Love Delayed Read Online Free PDF Page B

served, did pop into mind. But I didn’t give in. I’d already pissed Angela off with my temper.
    When I got back to the table, I kept quiet and hope d Ang wasn’t too pissed with me. The Alton guy didn’t say much to me. Hopefully my teaspoon of humor was a repellent to his crass behavior. I wouldn’t hold my breath. As their conversations flowed, Angela tried to pull in Stenton, who eventually got off the phone, with flirtatious banter.
    “So, you think you’re ready for another All- Star season, Stent? It’ll make three for your career,” Angela attempted.
    “For him?” Alton shouted, seemingly offended. “You think Stent is the only man on that floor? Who do you think gets him the ball for those baskets?”
    The waiters arrived with our food. I was so relieved. I was starved. I dug in immediately, tuning them all out. I checked back in every once in a while when Angela’s inflection changed to express interest or coquetry.
    “So what—or should I say who —do you do at night, Stent?” Angela asked.
    My eyes shot up from my plate in horror.
    “Oh, shit!” Alton shouted. “She getting straight to the point, StentRo!”
    There’s that moniker again .
    Stenton wasn’t as spirited in his response as his friend. “My girl,” he answered as he poured ketchup in his plate.
    I then noticed his huge salad and small side serving of fries.
    Weird.
    “I didn’t know you had a girlfriend. Anyone I know?” Angela pushed.  
    Stenton shook his head, still not facing her. That rubbed me as strange. Did he or didn’t he? Either way, he didn’t seem to be checking for Angela.
    “Well, sweetheart, if you’re looking for someone to practice that hospitality on, I’m your man. I ain’t got no girlfriend,” Alton announced.
    I rolled my eyes again.
    “What happened to Tynisha?” Angela inquired. “Last I saw her reality show, you had flowers delivered to her.”
    Alton clapped his hands together. “She’s the mother of my kids. I treat her like the queen she deserves to be treated as. That’s how I let them other jokers know what she’s built for, know what I mean?”
    That was such a weak answer. Unless you were living under a rock, everyone knew Alton and Tynisha had an on-again-off-again relationship. He was likely the reason she got her show. Apparently, she was a fashion stylist. I didn’t know who Alton was initially: I’d seen a few pictures, but wasn’t that familiar with him. And from being off the court at the country club, I couldn’t exactly see the faces of those on the floor. He’d come over a couple of times for beverages, but it never clicked until last night when I was online and came across a picture of them coming out of a fancy restaurant in Edgewater. When I Google’d him, I quickly gathered his reputation as a habitual cheater.
    “So, Stent has a girlfriend?” Angela practically sang. “Is it serious?” She held her fork to her mouth sensually.
    Stenton glanced up from his plate and smiled sardonically as he chewed.
    Ang ! Stop it…he’s not interested!
    “This man is damn near married ,” Alton scoffed. “That’s who he was on the phone with earlier. He just don’t want the world in their business. He keeps his shit on the low.”
    So why are you sharing it with strangers?
    “But everybody needs a friend, right Stent?” Angela forged ahead, ignoring Alton. “My parents have been married for twenty-three years; I know how…tight things can get.” She was twirling her hair again.
    “If I were a boy…” Stenton remarked.
    The table went up in a roar. In my typical hyperactive mind, I sensed a double entendre at the reference to the Beyoncé track that had been released this year. If he were a boy, he’d cheat on his girlfriend…or he wouldn’t cheat because he’d be hurt if his girlfriend did it to him? I didn’t know. One thing was for sure and that was he was playing Angela and I couldn’t stomach much more of it.
    I pulled out a twenty dollar bill,