Spolied Rotten

Chapter 2 (pt.2)

“Constantly”

By halftime, Annie heads toward the concession stand. The line is long. Kids are running around. Parents are yelling over the crowd. The smell of hot dogs and nacho cheese still fills the air.

She’s studying the menu when someone taps her shoulder. Annie already knows who it is. She turns around. Annoyed.

“What, Ryan?”

His grin widens. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you came.”

She clicks her tongue. “I came to watch the game, not your ass.”

Ryan laughs.

Annie raises a brow. “Ain’t you supposed to be sitting on the field?”

He waves her off. “I do what I want. You know this.”

Annie folds her arms. “Please. Ain’t yo girlfriend somewhere around?”

Ryan’s jaw tightens immediately.

He looks away for a second. Then back at her. “Anyway… so you really just done wit me?”

Annie stares at him. “Didn’t you get my letter?”

“Yeah I got it and I ripped that shit up too.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?”

Ryan exhales heavily. “Because I thought we was better than that.”

“You thought wrong.”

Annie’s voice is firm. “You chose who you wanted.”

“Annie—”

“No.”

She cuts him off. “You don’t get to disrespect me and then come back when you feel like it.”

Ryan shakes his head. “I miss you though.”

Annie doesn’t respond.

“I made a mistake.”

“That wasn’t a mistake.”

“It was.”

“No.”

She points at him. “That was a choice.”

Ryan’s expression hardens. “Damn, everybody make mistakes.”

“No. You wanted to kiss her.”

Silence.

“Admit it. You wanted to.”

Ryan says nothing.

Annie continues. “And then to add insult to injury, you got in a whole relationship with her.”

“Annie—”

“So go find her.”

She steps around him. “Leave me alone.”

Ryan grabs her wrist. “Don’t leave.”

Annie freezes. Slowly looks down at his hand. Then back up at him.

Her eyes go wide. “If you don’t let me go.”

Something in her voice makes him release her immediately. Annie jerks her arm away. Then walks off without another word.

Ryan watches her leave. Anger bubbling beneath the surface…

The game ends with a home team victory. The crowd spills from the field in every direction. Students laugh. Car horns sound in the parking lot. People celebrate as they head toward their cars. Annie is walking beside Devin, laughing about something, when somebody slams into her shoulder. Hard.

Annie stumbles. “What the hell?”

She turns around. Dana. Of course.

Dana folds her arms. “Watch where you goin’, bitch.”

Annie instantly shakes her head.

“Nah. You watch it, hoe.”

Dana’s eyes widen. “Hoe?”

“Yeah. You heard me. Hoe.”

Dana steps closer. Immediately.

Ebony slides between them.

“Bitch, you just mad ’cause I got yo man.”

Annie laughs. Really laughs. “Mad?”

She points at Ryan standing several feet away. “Girl, you can have his sorry ass.”

Dana’s face twists. “Please.”

Annie keeps going. “Tell yo man to stop begging me.”

“Begging you?”

Dana scoffs. “I doubt that.”

“You delusional.”

Annie shakes her head. “If I wanted yo man back, you would’ve been good and dropped.”

“Oooohhhhh!” Devin yells.

Ebony immediately turns. “Devin!”

“What? I’m just sayin’.”

Dana takes another step forward.

“Nah, fuck you.”

Ebony throws her hands up. “Y’all chill out.”

“Nah.” Dana points at Annie. “This bitch think she can take my man.”

Annie laughs again. “You got one more time to call me a bitch.”

Dana smirks. “Or else what?”

She steps even closer. “What you gon’ do, bitch?”

Annie lunges.

Immediately. Devin and Ebony grab her.

“ANNIE!”

“Let me go!”

“Girl, stop!”

Annie jerks against them.

Dana steps backward. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Annie points at her. “Nah. You lucky.”

“Sure.”

Annie stares at her for a second.

Then suddenly reaches into her purse.

Everybody freezes. Dana’s friends look confused. Annie pulls out a stack of folded letters. Ryan’s letters. Every last one.She throws them directly at Dana’s chest. The papers scatter everywhere.

“There!”

Dana jumps. “What the hell?”

“There’s yo proof.”

Annie points toward Ryan. “Now keep your dog on a leash.”

The crowd around them erupts.

“Daaaaamn!”

“Oh shit!”

Dana and her friends scramble to pick the letters up.

Meanwhile Devin is bent over laughing.

“Damn, Annie.”

She wipes tears from her eyes.

“Not you threw the damn letters at her.”

Annie is still fuming. She doesn’t even respond.

They walk off. Ebony wraps an arm around her shoulders. “It’s cool, Annie.”

“I’m so sick of them.”

“I know.”

Ebony nods. “But calm down.”

Devin finally catches her breath.

“She only mad ‘cause she saw y’all talking at the concession stand.”

“Exactly,” Ebony says.

“I saw her staring too,” Devin adds.

Annie throws her hands up. “See?”

She shakes her head. “This is exactly why I ain’t never taking him back. Too much drama.”

Devin adds “Way too much.”

Ebony sighs. “That’s ’cause everybody want him and he wants you.”

“Not now, Ebony.” Devin says

Rhonda finally cuts in. “Nah, Annie right.”

Everyone looks at her.

Rhonda shrugs. “A dude ain’t worth all this shit.”

“Thank you,” Annie says.

“If you gotta fight other girls, deal with jealousy, and constantly wonder what he doing…”

Rhonda shakes her head. “Then he ain’t worth having.”

Annie smiles. “Exactly.”

For once, somebody gets it. And as she looks over at Dana arguing with Ryan while holding those crumpled letters…Annie realizes she doesn’t miss him at all, not even a little bit.

🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃

Down in the city Smoke is pulling up to Pete’s Place. The club sits on the east side and has a completely different vibe than most spots in Kansas City.

Pete’s was twenty five and up.

No teenagers. No knuckleheads.

No constant fights. No riff raff.

Just grown folks drinking, dancing, and having a good time.

The music was a mix of old school and new school. One minute you’d hear Maze and Frankie Beverly, the next it’d be Usher or Alicia Keys.

Smoke wasn’t twenty-five yet, but that didn’t matter. His mama had known Pete for years.

Everybody knew Yolanda.

Smoke parks and climbs out.

His friend Tobias is already waiting.

A skinny high yellow dude with braids.

The two head inside.

The bass vibrates through the floor beneath their feet. Colored lights dance across the crowded room.

Women laugh loudly near the bar.

Couples fill the dance floor.

The smell of perfume, cigarette smoke, and liquor hangs in the air.

Usher’s “Yeah!” is blasting through the speakers.

Smoke and Tobias post up against the wall.Just watching.

People immediately begin speaking.

A few regulars shake Smoke’s hand.

Some older hustlers nod at him.

A couple of clients stop him for quick conversations.Smoke handles it all casually.

Then Tobias nudges him. “There go Tamika.”

Smoke follows his gaze. Sure enough. Tamika is on the dance floor.Dancing with her friends. She looks good.But he doesn’t feel a damn thing.

“So?” Smoke says.

Tobias looks at him. “Nigga, you ain’t gon’ go speak?”

“Hell nah.”

Smoke takes a sip of his drink. “I been off that.”

“Oh yeah.”

Tobias smirks. “I forgot. You on Monica now.”

Smoke immediately cuts his eyes at him.

“I ain’t on that either.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“We just cool.”

Tobias laughs. “Man, whatever.”

Smoke shakes his head.

Tobias side eyes him “You spend a lot of time over there.”

“Nigga, my brother live there.”

“Yeah okay.”

Tobias lifts his hands. “I’ma leave it alone.”

Smoke is grateful he does. Because he doesn’t feel like explaining shit. A few moments later, Tamika spots him. The second their eyes meet, Smoke already knows what’s coming. He exhales heavily. Here come the bullshit.

Tamika makes her way across the floor. Confident. Like she belongs there. Like nothing ever happened.

She stops in front of him. “Sup Elijah.”

Smoke’s jaw immediately twitches.

“Don’t call me that.”

Tamika sucks her teeth. “Damn. It’s like that?”

“Hell yeah.”

Smoke folds his arms. “It is.”

She studies him for a moment.

“What the fuck you want, Tamika?”

She rolls her eyes. “I ain’t heard from you in a while.”

“And?”

“I know you been messing wit Monica and the rest of them hoes you be dealin’ wit but damn.”

Smoke says nothing.

Tamika continues. “I used to mean somethin’ to you.”

Smoke nods. “Used to.”

Her face hardens. “That’s cold.”

“Nah.”

Smoke shakes his head. “What’s cold is trying to have yo bros shoot at me.”

Tamika’s expression immediately changes.

Smoke leans forward slightly

“You think I forgot that shit?”

The tension between them thickens instantly. The music keeps playing.

People keep dancing. But the conversation turns ice cold.

Tamika folds her arms. “Man, let that shit go.”

Smoke laughs. A dark laugh. “Fuck No. You out yo fuckin mind.”

Tamika drops her arms “You tried to play me and I ain’t no bitch you can play wit.”

Smoke steps closer.

His voice drops lower. “You lucky I ain’t kill them niggas.”

Tamika swallows.

“I had to think about yo mama.”

His eyes lock on hers. “That’s the only reason you and them niggas still breathin’.”

Tamika’s confidence disappears. Just a little. “You don’t mean that shit.”

Before Smoke can answer, movement near the entrance catches his attention. His mother walks through the door. His Aunt Racheal right beside her.

Smoke immediately looks back at Tamika.

“Get the fuck out my face, Tamika.”

She starts to speak. He points toward the entrance. “Before I have my mama beat the fuck out you.”

Tamika turns. Sees Yolanda.

And immediately decides she’s had enough. She sucks her teeth and walks away. Smoke watches her go.

Then turns toward his family.

His mama spots him immediately.

“There go my baby.”

Smoke groans. “What y’all doin’ here?”

Aunt Racheal laughs. “Nigga, we came to have a good time. What else?”

Smoke shakes his head. “Y’all too old.”

Yolanda immediately smacks his arm.

“Boy. You ain’t never too old.”

Before Smoke can respond, The Whispers’ “In the Mood” comes through the speakers.

The crowd immediately reacts.

A few people cheer. Others rush toward the dance floor.

Aunt Racheal’s eyes light up. “Oh yeah.”

Smoke already knows. “No.”

She grabs his hand. “Come two step wit yo auntie.”

Smoke groans dramatically. “I don’t feel like it.”

“Boy please.”

His mama points toward the dance floor.

“Get out there with yo auntie and two step. Ain’t nobody in here worried about you.”

Before Smoke can escape, Aunt Racheal drags him onto the floor.

The crowd parts. People already know what time it is.Two-stepping wasn’t just dancing in Kansas City.

It was serious business. There were competitions. Championships.

People practiced for years.

You had to know how to stay on beat.

Know your spins. Know your footwork.

Know how to lead. Know how to follow. Yolanda had taught both her sons when they were little.

And Smoke had become damn good at it. The music swells.

Smoke immediately falls into rhythm.

Step. Step. Turn. Spin.

Aunt Racheal laughs as he guides her effortlessly. They move like they’ve done this a thousand times. Because they have.

People stop dancing just to watch.

Women smile. Men nod approvingly.

They both spin. Smoke Catches her hand again. Never missing a beat. Not once. The song ends to applause and whistles.

Aunt Racheal laughs. “Still got it.”

Smoke smirks. “Always.”

Back near the wall, he spends the next hour handling a few transactions and speaking with clients. Business never stopped. Not even at the club.

Throughout the night, women approach him. Young women. Older women. Some asking him to dance. Others just trying to flirt. Every single one gets the same answer.

“Nah.” “No thank you.” “I’m cool.”

Tobias finally notices. “Nigga, what’s wrong wit you?”

Smoke laughs. “Ain’t shit wrong wit me.”

“Then why you turnin’ down everybody?”

Smoke looks toward the dance floor.

The colorful lights flash across the room. Couples sway together.

Laughing. Dancing. Enjoying themselves.

For some reason…His mind drifts somewhere else.

To a pretty girl with a wrap and glossed lips. A girl who gets flustered when he looks at her. A girl who smiles like she doesn’t realize how beautiful she is. A girl who probably doesn’t even know how to two step.

A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.

Tobias catches it immediately. “There it is.”

Smoke shakes his head. “What?”

“You thinkin’ about somebody.”

Smoke doesn’t answer.

Because for once…Tobias is actually right.

🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀The next evening at Red Lobster, the restaurant is absolutely packed. Saturday nights were always busy. Families crowd the waiting area near the entrance. Kids run between tables while parents try to wrangle them. Servers weave through the dining room carrying trays loaded with shrimp scampi, lobster tails, and baskets overflowing with cheddar biscuits.

The air is thick with the smell of garlic butter, seafood, and fryer oil. Orders are flying into the kitchen nonstop. The ticket machine won’t stop printing. The entire restaurant feels like controlled chaos.

So far Annie has been holding her own.She’s actually proud of herself. She’s greeting tables faster. Remembering biscuits. Keeping drinks filled. Remembering to smile even when her feet hurt. For most of the night she’s been doing good. Then the dinner rush really hits. And suddenly she’s drowning. A hostess appears beside her. “Double sat.”

Annie looks down at the chart.

A three-top. And a six-top.

At the same time. “Oh Lord.”

She grabs her order pad and heads toward the first table. Then the second. She moves as fast as she can.

Drink orders. Appetizers. Refills.

Biscuits. Extra napkins.

Questions about menu items.

Children wanting crayons.

The six-top alone feels like three separate tables.

By the time she finally gets a chance to breathe, she rushes to one of the computers to enter everything.

Her heart is racing.

She flips through her order pad.

She starts to put the Three-top in

She flips the page. And freezes.

Her stomach immediately drops.

A steak order.

From the six-top she put in earlier

Written on the back of the page.

A medium rare sirloin.

One she never entered. “Oh my God.”

The color drains from her face.

“No no no no no.”

She stares at the screen.

The rest of that table’s food is probably already cooking.

If she doesn’t get that steak started now, everybody else’s food is going to come out first.

The customer is going to be sitting there watching everyone eat while they wait.

Her heart starts pounding harder.

Panic immediately settles in.

She can practically feel Michelle’s disappointment already.

Without thinking, Annie takes off running toward the kitchen.

The heat hits her instantly the second she pushes through the doors.

Fryers hiss. The grill sizzles.

Cooks yell orders back and forth.

Plates crash together.

Annie rushes to the service window.

“Hey Brandon!”

Her voice cracks slightly. “Can you cook a medium-rare steak for me real quick? I forgot to put it in!”

Across the kitchen, Smoke is helping at the fryers. His back is turned.

But the second he hears Annie’s voice, his attention sharpens. He doesn’t turn around. Doesn’t need to.

He can hear the panic. The frustration. The embarrassment. He immediately knows something went wrong.

Brandon looks up from the grill. “Where’s the ticket?”

Annie swallows. “I forgot to put it in.”

She looks mortified even saying it.

“I’m gonna go do it right now.”

Brandon shrugs. “No ticket. No steak.”

Annie blinks. “What?”

“No ticket. No steak.”

Her shoulders sag. “Can you at least start cooking it for me?”

“No.”

Brandon doesn’t even look at her. “Not until I have a ticket.”

Smoke’s jaw tightens instantly.

He keeps dropping baskets into the fryer, but irritation crawls up his spine.

