EBONY

Sighing loudly as she rolled her eyes, Ebony locked her phone before tossing it on the bed, wondering why her ex-boyfriend didn't want to leave her alone. For some reason, Jerome had been trying to get her attention for the past two days, mainly through text messages. She didn't want to change her number because of one person, so she blocked him, thinking that it would be enough, but it didn't stop him since he was now sending messages from another phone.

Not only was he messaging her all day, but he was also posting subtweets on Twitter and subliminal IG posts, clearly showing that he wasn't over their relationship, which was so funny to Ebony because he didn't care that much about the relationship when they were together. Now, all of sudden, he was missing her and shit.

She didn't have time for that.

Her focus was now on her family, friend, career and Chresanto. Since Thursday night, she couldn't get him off her mind even if her life depended on it. The kisses they shared that night were so special.

His lips were super soft and it'd been awhile since she last felt butterflies in her stomach like she did with him. He was clearly doing something to her, especially putting that goofy smile on her face that she'd been displaying since V-Day.

And today she was so happy to be able to see him since she was finally going to At Santo's to get her car fixed. She found herself impatient to see what the shop looked like, excited to see her boo in his boss mode.

Yes, he was already her boo.

She finished getting ready, making sure that no hair was wilding out the bun she took more than half an hour to do because her natural hair was being complicated. Once she was sure of that, she grabbed her coat, purse and keys, then headed out the door. She locked the front door, then took the elevator to the underground parking lot. After she settled in her driver seat, she put the address in her GPS and was soon on her way to her new destination.

As she stopped at a red light, after driving for a good twenty minutes, her phone rang. She connected the bluetooth as she turned down the music, before answering.

"Hey, big sis ! "

"Hey, lil' sis ! " she greeted Paris back in the same enthusiastic tone. For some reason, today she was happy and nobody could change her mood, not even an annoying Jerome.

"Guess what ? "

"I don't have time for this," she told her, not even trying to have patience with her little sister. Yes, she was happy, but not here for any type of games.

Paris smacked her teeth. "You never have time for shit."

"Yeah, so I don't know why you even tried. It was nice though. So, wassup ? "

"I called Ethan ! " she finally announced, jumping around her room. Eb could hear movements, but of course she didn't know exactly what Paris was doing.

Ebony frowned a bit in confusion. "Who the fuck is Ethan ? "

"Oh my God ! You're so slow ! " She could bet on it, Paris was surely rolling her eyes and she indeed was getting a bit aggravated with her big sister. "The guy I was talking about the other day."

"Fuck you," she started, pausing for a few seconds, debating in her head on hanging up in her face or not. She finally decided to not do it since she was nosey. "Oh, so you called ? Thanks God ! So, what did y'all talk about ? "

"He didn't call me sooner because he was very busy with school. He's studying law by the way, to become a lawyer."

"Oh, you got yourself a smart dog. Congrats." The light finally turned green, after what felt like eternity.

Once again, she smacked her teeth. "He's not a dog. Anyways, we didn't have time to talk much because his mother was rushing him out the door, they had something to do. But we're going on a date on Friday. I'll have more details throughout the week. Oh, God ! I hope he's my soulmate."

She couldn't see her sister, but she knew she was pouting. "I hope too. But see, I told you he wouldn't reject you and that he surely had a good reason for not contacting you. I wish you all the luck though. Do you need to go shopping for your date ? "

"Maybe. How was your V-Day ? "

"Sensational ! "

Paris chuckled. "Damn ! You just met this guy and he's already getting you like this ? When are we meeting him ? "

"Not now, that's for sure. We're just talking right now, I guess. But yeah, I don't want to rush things with him, you know. I don't want us to force each other to do things we're not comfortable with. We'll talk about those family meetings in a couple of months."

"I got you. What are you up to ? "

"Going to Chresanto's car shop right now, and depending on how long it's gonna take I'll go get my nails and eyebrows done. Then I'm going home to relax. I feel like Mother Nature's gon' drop her monthly gift later on today. My stomach hurts a bit already." At first, she thought it was those butterflies again, but it wasn't it at all. Her nipples hardened a bit and it always happened before she got her period, on the same day or a day prior.

