Yale
“What exactly happened to the furniture?” Xoey asked as she looked around the empty living room. It’d been a few days since my date with Am, but nothing had been put back yet. I was starting to think it would never happen, but then again, I didn’t care because we spent all our free time in the bedroom.
“You’re going to have to ask Am,” I laughed, and she rolled her eyes. “Why are you here?”
“Well, damn.” She put her hand on her chest and took a step back. “A friend can’t come and check on a friend?”
“You can, but if you’re showing up, then that means that it’s a reason you’re here,” I laughed as I left the empty room and went into the kitchen. I was starving and wanted some fruit. “So fess up.”
“Mr. Empty Living room sent me over to ride with you to pick up your mama’s pictures,” she said as she followed me. “He saidthat he knows you, and the fact that you mentioned them last night meant that you were tired of waiting on him. Since he had to go out of town with his brothers this morning, he sent me as your protection.”
“My protection?” I opened the fridge, got a bowl of pineapples out, then closed it. “Why are you my protection?”
“Because your husband’s people aren’t shit and they have been too quiet since the brothers set their church on fire,” she answered with a shrug. “He said, and I quote, ‘Xoey, your unhinged ass is the only person I trust to have my woman’s back. Nobody ever expects your psycho ass to be anything but pretty.’”
“He didn’t say that,” I laughed.
“I swear he did,” she replied.
Instead of going back and forth with her, I took my phone from my pocket and dialed Amethyst's number. It rang three times, then he answered.
“Am?” I said as I watched Xoey, who was smiling.
“Yes, Sunshine?”
“Did you tell Xoey to go with me to the old house to get my mama’s pictures because you don’t trust anybody else, and nobody expects her to be anything but pretty when she’s unhinged as fuck?”
“Something like that,” he chuckled. “You’re going, right?”
“Yeah,” I answered with a nod. “As soon as I finish this fruit, we will go over there and grab the pictures.”
“Alright, be safe though,” he said. “I already told Xoey them niggas have been too quiet, but I got eyes on the house. Ain’t nobody been there in the past few days, which is why I’m saying go now.”
“Yes, sir,” I laughed.
“Remember to say that shit later tonight,” he chuckled sexily. “I love you, Yale.”
“I love you too,” I said, then hung up.
“Y’all be doing nasty shit, huh?” Xoey said, shaking her head. She leaned against the island and smirked. “That’s why the furniture is gone. Y’all were probably doing some nasty ass shit and broke everything in there.”
“Xoey, please stop,” I laughed, then put the fruit away. “Now come on, so we can go get these pictures and I can get to the office.”
“Okay,” she cheerfully replied as she stood. She looped her arm with mine as I passed her, and we walked through the back door out of the house to her car.
On the ride to the house, I worked on a design using the app Cross and Nine had designed for me to create on the go. I’d received a new order from Mr. Joseph for initial pieces, and while they weren’t overly complicated, I wanted to try a new idea I had in mind using the pieces he’d requested.
“What are your plans for tonight since Am is gone?” Xoey asked as she parked in my driveway.
I looked around, trying to feel some connection to the house. I’d only been gone a few weeks, but there was nothing left. It was just a house I’d once loved; now I considered Am’s house my home. There was no doubt that I would sell this house soon.
“I don’t know yet, why?” I replied as we got out of the car. I took the key out of my purse and walked up the steps. “You want to do something?”
“I signed up for a ride along with the fire department,” she answered, and I stared at her, confused as hell.
“Xoey, why the hell are you doing a ride-along with the fire department?” I asked with a laugh.
“I have yet to see a fine ass fire fighter, and it’s starting to piss me off. It was either request a ride-along or start setting shit on fire until I finally see one,” she explained as if it was a rational answer. I paused, then started laughing. “The hell are you laughing at?”