Seriously?

The girl has been working there what?

Three weeks? Maybe.

She’s obviously new. Obviously overwhelmed. And anybody with eyes can see she’s panicking.

Mistakes happen. Especially on a Saturday night. Brandon could easily throw the damn steak on the grill and save her table.

Instead he’s doing what Brandon always does. Being an asshole just because he can.

Annie’s face falls. “Okay.”

Her voice is quiet this time.

Defeated. She turns around and practically stomps back toward the dining room.

Smoke watches her go.

The frustration on her face bothers him more than it should. A lot more.

The second she’s gone, he shakes his head.

“Man, that’s some bullshit.”

Brandon shrugs. “Nigga it’s the Rules.”

Smoke sucks his teeth “Yeah. Aight nigga”

He doesn’t say anything else.

But he already knows what he’s about to do.

Meanwhile Annie is trying not to lose her mind. Both computers are occupied when she gets back to the server station.

Of course they are.

She bounces anxiously from foot to foot while waiting.

Every second feels like an hour.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Finally a computer opens up.

She practically throws herself in front of it. Her fingers fly across the screen.

She enters the steak. Hits send.

Then immediately rushes back toward the kitchen.

Please don’t let that customer be mad.

Please don’t let that customer be mad.

Please don’t let that customer be mad.

The thought repeats over and over in her head.

She arrives at the service window and immediately looks toward the grill.

Toward Brandon. Her stomach twists.

Brandon’s back is turned.

He’s busy working another order.

Before Annie can even open her mouth—A plate slides through the window. Right in front of her.

She blinks. A medium-rare steak.

Perfectly cooked.

Juices still glistening beneath the kitchen lights. Steam rising from the plate.

Annie stares at it.

Then follows the arm attached to it.

Smoke.

Her eyes widen. She points at herself.

As if to say…Me?

Smoke nods once.

Yep. For you.

The relief that washes over Annie is immediate. It hits so hard she almost laughs. The knot in her chest loosens instantly. Oh my God. She doesn’t say it out loud.

But it’s written all over her face.

Then she smiles. A real smile. Big. Bright. Grateful. The kind that reaches all the way to her eyes.

And just like every other time she smiles at him… Smoke feels it. Right in his chest.

His stomach drops. Again.

It makes absolutely no sense.

She’s just smiling. That’s all.

But somehow that smile hits him harder than it should. Hard enough that he has to look away for a second.

Annie clasps her hands together in front of her chest. Like she’s praying. Her eyes full of gratitude.

Then she mouths: Thank you.

Smoke can’t help the smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth.

He shakes his head once.

Then mouths back: No problem.

Annie grabs the plate carefully.

Still smiling. Still looking relieved.

Then hurries back toward the dining room.

Smoke watches her disappear through the kitchen doors.

And for the rest of the night, every time he thinks about that smile…

He catches himself damn near smiling too.

🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆

It’s the following Wednesday evening.

Annie is stretched out across her bed in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, looking at hairstyles.

The television is on low, playing reruns she isn’t really paying attention to.

Her mind keeps drifting. To work. To the money she’s been making. To Smoke.

Her cell phone suddenly rings, causing her to jump. She reaches over and grabs it from her nightstand. Rhonda.

Annie smiles and answers. “Girl, call the house phone. It’s not after nine. You know my minutes ain’t free.”

Rhonda laughs. “You right.”

Annie laughs too and hangs up.

About a minute later, the see through corded phone rings on her nightstand. Annie sits up and grabs it. “Hello?”

“What you doing?” Rhonda asks.

“Nothing, girl. Just laying here.”

“Hmm.”

Rhonda pauses. “Anyway, let’s go to the mall Saturday.”

Annie perks up a little. The mall. She hasn’t been shopping in a minute. She thinks about the money tucked inside the little box in her dresser.

Money she earned. Her money.

A smile pulls at her lips.

Shopping actually sounds nice.

“Okay. We going to Bannister, right?”

Rhonda immediately scoffs. “Girl, hell nah.”

Annie pulls the phone away from her ear.

“What?”

“We going to the Landing.”

Annie’s mouth falls open. “The Landing?”

“Yes!”

“Girl, my parents ain’t never gonna let me go in the city.”

Rhonda laughs. “You act like we going to another state.”

“I’m serious! My daddy barely let me go anywhere.”

“Then have him drop you off at Bannister.”

Annie pauses.

Rhonda keeps talking. “We can catch the bus there and back.”

Annie sits quietly. Thinking.

It honestly doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

And the Landing had some of her favorite stores. Way better than Bannister.

She could finally buy herself something nice. Maybe a new outfit. Maybe some jewelry. Maybe just enjoy having money in her pocket for once.Still… She knows her parents would absolutely lose it if they found out.

Rhonda senses her hesitation. “Come onnnnn, Annie.”

Annie sighs. “I don’t know.”

“Girl, yes you do.”

Another pause. Then Annie gives in.

“Okay.”

Rhonda squeals. “Yesssss!”

“But,” Annie quickly adds, “we gotta make sure we get back in time.”

“We will.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know.”

“Rhonda.”

“Girl, I said we will.”

Annie laughs. “Okay.”

“I can’t wait. We finna have so much fun.”

Annie smiles to herself.

For the first time in a while…

She can’t wait either.

🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆

Saturday finally comes, and around noon, Annie is in the car with her dad. She looks over at him. “Thank you for lettin’ me go,”

He looks back, one hand on the wheel. “You’re welcome. I know I gotta give you more freedom since you’re eighteen now.”

Annie smirks and looks out the window. Progress.

They pull up to Bannister Mall, and Annie quickly unbuckles her seatbelt.

She hops out, then leans back into the open window. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Okay,” her dad replies. “Be careful.”

“I will.”

She shuts the door and watches him pull away.

As soon as she steps inside the mall, she spots Rhonda standing near the entrance.

“There yo’ slow ass go,” Rhonda teases.

Annie laughs and hugs her.

The two of them stand by the doors, watching her dad’s car disappear from the parking lot.

The second it’s out of sight, Rhonda grabs Annie’s hand. “Come on.” Annie laughs.

They hurry back outside and head toward the bus stop.

A warm September breeze blows by as they sit on the bench.

“I hope we meet us some fine ass niggas down there,” Rhonda says. “The Landing got all the fine ones, Annie. Watch.”

Annie busts into giggles. “Look at you. You don’t even care about gettin’ no clothes.”

“And I don’t,” Rhonda says with a shrug. “Unless I’m tryna impress a nigga.”

Annie throws her head back laughing.

“You so crazy.”

“I ain’t crazy. I’m realistic.”

Annie looks at her. Rhonda looks back at her.

Then both of them bust out laughing.

♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️

Smoke’s driving through the city with Tobias riding shotgun.

The windows are cracked just enough to let the warm breeze in. A CD is playing low in the background while they cruise down the street with no real destination.

Smoke glances down at his feet.

Then shakes his head. “Aye, let’s hit the Landing real quick. I need some more Forces.”

Tobias looks down.

Smoke lifts his foot. “I done creased these.”

Tobias busts out laughing. “Man, you got too many damn shoes.”

He shakes his head. “Them shoes still look brand new.”

Smoke sucks his teeth. “Nah.”

He glances at his shoes again. “These threw”

Tobias laughs even harder. “Threw? Nigga, I don’t even see the crease.”

“It’s there.”

“No it ain’t.”

“Yes it is.”

Tobias looks at him like he’s crazy.

Smoke shrugs. “You can never have enough shoes.”

He lifts his foot again. “And you know I don’t do creases in my shit.”

Tobias shakes his head. “You bougie as hell.”

Smoke grins. “Nah. I just take care of my shit.”

“Man, whatever.” A small laugh leaves him. “Yeah aight. Let’s go.” He sits up a little. “I need me a pair too.”

Smoke smirks and turns toward the highway. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

The two continue riding toward the Landing, completely unaware that Annie and her friend are headed there too.

♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️

They finally make it to the Landing.

The mall is packed.

Music plays softly over the speakers while people crowd the walkways carrying shopping bags. Kids run ahead of their parents, teenagers gather in groups, and the smell of pretzels, cinnamon, and popcorn fills the air.

Rhonda’s eyes light up the second they walk through the doors. “Aye girl, let’s go to Wet Seal first.”

Annie huffs. “I wanted to go to The Limited first.”

Rhonda hooks her arm through Annie’s. “We can go there next.”

Annie laughs. “Fine.”

They head into Wet Seal.

The store is full of bright colors and trendy outfits. Rhonda immediately starts digging through racks. Annie takes her time. She smiles as she flips through the clothes. This feels nice. Really nice.

She has money in her purse. Her money. And for the first time, she doesn’t have to ask anybody for permission to buy herself something.She picks out a couple of cute outfits. Then grabs some jewelry.

A gold necklace. A few bracelets. And some hoop earrings.

Rhonda holds up a shirt. “This cute?”

Annie squints. “Mmm… it’s a no.”

Rhonda gasps. “You a hater.”

Annie laughs. “I saved you.”

Afterward, they head into Spencer’s.

Immediately Rhonda starts laughing at some of the weird stuff sitting on the shelves.

Annie spots something. “Ooh!”

Rhonda turns. “What?”

Annie points. “Let’s grab some magnetic earrings.”

Rhonda looks confused. “What for?”

“I want a cartilage piercing.”

She sighs. “But my parents won’t let me, so these will do.”

Rhonda laughs. “I guess.”

A few minutes later, they’re walking out of the store.

Both girls immediately take the earrings out of the packaging.

Annie carefully places one on her ear.

Rhonda does the same.

Then they both stop and stare at each other. “Oh my God.”

“It actually look real!” Rhonda says.

Annie grins. “I know!”

They spend the next few minutes admiring themselves in store windows.

Eventually, they end up at the photo booth in the middle of the mall.

“Come on!” Rhonda says.

Annie laughs. “You so childish.”

“And?”

She pulls the curtain closed.

The machine flashes.

Click. First picture.

Both girls smile.

Click. Second picture.

They kiss each other’s cheeks.

Click. Third picture.

They make the ugliest faces they can.

Click. Fourth picture.

They throw up peace signs and start laughing before the picture even snaps.

The photo strip prints out.

Rhonda squeals. “Awww.”

Annie smiles. “We look cute.”

They step out of the booth and continue walking. As they pass a group of guys leaning against the railing, one whistles. “Damn!”

Another one grins. “Where y’all headed?”

“Y’all fine as hell.”

Annie immediately blushes.

Rhonda busts out laughing.

She eats that kind of attention up.

“Damn,” she says. “They fine.”

She starts slowing down. “Let’s go talk to them.”

Annie looks horrified. “No.”

Rhonda turns. “No?”

“No, girl.”

Annie grabs her arm. “I’m trying to go to Topsy’s.”

Rhonda laughs.”Look at yo scary ass.”

“I am not scary.”

“You are.”

Rhonda starts walking backward.

“You need a new nigga to help you get over Ryan ass.”

Annie rolls her eyes. “I been over him.”

Rhonda smirks. “I can’t tell.”

“I have.”

“Mhmm.”

“I really have.”

“If you say so.”

Annie laughs and shakes her head.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mall, Smoke and Tobias are leaving Foot Locker.

Both have shopping bags in hand.

Smoke ended up buying another pair of Forces and immediately put them on.

Tobias shakes his head. “I still think you crazy.”

Smoke grins. “You just don’t understand.”

“I don’t.”

They continue walking.

Tobias suddenly stops. “Aye, let’s stop by Topsy’s.”

Smoke looks at him. “For what?”

“I need some popcorn.”

Smoke chuckles. “Nigga, you always need some popcorn.”

“So?” Tobias shrugs.

“Topsy’s got the best damn popcorn in the city.”

Smoke can’t even argue with that.

Topsy’s was a staple at the Landing.

It carried every flavor imaginable.

Caramel. Cheese. Butter. Cinnamon.

People literally came to the mall just for the popcorn.

Smoke smirks. “Aight. Let’s go.”

The two start walking toward Topsy’s.

Completely unaware that Annie and Rhonda are headed there too.

The line at Topsy’s is long.

Like always.

Teenagers crowd the small popcorn shop, laughing loudly and arguing over flavors. The sweet smell of caramel popcorn mixes with buttery cheddar and cinnamon sugar, filling the air.

Annie and Rhonda get in line.

Annie immediately starts looking inside the glass showcase. There are rows and rows of popcorn.Caramel. Cheddar. Butter. Cinnamon.

Chocolate drizzled. Every flavor imaginable.

“Girl, I don’t even know what I want,” Rhonda says.

Annie laughs softly.

Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias walk into Topsy’s.

And Smoke stops dead in his tracks.

Annie.

His eyes lock onto her instantly.

She’s here? In the city?

She’s wearing a short denim skirt and a white off shoulder Baby Phat crop top that shows just a sliver of her stomach.

A silver herringbone chain rests against her chest, matching the silver bracelets on her wrist.

Fresh white Reebok Classics cover her feet.

But it’s her hair that gets him.

Long curls from a roller set.

Full. Bouncy.

Every time she moves her head, the curls sway softly against her shoulders.

Her legs shine from baby oil.

Her lips are glossy.

And she looks…Damn.

Smoke’s heart damn near stops.

She’s beautiful at work.

But out here? Looking like this?

He wasn’t ready… AT ALL.

Tobias notices Smoke isn’t moving.

“Nigga… you good?”

Smoke blinks. “Yeah, bro.”

He clears his throat. “I’m good.”

He’s absolutely not good.

Because he can’t stop looking at her.

Rhonda notices first.

She sees this fine ass man staring holes through her friend.

Her eyes get huge.

She immediately leans toward Annie.

“Oh my God.”

“Hmm?” Annie says absently.

“Some fine ass nigga staring at you.”

Annie looks up. And freezes.

It’s Smoke.

Her stomach drops instantly.

He looks…sexy as hell.

She can’t even pretend he doesn’t.

He’s wearing a green and white striped Rocawear polo with baggy dark-blue jean shorts.

A brand new Boston Celtics fitted sits low on his head with a durag underneath.

A platinum chain hangs around his neck. A Rolex shines on his wrist.

Big diamond studs glisten in his ears beneath the bright mall lights.

And fresh white Air Forces.

Everything about him screams effortless. Like he didn’t even try.

But somehow still looks perfect.

Annie’s eyes slowly travel from his shoes all the way back up.

Then she hurries and looks away.

Way too fast.

Her heart starts racing.

What is he doing here?

And why does he look this damn good?

Smoke and Tobias get in line directly behind them.

Annie doesn’t say anything.

She literally can’t.

Then his cologne reaches her.

Burberry Brit. Warm. Clean.Masculine.

It instantly surrounds her.

Rhonda’s eyes get even bigger.

“Damn, Annie.”

She whispers. “He ain’t took his eyes off you yet.”

Annie says nothing.

“And his friend fine as fuck too.”

Still nothing.

Because Annie can barely breathe.

Smoke steps up beside her to look into the glass case.

Close. Too close.

She can feel his body heat.

Then he catches a soft scent.

Curve Crush.

He almost smiles.

Sweet. Pretty. Just like her.

Smoke pretends to study the popcorn.

But he’s not looking at popcorn.

He’s stealing glances at her side profile. She’s even prettier up close.

Her skin is glowing. No makeup.

Just lip gloss.

