Bad Apple - the Baddest Chick(26)

Nichols lost track of the time, until informed by one of the workers that the place was closing. After gathering her things, she walked out of the store and into the evening, where the city was still bustling and loud. The weather remained hot as the night took over the day.

Nichols began her walk on 125th Street, not rushing to get home. When she reached the corner of Seventh Avenue and 125th Street, she noticed a cute, young thug seated in the passenger seat of a dark blue Tahoe with spinning, chrome wheels and rap music blaring. The truck had stopped at a red light. She locked eyes with the young man, who had smooth brown skin and stylish long braids. He smiled at Nichols as he nodded to the music, and Nichols couldn’t help but smile back. The thug’s pearly white teeth glistened, his eyes penetrating Nichols’ like he was a hypnotist.

She thought he was the finest thing she had laid eyes on. The two had this unspoken attraction between them, and she wanted to know his name. But the light suddenly changed to green, and the Tahoe made its way down 125th, the rap music slowly fading out. She sighed, wishing they had time to introduce themselves. Nichols hated that they’d met so briefly, but she realized there wasn’t anything she could have done about it.

She continued her walk toward home, hoping her apartment would be free from drama. As she made her way down the street, she was hounded with looks and catcalls from a variety of men, some of which made her extremely uncomfortable. They looked at her as if she was a sheep trapped in a lion’s den.

When Nichols made it to Lenox Avenue, she noticed the same truck parked in front of Sylvia’s Restaurant. A whirl of excitement hit her like a rapid storm. She smiled while walking closer to the truck. She was hoping her cutie from the intersection was still seated in the passenger seat. She didn’t want to be too obvious by staring at the truck, so she kept her eyes straight ahead and slowly walked by the vehicle, pretending it didn’t exist. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed a figure seated in the passenger seat, and a slow smile formed on her face.

As Nichols walked by, she heard someone say, “Ay, shawty, I know you, right?”

She turned to see who called out to her and was flattered that it was the same cutie in the front passenger seat. “Say what?” she replied, trying to look unconcerned.

“I saw you watching me at that light.”

Nichols sucked her teeth. “Please. You know you was watching me.”

He laughed. “A’ight, yeah, I was, but you fine, shawty. You Kola’s sister, right?” he asked with the warmest smile.

“Yeah. And?”

“Nah, I’m cool wit’ ya sister. She my peoples, but damn, her sister is so much finer. What’s your name, beautiful?” he asked with politeness.

As Nichols approached the truck, she was unable to contain her smile any longer. She fixed her eyes on the young thug with the Colgate smile and Jim Jones swag. “Nichols.”

“Yeah, I like that name,” he said. “I could get used to saying that.”

“And what’s your name?”

“Delray.”

“It’s cute.”

“Thanks. So where you on ya way to?”

“Home.”

“Damn! So early? Shit, the sun ain’t even set fully yet. What? Ya moms got you on curfew this summer?”

“No. Ain’t nothing to do right now,” Nichols snapped back, offended by his remark.

“So we can find somethin’ to do. Yo, my man in there gettin’ us somethin’ to eat right now. You hungry? I can hit him on the jack and tell him to get you a plate too. It ain’t no thang.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“You sure? ’Cause I swear I just heard your stomach growling like a muthaf*cka. It sounded like you got a grizzly bear or somethin’ in there,” Delray joked.

Nichols laughed. “No. Why you tryin’ to play me?”

“It’s all love. But you’re so pretty. I like you.” Delray reached out to grab Nichols by her hand gently and pulled her closer to the truck. He looked her in the face. “So what’s up? Let’s chill for the night. Let me take you out somewhere. It’s a nice night, and I ain’t got nothin’ to do right now. We can get to know each other better, you feel me?”

“What about your boy?” she asked.

“He good. I’ll drop him off, take the keys to the truck, and we can roll out.”

Nichols quickly mulled over the idea of spending time with Delray, and it sounded so sweet to her. It was her opportunity to stay out longer. She knew her mother was probably too busy shacked up with some man to even care what time she came home, and her twin sisters were always out doing their own thing. Nichols felt this was her chance to stray away from the nest and do her. She had a fine young man willing to spend time with her, and maybe he was a potential boyfriend, because she liked everything about him from head to toe.

Delray’s True Religion designer jeans hung low off his ass, and his wife-beater hugged his chiseled frame, with his defined muscular arms and strapping chest. She loved a man with braids, and the bling around his neck and wrist told her he was balling.

Nichols batted her eyes, trying to look sexy and flirty. “Where are we going to go?” she asked.

“I know a place you’ll like.”

“Really?”

“It ain’t far from here.”