After The BadBoy

Chapter 8: With Your Permission

God is good.
Enjoy chapter 8
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Excitement buzzing through me kept me up, that and the intensive selection of movies. I drifted off during the one part in Mean Girl's when they hand out the candy grams... I missed Glen Coco...

But then we landed and literally hit the ground running. We stopped by the hotel, where we all were sharing one suit, changed and headed out for our first meeting. I was moving like a zombie robot, tired as hell and functioning on autopilot as I cursed the fact that it was six in the morning and I got ten minutes of sleep.

I should've listened to Micky, I was regretting it already.

A regret which only grew as the day progressed. Meeting after meeting, notes after more notes and coffee after coffee, I could feel the exhaustion in my bones. But apparently I was the only one, because Claire seemed just fine and I hadn't seen Micky since we left the hotel that morning.

I was on the verge of collapse, I knew I was, but Claire was still going strong so I channeled my energy from those college nights where I had to pull all nighters then go to class and work the next day... I could do this.

Blinking rapidly, I straightened my spine as I followed Clair down a the hall of the fifth building we'd been in today. A yawn filled my throat, so I used my clipboard to cover my face and of course that's when she turned around.

"You good?" She asked, but her face stated that I really had no choice but to be good. "I'm about to order dinner for our next meeting, Tai food good?"

I have had Tai food once before and I didn't particularly enjoy it, but Clair had that same look-like I had no choice- so I just nodded with a tight smile before draining the rest of my coffee.

The meeting began, the food came, and I'm barely making it through. I honestly don't even know what time it is... all I know is I've been up for at least fifty hours. Another yawn bubbled up in my throat, I tried my darnedest to keep it at bay but it was a big one.

Like so big it literally made Chuck, the head of something, pause mid sentence.

He raised a thick, brown, eyebrow, "Are you alright?"

I nodded rapidly, swallowing before giving a smile, "I'm fantastic, as you were saying?"

Chuck's eye twitched and then we both looked to Claire who was glaring at me. She cleared her throat, flipping open her book, "Actually, you're dismissed for the evening, Loraine. Thank you." She said it politely but I knew she wanted to curse me out.

I fucked up.

But I was also being released for the evening which meant I could sleep! I shot out of the chair and out the room quicker than I should've, but the knowledge that sleep was so near gave me a burst of energy.

Our driver, Garett, greeted me with a nod, holding the door open for me. He shut it, hopped in and we were off.

I was so focused on getting back to our room that I didn't even notice my stomach growling until I was stepping off the elevator. I sighed, deciding to order room service. I could take my shower, eat and then pass out.

With that plan, I put the key into the door and stepped into the room.

"Wow! Y'all are back early," Micky's Voice floated to the door as I let it shut behind me.

"It's just me," I corrected, slipping my heels off at the door and leaving them there. I took my braids down from the bun as I walked towards the living room/kitchen area.

I found Micky in the kitchen, suit jacket on the counter, dress shirt's sleeves rolled up with a few buttons undone as he danced around to the radio in some light blue socks.

"Want pancakes?" He asked, turning his joyful hazel eyes on me, a smile touching his lips.

He must've had a nap or I'm just old because he didn't seem tired at all either. I took in a deep breath, prepared to ask for pancake's superior, the waffle, but another massive yawn interrupted me. I tried to talk through it but I don't even know what I said.

I shook my head, "Let me try that again, I'll take some waffles."

I've literally never seen Joy drain from a human so quickly, Micky went from buzzing and happy to slouchy and sad, "I should've known you were a waffle hoe."

I scoffed, whether because he clearly prefers pancakes or because he called me a hoe, I'm not sure. "I sure am."

He grunted, curling his lip as he turned back to the stove. "I knew there had to be something wrong with you, you're far too beautiful for there not to be something major."

I laughed, placing a hand on my cheek as I went to take a seat at the bar. "You're hilarious, Micky."

"Oh, don't flatter me, or else I will have to take you to bed," He said it flirtatiously as he turned on the stove. "With you're permission of course," He added, glancing over his shoulder with a wink.

"I'm waiting for marriage actually," I said, shocking myself with how casually I said it. This was my first real conversation with the dude and you tell him that? I cringed at myself, not that I'm ashamed but that's personal.

And he was making a joke.

I groaned.

"Oh word? May I ask why?"

I took in a deep breath, thinking back to my conversation with Canada, "My faith and rejuvenation after heartbreak."

"Ah, those are good ones." Micky spoke as he cracked an egg into the pan on the stove. "I mean any reason is a good reason but, whatever, that's pretty cool. Good for you, Loraine." He sounded sincere but I detected the note of disappointment in his tone.

It left a sour taste in my mouth, I frowned, he really thought I'd give it up that easy? I barely know him! I looked down at my hands which were fiddling with each other, now I really gotta be careful with this dude. Yeah, he's cute and is that a tattoo on his right arm?

I tried to lean over discreetly and see but the way he angled his body, I couldn't tell. But damn it, now my interest was peaked. No, Lori, no! No! No! He's bad news. Focus on work.

I cleared my throat, "Did you have a busy day today?"

"I did," He nodded, turning sideways so his right arm was facing me. Yeah, those were definitely tattoos peaking out from under his sleeve. "But after a morning of arguing with my father I got myself a treat."

"Instead of going to meetings?"

"That's right."

My eyes narrowed, okay yeah, I need to steer clear. No ambition, no work ethic and he fucks around? I'm good.

Such a shame because the more I looked at him the cuter he got. His skin was a warm, hazelnut brown, his lips nice and full, he had a strong nose that turned up cutely at the end and his body! The blue dress shirt to match his socks did a great job of forming to his body, he had to have played some sport in high school.

I bit my lip, my eyes slowly trailing down his body, and that butt!

"Yoo-hoo, Loraine? Can you pause in checking me out for one sec to answer, over easy or hard?"

My cheeks went up in flames, again, why do I keep getting caught checking this man out? I huffed, licking my lower lip as I sat up. "Actually, I'm just gonna go to bed." I said in a rush, dashing out of the room.

Partly due to embarrassment and partly because I could feel some cramps coming in. That must be why I was totally perving over Mickey, yeah that or he's a total hotty? I rolled my eyes, heading into the bathroom Claire and I were sharing.

I shut and locked the door, turned the shower to the hottest it could go then went to look in the mirror.

I took a moment and stared at myself, from the crown of my braided head, to my dark brown eyes with hefty bags beneath them, my wide nose, full lips and chin with a slight crack in it. I smiled, which invoked a yawn, I turned away and began stripping.