And somehow that’s making him look harder.

He’s never seen her outside of work.

Never seen her in regular clothes.

And now that he has…Yeah.

Shorty fly as hell.

He can’t even deny it.

And her hair… The curls bounce every time she turns her head toward her friend.

They look so soft. So full.

For a crazy second, he wonders what they’d feel like wrapped around his fingers.

The thought catches him off guard.

He shifts. Moves a little closer.

His arm brushes hers.

Annie inhales sharply.

The contact is brief. But enough.

This is the closest they’ve ever been.

She can feel the warmth radiating from him. Smell his cologne.

Hear him breathing.

Her heart is beating so hard she’s almost positive he can hear it.

She steals another glance.

This time, she notices things she hadn’t before.

His beard. Trimmed perfectly.

The shape of his lips.

The way his earrings catch the light.

He really is fine. Like…ridiculously fine.

Just then Smoke turns his head fully toward her and stares back.

Tobias looks between them.

Then back at Smoke. Then at Annie.

His eyebrows slowly rise.

Oh. Ohhhhh.

He knows that look.

At the same time, Rhonda is doing the exact same thing.

Her eyes move from Annie…

to Smoke…back to Annie.

Then she looks up and catches Tobias looking too.

The two exchange a look.

Both of them silently thinking:

These two got some shit going on.

Even though they haven’t said a single word.

Tobias breaks the silence.

“Aye bro, what you gettin’?”

Smoke finally looks away from Annie.

“You already know.”

He smirks. “I like my shit sweet.”

He points toward the case.

“I need that cinnamon.”

Annie’s ears immediately perk up.

She files that information away.

He likes cinnamon. Interesting.

Smoke looks back toward the showcase.

And catches her looking at him.

Again. Their eyes meet.

Annie immediately drops hers.

Smoke tries not to smile.

He fails.

A small grin tugs at his lips.

A few moments later, it’s finally their turn.

Rhonda orders first.

Then Annie steps up.

She points inside the case.

“I want the cheddar and caramel one.”

The cashier nods. “What size?”

“I want the bag.”

Smoke immediately speaks.

“Get her the canisters.”

Annie turns. Confused.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. “I got it.”

Both girls’ eyes get huge.

“What?” Rhonda says.

Smoke pulls money out.

“I’m paying for both of theirs.”

Annie blinks. “No. You don’t—”

Rhonda elbows her hard.

Hard enough that Annie jumps.

Smoke almost laughs.

The cashier says the total.

Smoke reaches across Annie and hands over the money.

His chest brushes against hers.

Goosebumps immediately rise along her skin.

Annie swallows. Then looks up at him.

Smoke looks right into her eyes.

“You too good to let me buy somethin’ for you?”

His voice is calm. Deep. Intense.

Annie completely forgets how words work. Her eyes drop. To his lips.

Then once again she notices the golds.

Her stomach flips. “No… it’s not that. I just…”

She trails off. Because honestly?

She doesn’t know what to say.

This man has her completely flustered.

So instead she says softly: “Thank you.”

Smoke’s expression softens.

He gives her a nod.

Then he leans forward slightly.

Close enough that she can feel his breath near her ear.

His deep baritone sends a shiver straight down her spine.

“Next time…”

He pauses. “Try the cinnamon.”

Annie smiles. A real smile. “Okay.”

She takes the canisters from the cashier. Turns.

And practically floats away with Rhonda.

Smoke watches her go.

Watches her curls bounce.

Watches her laugh when Rhonda immediately starts whispering in her ear. Then he slowly shakes his head.

Tobias looks at him. Looks toward Annie. Looks back at him.

Then grins. “Nigga.”

Smoke doesn’t answer.

He just keeps watching her walk away.

Because for the second time in less than a week…

That girl got him almost smiling at absolutely nothing.

Once Annie and Rhonda are out of Topsy’s, they both squeal.

“Damn!” Rhonda says. “I think he likes you, Annie! Why you ain’t get his number?”

Annie grins and shrugs.

“I don’t know.”

“What if you never see him again?”

Annie starts laughing.

“I’m gonna see him again.”

Rhonda stops walking.

“How you know that?”

Annie looks at her like it’s obvious.

“’Cause I work with him, girl.”

Rhonda’s mouth drops open.

“What?!”

Annie cackles.

“Mhmm. He’s a cook.”

Rhonda looks offended.

“You work with that fine ass nigga and ain’t tell me?!”

Annie laughs harder.

“He ain’t just some random dude?” She asks

“No.”

“Oh my God.”

Rhonda grabs Annie’s arm.

“You need to talk to him, Annie.”

Annie rolls her eyes.

Rhonda clicks her tongue

“He was staring holes through you! Then he bought our popcorn.”

Rhonda shakes her head.

“I knew it was more to it.”

“Girl…”

“No. Annie, you need to lock that down.”

Annie laughs. “I don’t even know how old he is.”

Rhonda’s eyes get big. “You don’t know how old that man is?!”

“I ain’t never asked him. We haven’t really talked.”

Rhonda looks at her suspiciously.

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Annie laughs.

“Why you ain’t tell me about him? And his friend fine as fuck too.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Nah.” Rhonda points at her. “You gotta get him.”

She grins. “That’ll really piss Ryan off.”

“Fuck Ryan.”

They both busts out laughing.

By the time they reach the bus stop, they’re still giggling.

The sun is beginning to set, painting the sky orange and pink. Cars fly by on the street.

A few other people are waiting for the bus.

Then a classic two door dark blue Buick Regal slows down.

Music is blasting inside.

A group of guys are packed in the car.

The passenger hangs out the window.

“Aye!”

Both girls look.

“Y’all need a ride?”

“No,” they say in unison.

The guys laugh.

“C’mon. We ain’t gon’ bite.”

“Nah, we good,” Annie says politely.

But they don’t leave.

The Regal stops completely.

“Damn, where y’all headed?”

“Y’all too pretty to be on the bus.”

Another guy whistles.

Annie’s smile disappears. She folds her arms.

Looks away. She hates this.

Rhonda notices immediately.

The guys keep talking. Keep staring.

Annie shifts uncomfortably.

Her stomach starts knotting.

She hates feeling trapped.

And right now… She does.

Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias are leaving the mall parking lot.

Smoke is halfway through a story Tobias is telling when his eyes land on the bus stop.

He sees Annie immediately.

Then he sees the Regal

Sees the guys hanging out the windows.

Sees Annie’s body language.

The way she’s folded into herself.

The way she isn’t smiling anymore.

And something ugly twists in his chest. Protectiveness. Irritation.

And something else he doesn’t want to name. Because why the fuck are they over there bothering her?

He doesn’t even know why. He just doesn’t like it.

Not one bit. Without thinking, he cuts the wheel.

Tobias looks over. “What you doin?”

Smoke doesn’t answer.

He pulls up directly behind the Regal

The guys look back.

Smoke leans over and rolls the window down.

“Y’all come on.”

Both girls blink.

Rhonda’s eyes get huge.

Annie’s too. They look at each other.

Annie hesitates. Rhonda doesn’t.

“Oh hell yeah.”

“Rhonda…” Annie says.

“No.”

Rhonda grabs her hand.

“We getting in.”

The guys in the Regal look annoyed.

One sucks his teeth.

Another rolls his eyes.

Smoke doesn’t even look that way

His eyes stay on Annie. Waiting.

Finally…She nods.

Tobias gets out. “Either one of y’all wanna sit in the front?”

They both shake their heads.

“Nah.”

“Aight.”

He lifts the front seat forward.

Annie climbs in first.

She ends up sitting in the middle, almost directly behind Smoke.

Rhonda sits behind Tobias.

The second everyone’s inside, Smoke pulls off. Fast. Pipes so loud that Annie jumps.

The Regal disappears behind them.

Annie doesn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until now. She exhales. Her shoulders finally relax.

The truck smells like cologne, weed and air freshener.

Rap music hums softly from the speakers.

She looks around. The inside is spotless.

“Damn,” Rhonda says aloud.

“This nice.”

Smoke glances up. “Preciate it.”

Then he asks, “Where y’all going?”

“Out south.” Rhonda answers. “You can drop us off at Bannister.”

Smoke raises a brow.

Tobias turns around. “Damn. Y’all goin’ to another mall?”

Rhonda grins. “Yep. We love to shop.”

That makes Smoke chuckle.

He gets onto 71 Highway.

Then turns the music up.

Messy Marv’s “Sei Luv” comes on.

The beat rattles the seats.

Smoke starts nodding his head.

Then his eyes drift to the rearview mirror. Annie.

The sunset spills through the window beside her.

Golden light dances across her skin.

Makes her glow.

Her curls look even softer somehow.

Her gloss shines.

And she’s looking out the window quietly. Beautiful.

Smoke’s eyes linger.

Then the words come through the speakers.

🎶 Say love, say love, let me talk to you for a moment… Get to know you, let me show you I’m the one you need… 🎶

His eyes stay in the mirror.

Because that’s exactly what he wants.

To talk to her. Get to know her, but he doesn’t want to scare her.

The song keeps playing.

🎶 Is it alright if I spend some time, get you fly, ’cause I wanna make you mine🎶

Annie looks up. And catches him staring. Again. He doesn’t look away this time. Neither does she. Their eyes hold. Just for a second. Then she smiles softly.

And looks back out the window.

Smoke’s chest tightens.

🎶 Baby come and take this ride, my s5 get you fly. Show me all the things you like, i'll do them for you🎶

Tobias notices them. Of course he notices.

He doesn’t say shit. Just smirks to himself.

A few minutes later, he pulls a blunt from his pocket and sparks it.

He turns around. “Y’all wanna hit this?”

Annie shakes her head immediately.

“No thank you.”

Rhonda grins. “Yeah.”

Before Tobias can hand it back—Smack.

Smoke hits his arm. “Put that shit out.”

Tobias looks confused. “Why?”

Smoke just gives him a look. One of those looks.

Tobias glances from Smoke…to Annie… then back.

And suddenly understands.

“Ohhhhh.”

Smoke cuts his eyes. Tobias starts grinning.

He puts the blunt out.

The whole ride, Smoke keeps stealing glances through the rearview.

And every now and then…Annie catches him.

Every time she does, she smiles.

Every time she smiles…

Smoke has to fight one of his own.

When they finally pull up to Bannister, everyone gets out.

Smoke and Tobias climb out first.

Smoke lifts the front seat. Annie moves to climb out. Without thinking, he reaches his hand out.

She looks at it. Then at him.

Then places her hand in his.

The second their hands touch..There it is again. That spark. That weird pull.

Annie feels it. Smoke feels it too.

She steps down slowly.

But he doesn’t let go right away.

Neither of them says anything.

Rhonda and Tobias exchange another look.

Because this shit is ridiculous.

They haven’t even had a real conversation.

Yet they keep looking at each other like that.

Finally, Smoke lets her hand go.

Meanwhile—“Aye.”

Tobias looks at Rhonda. “Lemme get yo number.”

Rhonda grins. “Okay.”

She gives it to him.

Annie sees and starts giggling.

Rhonda giggles right back.

Annie adjusts her purse strap and gets ready to walk off.

Then—Smoke says “You dropped somethin’.”

She turns. Looks at the ground.

Nothing. Then looks up.

Smoke is holding a hundred dollar bill.

Her brows knit together. “I didn’t drop that.”

Smoke just stares at her. “You did.”

She blinks, looks at the money.

Then at him. Then back at the money.

Slowly…She catches on.

He’s giving it to her.

Again. Her eyes widen.

She shakes her head.

Smoke nods.

She shakes her head again

Smoke nods “Take it.”

She can’t help but smile.

This man is crazy.

But eventually…She reaches out and puts her hand in his to take it.

Only—Smoke doesn’t let go.

He holds onto her hand.

And looks directly into her eyes.

Big. Brown. Beautiful.

So big he feels like he could get lost in them.

Hell…He almost does.

Neither of them moves. Neither of them speaks.

The world feels strangely quiet.

Then Smoke realizes he’s been holding her hand too long. Way too long. He lets go. Clears his throat.

And steps back.

He climbs into his truck.

Looks at her one more time.

Then gives her a nod.

Annie smiles. Returns it.

Rhonda comes over and grabs her arm.

The two girls walk toward the mall entrance.

Smoke watches them the entire way.

Watches Annie’s curls bounce.

Watches her glance back once.

Then disappear inside.

Only then…Does he pull off….

Part 1

Chapter 2 (pt.2)

“Constantly”

By halftime, Annie heads toward the concession stand. The line is long. Kids are running around. Parents are yelling over the crowd. The smell of hot dogs and nacho cheese still fills the air.

She’s studying the menu when someone taps her shoulder. Annie already knows who it is. She turns around. Annoyed.

“What, Ryan?”

His grin widens. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you came.”

She clicks her tongue. “I came to watch the game, not your ass.”

Ryan laughs.

Annie raises a brow. “Ain’t you supposed to be sitting on the field?”

He waves her off. “I do what I want. You know this.”

Annie folds her arms. “Please. Ain’t yo girlfriend somewhere around?”

Ryan’s jaw tightens immediately.

He looks away for a second. Then back at her. “Anyway… so you really just done wit me?”

Annie stares at him. “Didn’t you get my letter?”

“Yeah I got it and I ripped that shit up too.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?”

Ryan exhales heavily. “Because I thought we was better than that.”

“You thought wrong.”

Annie’s voice is firm. “You chose who you wanted.”

“Annie—”

“No.”

She cuts him off. “You don’t get to disrespect me and then come back when you feel like it.”

Ryan shakes his head. “I miss you though.”

Annie doesn’t respond.

“I made a mistake.”

“That wasn’t a mistake.”

“It was.”

“No.”

She points at him. “That was a choice.”

Ryan’s expression hardens. “Damn, everybody make mistakes.”

“No. You wanted to kiss her.”

Silence.

“Admit it. You wanted to.”

Ryan says nothing.

Annie continues. “And then to add insult to injury, you got in a whole relationship with her.”

“Annie—”

“So go find her.”

She steps around him. “Leave me alone.”

Ryan grabs her wrist. “Don’t leave.”

Annie freezes. Slowly looks down at his hand. Then back up at him.

Her eyes go wide. “If you don’t let me go.”

Something in her voice makes him release her immediately. Annie jerks her arm away. Then walks off without another word.

Ryan watches her leave. Anger bubbling beneath the surface…

The game ends with a home team victory. The crowd spills from the field in every direction. Students laugh. Car horns sound in the parking lot. People celebrate as they head toward their cars. Annie is walking beside Devin, laughing about something, when somebody slams into her shoulder. Hard.

Annie stumbles. “What the hell?”

She turns around. Dana. Of course.

Dana folds her arms. “Watch where you goin’, bitch.”

Annie instantly shakes her head.

“Nah. You watch it, hoe.”

Dana’s eyes widen. “Hoe?”

“Yeah. You heard me. Hoe.”

Dana steps closer. Immediately.

Ebony slides between them.

“Bitch, you just mad ’cause I got yo man.”

Annie laughs. Really laughs. “Mad?”

She points at Ryan standing several feet away. “Girl, you can have his sorry ass.”

Dana’s face twists. “Please.”

Annie keeps going. “Tell yo man to stop begging me.”

“Begging you?”

Dana scoffs. “I doubt that.”

“You delusional.”

Annie shakes her head. “If I wanted yo man back, you would’ve been good and dropped.”

