Poundtown with Mr. Forbidden

Stupid-a*s Jappa Nigga

IRIS

"Hold up, hold up, what do you mean he hijacked the meeting? I thought you said y’all don’t even know each other. Why is he acting like your man?"

We arrive at the restaurant ten minutes ago, and Victor hurries to get our orders so he can listen to the gossip. He wouldn’t let me rest, and he’s been bombarding me with questions since.

"I really don’t know how I can evade him now. He doesn’t even know anything beyond my name." Now that I say that, it strikes me that he might know more. For a man like that, obsession grows quickly, and they easily become stalkers.

Oh damn, am I about to be involved in something sinister?

"Man, I need me some Japanese nigga at this point," Victor utters, and my face roughens slightly, irked that he’s sexualizing this serious matter. "And here I thought you’re a black-d**k girlie."

I hit him on the shoulder as he sits next to me, his hamburger almost falling from his grip. "You’re the one who can’t do without black d**k. I don’t discriminate." I rub my forehead, realizing what I just said. "But no, that’s not even the point, b***h. Let’s not forget the main thing here."

Thankfully, that snaps Victor back. "Right. Well, he’s 36 and you’re 24. It only makes sense that he’s a freak trying to control you."

"What? He’s 36 years old?" I repeat, and he nods. My eyes pop wide as I drop my chips.

"You don’t know?" Victor stuffs his food into his mouth, picks up his tablet, and opens Chrome. Within seconds, he slides it in front of me. "That’s his biography, babe."

Before I know it, my sight drifts from the text to his picture. Kaizen's features are sharply defined—his jawline, cheekbones, and nose bridge all accentuate his face like a model. He looks too perfect, too unreal, and it doesn’t make sense that he and I got ourselves wrapped around each other.

Maybe not exactly like that, but still... why would such a man be interested in me? Says he craves me? He must have a lot of women in his life... and even men, if he wishes. I keep thinking: he doesn’t need me, yet he acts like he can’t do without me. There must be something he isn’t telling me.

"What?!" Victor’s scream snaps me back to reality.

"That’s the dude I hooked up with."

"His bodyguard?" I ask, and he gives me a what-the-f**k look. "But wait, you hooked up with who?"

"The other night at the club. That’s why I forgot to pick your calls. I was—well, one thing led to the other, and we hooked up. Damn, now it all makes sense when he said he had to get back to his boss. I didn’t think that..."

"So we both f****d strangers that night. Jesus, I am never going to the club again. That place is all sorts of sins." I fake a shiver while Victor keeps zooming in on the fine black buzz-cut dude who looks twice as big and muscular as him.

After a few seconds, Victor shifts the conversation. "But really, are you going to accept his proposal?"

I shake my head. "Mom should be in Paris any moment now. Last week, said she has an idea on how we can get funds so we don’t even need investors to bring the business back alive. Something about the field we own. I don’t really know yet."

"And you don’t even want to just focus on building that farm. I remember your dad once said he wished to retire into rearing and cultivating someday."

I smile at Victor. He’s my best friend for reasons like this. "Exactly. But he never even got his dream restaurant, so how can he retire? If this restaurant doesn’t stand, I’m not retiring either."

And I’m not going to rely on a stranger to help me bring my father’s dream to life.

Something snaps in my head like an alarm, and I pick up my phone. "Speaking of which, Mom should have arrived by now. She left hometown early this morning, and she took a direct flight, not a train."

On the fourth ring, she picks up. I hear her laughter for a few seconds—she’s clearly with someone.

"Mama, you didn’t call me. Have you not arrived?"

"Sweetie, I’m so sorry. I got to your place a while ago, and I’m making your favorite dishes." She says something to someone beside her. "Right, your boyfriend asked me not to disturb you. Said you were still busy with work."

My head goes blank.

"The hell? What? I—what are you saying?"

She laughs again, distracted. "Just hurry home when you can. He’s so nice and comical, darling. I’m proud of your choice."

The call ends, and I stare into nothingness like a fool. Life has suddenly become a joke ever since his arrival.

"I’ve got to go, Victor. I’m going to kill someone."

"Uh, what happened?"

"If it is what I think it is, someone’s going to die. I’m performing manslaughter tonight, yeah."

I get into a taxi. Not long after, I arrive at the apartment and hurry into the elevator. My steps stomp like thunder hitting the cloud floors on a stormy night.

Opening the door and dropping my bag, I head straight to the kitchen where a strong aroma lingers—only to find Mom and... Kaizen.

Kaizen Montclair stands beside my mom, chopping vegetables like a pro. The way he holds the knife, his veins popping out, sends heat to my core. I snap out of it immediately.

"Mama, I was so worried. Don’t scare me like that. You know what anxiety does to me." My tone sharpens. "I’ve always been the one to pick you up from the airport. You don’t follow a stranger."

"I thought—"

I cut her off by hugging her tightly. I inhale her scent, and a warm smile spreads across my lips.

"Hey, baby," Kaizen says, moving in for a side hug.

"Excuse me, ma, I’ve got to talk to..." I swallow. I’ll never call this man my boyfriend.

I pull Kaizen into a corner and slam his back against the wall. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you tried to yell while whispering, you’d understand exactly what I’m doing right now.

"What the hell are you doing? Why are you so adamant? I can call the cops on you right now, and it’ll affect you and your company. Or do you think because you have money, you can treat women like garbage?" The veins in my neck strain with anger.

"I didn’t mean to cause trouble, sweet peach."

"First, don’t call me that," I snap, even though I’m lying. "Second, how the f**k do you know my mom was arriving, let alone where to pick her up? You want to harm me and my family? Is that it? You want to take advantage of me until I’m nothing but a shell?"

He grabs my waist and pulls me into a deep kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. My core reacts instantly, heat rushing through me, my face flushing.

But I force myself out of it. This is wrong. Completely wrong. I curse my introvert self for all those times I fantasize a life like this in the comfort of my bed. Now that it's happening, it's bullshit.

The sound of my hand hitting his face sends Kaizen back. The look on his face tells me he wasn't expecting it.

"Did you just slap me?"

Mom’s voice cuts in from the kitchen. "Dinner’s ready, guys! Come help me set the table."

I turn back to him, pointing at his chest. "When you’re done enjoying my mother’s dinner, get the f**k out of here and out of my life."

As I step out of the corner, I turn back.

"Since you’re now keen on knowing everything about my life, I’ll tell you this. It’s me and my mom in this life. No one else. Not even you gets to come in. So yeah—f**k your proposal. You can shove it up your ass, stupid ass Jappa nigga."