I. I Know You Understand Me
summary: getting a little beside herself, Coco lets Joe in. but there is something about him that makes her feel so vulnerable, so…..submissive. And she likes it, but when she tells him her secret, he surprises her.
a/n: no translations in story, however I used google translate to create the sentences.
next chapter: 01.16.24
It was the Friday before New Years and the only plans Coco had were to finished up a session in the studio, grab some food and ring in the New Year at another hotel. She had been invited to numerous parties, but turned down the requests, which sparked up rumors that she was recording new music, which she was, but now she really had to be careful of where she went and who she was seen with.
Have you washed that hoodie since I gave it to you? - Joe
Three days, she spent the past three days talking to Joe. Every moment she had, she answered his call or text. If she couldn’t she always sent him a message that she was busy but would get back to him. Having just left a rehersal, Coco had nothing to do but get back to her hotel room.
Have you been stalking my pictures? - Coco
Stepping outside, she quickly slid into the open door of her car. Her body guard, sliding in on the other side of the car, tapped the partition so they can leave. It was a smooth thirty minutes to her hotel. Placing her purse on the seat, she leaned back and crossed her legs before her phone buzzed again.
The designer is calling asking if I bought it for you. - Joe
There was a laugh emoji after and Coco smiled.
I told them no. - Joe
It took little for Joe to understand the type of person Coco was. She was very private and wanted to enjoy life as normal as possible. He’d never seen someone so humble. Someone so worth spoiling. She had been on his mind for days.
Thank you. I really do like this hoodie. - Coco
I’m glad I could make you smile. - Joe
He had to be flirting with her? Every now and then, Joe would drop some sly remark like this. On a phone call she had asked him something a bit silly and he let ‘baby girl’ slip from his lips. Her breath hitched in her throat, but he kept talking like it was the most normal thing. Like he was supposed to be calling her that. Trinity would tell her to go for it. They all had been on her about her love life and how dry it’s been for her. If he rejected her they could still be friends at least. Maybe.
I know Smackdown is tonight, but are you doing anything after? - Coco
She threw her phone to the seat before she could feel his reply buzz her phone. She didn’t pick it up again until she was alone in her hotel suite. A large tray of fruit and waters had been delivered per her request. Sliding a strawberry in her mouth, she snatched her phone from her purse.
Her phone rang and she nearly dropped it. A shirtless photo of him backstage popped up on her screen before she accepted his face time call.
“Hey.”
She fell onto the couch as his face came into view. He was clearly backstage and when he panned the phone up to his face, her breath caught in her throat. His expression was darker than she remembered, his skin a warm brown, and his smile seemed brighter. Joe was clearly in his element and looked good doing it. She could see the interior of his suite behind him.
“Hey pretty girl,’ he replied smoothly.
His jaw worked as he chewed gum. Coco noticed his hair was pulled into a bun, and the sides of his head were freshly shaven.
Coco pulled her knees to her chest and leaned against them as she held the phone up. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting you.”
“Never, and no.” He added. “I’m not doing anything after. You want to see me?”
Coco turned her face into her legs, shy all of a sudden. She could hear Joe laughing and peeked through her fingers.
“It’s cute how shy you are, you know that?”
“I’m not shy,’ she huffed.
“We’ll see when I get there.”
Most men, when cocky or arrogant, turned her off. Their self assurance sometimes gave her, what did the kids call it? The ick. She never wanted a man that was too good for her. Or him to think she was too good. Yet, Joe was confidant. On screen and off. The way he was talking made her panties just a bit wet in the center.
“Look, I have to get going, but I’ll call you after the show, okay?”
“Oh, okay…”
Did she just whine? Coco mentally face palmed. She whined, because he was hanging up.
“I know the call is short,’ he says lowly, ‘but I wanted to see your face before I clocked in. I’ve been thinking about nothing but you for the past few days.”
Before she could respond, Joe winked and ended the call. She had about two hours before the show was over and maybe another forty-five minutes before he’d be calling again. Sliding off the couch, she hurried towards the bedroom and cleaned up her notebooks, guitar, tempo pad, and clothes. She didn’t want to bother room service, so she made the bed as best as she could. The only bathroom in her suite was attached to her room and if he needed to use it, the last thing she wanted him to see was a messy as room. She did however, put in an order for food. She wasn’t sure what he’d want, so she opted for a light lemon and garlic pasta, but then she called back and told them to be on standby because she didn’t know what her guest would want.
Coco crossed into the bathroom which was slightly cleaner than the bedroom. It was spacious with a separate shower and tub. She put away all her beauty supplies, but hooked up her curlers and turned on the shower.