“Oooohhhhh!” Devin yells.

Ebony immediately turns. “Devin!”

“What? I’m just sayin’.”

Dana takes another step forward.

“Nah, fuck you.”

Ebony throws her hands up. “Y’all chill out.”

“Nah.” Dana points at Annie. “This bitch think she can take my man.”

Annie laughs again. “You got one more time to call me a bitch.”

Dana smirks. “Or else what?”

She steps even closer. “What you gon’ do, bitch?”

Annie lunges.

Immediately. Devin and Ebony grab her.

“ANNIE!”

“Let me go!”

“Girl, stop!”

Annie jerks against them.

Dana steps backward. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Annie points at her. “Nah. You lucky.”

“Sure.”

Annie stares at her for a second.

Then suddenly reaches into her purse.

Everybody freezes. Dana’s friends look confused. Annie pulls out a stack of folded letters. Ryan’s letters. Every last one.She throws them directly at Dana’s chest. The papers scatter everywhere.

“There!”

Dana jumps. “What the hell?”

“There’s yo proof.”

Annie points toward Ryan. “Now keep your dog on a leash.”

The crowd around them erupts.

“Daaaaamn!”

“Oh shit!”

Dana and her friends scramble to pick the letters up.

Meanwhile Devin is bent over laughing.

“Damn, Annie.”

She wipes tears from her eyes.

“Not you threw the damn letters at her.”

Annie is still fuming. She doesn’t even respond.

They walk off. Ebony wraps an arm around her shoulders. “It’s cool, Annie.”

“I’m so sick of them.”

“I know.”

Ebony nods. “But calm down.”

Devin finally catches her breath.

“She only mad ‘cause she saw y’all talking at the concession stand.”

“Exactly,” Ebony says.

“I saw her staring too,” Devin adds.

Annie throws her hands up. “See?”

She shakes her head. “This is exactly why I ain’t never taking him back. Too much drama.”

Devin adds “Way too much.”

Ebony sighs. “That’s ’cause everybody want him and he wants you.”

“Not now, Ebony.” Devin says

Rhonda finally cuts in. “Nah, Annie right.”

Everyone looks at her.

Rhonda shrugs. “A dude ain’t worth all this shit.”

“Thank you,” Annie says.

“If you gotta fight other girls, deal with jealousy, and constantly wonder what he doing…”

Rhonda shakes her head. “Then he ain’t worth having.”

Annie smiles. “Exactly.”

For once, somebody gets it. And as she looks over at Dana arguing with Ryan while holding those crumpled letters…Annie realizes she doesn’t miss him at all, not even a little bit.

🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃

Down in the city Smoke is pulling up to Pete’s Place. The club sits on the east side and has a completely different vibe than most spots in Kansas City.

Pete’s was twenty five and up.

No teenagers. No knuckleheads.

No constant fights. No riff raff.

Just grown folks drinking, dancing, and having a good time.

The music was a mix of old school and new school. One minute you’d hear Maze and Frankie Beverly, the next it’d be Usher or Alicia Keys.

Smoke wasn’t twenty-five yet, but that didn’t matter. His mama had known Pete for years.

Everybody knew Yolanda.

Smoke parks and climbs out.

His friend Tobias is already waiting.

A skinny high yellow dude with braids.

The two head inside.

The bass vibrates through the floor beneath their feet. Colored lights dance across the crowded room.

Women laugh loudly near the bar.

Couples fill the dance floor.

The smell of perfume, cigarette smoke, and liquor hangs in the air.

Usher’s “Yeah!” is blasting through the speakers.

Smoke and Tobias post up against the wall.Just watching.

People immediately begin speaking.

A few regulars shake Smoke’s hand.

Some older hustlers nod at him.

A couple of clients stop him for quick conversations.Smoke handles it all casually.

Then Tobias nudges him. “There go Tamika.”

Smoke follows his gaze. Sure enough. Tamika is on the dance floor.Dancing with her friends. She looks good.But he doesn’t feel a damn thing.

“So?” Smoke says.

Tobias looks at him. “Nigga, you ain’t gon’ go speak?”

“Hell nah.”

Smoke takes a sip of his drink. “I been off that.”

“Oh yeah.”

Tobias smirks. “I forgot. You on Monica now.”

Smoke immediately cuts his eyes at him.

“I ain’t on that either.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“We just cool.”

Tobias laughs. “Man, whatever.”

Smoke shakes his head.

Tobias side eyes him “You spend a lot of time over there.”

“Nigga, my brother live there.”

“Yeah okay.”

Tobias lifts his hands. “I’ma leave it alone.”

Smoke is grateful he does. Because he doesn’t feel like explaining shit. A few moments later, Tamika spots him. The second their eyes meet, Smoke already knows what’s coming. He exhales heavily. Here come the bullshit.

Tamika makes her way across the floor. Confident. Like she belongs there. Like nothing ever happened.

She stops in front of him. “Sup Elijah.”

Smoke’s jaw immediately twitches.

“Don’t call me that.”

Tamika sucks her teeth. “Damn. It’s like that?”

“Hell yeah.”

Smoke folds his arms. “It is.”

She studies him for a moment.

“What the fuck you want, Tamika?”

She rolls her eyes. “I ain’t heard from you in a while.”

“And?”

“I know you been messing wit Monica and the rest of them hoes you be dealin’ wit but damn.”

Smoke says nothing.

Tamika continues. “I used to mean somethin’ to you.”

Smoke nods. “Used to.”

Her face hardens. “That’s cold.”

“Nah.”

Smoke shakes his head. “What’s cold is trying to have yo bros shoot at me.”

Tamika’s expression immediately changes.

Smoke leans forward slightly

“You think I forgot that shit?”

The tension between them thickens instantly. The music keeps playing.

People keep dancing. But the conversation turns ice cold.

Tamika folds her arms. “Man, let that shit go.”

Smoke laughs. A dark laugh. “Fuck No. You out yo fuckin mind.”

Tamika drops her arms “You tried to play me and I ain’t no bitch you can play wit.”

Smoke steps closer.

His voice drops lower. “You lucky I ain’t kill them niggas.”

Tamika swallows.

“I had to think about yo mama.”

His eyes lock on hers. “That’s the only reason you and them niggas still breathin’.”

Tamika’s confidence disappears. Just a little. “You don’t mean that shit.”

Before Smoke can answer, movement near the entrance catches his attention. His mother walks through the door. His Aunt Racheal right beside her.

Smoke immediately looks back at Tamika.

“Get the fuck out my face, Tamika.”

She starts to speak. He points toward the entrance. “Before I have my mama beat the fuck out you.”

Tamika turns. Sees Yolanda.

And immediately decides she’s had enough. She sucks her teeth and walks away. Smoke watches her go.

Then turns toward his family.

His mama spots him immediately.

“There go my baby.”

Smoke groans. “What y’all doin’ here?”

Aunt Racheal laughs. “Nigga, we came to have a good time. What else?”

Smoke shakes his head. “Y’all too old.”

Yolanda immediately smacks his arm.

“Boy. You ain’t never too old.”

Before Smoke can respond, The Whispers’ “In the Mood” comes through the speakers.

The crowd immediately reacts.

A few people cheer. Others rush toward the dance floor.

Aunt Racheal’s eyes light up. “Oh yeah.”

Smoke already knows. “No.”

She grabs his hand. “Come two step wit yo auntie.”

Smoke groans dramatically. “I don’t feel like it.”

“Boy please.”

His mama points toward the dance floor.

“Get out there with yo auntie and two step. Ain’t nobody in here worried about you.”

Before Smoke can escape, Aunt Racheal drags him onto the floor.

The crowd parts. People already know what time it is.Two-stepping wasn’t just dancing in Kansas City.

It was serious business. There were competitions. Championships.

People practiced for years.

You had to know how to stay on beat.

Know your spins. Know your footwork.

Know how to lead. Know how to follow. Yolanda had taught both her sons when they were little.

And Smoke had become damn good at it. The music swells.

Smoke immediately falls into rhythm.

Step. Step. Turn. Spin.

Aunt Racheal laughs as he guides her effortlessly. They move like they’ve done this a thousand times. Because they have.

People stop dancing just to watch.

Women smile. Men nod approvingly.

They both spin. Smoke Catches her hand again. Never missing a beat. Not once. The song ends to applause and whistles.

Aunt Racheal laughs. “Still got it.”

Smoke smirks. “Always.”

Back near the wall, he spends the next hour handling a few transactions and speaking with clients. Business never stopped. Not even at the club.

Throughout the night, women approach him. Young women. Older women. Some asking him to dance. Others just trying to flirt. Every single one gets the same answer.

“Nah.” “No thank you.” “I’m cool.”

Tobias finally notices. “Nigga, what’s wrong wit you?”

Smoke laughs. “Ain’t shit wrong wit me.”

“Then why you turnin’ down everybody?”

Smoke looks toward the dance floor.

The colorful lights flash across the room. Couples sway together.

Laughing. Dancing. Enjoying themselves.

For some reason…His mind drifts somewhere else.

To a pretty girl with a wrap and glossed lips. A girl who gets flustered when he looks at her. A girl who smiles like she doesn’t realize how beautiful she is. A girl who probably doesn’t even know how to two step.

A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.

Tobias catches it immediately. “There it is.”

Smoke shakes his head. “What?”

“You thinkin’ about somebody.”

Smoke doesn’t answer.

Because for once…Tobias is actually right.

🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀The next evening at Red Lobster, the restaurant is absolutely packed. Saturday nights were always busy. Families crowd the waiting area near the entrance. Kids run between tables while parents try to wrangle them. Servers weave through the dining room carrying trays loaded with shrimp scampi, lobster tails, and baskets overflowing with cheddar biscuits.

The air is thick with the smell of garlic butter, seafood, and fryer oil. Orders are flying into the kitchen nonstop. The ticket machine won’t stop printing. The entire restaurant feels like controlled chaos.

So far Annie has been holding her own.She’s actually proud of herself. She’s greeting tables faster. Remembering biscuits. Keeping drinks filled. Remembering to smile even when her feet hurt. For most of the night she’s been doing good. Then the dinner rush really hits. And suddenly she’s drowning. A hostess appears beside her. “Double sat.”

Annie looks down at the chart.

A three-top. And a six-top.

At the same time. “Oh Lord.”

She grabs her order pad and heads toward the first table. Then the second. She moves as fast as she can.

Drink orders. Appetizers. Refills.

Biscuits. Extra napkins.

Questions about menu items.

Children wanting crayons.

The six-top alone feels like three separate tables.

By the time she finally gets a chance to breathe, she rushes to one of the computers to enter everything.

Her heart is racing.

She flips through her order pad.

She starts to put the Three-top in

She flips the page. And freezes.

Her stomach immediately drops.

A steak order.

From the six-top she put in earlier

Written on the back of the page.

A medium rare sirloin.

One she never entered. “Oh my God.”

The color drains from her face.

“No no no no no.”

She stares at the screen.

The rest of that table’s food is probably already cooking.

If she doesn’t get that steak started now, everybody else’s food is going to come out first.

The customer is going to be sitting there watching everyone eat while they wait.

Her heart starts pounding harder.

Panic immediately settles in.

She can practically feel Michelle’s disappointment already.

Without thinking, Annie takes off running toward the kitchen.

The heat hits her instantly the second she pushes through the doors.

Fryers hiss. The grill sizzles.

Cooks yell orders back and forth.

Plates crash together.

Annie rushes to the service window.

“Hey Brandon!”

Her voice cracks slightly. “Can you cook a medium-rare steak for me real quick? I forgot to put it in!”

Across the kitchen, Smoke is helping at the fryers. His back is turned.

But the second he hears Annie’s voice, his attention sharpens. He doesn’t turn around. Doesn’t need to.

He can hear the panic. The frustration. The embarrassment. He immediately knows something went wrong.

Brandon looks up from the grill. “Where’s the ticket?”

Annie swallows. “I forgot to put it in.”

She looks mortified even saying it.

“I’m gonna go do it right now.”

Brandon shrugs. “No ticket. No steak.”

Annie blinks. “What?”

“No ticket. No steak.”

Her shoulders sag. “Can you at least start cooking it for me?”

“No.”

Brandon doesn’t even look at her. “Not until I have a ticket.”

Smoke’s jaw tightens instantly.

He keeps dropping baskets into the fryer, but irritation crawls up his spine.

Seriously?

The girl has been working there what?

Three weeks? Maybe.

She’s obviously new. Obviously overwhelmed. And anybody with eyes can see she’s panicking.

Mistakes happen. Especially on a Saturday night. Brandon could easily throw the damn steak on the grill and save her table.

Instead he’s doing what Brandon always does. Being an asshole just because he can.

Annie’s face falls. “Okay.”

Her voice is quiet this time.

Defeated. She turns around and practically stomps back toward the dining room.

Smoke watches her go.

The frustration on her face bothers him more than it should. A lot more.

The second she’s gone, he shakes his head.

“Man, that’s some bullshit.”

Brandon shrugs. “Nigga it’s the Rules.”

Smoke sucks his teeth “Yeah. Aight nigga”

He doesn’t say anything else.

But he already knows what he’s about to do.

Meanwhile Annie is trying not to lose her mind. Both computers are occupied when she gets back to the server station.

Of course they are.

She bounces anxiously from foot to foot while waiting.

Every second feels like an hour.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Finally a computer opens up.

She practically throws herself in front of it. Her fingers fly across the screen.

She enters the steak. Hits send.

Then immediately rushes back toward the kitchen.

Please don’t let that customer be mad.

Please don’t let that customer be mad.

Please don’t let that customer be mad.

The thought repeats over and over in her head.

She arrives at the service window and immediately looks toward the grill.

Toward Brandon. Her stomach twists.

Brandon’s back is turned.

He’s busy working another order.

Before Annie can even open her mouth—A plate slides through the window. Right in front of her.

She blinks. A medium-rare steak.

Perfectly cooked.

Juices still glistening beneath the kitchen lights. Steam rising from the plate.

Annie stares at it.

Then follows the arm attached to it.

Smoke.

Her eyes widen. She points at herself.

As if to say…Me?

Smoke nods once.

Yep. For you.

The relief that washes over Annie is immediate. It hits so hard she almost laughs. The knot in her chest loosens instantly. Oh my God. She doesn’t say it out loud.

But it’s written all over her face.

Then she smiles. A real smile. Big. Bright. Grateful. The kind that reaches all the way to her eyes.

And just like every other time she smiles at him… Smoke feels it. Right in his chest.

His stomach drops. Again.

It makes absolutely no sense.

She’s just smiling. That’s all.

But somehow that smile hits him harder than it should. Hard enough that he has to look away for a second.

Annie clasps her hands together in front of her chest. Like she’s praying. Her eyes full of gratitude.

Then she mouths: Thank you.

Smoke can’t help the smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth.

He shakes his head once.

Then mouths back: No problem.

Annie grabs the plate carefully.

Still smiling. Still looking relieved.

Then hurries back toward the dining room.

Smoke watches her disappear through the kitchen doors.

And for the rest of the night, every time he thinks about that smile…

He catches himself damn near smiling too.

🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆

It’s the following Wednesday evening.

Annie is stretched out across her bed in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, looking at hairstyles.

The television is on low, playing reruns she isn’t really paying attention to.

