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did before attacking his prey. Even though sexy didn’t ooze from me in my gravy-stained gray sweats and ripped tank top, his glare made me feel as if I was being hunted.
    He whispered, “You look good, even in your house clothes. You ain’t need to impress me with caked-on makeup, tight dresses, and…” He stopped and glanced at my hair that was tied up in a loose ponytail. “I thought you had on a weave, but I guess that’s all you.”
    Sliding my hand down the end of my ponytail, I asked, “And even if it was a weave?”
    â€œYou still look good, Erin.” The way he said my name. Each syllable dripped off his tongue like melting ice cream. We stared at each other and let the awkward pause dance a jig between us. I didn’t want to give in, but when he licked his lips again, I imagined him licking mine. “I ain’t tryna start any trouble. I know you’re not tryna see me, especially after how I treated you. I was going through a lot at work. I got people quitting and calling off work all at the same time. I was stressed, and my car was acting up earlier. I flipped. You’re right. A woman as beautiful as you didn’t deserve that. I’m here, with your wallet, hopin’ you’ll accept my apology and let a brotha inside.”
    Even though there technically was no apology, I was partly comforted by the halfway attempt at pacifying my emotions. The other part of me was disgusted by how quickly I wanted to forgive him, but there wasn’t much I could do. He hovered over me and stared into my eyes. I was putty in his hands and couldn’t do much to stop it. I whispered, “Fine, but only for a minute.”
    â€œOf course.”

CHAPTER 5
Erin
    â€œHe finally dropped off my wallet last night.”
    â€œFinally. I was beginning to get a little worried.”
    â€œSo was I.”
    â€œSo, how’d it go?”
    â€œGood, I guess.” I ran my fingers through my mid-length tresses. “He dropped it off. I took it. That’s it.”
    â€œThat’s it, huh?”
    â€œThat’s what I said.” I hated lying to Loraine; I always felt worse when she caught me in my web of lies with nothing to say for myself. “What else did you think would happen?”
    â€œTariq was late for work this morning.”
    â€œWhat does that have to do with me?”
    Loraine sipped on her white zinfandel while we sat at a local bar during happy hour. I nibbled on my curly fries trying to avoid eye contact. Noticing my uneasiness, she said, “He was probably late because your apartment is a half-hour away from our office.”
    I was forced to look up at her then. She stared back at me with her piercing gray eyes accentuated by her fire-engine-red dreads. Her gaze was like a truth serum. Whenever I tried to lie to her, I always avoided her eyes since I couldn’t stay dishonest for long. She used that to her advantage. That’s how she caught her cheating ex-husband. I often told Loraine the police could use her as their own personal polygraph.
    â€œWhat does my apartment have to do—”
    â€œCut the crap, Erin. I know he slept over.”
    â€œAnd how do you know that?”
    â€œWeren’t we supposed to meet for drinks last night?” She searched my face for an answer. I stirred the straw in my Long Island Iced Tea and kept my eyes down. She continued, “You stand me up, and Tariq shows up late. I’m putting two and two together.”
    As the bar light illuminated her rosy-brown cheekbones, she tapped her clear-polished fingernails on her full, soup-cooling lips and waited for my response.
    I sighed, brushed a few flyaways behind my ear, and pushed my half-eaten curly fry basket to the side. “Okay, so we slept together. He came over, told me how beautiful I looked, apologized, and then invited himself in. Next thing you know, my feet were on his chest with my panties around my