“You found me. I thought you were busy today.”
“I was and am. But I had some free time and I…” she cuts herself off.
“You what, Janelle?”
“I just wanted to stop by.”
“If you missed me, let me know something, J. Don’t let me be alone in the shit.”
“Aww, you missed me?”
“What I tell you about the games you play?”
She places her hand against my chest, drumming her finger up and down my chest. “Okay, okay. I missed you and wanted to say hi. Better?”
“Much. How much free time you got?”
“Hmm, well, I…”
“Yo, Romey-Rome!” Her words are cut off by Arnold’s voice behind me.
She drops her hand to her side, but I don’t rush to move from my position. Number one, I don’t want to, and two, it would look more suspicious if I jumped away.
“What’s up, Arnold?”
He daps me up when he reaches me but furrows his brow at Janelle. “Hey, Janelle. I didn’t see you there.”
“What’s up, Arnold?” She mirrors my greeting.
“What y’all up to?”
“I just ran into Rome on my way to my next task, so we were catching up.”
“Oh okay. Well, speaking of tasks, Rome, I need a big favor.”
“What’s up?”
“I was supposed to go to this shop in town to pick up these candles Ri wanted for the ceremony days ago, but I forgot. She wants to see them and approve them today, but if she sees me leave to go get them at this point I’m a dead man. Could you please go pick’em up for me?”
“I mean, yeah, I can, but how am I gonna get’em to you without her seeing?”
“I can just bring her with me to your room to pick’em up. I’ll tell her I gave them to you to hold on to.”
“Bet. I’ll go right now.”
“It’s you plotting to lie to my sister in front of me for me,” Janelle mocks with a gleam in her eye.
He has the sense to look chastised. “Come on, Janelle. You know your sister. I don’t wanna ruin any of this for her.”
Spoken just like Janelle. Everyone seems to tiptoe around Amerie and that irks me.
“My lips are sealed.”
“I appreciate that.”He slaps my hand with his, pulling me into an embrace. “Thanks, Rome, I’m just praying they have what she wanted because she wasn’t able to order ahead so we’re at the mercy of what the shop has in stock. Now I just gotta keep her distracted ’til you get back. It shouldn’t be too hard, or maybe it should.” He laughs at his own joke and then turns to look at Janelle with remorse. “Sorry, Janelle…I…”
She holds up her hand to stop him. “Arnold, please. Get over yourself.”She turns back to me. “Actually, can I go with you? I need to go to town anyway.”
“Of course.”