Her mind keeps drifting. To work. To the money she’s been making. To Smoke.

Her cell phone suddenly rings, causing her to jump. She reaches over and grabs it from her nightstand. Rhonda.

Annie smiles and answers. “Girl, call the house phone. It’s not after nine. You know my minutes ain’t free.”

Rhonda laughs. “You right.”

Annie laughs too and hangs up.

About a minute later, the see through corded phone rings on her nightstand. Annie sits up and grabs it. “Hello?”

“What you doing?” Rhonda asks.

“Nothing, girl. Just laying here.”

“Hmm.”

Rhonda pauses. “Anyway, let’s go to the mall Saturday.”

Annie perks up a little. The mall. She hasn’t been shopping in a minute. She thinks about the money tucked inside the little box in her dresser.

Money she earned. Her money.

A smile pulls at her lips.

Shopping actually sounds nice.

“Okay. We going to Bannister, right?”

Rhonda immediately scoffs. “Girl, hell nah.”

Annie pulls the phone away from her ear.

“What?”

“We going to the Landing.”

Annie’s mouth falls open. “The Landing?”

“Yes!”

“Girl, my parents ain’t never gonna let me go in the city.”

Rhonda laughs. “You act like we going to another state.”

“I’m serious! My daddy barely let me go anywhere.”

“Then have him drop you off at Bannister.”

Annie pauses.

Rhonda keeps talking. “We can catch the bus there and back.”

Annie sits quietly. Thinking.

It honestly doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

And the Landing had some of her favorite stores. Way better than Bannister.

She could finally buy herself something nice. Maybe a new outfit. Maybe some jewelry. Maybe just enjoy having money in her pocket for once.Still… She knows her parents would absolutely lose it if they found out.

Rhonda senses her hesitation. “Come onnnnn, Annie.”

Annie sighs. “I don’t know.”

“Girl, yes you do.”

Another pause. Then Annie gives in.

“Okay.”

Rhonda squeals. “Yesssss!”

“But,” Annie quickly adds, “we gotta make sure we get back in time.”

“We will.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know.”

“Rhonda.”

“Girl, I said we will.”

Annie laughs. “Okay.”

“I can’t wait. We finna have so much fun.”

Annie smiles to herself.

For the first time in a while…

She can’t wait either.

🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆

Saturday finally comes, and around noon, Annie is in the car with her dad. She looks over at him. “Thank you for lettin’ me go,”

He looks back, one hand on the wheel. “You’re welcome. I know I gotta give you more freedom since you’re eighteen now.”

Annie smirks and looks out the window. Progress.

They pull up to Bannister Mall, and Annie quickly unbuckles her seatbelt.

She hops out, then leans back into the open window. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Okay,” her dad replies. “Be careful.”

“I will.”

She shuts the door and watches him pull away.

As soon as she steps inside the mall, she spots Rhonda standing near the entrance.

“There yo’ slow ass go,” Rhonda teases.

Annie laughs and hugs her.

The two of them stand by the doors, watching her dad’s car disappear from the parking lot.

The second it’s out of sight, Rhonda grabs Annie’s hand. “Come on.” Annie laughs.

They hurry back outside and head toward the bus stop.

A warm September breeze blows by as they sit on the bench.

“I hope we meet us some fine ass niggas down there,” Rhonda says. “The Landing got all the fine ones, Annie. Watch.”

Annie busts into giggles. “Look at you. You don’t even care about gettin’ no clothes.”

“And I don’t,” Rhonda says with a shrug. “Unless I’m tryna impress a nigga.”

Annie throws her head back laughing.

“You so crazy.”

“I ain’t crazy. I’m realistic.”

Annie looks at her. Rhonda looks back at her.

Then both of them bust out laughing.

♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️

Smoke’s driving through the city with Tobias riding shotgun.

The windows are cracked just enough to let the warm breeze in. A CD is playing low in the background while they cruise down the street with no real destination.

Smoke glances down at his feet.

Then shakes his head. “Aye, let’s hit the Landing real quick. I need some more Forces.”

Tobias looks down.

Smoke lifts his foot. “I done creased these.”

Tobias busts out laughing. “Man, you got too many damn shoes.”

He shakes his head. “Them shoes still look brand new.”

Smoke sucks his teeth. “Nah.”

He glances at his shoes again. “These threw”

Tobias laughs even harder. “Threw? Nigga, I don’t even see the crease.”

“It’s there.”

“No it ain’t.”

“Yes it is.”

Tobias looks at him like he’s crazy.

Smoke shrugs. “You can never have enough shoes.”

He lifts his foot again. “And you know I don’t do creases in my shit.”

Tobias shakes his head. “You bougie as hell.”

Smoke grins. “Nah. I just take care of my shit.”

“Man, whatever.” A small laugh leaves him. “Yeah aight. Let’s go.” He sits up a little. “I need me a pair too.”

Smoke smirks and turns toward the highway. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

The two continue riding toward the Landing, completely unaware that Annie and her friend are headed there too.

♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️

They finally make it to the Landing.

The mall is packed.

Music plays softly over the speakers while people crowd the walkways carrying shopping bags. Kids run ahead of their parents, teenagers gather in groups, and the smell of pretzels, cinnamon, and popcorn fills the air.

Rhonda’s eyes light up the second they walk through the doors. “Aye girl, let’s go to Wet Seal first.”

Annie huffs. “I wanted to go to The Limited first.”

Rhonda hooks her arm through Annie’s. “We can go there next.”

Annie laughs. “Fine.”

They head into Wet Seal.

The store is full of bright colors and trendy outfits. Rhonda immediately starts digging through racks. Annie takes her time. She smiles as she flips through the clothes. This feels nice. Really nice.

She has money in her purse. Her money. And for the first time, she doesn’t have to ask anybody for permission to buy herself something.She picks out a couple of cute outfits. Then grabs some jewelry.

A gold necklace. A few bracelets. And some hoop earrings.

Rhonda holds up a shirt. “This cute?”

Annie squints. “Mmm… it’s a no.”

Rhonda gasps. “You a hater.”

Annie laughs. “I saved you.”

Afterward, they head into Spencer’s.

Immediately Rhonda starts laughing at some of the weird stuff sitting on the shelves.

Annie spots something. “Ooh!”

Rhonda turns. “What?”

Annie points. “Let’s grab some magnetic earrings.”

Rhonda looks confused. “What for?”

“I want a cartilage piercing.”

She sighs. “But my parents won’t let me, so these will do.”

Rhonda laughs. “I guess.”

A few minutes later, they’re walking out of the store.

Both girls immediately take the earrings out of the packaging.

Annie carefully places one on her ear.

Rhonda does the same.

Then they both stop and stare at each other. “Oh my God.”

“It actually look real!” Rhonda says.

Annie grins. “I know!”

They spend the next few minutes admiring themselves in store windows.

Eventually, they end up at the photo booth in the middle of the mall.

“Come on!” Rhonda says.

Annie laughs. “You so childish.”

“And?”

She pulls the curtain closed.

The machine flashes.

Click. First picture.

Both girls smile.

Click. Second picture.

They kiss each other’s cheeks.

Click. Third picture.

They make the ugliest faces they can.

Click. Fourth picture.

They throw up peace signs and start laughing before the picture even snaps.

The photo strip prints out.

Rhonda squeals. “Awww.”

Annie smiles. “We look cute.”

They step out of the booth and continue walking. As they pass a group of guys leaning against the railing, one whistles. “Damn!”

Another one grins. “Where y’all headed?”

“Y’all fine as hell.”

Annie immediately blushes.

Rhonda busts out laughing.

She eats that kind of attention up.

“Damn,” she says. “They fine.”

She starts slowing down. “Let’s go talk to them.”

Annie looks horrified. “No.”

Rhonda turns. “No?”

“No, girl.”

Annie grabs her arm. “I’m trying to go to Topsy’s.”

Rhonda laughs.”Look at yo scary ass.”

“I am not scary.”

“You are.”

Rhonda starts walking backward.

“You need a new nigga to help you get over Ryan ass.”

Annie rolls her eyes. “I been over him.”

Rhonda smirks. “I can’t tell.”

“I have.”

“Mhmm.”

“I really have.”

“If you say so.”

Annie laughs and shakes her head.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mall, Smoke and Tobias are leaving Foot Locker.

Both have shopping bags in hand.

Smoke ended up buying another pair of Forces and immediately put them on.

Tobias shakes his head. “I still think you crazy.”

Smoke grins. “You just don’t understand.”

“I don’t.”

They continue walking.

Tobias suddenly stops. “Aye, let’s stop by Topsy’s.”

Smoke looks at him. “For what?”

“I need some popcorn.”

Smoke chuckles. “Nigga, you always need some popcorn.”

“So?” Tobias shrugs.

“Topsy’s got the best damn popcorn in the city.”

Smoke can’t even argue with that.

Topsy’s was a staple at the Landing.

It carried every flavor imaginable.

Caramel. Cheese. Butter. Cinnamon.

People literally came to the mall just for the popcorn.

Smoke smirks. “Aight. Let’s go.”

The two start walking toward Topsy’s.

Completely unaware that Annie and Rhonda are headed there too.

The line at Topsy’s is long.

Like always.

Teenagers crowd the small popcorn shop, laughing loudly and arguing over flavors. The sweet smell of caramel popcorn mixes with buttery cheddar and cinnamon sugar, filling the air.

Annie and Rhonda get in line.

Annie immediately starts looking inside the glass showcase. There are rows and rows of popcorn.Caramel. Cheddar. Butter. Cinnamon.

Chocolate drizzled. Every flavor imaginable.

“Girl, I don’t even know what I want,” Rhonda says.

Annie laughs softly.

Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias walk into Topsy’s.

And Smoke stops dead in his tracks.

Annie.

His eyes lock onto her instantly.

She’s here? In the city?

She’s wearing a short denim skirt and a white off shoulder Baby Phat crop top that shows just a sliver of her stomach.

A silver herringbone chain rests against her chest, matching the silver bracelets on her wrist.

Fresh white Reebok Classics cover her feet.

But it’s her hair that gets him.

Long curls from a roller set.

Full. Bouncy.

Every time she moves her head, the curls sway softly against her shoulders.

Her legs shine from baby oil.

Her lips are glossy.

And she looks…Damn.

Smoke’s heart damn near stops.

She’s beautiful at work.

But out here? Looking like this?

He wasn’t ready… AT ALL.

Tobias notices Smoke isn’t moving.

“Nigga… you good?”

Smoke blinks. “Yeah, bro.”

He clears his throat. “I’m good.”

He’s absolutely not good.

Because he can’t stop looking at her.

Rhonda notices first.

She sees this fine ass man staring holes through her friend.

Her eyes get huge.

She immediately leans toward Annie.

“Oh my God.”

“Hmm?” Annie says absently.

“Some fine ass nigga staring at you.”

Annie looks up. And freezes.

It’s Smoke.

Her stomach drops instantly.

He looks…sexy as hell.

She can’t even pretend he doesn’t.

He’s wearing a green and white striped Rocawear polo with baggy dark-blue jean shorts.

A brand new Boston Celtics fitted sits low on his head with a durag underneath.

A platinum chain hangs around his neck. A Rolex shines on his wrist.

Big diamond studs glisten in his ears beneath the bright mall lights.

And fresh white Air Forces.

Everything about him screams effortless. Like he didn’t even try.

But somehow still looks perfect.

Annie’s eyes slowly travel from his shoes all the way back up.

Then she hurries and looks away.

Way too fast.

Her heart starts racing.

What is he doing here?

And why does he look this damn good?

Smoke and Tobias get in line directly behind them.

Annie doesn’t say anything.

She literally can’t.

Then his cologne reaches her.

Burberry Brit. Warm. Clean.Masculine.

It instantly surrounds her.

Rhonda’s eyes get even bigger.

“Damn, Annie.”

She whispers. “He ain’t took his eyes off you yet.”

Annie says nothing.

“And his friend fine as fuck too.”

Still nothing.

Because Annie can barely breathe.

Smoke steps up beside her to look into the glass case.

Close. Too close.

She can feel his body heat.

Then he catches a soft scent.

Curve Crush.

He almost smiles.

Sweet. Pretty. Just like her.

Smoke pretends to study the popcorn.

But he’s not looking at popcorn.

He’s stealing glances at her side profile. She’s even prettier up close.

Her skin is glowing. No makeup.

Just lip gloss.

And somehow that’s making him look harder.

He’s never seen her outside of work.

Never seen her in regular clothes.

And now that he has…Yeah.

Shorty fly as hell.

He can’t even deny it.

And her hair… The curls bounce every time she turns her head toward her friend.

They look so soft. So full.

For a crazy second, he wonders what they’d feel like wrapped around his fingers.

The thought catches him off guard.

He shifts. Moves a little closer.

His arm brushes hers.

Annie inhales sharply.

The contact is brief. But enough.

This is the closest they’ve ever been.

She can feel the warmth radiating from him. Smell his cologne.

Hear him breathing.

Her heart is beating so hard she’s almost positive he can hear it.

She steals another glance.

This time, she notices things she hadn’t before.

His beard. Trimmed perfectly.

The shape of his lips.

The way his earrings catch the light.

He really is fine. Like…ridiculously fine.

Just then Smoke turns his head fully toward her and stares back.

Tobias looks between them.

Then back at Smoke. Then at Annie.

His eyebrows slowly rise.

Oh. Ohhhhh.

He knows that look.

At the same time, Rhonda is doing the exact same thing.

Her eyes move from Annie…

to Smoke…back to Annie.

Then she looks up and catches Tobias looking too.

The two exchange a look.

Both of them silently thinking:

These two got some shit going on.

Even though they haven’t said a single word.

Tobias breaks the silence.

“Aye bro, what you gettin’?”

Smoke finally looks away from Annie.

“You already know.”

He smirks. “I like my shit sweet.”

He points toward the case.

“I need that cinnamon.”

Annie’s ears immediately perk up.

She files that information away.

He likes cinnamon. Interesting.

Smoke looks back toward the showcase.

And catches her looking at him.

Again. Their eyes meet.

Annie immediately drops hers.

Smoke tries not to smile.

He fails.

A small grin tugs at his lips.

A few moments later, it’s finally their turn.

Rhonda orders first.

Then Annie steps up.

She points inside the case.

“I want the cheddar and caramel one.”

The cashier nods. “What size?”

“I want the bag.”

Smoke immediately speaks.

“Get her the canisters.”

Annie turns. Confused.

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. “I got it.”

Both girls’ eyes get huge.

“What?” Rhonda says.

Smoke pulls money out.

“I’m paying for both of theirs.”

Annie blinks. “No. You don’t—”

Rhonda elbows her hard.

Hard enough that Annie jumps.

Smoke almost laughs.

The cashier says the total.

Smoke reaches across Annie and hands over the money.

His chest brushes against hers.

Goosebumps immediately rise along her skin.

Annie swallows. Then looks up at him.

Smoke looks right into her eyes.

“You too good to let me buy somethin’ for you?”

His voice is calm. Deep. Intense.

Annie completely forgets how words work. Her eyes drop. To his lips.

Then once again she notices the golds.

Her stomach flips. “No… it’s not that. I just…”

She trails off. Because honestly?

She doesn’t know what to say.

This man has her completely flustered.

So instead she says softly: “Thank you.”

Smoke’s expression softens.

He gives her a nod.

