“Papa, do you mind if we skip out on the decorating part?” Ellie asked.
“Me and my baby girl can handle it,” Papa stated.“There’s some chili and cornbread in there. Take some of that with you.”
“Not you think Iain’t coming back tonight!” Ellie exclaimed.“Youain’t raise no easy daughter, Papa!”
Loyal smirked and scratched the tip of his nose with his thumb as his brow raised in amusement.“Sheain’t lying, School. Your daughter difficult as hell.”
Ellie went to the kitchen and set out four bowls.“Now I got to eat it here just to prove a point!”
She fixed everyone a warm bowl and placed all the fixings in the middle of the table. The only person missing was her oldest baby, and although she knew Cairo wouldn’t hurt his child, she was desperately ready for Brooklyn to come home. They sat and ate together like a real family, no television going, no cell phones in their hands, no one rushing to finish, just good, old-fashioned quality time. Seeing Loyal there, with her father and her child, so comfortable, made her wonder if he really could be the man for her. He seemed not to be able to get enough of her. She couldn’t believe that a man like him would be this intrigued with a woman like her. It wasn’t that she felt unattractive. She had always been pretty, and when she put in the effort with makeup and hair and the whole nine, she was a downright bombshell. Life had made her feel like she wasn’t a contender for a man like Loyal. He was bossed up. A seven-figure earner, probably eight, if she had to guess. He was the perfect amount of rough. He was attractive, without being a pretty boy, independent, honest, and carried an authority that came with getting it out the mud. Men like him didn’t normally go for difficult women. They didn’t go for women with children or even women her age. They wanted young, impressionable, easy girls with perfect bodies and no attachments. From the moment Loyal laid eyes on her, he made her feel like a prize. He wanted to win her, and she wanted to let him.
Chapter 14
They ended up decorating the tree and then sliding out to head to the bar. They pulled up to the seediest part of town, and Ellie glanced nervously out her window. Her heart broke as they passed an alley with encampments made from cardboard boxes, grocery store shopping carts, milk crates, and any other random material that could be found. Her eyes watered as he parked the car.
“How can they stay warm like this?” she gasped. Michigan wasn’t a place where you could survive outside overnight in the wintertime. The temperatures dropped to below freezing all the time.“There are kids out here, Loyal. When did it get this bad?” Ellie grew up in Flint. She remembered a neighborhood bum or two. She didn’t ever remember seeing anything like this.
“We don’t have to do this,” Loyal said.
“To see this, and not try, feels wrong. We have to,” Ellie stated, eyes filled to the brim with tears.“This is fucked up.”
She couldn’t understand how he was unaffected.“This doesn’t make you feel bad?” she asked.
“When I was a kid, it would fuck me up. I’ve been down here and seen this shit so many times I don’t feel shit about it anymore. People make their choices,” Loyal stated.
“They didn’t choose this,” Ellie whispered.“Nobody chooses this.” He opened the door and came around on her side of the car to clear her path so she could step out of the car. Bums saw the expensive car and swarmed them instantly, but Loyal waved them off and they walked the half block to the bar.
The inside was dark and smoky. 92.7 WDZZ played in the background. The regulars sat at the tables along the wall, sparsely decorating the place.
Loyal led her to the wood top bar and pulled out her stool before seating himself. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a picture of his father, along with a hundred-dollar bill.
“Yo, my man.” He called the bartender over and placed the picture on top of the money before sliding it into the center of the bar.
“Have you seen him?” Loyal asked.
“Come on, man, you know we don’t do that here,” the bartender stated.“I don’t know shit. Iain’t seen shit.”
“Iain’t the police, nigga, this is my dad. He used to sweep up here for a warm cot in exchange. I’m just trying to see if he’s been here lately,” Loyal stated.
“I’m new here, man. Been here about a month. Iain’t heard nobody mention no arrangements like that, though. You might want to check with the other bartenders on the other nights, though. I only work Tuesday and Thursday. The owner is here on Friday nights,” the man informed.
Loyal nodded, slightly perturbed.“Yeah, a’ight, man,” he shot back.“Let me get three shots each of…”
He let the words linger and then looked at her, implying that it was her choice.
“Do you haveCasamigos? Anejo?” she asked.
“NoAnejo; I got Reposado,” the bartender offered.
“That’s fine. Chilled with a sugar rim, please,” she added.“Three shots. Your mission is to get drunk, huh?”
“You don’t want to know my mission,” he said mischievously.“Are you satisfied? He’s not here.” He reached for her chair and pulled the entire thing closer.
“I’m sorry heisn’t here.”
“You’re here,” he answered as the bartender delivered the shots.“That’s enough.”
“I really could love you so much,” she admitted.
