Wasted Off You — K.L. Hall
On July 7th, K.L. Hall returns with a new release and she has a special sneak peek for you to read below.
Welcome to a Tennesse Love Tasting: BLP Style!
Danielle “Danny” St. Cloud:
Karon and I had tried to link up on three different occasions but, for one reason or another, hadn’t been able to connect until the following Thursday, which happened to be the same day Kairo was flying into town. I glanced at my watch, anxiously awaiting Karon’s arrival at our favorite spot to grab drinks on Thirsty Thursdays. Minutes later, my eyes landed on Karon, walking in wearing his signature outfit; a crisp white tee, joggers, a New York Yankee fitted hat over his long dreads, and one of the many pairs of designer sneakers he owned on his feet. A feeling of calm washed over me the minute he smiled at me. I hugged him like we hadn’t seen each other in years.
“Hey, stranger,” he greeted me.
“Hey, yourself. How was your show? Tell me everything. I listened to it on my flight back before I fell asleep. You were right; the crowd was lit as hell!”
He bobbed his head. “It was dope, but, uh, before we get into that, I think there’s something I need to tell you,” he confessed.
“Well, there’s something I need to tell you too.”
“You go first,” he insisted.
“No. You.”
A quick exhale shot through his nostrils before he scraped his hand over his face. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m trippin’, but I think I need a mental health break or some shit.”
“Damn, I’m gone for two weeks, and your whole world falls apart? What’s wrong?”
“Let’s go somewhere,” he suggested. “I’m tired of this city.”
“Um, I was legit just gone for two weeks.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “So? Let’s go somewhere, shit, anywhere. My passport is up to date. Name a place.”
I sighed. “About that…”
“What? You got something better to do than go on a mental health vacay with your boy?”
“Actually…” Before I could finish my sentence, I saw Kairo enter the bar and walk over. “Oh shit,” I muttered.
Karon’s smile instantly faded when he saw Kairo take his place beside me, looking and smelling delicious. He hugged me tight before the three of us awkwardly stood at the cocktail table with only enough room for two. “Kairo? What are you doing here?” Karon interrogated his older brother.
I spoke up. “That’s, uh, what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“What?”
“Remember when I told you I ran into your brother in Spain?”
Karon’s eyes shifted back and forth between his brother and me. “Yeah. And?” I pulled my left hand from behind my back to show him my ring. “What the fuck is this?”
“We’re engaged,” Kairo answered him.
He momentarily looked like someone had punched him in the gut before he belted out a loud, dramatic laugh. “Are you two serious right now?”
Kairo bobbed his head. “Yeah.”
“Danny?”
“He asked… and I said… yeah,” I replied with a quick shrug.
He eyed me like his bullshit meter was ticking in the red zone. We traded silent looks before he immediately voiced his surprise. “Get the fuck outta here. Forreal?” he quizzed, stone-faced.
“How many times do we have to say it? It’s real, bruh. We’re getting married in a month.”
Karon’s eyebrows shot toward his crisp hairline. “A month?”
“Yeah. In four weeks, Danielle will be Mrs. Harris.”
Silence hung over the three of us like a dark cloud. The longer we sat muted, the more anxious I got.
“Listen,” I blurted out, unable to take the silence any longer. “I know we just threw a lot at you, but I would love it if you’d… y’know, walk me down the aisle and give me away.”
He nodded, but it took him a minute to find his voice. “Danny, I—”
I held up my hand to stop him. “You don’t have to give me an answer right now.”
“That should be an easy yes, right, Karon?” Kairo interjected. His brother’s words seemed to evade him, prompting him to speak up again. “Well?”
He blinked as his eyes adjusted. “Well, what?”
“Your best friend just asked if you’d walk her down the aisle, and you haven’t given her an answer.”
“Are you happy for me, Karon?” I asked, unable to shake the uneasiness in my stomach.
Karon nodded slowly before a half smile crawled up one side of his face, and he brushed his hand over his left earlobe. “Happy? You’re my best friend, Danny. Why wouldn’t I be happy?” he asked coolly with his notorious nonchalant swag.
I stared him down while nodding. His lips said one thing, but his body language screamed the opposite. One thing was for sure; he was far from cool with things.
—
Enjoy this content? Receive more exclusives by joining our mailing list!