Then he leans forward slightly.

Close enough that she can feel his breath near her ear.

His deep baritone sends a shiver straight down her spine.

“Next time…”

He pauses. “Try the cinnamon.”

Annie smiles. A real smile. “Okay.”

She takes the canisters from the cashier. Turns.

And practically floats away with Rhonda.

Smoke watches her go.

Watches her curls bounce.

Watches her laugh when Rhonda immediately starts whispering in her ear. Then he slowly shakes his head.

Tobias looks at him. Looks toward Annie. Looks back at him.

Then grins. “Nigga.”

Smoke doesn’t answer.

He just keeps watching her walk away.

Because for the second time in less than a week…

That girl got him almost smiling at absolutely nothing.

Once Annie and Rhonda are out of Topsy’s, they both squeal.

“Damn!” Rhonda says. “I think he likes you, Annie! Why you ain’t get his number?”

Annie grins and shrugs.

“I don’t know.”

“What if you never see him again?”

Annie starts laughing.

“I’m gonna see him again.”

Rhonda stops walking.

“How you know that?”

Annie looks at her like it’s obvious.

“’Cause I work with him, girl.”

Rhonda’s mouth drops open.

“What?!”

Annie cackles.

“Mhmm. He’s a cook.”

Rhonda looks offended.

“You work with that fine ass nigga and ain’t tell me?!”

Annie laughs harder.

“He ain’t just some random dude?” She asks

“No.”

“Oh my God.”

Rhonda grabs Annie’s arm.

“You need to talk to him, Annie.”

Annie rolls her eyes.

Rhonda clicks her tongue

“He was staring holes through you! Then he bought our popcorn.”

Rhonda shakes her head.

“I knew it was more to it.”

“Girl…”

“No. Annie, you need to lock that down.”

Annie laughs. “I don’t even know how old he is.”

Rhonda’s eyes get big. “You don’t know how old that man is?!”

“I ain’t never asked him. We haven’t really talked.”

Rhonda looks at her suspiciously.

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Annie laughs.

“Why you ain’t tell me about him? And his friend fine as fuck too.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Nah.” Rhonda points at her. “You gotta get him.”

She grins. “That’ll really piss Ryan off.”

“Fuck Ryan.”

They both busts out laughing.

By the time they reach the bus stop, they’re still giggling.

The sun is beginning to set, painting the sky orange and pink. Cars fly by on the street.

A few other people are waiting for the bus.

Then a classic two door dark blue Buick Regal slows down.

Music is blasting inside.

A group of guys are packed in the car.

The passenger hangs out the window.

“Aye!”

Both girls look.

“Y’all need a ride?”

“No,” they say in unison.

The guys laugh.

“C’mon. We ain’t gon’ bite.”

“Nah, we good,” Annie says politely.

But they don’t leave.

The Regal stops completely.

“Damn, where y’all headed?”

“Y’all too pretty to be on the bus.”

Another guy whistles.

Annie’s smile disappears. She folds her arms.

Looks away. She hates this.

Rhonda notices immediately.

The guys keep talking. Keep staring.

Annie shifts uncomfortably.

Her stomach starts knotting.

She hates feeling trapped.

And right now… She does.

Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias are leaving the mall parking lot.

Smoke is halfway through a story Tobias is telling when his eyes land on the bus stop.

He sees Annie immediately.

Then he sees the Regal

Sees the guys hanging out the windows.

Sees Annie’s body language.

The way she’s folded into herself.

The way she isn’t smiling anymore.

And something ugly twists in his chest. Protectiveness. Irritation.

And something else he doesn’t want to name. Because why the fuck are they over there bothering her?

He doesn’t even know why. He just doesn’t like it.

Not one bit. Without thinking, he cuts the wheel.

Tobias looks over. “What you doin?”

Smoke doesn’t answer.

He pulls up directly behind the Regal

The guys look back.

Smoke leans over and rolls the window down.

“Y’all come on.”

Both girls blink.

Rhonda’s eyes get huge.

Annie’s too. They look at each other.

Annie hesitates. Rhonda doesn’t.

“Oh hell yeah.”

“Rhonda…” Annie says.

“No.”

Rhonda grabs her hand.

“We getting in.”

The guys in the Regal look annoyed.

One sucks his teeth.

Another rolls his eyes.

Smoke doesn’t even look that way

His eyes stay on Annie. Waiting.

Finally…She nods.

Tobias gets out. “Either one of y’all wanna sit in the front?”

They both shake their heads.

“Nah.”

“Aight.”

He lifts the front seat forward.

Annie climbs in first.

She ends up sitting in the middle, almost directly behind Smoke.

Rhonda sits behind Tobias.

The second everyone’s inside, Smoke pulls off. Fast. Pipes so loud that Annie jumps.

The Regal disappears behind them.

Annie doesn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until now. She exhales. Her shoulders finally relax.

The truck smells like cologne, weed and air freshener.

Rap music hums softly from the speakers.

She looks around. The inside is spotless.

“Damn,” Rhonda says aloud.

“This nice.”

Smoke glances up. “Preciate it.”

Then he asks, “Where y’all going?”

“Out south.” Rhonda answers. “You can drop us off at Bannister.”

Smoke raises a brow.

Tobias turns around. “Damn. Y’all goin’ to another mall?”

Rhonda grins. “Yep. We love to shop.”

That makes Smoke chuckle.

He gets onto 71 Highway.

Then turns the music up.

Messy Marv’s “Sei Luv” comes on.

The beat rattles the seats.

Smoke starts nodding his head.

Then his eyes drift to the rearview mirror. Annie.

The sunset spills through the window beside her.

Golden light dances across her skin.

Makes her glow.

Her curls look even softer somehow.

Her gloss shines.

And she’s looking out the window quietly. Beautiful.

Smoke’s eyes linger.

Then the words come through the speakers.

🎶 Say love, say love, let me talk to you for a moment… Get to know you, let me show you I’m the one you need… 🎶

His eyes stay in the mirror.

Because that’s exactly what he wants.

To talk to her. Get to know her, but he doesn’t want to scare her.

The song keeps playing.

🎶 Is it alright if I spend some time, get you fly, ’cause I wanna make you mine🎶

Annie looks up. And catches him staring. Again. He doesn’t look away this time. Neither does she. Their eyes hold. Just for a second. Then she smiles softly.

And looks back out the window.

Smoke’s chest tightens.

🎶 Baby come and take this ride, my s5 get you fly. Show me all the things you like, i'll do them for you🎶

Tobias notices them. Of course he notices.

He doesn’t say shit. Just smirks to himself.

A few minutes later, he pulls a blunt from his pocket and sparks it.

He turns around. “Y’all wanna hit this?”

Annie shakes her head immediately.

“No thank you.”

Rhonda grins. “Yeah.”

Before Tobias can hand it back—Smack.

Smoke hits his arm. “Put that shit out.”

Tobias looks confused. “Why?”

Smoke just gives him a look. One of those looks.

Tobias glances from Smoke…to Annie… then back.

And suddenly understands.

“Ohhhhh.”

Smoke cuts his eyes. Tobias starts grinning.

He puts the blunt out.

The whole ride, Smoke keeps stealing glances through the rearview.

And every now and then…Annie catches him.

Every time she does, she smiles.

Every time she smiles…

Smoke has to fight one of his own.

When they finally pull up to Bannister, everyone gets out.

Smoke and Tobias climb out first.

Smoke lifts the front seat. Annie moves to climb out. Without thinking, he reaches his hand out.

She looks at it. Then at him.

Then places her hand in his.

The second their hands touch..There it is again. That spark. That weird pull.

Annie feels it. Smoke feels it too.

She steps down slowly.

But he doesn’t let go right away.

Neither of them says anything.

Rhonda and Tobias exchange another look.

Because this shit is ridiculous.

They haven’t even had a real conversation.

Yet they keep looking at each other like that.

Finally, Smoke lets her hand go.

Meanwhile—“Aye.”

Tobias looks at Rhonda. “Lemme get yo number.”

Rhonda grins. “Okay.”

She gives it to him.

Annie sees and starts giggling.

Rhonda giggles right back.

Annie adjusts her purse strap and gets ready to walk off.

Then—Smoke says “You dropped somethin’.”

She turns. Looks at the ground.

Nothing. Then looks up.

Smoke is holding a hundred dollar bill.

Her brows knit together. “I didn’t drop that.”

Smoke just stares at her. “You did.”

She blinks, looks at the money.

Then at him. Then back at the money.

Slowly…She catches on.

He’s giving it to her.

Again. Her eyes widen.

She shakes her head.

Smoke nods.

She shakes her head again

Smoke nods “Take it.”

She can’t help but smile.

This man is crazy.

But eventually…She reaches out and puts her hand in his to take it.

Only—Smoke doesn’t let go.

He holds onto her hand.

And looks directly into her eyes.

Big. Brown. Beautiful.

So big he feels like he could get lost in them.

Hell…He almost does.

Neither of them moves. Neither of them speaks.

The world feels strangely quiet.

Then Smoke realizes he’s been holding her hand too long. Way too long. He lets go. Clears his throat.

And steps back.

He climbs into his truck.

Looks at her one more time.

Then gives her a nod.

Annie smiles. Returns it.

Rhonda comes over and grabs her arm.

The two girls walk toward the mall entrance.

Smoke watches them the entire way.

Watches Annie’s curls bounce.

Watches her glance back once.

Then disappear inside.

Only then…Does he pull off….

Part 1

— a series following the life of popstar & actress!reader and your relationship with michael during his thrad era.

viewers discretion : 18+ only, violence, sexual content, strong language.

the script.

❤︎ blurb one. ❤︎ blurb two. ❤︎ blurb three…etc.

the show.

❤︎ episode one.

behind the scenes.

❤︎ one. ❤︎ two. ❤︎ three. ❤︎ four. ❤︎ five. ❤︎ six.

note: there is no y/n. the reason why i have pam grier and joyce walker gifs is to help me, creatively. also, please expect inaccuracies, especially with dates.

I’m truly, really in love with your works and with how you portray Michael, it’s fascinating! It’s hard for me to find these types of stories as some people find them weird, but you truly manage to write everything in a pure and loving way, I’m obsessed, thank you so so much!! 😭 you’re my favourite author here for sure.

I have a request, let me know if you think this could work: daddy Michael taking care of reader, maybe realising some kinks that she has and doing everything he can to satisfy her, if you would like to also write some smut that would be awesome! Feel free to choose whatever kinks you want, I trust you!

Thank you so much❤️

Thank you so much for this request babe! I had fun writing this, and I hope you're fine with the generic kink I chose, also I am sorry for abrupting the smut a little :( felt a bit emotional distant about writing it because of the past few days, hope you like it anyways! Love ya!!

𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄 — Michael Jackson x F!Reader

SUMMARY: Daddy notices everything. The way you pout when you're upset, the little habits you don't even realize you have... and lately, one tiny detail he simply can't stop thinking about. Curious to find out why, Michael decides to ask.

WARNINGS: daddy!michael, bratty!reader, established relationship, age gap, guided exploration, praise, reassurance, emotional intimacy, fluff, aftercare, smut, choking, kink exploration, idk what else

Disclaimer! Reader is an adult in her mid-twenties!

WC: 2.8k

A/N: Babes, I had a tough couple of days, but hope to be writing more now over the weekend, MWAH 🩷

-Baby

♡ ───── ♡ ───── ♡

The first time Michael had noticed, was when he was taking you in the morning. It was his ‘good luck charm’, as he called it, when he had a busy day ahead. Barely pushing down his pajama bottoms to rest around his thighs, pushing aside your panties to push into your already dripping folds. You laid on your side, Michael’s breath hot in your neck as you sleepily whimpered for him.

“That feels good, doesn’t it princess?” he breathed into your ear with his raspy voice, knocking his fat tip against your cervix with every thrust. Your eyes were still closed, and you found his hand on your waist, intertwining your fingers with his.

“Yes daddy” you mewled. In the mornings, when your mind was still fogged with sleep, he had you cumming in no time. He felt your orgasm approaching, as your legs began trembling, and your grip on him tightened. But there was something new. You seemed to be holding your breath. The usual staggered little exhales coming from your lips didn’t sound in the room, and as your release rushed through you, you exhaled deeply, your breath heavy.

The second time he noticed, he was eating you out. Your fluids messily running down his chin as you sat on the edge of the bathtub. He looked up at you, his fingers pushing dents into the flesh of your thighs as he was holding them apart. You gripped his wet hair, pulling him even closer as he sucked on your clit like it was his favorite candy.

mature! era

context: the beautiful background of how you and michael fell in love.

epilogue to— drabble, part one, part two

Michael Jackson was depressed.

He was a single parent to three children, including a newborn baby boy whose fragile, tiny life felt like a profound, terrifying weight on his chest, and he was quite literally fighting for his survival.

Every single day was a grueling, uphill battle against the crushing gravity of his own name. Despite being the undisputed King of Pop, despite the flashing lights, the gold records, and the roaring stadiums that echoed inside his memory, his world had shrunk down to the echoing, hollow hallways of Neverland and the heavy, suffocating silence of an isolated life. He was drowning, completely exhausted, and navigating a deep, dark winter of the soul.

Then came the 2002 World Music Awards in Monaco.

The backstage holding area was a chaotic labyrinth of security guards, frantic publicists, and artificial smiles. Michael sat in the dim corner of his dressing room, his fedora tilted low, his long fingers trembling slightly as he adjusted the silver armbands of his jacket. He felt entirely detached from the spectacle outside.

But then, the green-room monitor flickered to life, broadcasting the live stage.

You walked out to present the evening's highest honor. You were semi-famous—a critically acclaimed actress and humanitarian who had managed to maintain a pristine, grounded reputation just on the periphery of Hollywood's superficial glare. The moment you stepped up to the microphone Michael’s breath hitched.

"There is a difference between entertainment and magic. Entertainment keeps us occupied. Magic changes the way we see the world. Tonight, we are here to celebrate—."

Your voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a rich, velvet resonance that completely cut through the ambient static of the auditorium. There was an effortless grace to your posture, a gentle, intuitive warmth in the way you smiled at the audience, and an undeniable glint of sharp, grounded wit in your eyes.

Michael stood up from his chair, his dark eyes entirely glued to the screen. For the first time in years, a sudden, electric spark cut right through his numbness. He felt a magnetic, irrational pull toward you—a desperate, consuming need to be near whatever light you were radiating.

"Wow.." Michael whispered, his voice a breathless rasp as he turned to his manager. "Find out where she’s sitting. Now."

Twenty minutes later, you returned to your seat in the VIP front row, smoothing the silk of your dress as the house lights dimmed for a performance. The seat to your left had been empty all evening, marked by a reserved placard. But as the music swelled, a sudden flurry of tall security guards created a wall of black suits beside your aisle.

A slender figure slipped into the empty chair.

You turned your head slightly, your eyes widening in genuine surprise as Michael Jackson adjusted his pants and settled into the seat right next to you. He was a vision of old-school showmanship— the aviator sunglasses hiding his eyes, the military-style jacket gleaming under the stage lights.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. You simply offered him a polite, gentle nod, respecting his space. But Michael was a complete, frantic internal wreck. He could feel the soft scent of your perfume, and his heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.

"Um... hello," Michael suddenly blurted out, his voice cracking slightly in the quiet of the row. He quickly cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his fingers nervously drumming against his knee. "That was... you did a beautiful job up there. With the speech. It was very... very poetic."

