Ray pushed himself to his feet slowly, patting the back of the chair. “Breakfast’ll be ready soon. My daughter’ll plate you some. She’s mean in the mornings, but she got a good heart.”
Zaire nodded once. “She seems…like she’s something else.”
“Yeah,” Ray chuckled, “she is.”
Zaire watched him head toward the door. “Hey,” he called quietly.
Ray turned.
“Thanks,” Zaire said. “For the…advice.”
Ray smiled, revealing his yellowing teeth from years of coffee.
“Every Black man needs an older Black man to talk to, otherwise we go crazy.” As he opened the door, he added, “Welcome to the Falls, son. Heal up. Then show the world why they shoulda kept your name out they mouths.” The door clicked behind him.
Meadow pushed the phone closer to her ear as she whisked the grits, trying to whisper but failing miserably. “Girl, he’s too fine.”
Tia snickered on the other end, loud enough that Meadow had to hold the phone away from her ear. “I already know…Blain was watching Sports Network last night, and every time that man flashed across my screen, I grabbed my chest.”
“Girl, yes! Then when he opens his mouth…” Meadow fanned her face with the hand not holding the phone. “That west coast accent…bitchhhh.”
Meadow moved around the kitchen with ease. She cracked eggs with one hand, seasoned them with the other, and talked her way through every motion. The sun pushed soft, gold rays through the curtains, warming the old wooden counters and casting stripes along the floor.
Only difference today was Meadow was cooking a little more food than usual.
Her and Tia were almost always on the phone cackling about one thing or another, just two best friends who loved to start their days together even when some funky man was in the picture.
Once Meadow had left the guest house, she damn near jogged across the lawn, excitement pushing her forward like a teenager after her first crush. She couldn’t get to her phone fast enough. Tia was always the first call when life decided toserve her something spicy or sad. Tia was truly her soulmate in friendship form and Meadow never wanted to experience a life without her ride or die.
“And you was bent over when he walked in?” Tia pressed, ready to absorb every little detail.
Meadow paused long enough to slap her hand over her face. “Yes.”
“Oh my God!” Tia squealed. “What you got on? I hope it’s those ribbed leggings with the seam between your booty cheeks. You know the ones. Those pants got you in a chokehold.”
Meadow burst out laughing, nearly spilling the eggs. “It wasn’t those! But girl…my ass can’t be missed regardless.” She did a little twerk even though no one was there to appreciate it.
“You right,” Tia said knowingly. “It’s a blessing and a curse from God Himself.”
Meadow agreed, flicking her wooden spoon in the pot of grits, sprinkling in more salt and stirring with her hips moving to the beat still stuck in her head. “I swear, Tia…I turned around and he was just…standing there. All tall and broad and fine as fuck.”
“Oh, he looks even better in person?” Tia was desperate to know.
“He looks…expensive,” Meadow’s voice floated back in time to relive meeting Zaire for the first time. “He has a look like I used to be a dope dealer now I own a million real estate properties kinda rich.”
Tia cackled. “Meadow!”
“What? I’m serious…you know I like niggas with a little hood in them.”
“Mmhmm…that’s why you keep letting Brent feel you up,” Tia teased.
“Girl, yes but Zaire puts Brent’s mid-level dealing ass to shame.”
“Amen,” Tia sighed dramatically. “But not too much on my brother-in-law.”
“And he wasn’t thirsty,” Meadow went back to talking about Zaire because Brent didn’t fit into this conversation. “That’s what messed me up. He wasn’t in there licking his lips or doing that lame hand rub thing men do. He just looked at me like he knew he looked good.”
“So he’s a dangerous one,” Tia concluded.
