“Reminisce.”
“Four T and she’s a nine in shoes. Don’t piss me off in here, Karim.”
She waved me off and moved toward the racks. By us being in the children’s shoe store because Rim’s feet were so small, it was easy for me to get Ro together in the same store.
I looked up and Ro hopped off the bench, moving with Karim. Something else that made me smile…that corny shit.
“Romance, you like this?” Karim asked, holding out a cloud blue sweatshirt and pants.
I mugged the fuck out of her as she came around to where I was standing. “Don’t piss me off.”
“It’s better to be pissed off than pissed on, baby.” She smirked, finding her way into the area I was in.
“I mean, considering you be d?—”
“Nope, don’t say it. Leave it be. Please.” She interrupted the mannish shit about to flow off my tongue.
I looked around her, my eyes landing on my baby. Whatever she was watching had all of her attention.
“Ma’am, we don’t have the orange shoes in the size you’re looking for.” The employee walked up on the side of me and Karim.
“Dang, okay. Can you get me those pink ones in a nine?” She pointed to the shoes Romance claimed she liked. On a wall full of shoes, why the fuck did she have to like the brightest fucking ones?
We spent another hour in the store before finally leaving. I was true to my word, getting shorty a couple colorless fits while Karim did the complete fucking opposite, throwing all that colorful shit on the counter.
When we finally left the mall, I had Romance in one hand, the bags in the other, and Karim walking next to me. They were indeed turning me into one of those niggas.
“You didn’t get yourself anything. Not even a coat, especially because you keep complaining you’re cold,” Karim said once we were all settled in the car.
“Nah. I don’t do much shopping unless I need it.” I shrugged, sitting there and letting the car warm up. Chicago wasn’t one of those cities where you could just get into the car and pull off.
“Well, you need a coat. You’re not gonna be satisfied until you’re sitting up here sick. That hawk is out here.”
“What hawk? The national reserve will be one less bird fucking with me.” I looked out the window and in front of me before back at her.
“No fool. It’s not a real hawk. When a Chicagoan says that hawk is out there, we mean it’s cold or windy,” she explained, like that shit made any type of sense.
I turned my face up. “That sounds dumb as fuck.”
“It doesn’t, you’re just mad that you don’t understand it.”
“Nah, I understand that it sounds ’bout stupid as hell. Even so, I’ma let you fly with it. Have you thought about what you’re making us for dinner yet?” I cut my eyes between her and the parking lot as I began to ease out.
“Nope, ’cause I told you to tell me what you want. Or it’s simple motions.” Her hand found its way into my face, massaging my temple while I eased into traffic.
I chuckled. “Aight fine, I want tacos.”
“Boo, boring. But I guess. You want tacos, you’ll get tacos. Just don’t forget to stop at the store to get the stuff.” She shrugged.
I cut my eyes between her and the road, then in the mirror at my baby. “She’s gonna run my shit dead.”
Karim laughed. “That she is. I thought you bought one of those iPads for the car.”
“I did, but it’s so cold out here I didn’t want to leave it in the car.”
“True.”
A brief silence filled the car while she continued to rub, and like a bitch, I relished in her touch.