"Aw, baby. If you need me to come and take care of you, let me know."

"Thanks, baby boo. What are you doing today ? "

"Hosting a birthday party for a fan tonight. Except that, I'm chilling. Did you hear from Lyona ? "

"Not really. She must be super busy. She's not even active on social media and you know how much this girl is on Snapchat and Instagram."

"True. I'm gonna stop worrying then." Lyona got an amazing opportunity to work with a clothing brand in Spain and she was coming back to America only in the end of March, so a month and a half from now. She left the day before Valentine's Day.

"Yeah, do that. If we don't hear from her by tomorrow night, we'll call her or her agent, depends on who we can get first."

"Okay."

They talked some more before saying their bye's and hanging up. Eb turned her music back on, as she began turning up on her seat. Can't Believe by Kranium & Ty Dolla $ign was playing, putting her in a better mood than she already was. Ten minutes later, she was finally arriving.

"Wow ! " she exclaimed, seeing how big the shop was. It looked as big as a car dealership. From outside, you could actually confuse his shop with a dealership. At Santo's was written in big white italic letters on the front, and you couldn't miss it.

The parking lot was busy, but she thankfully found a spot and it was not too far from the entry. She sent Santo a message to announce her arrival, then made her way inside the shop.

The interior looked as awesome as the exterior, if not more. There were two customized cars, each on one side of the entrance. There was a black carpet at the door, which directed you to the reception desk. The top was made of glass and the rest was some grey metal material, and it looked expensive. She looked up, noticing that there was another floor, and she was intrigued to go up there to see how it was also.

The elevator doors behind the reception desk opened, revealing Chresanto, who was displaying a beautiful smile on his face, showing his dimples. Eb instantly grinned as he came towards her. They hugged before he grabbed her hand and they went to the second floor, where the cafeteria and playroom was.

"Couldn't wait to see me, huh ? " he asked once they were sitting at a table, across from each other.

She playfully rolled her eyes. "You wish. You're not all that. I care a lot about my car, that's all." She fanned him off.

"Yeah, right. So, how have you been ? "

She was about to answer his question, but then saw two kids coming to their table, which got her attention and caused her right eyebrow to arch. Arietta and Marcus invited themselves at the table, curiosity written all over their faces.

"Hello, Mr. Santo. Who is your friend ? " Arietta didn't waste time and went straight to the point, as she sat next to Chresanto, then put her fists under her chin, with her elbows resting on the table.

Chresanto couldn't help but laugh; he knew their little visit wasn't one of courtesy. "This is Ebony Clarks. Ebony, this is nosey one and nosey two, aka Arietta and Demarcus, known more as Marcus."

"Nice to meet you, pretty lady." Marcus held his hand out towards her, and she shook it while chuckling.

"Nice to meet you too."

Arietta not really happy with Ebony's presence, simply waved at her putting a fake smile on, but Eb didn't see that and waved back. Little Arietta had a huge crush on Chresanto, but nobody except her big sister Monica knew that.

"So, what are you two up to ? " Marcus then asked, his eyes travelling between the two adults, so he was sure to miss nothing.

"Grown folks' business. Do you not have homework to do you two ? " Chresanto answered for them both.

Arietta rolled her eyes as she stood up. "I'm not staying where I'm not wanted. I got your message, Mr. Santo. Have a nice day." She narrowed her eyes at Ebony before walking away.

"O-kay...she doesn't like me," she stated, then frowned in confusion. They just met, so what could've she possibly done to the young girl for her to be mad at her ?

"Oh, don't worry about her. She likes nobody, trust me." Marcus reassured her.

"Oh, okay."

"I didn't see you much here last week, Demarcus. Where were you at ? " Chresanto asked, concerned. He was hoping that the little boy didn't get himself in some trouble that was too big for him to handle.

"My mother came back home and I was making sure that she was okay. She can live happily without the white powder now, well it seemed like it. Hopefully, she won't leave us again. I love my grandma, but I would like to see my mother more often. And if she's here, we can finally go see my daddy. Grandma is too old to bring us there."