You turned fully toward him, a warm, genuine smile breaking across your face. "Thank you, Mr. Jackson. I appreciate that, especially coming from the king himself."

Michael froze, his jaw loosening slightly beneath his mask. He slowly reached up, his long, slender fingers trembling as he pulled his aviator sunglasses down to the bridge of his nose, exposing his large, liquid-dark eyes to you. They were wide, vulnerable, and completely starstruck by you.

"You... you know who I am?" he stammered, an incredibly endearing, awkward shyness taking over his entire demeanor. It was a ridiculous question—he was the most famous man on the planet—but in that moment, he felt like a nervous teenager.

You let out a soft, melodic laugh that made his chest tighten with affection. "I think the entire world knows who you are, Michael. But I’m honored to officially meet you. I'm Y/N."

"Y/N," he repeated, testing the syllables on his tongue like a sacred lyric, his voice dropping into that sweet, breathless melody. "That’s a beautiful name. Really beautiful. I... I think I read your interview in Vogue last month. About your charity work in South Africa. I thought it was amazing. Most people in this industry, they just... they just care about the clothes and the parties, you know? But you have a heart. I could see it."

He was completely talking your ear off now, the words spilling out of him in a nervous, rapid-fire rush. He was fidgeting with his silver cuffs, shifting his weight, and leaning in so close you could see the fine texture of his skin. He was incredibly awkward, entirely lacking the smooth, untouchable confidence of his stage persona, but it was the most genuine, raw thing you had ever witnessed.

"Michael," you whispered gently, leaning in slightly with a playful, witty grin to calm his frantic energy. "Are you always this chatty or am I just special?"

Michael’s cheeks flushed a deep, beautiful crimson. He let out a high-pitched, delighted giggle, hiding his face behind his black-gloved hand for a second before looking back at you, his eyes crinkling with absolute adoration.

"You're special," he murmured softly, his gaze locking onto yours with an intensity that made the rest of the crowded auditorium completely fade into white noise. "Very, very special."

Michael didn't just ask for your number; he pursued you with a fierce, unrelenting intensity that bordered on absolute obsession. The shy, bumbling man from the awards seat had transformed into a determined romantic hunter, though his methods remained entirely endearing.

The morning after the awards, you woke up in your hotel suite to find the entire living space completely transformed. There were no less than five hundred long-stemmed, rare white roses filling every available vase, corner, and tabletop. Tucked into the center arrangement was a small, heavy cream-colored card written in his distinct, elegant looping handwriting.

To Y/N,

I haven't been able to sleep because my head is filled with the sound of your laugh. All I do is think of you. Please let me take you to dinner. I promise I'll let you do most of the talking this time.

With all my love,

Michael.

When you finally called the private number left on the card, his voice picked up on the very first ring, raspy and breathless.

"Y/N? Oh my god, thank you for calling," Michael breathed, his relief palpable over the line. "I was so worried you'd think the flowers were too much. Was it too much? I can have them taken away if—"

"Michael, it looks like a greenhouse in here," you laughed softly, your voice instantly soothing his rising panic. "It’s lovely. And yes, I would love to go to dinner with you. But under one condition."

"Anything," he said instantly. "Whatever you want."

"No security walls, no flashing lights. Just you and me. Somewhere quiet."

But because Michael couldn't simply walk into a restaurant in Paris or Los Angeles without causing a riot, his version of a "quiet date" was spectacularly private. At exactly midnight, a tinted vehicle brought you to the gates of a historic, centuries-old botanical conservatory on the outskirts of the city. Michael had closed it out entirely for the night.

When you walked inside the massive glass dome, the air was warm and humid, thick with the scent of blooming orchids and damp earth. A single, small iron table was set up beneath a canopy of ancient ferns, illuminated entirely by thousands of tiny, warm fairy lights woven through the greenery.

Michael was standing by the table, dressed down in a simple black silk shirt, his hair loose and curling softly around his shoulders. He didn't have his glasses or his mask on. He looked entirely exposed, pale and fragile, but the moment his eyes landed on you, his face lit up like the sun.

"Welcome to my garden, Y/N," he said softly, stepping forward to gently take your hand, his touch warm and remarkably tender as he pressed a soft, old-school kiss to the back of your knuckles.

"I wanted you to see me where there are no cameras. Just the trees. They don't judge anyone."

That dinner blew your mind. As the hours drifted by, you deliberately maintained a gentle, protective perimeter around his heart, listening to him with a deep, intuitive empathy that he had clearly been starved of for decades. He spoke about his childhood, the bitter isolation of fame, and the absolute terror of raising his three babies in a world that wanted to tear him apart. He was still awkward at times—knocking his fork against his plate when he got too excited, stuttering over his words when he looked at you for too long—but you balanced his nervousness with a sharp, grounding wit that kept him anchored.

"You're staring, Mike," you teased softly, taking a sip of your wine.

"I can't help it," he whispered back, his dark eyes shining under the fairy lights as he reached across the small table, his long fingers gently brushing against yours. "You're just... you're so real, Y/N. You look at me like I’m a man. Just a man. I don't think anyone has looked at me like that since I was a little boy."

The true test of your connection didn't happen in a closed-out conservatory or a luxury suite. It happened inside the private living quarters of Neverland Ranch three months later.

Michael had finally invited you to meet his children, and he was a visible, pacing basket of nerves when your car pulled up to the main house. He met you at the door, his hands shaking as he took your coat.

"They’re a little wild today, Y/N, I'm so sorry," he apologized frantically, his eyes wide as he led you down the hallway. "Prince has a lot of energy, and Paris is being very quiet, and Blanket... Blanket has been crying all morning because of his colic. The nannies are trying, but he just wants me, and I—"

Before he could finish, you walked into the large, sunlit family room, and the reality of his daily struggle hit you like a physical wave.

Prince was running in circles around the sofa, making loud airplane noises, while Paris sat in the corner, holding a doll tightly to her chest, looking overwhelmed. In the center of the room, a frantic nanny was gently rocking a tiny, tiny infant wrapped in a yellow blanket. Little Blanket was only a few months old, his face flushed red as he wailed with a high-pitched, painful colic cry that echoed off the high ceilings.

Michael looked completely defeated. He looked like an exhausted single father who was drowning despite his millions, his shoulders slumped as he reached for the crying baby.

Your maternal instincts instantly kicked into gear. You didn't hesitate. You stepped right past Michael, offering the exhausted nanny a reassuring smile.

"May I?" you asked softly.

The nanny immediately handed the bundle over. You cradled the tiny, fragile baby against your chest, tucking his small head securely beneath your chin. You began to sway in a slow, rhythmic, grounding circle, pressing your palm firmly but gently against his tiny lower back to relieve the gas pain, while humming a low, soothing melody directly against his temple.

Within two minutes, Blanket’s frantic wails began to soften into quiet hiccups. Within five, his tiny, dark-haired head relaxed completely against your collarbone, his heavy eyelids fluttering shut as he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The entire room went dead silent.

Prince stopped running, his eyes staring up at you in absolute awe. Paris slowly stood up from her corner, taking a few hesitant steps toward you, her little fingers reaching out to gently touch the fabric of your jeans.

You dropped to your knees on the plush carpet, keeping Blanket perfectly balanced against your chest, and looked up at the two toddlers with a warm, radiant smile.

"Hi, Prince. Hi, Paris," you whispered gently, keeping your voice a calm, protective anchor. "My name is Y/N. I hear you guys are the best helpers in the whole world. Do you think you can help me keep your little brother asleep?"

Paris nodded solemnly, a tiny, beautiful smile breaking across her face as she sat down right next to your knee, leaning her little shoulder against yours. Prince proudly sat on the floor in front of you, his airplane completely forgotten.

Michael stood in the archway, completely rooted to the spot. Tears were openly flowing down his cheeks, glistening under the warm California sunlight. He covered his mouth with his hand, his chest heaving with a silent, overwhelming sob of pure gratitude. He had spent his whole life looking for someone to protect him, but watching you effortlessly protect and heal his children with a fierce, quiet grace made him realize he had finally found his home.

You and Michael were inseparable. But the transition from the private sanctuary of the ranch to the brutal arena of the public eye was a terrifying hurdle for him. He was deeply traumatized by the media, and he was terrified that binding your name to his would destroy your career.

The moment of truth came at a high-profile, star-studded humanitarian gala in New York. The limousine was parked in the subterranean tunnels of the venue, the muffled roar of hundreds of flashing cameras and shouting paparazzi echoing from the red carpet above.

Michael sat in the dark interior of the car, his entire body visibly trembling. His breath was shallow, his long fingers gripping his knees so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Michael," you said softly, your voice a firm, unyielding anchor cutting through his panic.

You reached across the leather seat, slipping your hand into his. His palm was ice-cold and sweating, but the moment your fingers intertwined with his, he looked up at you, his dark eyes wide with a desperate, childlike fear.

"I'm scared, Y/N," he whispered, his voice cracking raw.

"They're going to scream at us. They're going to say horrible things. I don't want them to hurt you. I don't want my name to taint you."

You leaned forward, pressing your forehead gently against his, looking straight into his soul with a fierce, protective clarity. "Michael, look at me. Let them look. Let them scream. I know exactly who you are, and I am incredibly proud to be by your side. I am not going anywhere. Move your feet, pop star. We're doing this together."

Michael let out a long, shaky breath, your strength transferring directly into his veins. The fear in his eyes slowly solidified into a deep, regal resolve. He squeezed your hand back with incredible strength.

"Together," he murmured.

When the limo door opened, the wall of light from the flashbulbs was absolutely blinding. The noise was a deafening roar of shouting reporters. But Michael didn't drop his head. He stepped out of the car, pulled his shoulders back, and reached back to pull you out beside him. He locked his long fingers securely through yours, holding your hand high and tight against his chest as you walked down the red carpet hand-in-hand. It was a definitive, magnificent statement to the universe: he was no longer alone.

Facing the media was one thing; facing the legendary Jackson family estate at Hayvenhurst was an entirely different kind of theater. Michael was an anxious wreck during the drive to Encino, hovering over your outfit, checking your hair, and nervously repeating his siblings' names like a mantra.

"They have very... very big personalities, Y/N," Michael warned, his voice tight as you walked up the steps. "They can be a lot. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, you tell me immediately, okay? I'll take you right home."

"Michael, relax," you laughed gently, squeezing his arm. "I can handle a few Jacksons."

The front door opened, and the living room was a vibrant, chaotic symphony of noise. Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine were gathered around the piano, talking loudly over each other, while Janet and La Toya were sitting on the sofa, trading sharp jokes. The entire room went instantly, suffocatingly quiet the moment you and Michael stepped through the threshold.

Michael immediately stepped a half-inch in front of you, his inner protective guard coming up as his siblings converged on you.

But you didn't flinch. You stepped out from behind his shoulder, your face split into a warm, deeply respectful smile. "Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for having me."

Jermaine was the first to step forward, his eyes scanning you critically as he adjusted his jacket. "So... you're the latest woman who managed to sweep him off his feet We've been hearing a lot about you, Y/N."

"Hopefully good things," you replied smoothly. "if he’s told you any secrets, he's a terrible liar, so don't believe him."

Marlon burst into a booming laugh, clapping Michael hard on the shoulder. "Oh, she’s funny!"

The rigid tension in Michael's shoulders instantly evaporated, a bright, delighted giggle escaping his lips.

The turning point of the evening happened closer to dinner. You had ducked into the large kitchen to offer your help, and found Mother Katherine standing over a massive pot of smothered greens, her face lined with the beautiful, heavy wisdom of a matriarch.

You walked up to the counter, rolling up your sleeves without being asked. "Mrs. Jackson, can I help you chop those onions?"

Katherine turned around, her quiet, searching eyes locking onto yours for a long, heavy beat. She looked into your eyes, reading the genuine depth and tenderness within your soul. Slowly, a beautiful, motherly smile softened her face. She stepped forward, ignoring the onions entirely, and reached out to take both of your hands in her warm, lined palms.

"Thank you, child," Katherine whispered, her voice thick with an emotional weight that made your throat tighten.

"I haven't seen my son's eyes look this bright since he was a teenager. He has carried a very heavy cross. Thank you for loving my boy."

You squeezed her hands back firmly, your voice soft but fiercely certain. "He’s safe with me, Mrs.Katherine. I promise you."

By winter, Michael knew he was going to ask you to be his wife. But the sheer gravity of the proposal had turned the global icon into a bumbling, frantic internal disaster. The brutal scrutiny surrounding his name had deeply fractured his self-esteem; deep down, he was genuinely terrified that asking you to legally bind your life to his was asking too much of you.

Desperate for a flawless execution, Michael called a highly confidential, top-secret family meeting in the back library of the Encino estate, gathering his siblings while you were out at a production fitting.

"It has to be the most magical thing ever," Michael paced frantically across the Persian rug, chewing furiously on his thumb, his hair a wild, curling mess. "I was thinking... maybe I can hire a private charter to fly us out somewhere at sunrise, and I'll have an orchestra playing on the plane? Or... or a hot air balloon that drops a million red rose petals over Neverland? What do you guys think?"

Marlon looked up from his plate, entirely unfazed by the theatrical display. "Mike, you are completely losing your mind. Just hand the girl the box and ask her. If she loves you, she’s not going to care about a hot air balloon. Plus, you know you’re terrible with heights. You’ll get up in that balloon, panic, and pass out before you even get the ring out."

"I’ve already done that before! " Michael hissed, his voice cracking in frustration as he turned to Jermaine. " 'Maine, please tell me you have a better idea." Jermaine shrugged. "I mean... you could write a symphony? Sing it to her by some pretty water? That always works for me."

"Too generic!" Michael whined, his hands flying into the air as he turned to his youngest sister with wide, desperate eyes. "Dunk, please. Help me. They’re completely useless." Janet sat back on the plush sofa, letting out a long, hearty laugh before shaking her head affectionately. "Mike, you are overthinking this because you're terrified she’s going to say no. Y/N isn't into the big, flashy stuff. She loves you. Just take her somewhere quiet, look her in the eye, and be the man she fell in love with."

Despite the chaotic intervention, Michael ended up following Janet's advice, though his nerves nearly got the better of him. He had driven you out to a quiet, secluded bluff overlooking the ocean in Malibu late on a Friday night. The air was crisp and chilly, the dark waves crashing violently against the rocks far below.

You were sitting on the hood of his vintage truck, wrapped in a heavy wool blanket, completely oblivious. "Michael, it’s cold as hell out here. Why are we staring at the dark ocean at one in the morning?"

Michael didn't answer. He was standing in front of you, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. Suddenly, he let out a sharp, ragged breath that sounded dangerously close to a sob. He stepped forward, his long arms reaching out to gently catch your wrists, pulling you off the hood until your feet hit the ground, flush against his chest.

"Michael?" you murmured, your brow furrowing in instant concern as you felt the violent, frantic thudding of his heart against your ribs. He was shaking from head to toe. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"No, everything’s…everything’s fine," Michael whispered, his voice incredibly raw, cracking with a deep, suffocating emotion that made your breath hitch.

Slowly, the he dropped to one knee right there in the damp grass at your feet. He pulled his hands from his pockets, holding a small, black velvet box. When he snapped it open, a flawless, emerald-cut diamond ring caught the pale moonlight, gleaming with a blinding brilliance.

