𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃

10: 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚

𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗵

My phone vibrated as the alarm for eight o'clock chimed. It was Thursday and I was due in Landrum's class at ten o'clock with two more classes on my Thursday schedule. As badly as I wanted to ignore the wake-up call, I had midterms rapidly approaching. Especially with this being the first week of November.

Meaning Thanksgiving break was also near and I had things to prioritize for my internship.

Turning off the alarm, I rubbed a hand over my face. The third thing to cross my mind this morning was the pieces available in my bag to wear today. The temperature dropped drastically in the last week — leaving Atlanta in the forties to welcome the Winter season.

Tapping KD's arm was my first attempt at moving him. Or at least waking him up, so I could move. I was completely trapped by his arm draped over my torso. His beard tickled my skin as his head was muzzled into the curve of my side. Usually, I can't sleep on my back, but after last night, I think sleep came however it was welcomed.

We stayed in his living room, on the couch, for what seemed like hours. Neither one of us moved as he wrapped his arms around me, stealing lazy kisses. It was after one o'clock when we reached upstairs. Heading straight to his bathroom. The both of us showered and shortly after that, I was sleeping in nothing but his T-shirt while he followed behind me in a pair of boxers.

With one more attempt, I tugged at his wrist, hoping it would work. After a while, he let up, mumbling something as I finally stood from the bed. His eyes peeled open to look at me, but he only rubbed his face before grabbing the pillow I used to fall back asleep on.

In the meantime, I took the walk to his bathroom. Playing with the light switches until I found the one for the spotlights. They helped me to find my way back into his closet to gather my hygiene bag. My moves were slow and desperate. I needed a pick-me-upper, terribly. My thighs were sore, my body was tired, and my walk had a limp. And even with my phone reading 8:12 AM, I could perk myself up for nothing this morning.

After some oral hygiene and cleansing of my face, I hit the shower. But not before turning on some music. The sounds of Summer Walker's debut album came through at a medium volume. I wasn't trying to wake Ka'Dafii but definitely needed the noise to keep me up.

It was after I finished my bath that I remembered the first ending of last night.

I need a Plan B, ASAP.

Drying myself off, I put the towel on the counter, before moisturizing my skin with a light coating of my Coconut Butter + Cashmere whipped body cream and oils. It was sweet yet thick enough to keep my skin saturated against the cold weather.

With undergarments on, I retreated to the walk-in closet. Ka'Dafii always smelled amazing and had a decent sense of style. The man only owns black clothing, with a small variety of dark gray, and a handful of plaid jackets for the wintertime. So it wasn't necessarily hard to organize or piece together his clothing.

But just like his bathroom, the space was spotless and always smelled fresh. I'm sure that part of his accommodations here at NinetyNine is housekeeping and maintenance upkeep — so again, it should be any surprise.

Dressed in a white long sleeve crop top, I contemplated on which bottoms. Packed in my overnight bag was a pair of charcoal colored tights and some cargo pants. Choosing the most comfortable pair, I slipped on the tights, glad that they met the hem of my shirt.

"You gon' stop playin' hide and seek wimme early in the mornin'."

KD stepped into the doorway that connected his bathroom and closet. His eyes followed me as I looked at myself in the mirror. In my overnight bag was my go-to Panda Dunks and if we could leave in the next thirty minutes, I'll make it to my car in a decent time. There, I'll be able to get a jacket also.