mistakenly shot him while he was on top of my sister raping her. He doesn’t know that after that Anisa and I were on our own because my mother was so enraged by the fact that we killed the man who kept a roof over our head. He sitting over there talking about he don’t see much. Fuck him! She cursed him silently as she wiped her eyes and fled down the sandy beach.
Miamor was pissed off that Carter felt that he could pass judgment on her. Only God can judge me, she thought. She was so upset that her anger turned to sadness and regret as she thought about all of the negative things that she had been through. The average chick couldn’t have survived her life’s circumstances, but under pressure Miamor was forced to evolve into a woman who never wore her heart on her sleeve. She had become just as conniving, manipulative, and hardened as any man in the streets. He really don’t know who I am. He got me all the way fucked up.
“Aye, hold up.” Carter grabbed her arm.
“Let me go!” she yelled as she snatched her arm away from him and continued to walk away.
Carter could see that his words had hurt her, and he immediately regretted being so forward with her. He grabbed her again, and hugged her tightly from behind as she fought to free herself from his hold. She was crying and visibly upset.
Carter felt like an asshole, but he had no clue that her tears were from the many demons that she had battled throughout the years. Her sudden breakdown had nothing to do with him. She had learned to suppress her emotions well. In her area of expertise there was no room for feelings. Allowing herself to feel anything clouded her vision, and she always had to stay focused. Distraction meant death for her, and she’d learned that the hard way with Anisa. She hated herself for letting Carter see her so weak, which was why she fought so hard to get away from him.