But his face was completely covered in tears. He looked up at you, his dark eyes wide, entirely stripped of his legendary armor, exposing a raw, bleeding vulnerability that broke your heart.

"Y/N... I am a very broken man," Michael whispered, his breath hitching as the tears spilled over his eyelashes.

"The world has torn me apart, and my name carries a very heavy storm.

But the day you walked into my life, you brought the sun back.

You saved my babies. You held my hand when I was shaking.

I am so scared to ask you this because I don't want to drag you into my darkness...

but I don't want to live another day without you. Will you marry me, beautiful?

Will you be my queen?"

You stood completely frozen, your breath caught in your throat as your own tears instantly spilled over your lashes. The sheer, devastating beauty of his honesty completely stripped the world away.

You didn't answer with words. You dropped to your knees right into the dirt in front of him, throwing your arms fiercely around his neck. You buried your face into the crook of his shoulder, holding him so tightly you could feel his soul shifting against yours.

"Yes," you sobbed into his skin, your voice a fierce, unyielding promise that cut through the sound of the ocean waves. "Yes, Michael. A million times, yes. I am not afraid of your storm. I love you."

Michael let out a loud, shuddering cry of pure relief, wrapping his long arms around your waist and lifting you right off the ground as you both knelt there in the grass, holding you against his heart like you were the single most precious treasure in the universe.

The wedding, held on a crisp, golden afternoon in the early spring of '03, was the ultimate, seamless fortress of the life you had fought so hard to build. It wasn't a media circus; there were no cameras, no reporters, and no uninvited guests. The entire valley estate had been heavily fortified by security, creating a private, sacred sanctuary of pure love.

As the strings of a live seventy-piece orchestra swelled, playing a breathtaking, sweeping arrangement, the heavy oak doors of the private chapel swung open.

You stood in the entryway, a magnificent, jaw-dropping vision in a structured, high-fashion white silk gown. The bodice was perfectly tailored, the long, dramatic veil cascading down your back like a waterfall of lace. In your hands, you held a simple bunch of white roses.

At the end of the candlelit aisle stood Michael.

He looked absolutely striking in a crisp, custom black tuxedo, his hair neatly tied back into a sleek ponytail, his dark eyes fixed entirely onto yours. The exhausted, depressed single father was completely gone; in his place stood a man radiating a profound, majestic, and completely unbroken peace.

Standing right beside him as his proud little best man was Prince, looking incredibly sharp in his matching mini-tuxedo. Paris stood on your side as the flower girl, her hair decorated with flowers that matched yours perfectly, her small hands holding the basket with immense pride. Sitting in the front row in Mother Katherine's lap was Blanket, his wide, dark eyes watching the ceremony in quiet wonder.

When your father placed your hand into Michael's at the altar, the physical connection was instantaneous. His palm was no longer cold, sweating, or trembling. It was warm, perfectly steady, and completely certain.

The minister spoke the ancient, sacred vows, but you and Michael didn't hear the words; you were simply looking into each other's eyes, a silent, profound conversation passing between you. We made it.

"I do," Michael whispered, his voice echoing through the chapel with a ringing, powerful clarity that left no room for doubt.

"I do," you replied, your voice fierce and unyielding.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the minister smiled. "Michael, you may now kiss your bride."

Michael didn't wait a single second. He stepped forward, his long, warm hands sliding up to securely frame your face, his fingers tangling into your veil as he leaned down and pressed a deep, passionate, and incredibly sweet kiss to your lips.

The chapel erupted into a beautiful, deafening roar of cheers and applause. The Jackson brothers were shouting, Janet was crying, and your own family was on their feet, the two worlds seamlessly blending into one massive, roaring tapestry of joy.

The moment Michael pulled back, his eyes shining with absolute victory, Prince and Paris didn't care about protocol. They broke away from their positions and ran forward, throwing their small arms around both of your legs, tackling the two of you into a messy, laughing family embrace right at the altar.

Michael immediately dropped to his knees, pulling the children into the space between you, before reaching up to wrap his long arm around your waist, pulling you down into the center of his world.

Later that night, he pressed his forehead against yours, his breath warm against your cheek as he whispered into the sweet chaos.

"Thank you for keeping me grounded, my love."

You looked down at the beautiful, laughing faces of the children and the radiant, healed face of the man who held your hand so securely. The road behind you had been a battlefield of depression, isolation, and fear—but as you squeezed his hand back, you knew the slow burn had been entirely worth it. The King had found his queen.

He was happy.

synopsis: after spending too much time with michael lately, janet has to remind you who you belong to.

word count: 1.2k

oneshot

contents: 18+ MDNI, dom!janet, sub!reader, toxic such as janet making it seem like you did something wrong, jealousy, secret relationship, light manipulation, desperate!reader, humiliation kink (?), edging, overstimulation, proofread, ect ect

a/n: omg thank you for so much love you guys showed me on my debut fic!! i love you guys and i hope you guys like this one also, because it was lowk rushed.

The living room smelled like vanilla candles and Janets favorite perfume when you let yourself in. The door clicked shut behind you and the quiet felt heavier than usual. Janet was on the big sectional, legs tucked under her favorite blanket while watching her favorite reality tv show. She heard you come in, she just didn’t look up right away.

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲| 𝐌.𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

Summary: An innocent sleepover in the Hayvenhurst residence turns into something far from innocent, leaving your best friends brother yearning for you more than he already does

Sub!michael, smut, dry humping, yearning, orgasm control, power control, hand & oral job, tongue kissing.

Today was your best friends birthday, she was the last one of the friend group to turn 18. You, yourself had reached legal status a few months back. You arrived at the Jackson residence earlier that day to help the family set decorations and prepare for the massive slumber party that was planned

Apart of you felt so guilty because you had never confessed to your best friend the desires you had for her brother Michael. He was always the finest brother in your eyes, ever since you were a little girl you crushed on Michael. But now he was older. Everything on him was “bigger” you caught your first glimpse of him a few months ago when you walked into his room to wake him up for breakfast and you saw the erection he had in his sleep, hard and poking through his white underwear

Ever since then it’s all you could think about, the both of you inexperienced but for Michael you were ready to experiment

As the night approached you had slipped into a matching pink laced pajama set to match the rest of the girls. Everyone stayed up telling stories of what they thought college was like, first kisses, experimenting with guys, school, parties, and the guys with the cutest butts. But all you could think about was how Michael kept staring at you all day, even catching him taking exclusive photos of you with he was in charge of getting pictures of everyone. The moment you caught him he was so embarrassed that he hid upstairs for hours until he had to come downstairs for dinner

You waited until you were sure the entire party was asleep, carefully stepping over everybody as you crept your way up the stairs—avoiding the steps you knew had creaks in them. The last thing you wanted to do was wake up the parents or a sibling. Your heart was beating out your chest the entire time until you reached the top of the staircase, sighing in relief you wiped your sweaty hands before knocking softly on Michael’s door

“Come in” he replied softly

Accepting the invite you walked in and gently shut the door behind you. Michael was busy with his back turned flipping through a scrapbook he had been creating over the last few years, once he turned his attention towards you his cheeks burned red as he looked down at your pajamas and back at your face

“Uh—my sisters downstairs if you’re looking for her”

“Actually I was looking for you, if it’s okay”

You walked towards Michael and sat next to him on his bed, your hands accidentally touching forced a chill down his spine that he desperately tried to hide

“Me? You sure?”

“Mhm..I wanted to see what you were doing”

“I like to take pictures of things I find beautiful. Birds, trees, the sky, cartoons, and people”

“Is that why you took a picture of me in my bathing suit earlier today?”

“That was an accident” he immediately stammered “My finger slipped over the dumb button”

You blushed at his shyness, it was innocent

“It’s okay Michael I’m not mad at you. I know your heart”

“Really?” He asked turning his focus to you

“Mhm” scooting in closer “That’s why I like you, you’re not like your other brothers…or really any other guy for that matter”

His face felt like it was on fire hearing you admit “that’s why I like you” because no other girl had admitted those feelings for him

“You like me?” He questioned

“Course I do, you’re a gentleman and you’re handsome…what’s not to like?”

“I didn’t think a girl as pretty as yourself would be interested in a guy like myself”

You stood up and moved the book from his lap exposing his boner, immediately he panicked and tried to cover it up with his hands while looking everywhere but at you “I-m sorry” he blurted out

Grabbing his hands and gently pushing him back to his orange position you sat on his lap feeling his dark blue jeans underneath you. His facial expression going from embarrassment to shock. You placed his large hands over your butt while your hands cupped his face, biting your lip as you stared at his face with lustful eyes

“You have nothing to be sorry about Michael, you’re human everybody gets aroused…you arouse me all the time” you admitted

“How do I do that?” He replied staring up at you

You adjusted yourself before gently grinding into his jeans, the friction of his bulge and jeans created a nice friction for you to pleasure yourself with

“I’ve always been attracted to you Michael—your sweet smile, your big brown eyes, the way you’re so gentle with everything, your hands, your nose…I like everything about you down to your sweet voice”

His dick jumped in his pants hearing you praise him. Again, never having someone compliment such features especially with his insecurities

“You don’t mean that stuff do you?” He questioned

“Of course I do handsome. I would I say it if I wasn’t sincere”

“I think you’re beautiful also” he smiled

“Really?” You blushed “Tell me what you like the most”

As he thought about his answer you kissed his neck gently before sucking in various spots, causing his dick to throb even more. The both of you moaning in each other’s presence, his grip grew tighter as he felt your lips sucking on his sweet spots

“Talk to me please baby” you pleaded before resuming your activity

“I-I love your hair and your smile—everytime I see it, it makes me smile no matter what kinda day I’m having. I like seeing you happy”

You began grinding harder into his bulge and moaning slightly louder than you anticipated

“God and that voice of yours” he moaned shutting his eyes “it’s so angelic whenever you say my name”

“You’re the sweetest boy I’ve ever known. Do I make you feel good?”

“So good” swallowing the lump in his throat “Can you keep doing it please?”

You humped against Michael’s jeans , each one sending pleasuring sensations to your clitoris while you sucked on Michael. His heavy breathing was turning you on and his soft voice in your ear

“Michael you’re making me feel so good” you admitted

“What am I doing?”

“You’re so handsome, just looking at you makes me wanna orgasm all over you”

He bit on his lip and pressed you further into his crotch to feel you better and making you moan again. Feeling yourself making progress you got faster and grinding harder against Michael

“I wanna make you feel good” Michael admitted “You’re making me feel things I’ve never felt before”

“I’m cumming baby” you whimpered as you started to slow down feeling your clitoris convulsing against Michael’s dick

You bit on your bottom lip trying to mask your pleasures

“Wait please don’t stop” he pleaded “I-I never did anything like this but it feels so good please don’t stop”

You continued to dry hump Michael but at a slower speed “You like this baby?”

“It’s incredible” he panted rubbing your back

“You want me to make you orgasm?” Tilting his head up so you can kiss his neck

“Yes please..I’ll do whatever you want”

To his surprise you got off his lap leaving him in shambles with a hard dick. He pleaded with his eyes to you. Little did he know you loved everything about this. You grabbed one of his hands and slid it in your shorts and rubbed your pussy against his fingers, making him jolt before dropping his jaw at how wet you were

“Did I make you do this?”

“Mhm” nodding your head slowly as you formed goosebumps from his touch “You’re the only one who can do this”

“Well why’d you stop? Did I do something wrong?”

“Poor thing” removing his fingers as you kissed his cheek “I thought you might like something else”

“Like what?”

You got on your knees and slowly rubbed his thighs and knees through his jeans before kissing his bulge, pulling off his jeans and watching his dick spring out. All his precum leaking everywhere

“You don’t have to be embarrassed Michael. I’m gonna take care of you”

He swallowed hard watching you get closer to his dick “C-Can I kiss you first?”

You sat up on your knees and met Michael halfway , feeling tingles against the both of your lips experiencing that first kiss spark. Michael accidentally moaned in your mouth feeling how soft your lips were, coincidentally he jolted forward feeling more precum shoot out and staining your chest

“I’m s’ sorry” he pleaded “I’ll take you shopping tomorrow”

“It’s okay baby, just relax for me”

You gently stroked Michael from the base before working your way up to his tip. Watching with each thrust his breath enticing and his whimpering getting stronger. Even slowly grinding into your hand as he tried to chase his peak

“Can you touch it harder?” He asked embarrassed “please?”

Now using both of your hands you stroked his dick from shaft to tip, even spitting on his balls watching it drip to the floor. Michael’s mouth hung open and his eyes glued to you, hands gripping tightly on both sides of his mattress

His breathing was all over the place and his moans were sloppy. Constantly trying to tell you how beautiful you were and how much he loved what you were doing. His favorite part watching you gag on his balls while jacking him off

“It feels like I have to pee” he admitted

Immediately you stopped everything causing Michael to feel his heart drop to his stomach “No, no no, no please—did I say something?” He even reached for your wet hands to prevent you from leaving

“Michael look at me” you grabbed his face “No cumming until I say so, you hear me?”

A smile came across Michael’s face, seeing you become so dominant because he secretly loved the authority. A kink he would soon discover through you

“Yes ma’am, anything you say” taking a deep breath “Just please don’t stop”

You wrapped both hands back around his dick listening to the lubricant make sounds as it slipped through your hands. Michael instantly fell back under your submission

Quickly his orgasm approached once again, he gritted through his teeth trying to fight back. It was obvious that he was ready to explode. He began whimpering and wheezing trying to fight his temptations

“What’s wrong my love?”

“I…I can’t cum” fighting against the lump in his throat

“You ready for me to say yes?”

“Yes please” swallowing the lump in his throat “I don’t think I can hold it in anymore”

You spit on his tip and sucked it slowly taking in as much as you could, Michael’s stomach started to cave in and his eyes rolled back as he moaned loud enough to be heard into the next room

“If we get caught I won’t be able to do this ever again Michael…I need you to be good for me okay?”

“Yes—yes oh goodness yes” his lips quivering

You jerked him off specifically at his tip feeling his legs lock on your sides and shaking uncontrollably. His soft voice now cracking and unrecognizable, but you continued to smile through his deprivation

“Cum for me my sweet boy”

Instantly he released his cum while staring into your eyes. His cum shot out uncontrollably and all over the place, splashing on his clothes and various parts of your body. Michael began moaning so rebelliously that you had to cover his mouth with your other hand while you milked him with the other. His gasping in your hand could be felt through the constant suctioning

Michael collapsed on his bed, you watched his diaphragm quirk frequently followed by muffled sniffling sounds. You climbed on top of him to see he was crying—so embarrassed that he had to cover his face but of course you moved them and kissed his face all over

“My sweet angel” you coo’d

He still didn’t say a word, instead he wrapped his long arms around you and sobbed against your breasts “Can you stay with me tonight? Please?”

You smiled kissing his nose repeatedly “I’ll stay up here”

Over the next few minutes, you reassured Michael that your feelings for him hadn’t changed. If anything, seeing him so vulnerable only made you care for him more. The two of you remained wrapped in each other’s arms until the first rays of sunlight spilled through his bedroom window, gently pulling you from sleep. It was almost as if the morning itself was reminding you to slip back downstairs before anyone discovered where you’d spent the night

Also me the second paparazzi disrespects me