I’ve been thinking about nothing but you for the past few days.
She added soft curls to her hair as she watched WWE Smackdown. After her shoulder, she rubbed her body down in a soft scented body butter. Coco kept running her hands through her hair to make it look less done. She was also nervous and with each match, she was getting anxious. Then his entrance music played. Her eyes were glued to the screen as he walked out, flanked by Jey and Jimmy, with Paul Heyman right along with them.
“Why is he so fine,’ Coco sighed.
He didn’t have a match, but she always liked watching him on the microphone. His promos were some of her favorites and it didn’t help his mannerisms were so dominating. He was dominating. Biting down on her lip, Coco turned from the TV and finished dressing. The brown maxi dress clung to her in all the right places. Sleeveless, she grabbed the hoodie from her bed and brought it to the living area where she flipped on the TV to finish viewing his segment. Her hands toyed with the tennis bracelet he got her as she latched it around her wrist. Moments later chaos flooded the ring, brawls broke out, and threats were made. She could only imagine how much testosterone was flying around the ring.
In the end, Joe left the ring with his titles held high above his head. The commentators were all figuring out what happened. The arena was chanting for Roman. He really was at the top. The Head of the Table. The Tribal Chief……and he was coming to her hotel room in less than an hour. Smacking her hand over her face, Coco tried to still the butterflies in her stomach. No man has ever made her feel the way Joe had, and it had only been three fucking days. Joe was one of the top athletes in the game. And he was coming to see her. Albit she had asked what he was doing, but, she had expected him to be tired or have plans.
Coco had sent him the information for her her hotel and how to get to her. Her room was one of three on the floor and the second largest. Her palms were sweaty.
His knuckles brushed against the door, snapping Coco out of her rambling thoughts. She took her time getting to the door, but anticipation grew with each step. She was Yahya! Queen of R&B, superstar of superstars. But here she was turning into mush over the six foot five Samoan man outside her hotel door. Her hands grabbed the handle and before she could open the door she heard his voice.
“Are you going to let me in, pretty girl?”
Opening the door, she leaned against it while biting the inside of her cheek. She could hardly look up at him. He had changed into a black jogger set, complete with hoodie and his hair down.
“Can I braid your hair?” She blurted out.
Joe laughed and looked over her head to the inside of her room. “Are you going to invite me in first?”
“Oh! Yeah, come in.”
He looked down at Coco, licking his lips before saying, ‘don’t mind if I do.”
The door clicked shut behind her as she followed him into the living space of the hotel room.
“If you’re hungry I can have something brought up.”
“Are you hungry?” He asked.
Coco’s right shoulder shrugged upwards. “A little.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
Her silence made him pause.
“I was waiting for you. I didn’t want to eat…you know, we could eat together.”
Joe sighed and tugged off his hoodie. His arms stretched above his head, his muscle tensing and relaxing as he flexed. He tossed it on the back of the couch before sitting on the floor in front of it. He placed his phone on the table, after turning it off, and stretched his arms over the seats of the couch. How did she end up with this….Samoan god in her room. His presence was undeniable.
“You’re looking a lil shy, pretty girl.” He beckoned her over with two fingers in a ‘come hither’ motion.
Her feet betrayed her and she was standing beside him before she realized it. It was almost midnight, but she knew the kitchen was still waiting on her call. She didn’t want to leave them hanging, so she picked up her phone and ordered them another small fruit tray, grilled chicken orecchiette, a medium rare steak, and a few sides.
Joe reached out, tugging on the hem of her dress. “Are you going to braid my hair?”
His laughter followed as she nearly ran to her bathroom for a comb and rubber bands. She looked in the mirror at her flushed reflection and slapped the light off. When she came back, Joe had brought one leg up and was resting on of his arms on it. His head was relaxed on the couch and it was then she noticed he was shirtless. Thick was an understatement. His body was sculpted in ways she didn’t think possible. Samoan ink was very distinctive, especially when it was done by another Samoan. The lines were crisp, the shading and used of his skin tone was phenomenal, he was a walking art piece. And she wanted to the the only patron of that gallery.
“If you keep looking at me like that my hair wont be the only thing getting done tonight.”
His dark eyes landed on her and she bit on her bottom lip. This wasn’t the Joe from the party, but it was the only she talked to on the phone, just in her face. He wasn’t shy or coy about what he was thinking. Coco knew exactly what was on Joe’s mind.
“Come on, pretty girl.”