"I told you y'all can ask me to bring you there, it's not a problem for me."

"I know, Mr. Santo, but I really don't want to be a bother," he said, looking down at his lap with a pout.

"I already told you, Marcus. You're not a bother at all. Listen, if by next month you still didn't get to go, I'll take a weekend off to take you and Super D, so you can see your father."

Hearing this conversation and seeing the expression on Demarcus' face was breaking and warming Ebony's heart at the same time. She didn't like to see such a beautiful and innocent kid be in such a hard situation, and she also liked how much concern Chresanto was showing and how much he was willing to help to make it a bit easier for everybody.

He had a great heart; he was a good soul.

Marcus looked up, displaying a small smirk. "Are you serious ? " Santo nodded, giving him a smile, causing the little boy to jump off his seat happily as he hugged Chresanto. "Thank you so much, Mr. Santo ! I'm going to tell De'Vontae. Bye, pretty lady." He blew her a kiss, which she gladly returned.

"He's so cute. He reminds me of a little Jaden Smith."

"That's what most people say." He laughed slightly. "So, what--" he began, but was quickly interrupted by someone.

"Excuse me." She tapped his shoulder to get his attention.

Ebony saw the young woman coming from afar and didn't once like the look in her eyes. Her vibes were very strong and screaming thirsty all around her. Ebony was also confused about her clothing choice because the weather was still cold, but she was wearing short pieces of clothes.

Is she not cold ? She asked herself.

Chresanto turned around. "Oh, hi Gwendoline." He gave her a polite smile. "What brought you here today ? "

"I wanted to customize my seatbelts." She grinned, while eyeing him. Seemed like she wanted to eat him so badly.

"Wow, again ? Six times in less than three months."

"Yes, I know. Sorry, but I changed my mind."

"Seems like you're changing your mind a lot," Ebony commented, so she could be in the conversation too and put her foot down by the same occasion. She wasn't about to be ignored as if she was nobody. She was there and deserved attention, mostly from Chresanto.

"Yeah, I like to have options."

Eb wasn't sure if the young woman was still talking about cars. "Oh, yeah." She shrugged, starting to talk to herself in her head. She was telling herself to stay calm and not act like a damn fool in her boo's shop.

Sensing the tension, which was growing within the seconds as the two stared into each other's eyes, daring one another to say something out of line, Chresanto decided to intervene. "Oh, well, tell Monica to get you Trent and he'll help you with that."

She pouted. "I wanted you to help, but Trent does a good job too. It's just that I wanted to go back to that one design you made with some little changes."

"The very first one ? "

"Yes, that one." She began fanning herself. "Damn, why am I so hot ? Don't you feel the heat ? "

Girl, we're in February and NOT living in an exotic place ! Ebony yelled in her head, getting annoyed. She shook her head, folding her arms over her chest and trying to not explode and say something she shouldn't.

The young woman took her t-shirt off, leaving her in a white crop-top, denim shorts and black Ugg boots. She looked desperate and it was sad because the girl was pretty and could easily get another man, someone who wanted her.

She was Caucasian, with wavy black hair that reached her shoulders, green thin eyes, a round face with beautiful features, and a medium body frame with some curves which showed hard work in the gym. Squats, squats, squats and more squats. She actually looked like one of those Instagram models.

"Okay. Can you wait for me on the first floor ? Wait at the reception, please. I'll be there in less than ten minutes."

She smiled victoriously. "Alright ! " Santo rolled his eyes as they watched her run down the stairs. She was so excited, she almost tripped on her feet.

"Dang, she almost flew down those stairs."

He chuckled slightly. "Yes. Can I ask you to wait for me here ? It won't take me more than fifteen minutes. Or do you have somewhere to be maybe ? "

She shook her head, fanning him off. "No, it's okay."

"Thanks. I'll be all yours after that." He winked at her, making her blush, before he stood up and went to tend to his thirsty customer.

