He scooped up more food. “What, he needs you to hack into a system and spy on the competition?” Roman joked.
I snorted. “If only it was that easy.” Bringing my attention back to the laptop, I continued my tracking.
The cyber world was my playground. Coding, programming, developing software, spreading a virus or two, or hacking into a space I wasn’t supposed to came as easy to me as breathing. It always had. It was the reason I’d gotten my degrees in cybersecurity and computer science with a minor in IT. Him needing help with any of those would have been a breeze.
“So you gon’ tell me what the hell is up or not?”
I shook my head. “Nah, right now. I need to focus on this.”
Roman stood and started past me. Pausing, he patted my shoulder. “Well, you know if you need anything, I got you.” Giving it a squeeze, he continued to the kitchen.
“One day I’ma charge your ass for coming and eating up all my damn food.”
“Su casa es mi casa.” The sound of the fridge opening caused me to shake my head.
“It’s a good thing your parents had a chef in the house. As much as you eat, they might have run out of food.”
He laughed. “Fuck you, man. I’m a grown man with a grown appetite.”
Chuckling, I focused back on the task at hand. The Barnetts’ next project needed to be done in five days and the information I was gathering needed to be given to them beforehand. The money I’d make helping them would be the key to a bigger future for me and now the start of an even bigger plan.
Xylina Fox (19 years old)
“I’ve been talking to myself for the past five minutes. Are you going to tell me what you’re staring at so hard over there?” my best friend Savannah asked. My eyes lifted from my phone and shifted over to her. She brought the flute of wine to her mouth and snuggled deeper into the massage chair. We were at the nail salon getting our monthly nail and feet appointments done.
“What did you say?” I asked her.
“Hey, watch it! That towel’s burning hot!” Savannah snapped at the lady working on her.
She blinked up, surprised. “Sorry, ma’am.”
Savannah rolled her eyes and huffed. “I said, what are you looking at?”
A smile curled on my face. “My future husband.” I turned my phone screen in her direction.
“Oh he’s hot! Who is he?”
“Yosiah Bedford. He’s the son of a business associate of Daddy’s.” I turned the phone back in my direction and stared at the InstaFlik feed. I clicked one of my favorite pictures of Yosiah. He was in a navy-blue suit, with his arms crossed, sitting on the edge of a desk, mid laugh.
“You’re dating him? You didn’t tell me you were seeing someone seriously, you sneaky bitch.”
I snickered and reached for my flute of white sangria. “No, we’re not datingyet.But I plan on changing that. Yosiah’s different from any of the guys I’ve dated. He’s mature, confident, hot, smart.” I sighed with a smile. “A real man. He’s older too, meaning he’s more distinguished. We’re the perfect match.”
“What about Luke?”
I scrunched my face and waved my hand dismissively. “Luke? He’s old news. I’m moving on to bigger and better.” I flicked my thirty-inch extensions over my shoulders. I just got my hair done yesterday. While my natural hair was healthy, thick, and went a little past my shoulders, I wanted more length.
“Mhm, and here I thought the two of you would last through the summer at least.” Savannah stuck her hand out and examined her nails.
“He was fun at first, but he started to get on my nerves. What about Jackson? Is that still a thing?”
“Eh.” She shrugged. “Sometimes. He asked for a threesome the other day.”
“Did you do it?”
“A lady never kisses and tells.” She brought the flute to her mouth.
I snickered. “You little slut.”