As she climb onto the couch behind him, Joe lifted his body so that she could fit her self behind him. He felt her knees and realized her legs were folded. Reaching behind him, he tugged her legs apart and stretched them over his shoulders. Trying to calm her racing heart, the singer slid the comb through his hair, right down the middle to make two sections. She pushed his head to the left and he rested it against her thigh.
When she began the braid, he struck up a conversation. His hand rubbing the outside of her right thigh.
“What did you think of tonight’s show?”
“Are you asking what I thought of you?” She replied.
Joe pinched her thigh a little. “You’re real sassy when you aren’t making eye contact with me.” He paused. “And yeah, that’s what I meant.”
She gathered hair as she continued to the middle of the braid. His hair was thick and coarse.
“I think this build up you’re creating is good. Story telling is just as important, right?”
His eyes slipped closed as her fingers wove his hair.
“It is.” He hummed. “The same with your music, yes?”
“You tell me.”
She finished the braid and moved his head to her other leg to finish.
“From what I hear, it sounds like you express yourself in slower tempo songs, you feel the music. Become it almost. Those videos are my favorite, not too much happening. It’s just you and the music.”
“You’ve been watching me?”
He opened one eye and turned to look at her. “Why wouldn’t I be a bee in the Queen’s hive?”
Coco smiled as he spoke. He went on to talk about his favorite songs and eras. They were interrupted by the room service. Joe went to answer, but just had them slide the cart into the room without being seen. Coco blew out a sigh of relief that he was so aware. She stayed seated as he fix their plates, brining her bowl of paste over before grabbing his own steak and grilled potatoes. They ate in silence, him still sitting by her legs on the floor.
“We could have moved to the table.”
“I like being this close to you,’ he said.
He couldn’t see it but that goofy grin was on her face.
She knew it was the hunger, but her bowl was empty before he was finished. She scooted back behind him, finishing the braid while he ate. She tied the ends with rubber bands and inspected her work. Neat, the braids looked very different than the bun he wore. She wasn’t sure if it was camera ready, but it made him look vastly more domineering than before. He placed her fingers at his temples and tilted his head back, making sure his part was as neat as she could get it without product. His head fell back farther, into her lap, and she gasped softly as he looked up at her. Her fingers trailed down his cheeks, through his beard and he caught her before she could get to his neck.
“You know what isn’t shy about you?” He asked.
“What?”
“These hands.”
Abruptly, he turned until he was on his knees in front of her. She wanted to touch his chest, trail her fingers over his tattoo, back up his neck, but she kept them pinned at her side. She wasn’t looking at him and he grunted. Clasping his hand around her neck, he gently tilted her head up with a thumb under her chin.
At her side, her hands balled into fists, palms so sweaty she couldn’t grip her own skin and her hands fell open.
He thumbed her bottom lip, watching it pout. “Relax for me, pretty girl.”
“I am,’ she sighed.
“Do I make you nervous?”
There was a pause when she began fiddling with her fingers.
‘talanoa mai ia te au, teine aulelei’
‘what?”
‘don’t act like you don’t understand me again.’
Joe locked eyes with Coco as she nodded. His brows furrowed and he let out a string of beautifully strung curse words.
‘ona e tali mai lea’
Ou te matua manao lava e te sogi mai ia te au Joe
“I know what you want,’ he whispered, his lips dangerously close to her own. “Need even.”
His hands rested on her thighs, pulling her closer to him to where she was sitting on the edge of the couch, only held still by his firm hold. Their noses brushed and she opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“What’s that,’ she breathed.
“Intimacy,’ he replied. “From a man.” He added. “From me.”
He punctuated his word with pecks to her full lips, teasing her each time. Mouth agape, Joe dove in, his tongue sliding over hers as she held onto his shoulders. He brought her closer, wrapping her legs around his waist. Still giving her room to push him away, Joe slid his hand up her smooth neck until his hands were woven into her hair. His lips never leaving hers as his tongue licked at her mouth so lewdly her hips rolled forwards, seeking friction.
“You’re still so tense, baby,’ he kneaded her thigh with his hand, picking her up before sitting.
She braced her hands against his chest, thick muscle rippling beneath her soft touch.
‘e tatau ona tatou taofi’
Hearing that, Joe pulled his head away from her neck, where he had been nosing along the smooth unblemished skin. He was thinking of ways to mark it up when she spoked. Straddling his lap, he looked between their bodies. Her dress was bunched up around her thighs, his large hand palming nothing but bare skin. Joe looked at her, right in the eyes, as his hand wandered up her thigh until his fingers dug into her ass.
‘aisea’
Ou te lei faia lava se feusuaiga muamua…..
“We can take this as slow as we need.”
“What is this,’ she asked.
‘amata i lenei tausaga ia a'u’
