Vixen and The Thug

VIII.

Chapter VIII. Date Night

"I can't promise to fix all of your problems, but I can promise you won't face them alone"

–Unknown

Lauryn's POV

I glanced at myself one more time as I made my way out of my bedroom. To be honest, this date was making my palms extremely sweaty. Sly just did something to me every time we are in close proximity. Today was the day that we agreed to go on the date, even though he already knew I didn't want him to spend money on me. I just felt like once a dude did something for you they had the tendency to want something in return.

I smoothed my edges one last time as I checked on Granny who was dozing off in her favorite arm chair with some Lifetime movie watching her. Grabbing the throw blanket off the back of the chair I draped it over her not wanting her to wake up cold since she had only been out of the hospital for a few days. The doctor believed it was something regarding her lungs that was making her sick but nothing was showing up really on the test that they had ran.

Quickly I walked towards the front door seeing that I was on the verge of being late since, I told him I would met him at Audi's place since I knew he would be there until he could gain some independence. I double checked everything from my dress to the high heeled ankle boots covering my feet. I don't even know why I was feeling like a little school girl when it was just dinner with Sly. What exactly could be complicated about dinner with Sly? He was a man and I was a woman...we are just friends.... right?

I quickly shook my head of those thoughts as I made my way to Audi's apartment still feeling anxiety rise in my chest from having to hear her go on and on about the kiss she had caught us in a few days prior. Audi was being so childish about this one kiss because had it been the other way around and I caught her kissing Que and tried to rub it in her face she would be all in her feeling and telling me to stop being so petty. But, she is super sensitive about her business so I'm not overly surprised, I knew my best friend.

My eyes went over my make up one more time before I forced down my nerves enough to make my way to the door of the apartment. I swear my heart might beat out of my chest at any minute because I think this was the first time any guy had actually offered to take me out and it wasn't because his job was to distract me so that I couldn't keep Audi from find her way into some complicated situations or in other words being the designated "cock block". I gently turned the knob of the apartment knowing that Audi got my text that I was outside and quickly let myself in to feel the cool air condition cause my sheen of sweat to become more pronounce in my mind. I could hear J. Cole playing from Sly room as he completed what I assumed was his getting dressed routine. Audi was in the kitchen in some biker shorts and a sports bra talking in hushed tones on the phone, so you already knew she was making plans with Que and just waiting on us to leave.

A minute passed allowing my nerves to calm and me to get comfortable on the sofa as I waited for Sly. I turned the tv from some ratchet reality show over to A Different World and smiled as I watched Kim try to discuss her pregnancy scare.

"Oh this your shit? Huh?" Sly whispered as his beard tickled my ear causing a smile to come to my lips without me even thinking.

"Just a little" I replied with my smile still plastered on my face uneasy at his proximity.

"That cool, I like this show too, I think I have seen like every episode and it still never gets old" he said leaning up allowing some of the wrinkles to fall from his long sleeve printed button down. He really did clean up nicely, while still keeping his personally with that tan oversized fisherman's hat sitting around his neck with the draw string and the expensive Italian loafs on his oversized masculine feet. "You ready?" he asked adjusting the sling on his arm to get a little more comfortable making me remember his accident from earlier.