As he said, he was back fifteen minutes later, which got him more points from Ebony. He was a man of his word, doing what he said he was going to do and she absolutely liked that. If he continued this way, Ebony would fall in love real soon.

Was she ready for this though ?

It was Sunday, and Santo was spending time with his two best friends and some of the kids that usually came to the shop. He took Demarcus and some of his friends to Kofi's building after Church, so they could enjoy the underground basketball court.

"Why you never come to Church with us ? " Danicka, who was sitting next to him on the bench, asked him curiously. Chresanto believed in God, but he wasn't a big fan of Church.

Well, more like Church people.

Not all of them, but there was too much hypocrisy and fakeness going on for Chresanto, so he'd rather stay away; but he prayed every day and read the Bible more than once. He was trying to cuss the least possible, and to live life as the best individual that he could and was meant to be.

He knew exactly where he stood with God, and he needed nobody's approval when it came to his personal relationship with his Father. God has his ears and eyes everywhere, and He knows your heart. Going to Church doesn't make someone a better Christian --or person in general-- than anybody else.

Mrs. Tompson, Demarcus' grandmother, told him multiple times to not let people prevent him from going and enjoying Church, but Santo still preferred not to go because he didn't want to take a risk and get out of character in the Lord's house. He didn't need to go off on somebody in this particular place.

Sinners judging other sinners as if they were so pure and so innocent aggravated him more than anything else. Nobody is perfect, but a lot of people seem to forget that on multiple occasions. Lots of times the biggest sinners were the most judgmental individuals, and his entire family on his mother's side were exactly like that.

He shrugged. "Because I'm grown and not forced to go."

"I never feel forced to go," she said with a frown.

He smiled faintly. "That's great. I hope--" he cut himself before saying too much. A kid has all the right in the world to keep their innocence as long as possible.

"You hope what ? " She raised an eyebrow in curiosity and confusion.

"Never mind."

"Mr. Santo, do you have a girlfriend ? " she asked after a brief moment of silence.

"Somebody asked you to question me ? " he answered with another question.

She shook her head, causing her two curly ponytails to bounce. "I was curious to know. They told me you were with someone yesterday at the shop. A certain Ebony. Marcus calls her his pretty lady."

Those kids, he thought as he shook his head.

"Get out of my business, lil' girl and go play with your little friends." He pointed in a certain direction.

She groaned. "We can never talk with adults," she said before doing as he said.

Not too long after, Kofi and Elin sat next to him, one person at each side. "Those kids are going to kill me. Damn, they fast," Kofi commented, still catching his breath.

"I need to talk to y'all about something," Elin blurted out, immediately getting his best friends' attention.

Of course, they both saw that something was going on with him, but they decided to leave him alone and let him come to them for advice instead of forcing him to talk. Out of the three, Elin was the one that had less difficulty talking about his problems. He often needed to vent about something.

"Shoot, " Santo encouraged him.

He let out a heavy sigh before dropping his bomb, which wasn't really one because his two friends were expecting nothing less from this situation. "Silvia cheated on me, again."

Kofi and Santo shared an unbothered look as Elin put his face in his hands. "Are you really surprised ? " Kofi asked, voicing thoughts that Chresanto shared.

He looked up at them, frowning at those words. He didn't want to hear that. "Are you for real right now ? "

"Eli, c'mon. It was expected. Look at this whole relationship, like I said several times it isn't meant to work and you deserve better. So much better. This girl doesn't love you like you love her. Since the beginning, I've always been honest with you and I still think that she's using you, " Santo said, keeping it real with his friend.

"Right ! She stole money from you, cheated more than once, got pregnant by her ex and if she didn't have that miscarriage, you know she would get back with that bastard who tried to jump you with his friends. This bitch put you through too much, let it go for good before she fucking kills you ! " Kofi add his opinion, making Elin think as well.

He sighed, as memories replayed in his mind. He knew they were right, but there was something about Silvia that made him not want to cut her off from his life. He felt like he wouldn't be able to live without her.

"Don't let the fear to start all over again prevent you from doing better for yourself. You will find someone else, " Santo assured him.