“Yes, Mama,” I answered, sitting back and resting my hand.
“Don’t yes mama, me. Where are you?”
“I’m not home,” I answered.
“I know that much. I got a call from your brother. You are not home and your location is off.”
“Because I’m minding my business. Are you okay, Mama?” I asked. I heard the ringing of my phone again as she now requested to FaceTime.
“I’m fine. Are you okay? Have you lost your mind? Answer the damn phone. I don’t care that you’re grown.” I was so busy listening to her that I didn’t realize he had grabbed my hand and put it back on his neck for me to keep rubbing.
I laughed and answered her FaceTime, positioning my phone in front of my face. “Yes, Mama?”
It was comical how she was looking into the phone like I was gonna move the camera for her to see more of the room. “Where are you, Karim?”
“I’m out, Mama. Can we put a pin in this con?—”
“Hey, Mama,” Reminisce’s stupid ass called out, turning his head up to look at me.
What had me shaking my head was the smile that found its way onto her face. “¿Es que mi hijo, Reminisce?”Is that my son, Reminisce?
“Él no es tu hijo. ¿Mamá, cuál es el problema?”He is not your son. Mama, what is the problem?She was already calling him son after having breakfast with him one time. I swore she always jumped the gun. I felt his eyes on me before I could finish speaking. When I glanced down, he was looking up at me. His lips looked so good I wanted to lean down and kiss them, but of course I was on the phone with my mother.
My mother laughed. “Hello, son. Did Karim tell you I wanted you to come by for dinner soon?”
He reached up and grabbed my phone, aiming the screen and front camera at himself instead of me. I let him, resting back against the couch with my eyes closed. I was kind of tired because that fitness class I had taken earlier with Kay kicked my ass.
“Nah, she didn’t.”
“Figures. Well, I want you to come by for dinner.”
“I can do that, just let me know when and what time, Ma.”
There she was giggling again. She was on that giddy shit, like he’d said something funny, when he hadn’t in fact. Shit, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was crushing on him. I didn’t like that at all. I mean I saw it, believe me I did, but nah.
When he finally finished talking to her, he handed my phone back and turned his face into my body.
“Don’t be trying to hog him, Karim. I want to see him at my dinner table soon and I mean it.”
“Aight, Mama, I love you and I’ll probably see you tomorrow.” She laughed and told me she loved me as well before hanging up. A quick silence filled the room then he spoke.
“To answer your question earlier, nah, I don’t want you to beat her ass.”
I laughed. “I hear you, but I still might.”
“Itell you, when a woman gets a man, she forgets who was there when she didn’t have one.” Kaydence’s voice had me smiling as I sipped from the coffee mug in my hand. I had her in my AirPods while I sat on the counter waiting for the breakfast I ordered.
“You’re sick, okay? And please don’t let my brother hear you say that. He’ll be all in my shit.”
“Too late. Your mama called and told all your business. I didn’t know you were into the ones with tattoos on their faces.” She was, of course, poking fun because her husband had a big ass tattoo on the side of his face.
“Damn for real? She was quick with it.”
“Very. Now tell me why you didn’t tell me about this yesterday. Is this the guy you loosely told me and Krisis about?”
I couldn’t fight my smile. “Yes.”
“And you’re at his house?”
