After grabbing El’s rice and dessert, I went to the book aisle to see if I could find the one she was raving about—something she’d read on her Kindle, but she said the paperback was in stores now. “Ahh, there it is.”
With everything I needed in hand, I finally headed to checkout. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was falling for El. I thought she was dope as a teenager, but the adult her was irresistible. I was obsessed with everything about her, from the way she walked, how she carried herself, to how she was so damn goofy. She always kept me laughing. I even loved to hear her talk. Whenever she was in the room with me, I felt grounded and present. I could never miss a word out of her mouth without feeling like I was missing out on something important. I wasn’t sure what was blooming between us, but I was terrified of it, even if I didn’t show it.
I used my key to let myself into the house. I could hear the sizzle of something frying and knew from the aroma in the air that it was chicken. Leaning against the doorway, I watched El move around the kitchen like a pro. The way her two-piece set molded to her skin had me jealous. She loved wearing cheetah print and the color pink. The big, fluffy slippers on her feet were the most adorable thing.
“Damn, you make anything look good,” I finally said.
El nearly jumped out of her skin. The tongs in her hand clattered to the floor. “Boy, you almost gave me a heart attack.”
I chuckled while closing the distance between us. She bent down to pick up the tongs. When she was standing at her full height, I placed a kiss on her cheek, and she blushed. “For you.” I handed her the bouquet and the gift bag that had the wine, a card, and the book in it. Seeing the smile on her face when she saw the book made my heart race. I watched her do her happy dance without a care in the world. I was going to say something about it not being much, but her joy was palpable.
Before I could prepare myself, she crashed into me and wrapped her body around mine. I held her in place, allowing my eyes to find hers. “Thank you so much, Perfect.”
“You’re welcome, Princess.”
She palmed my cheek and stared lovingly into my eyes. “You trying to make me fall in love with you?”
I chuckled with a smirk. “Nah. I just wanted to show you that I see you and congratulate you on stepping out on faith.”
“I wouldn’t have done it without your support.”
I shook my head. “I don’t believe that. You just needed a little push.”
She rolled her eyes and pushed my head to the side. “Why can’t you just accept a compliment?”
All I could offer her was a shrug. “Fuck a compliment. I want a kiss,” I teased. She tucked her bottom lip while I studied thethree moles on her face—one by her lip, the other underneath her right eye, and the last one was near her ear. “You’re so beautiful.”
My words were muffled by her lips pressing into mine. I walked her to the counter, then lifted her on top of it. She cupped my face while my arms went around her body, and we kissed like lovers who’d always known where home was. We were both breathing hard when we separated. She allowed her head to fall back against the cabinet.
“What are we doing, Perfect?” she questioned in the most vulnerable voice.
I cupped her chin. “I’on know, but I like it.” I pecked her lips once more. “I like you.”
She released a shaky breath, allowing her finger to trace an invisible symbol that burned through the fabric of my shirt. “I like you too.”
I tapped her on the nose. “Good, ’cause I wanted to eat your pussy for dessert,” I admitted honestly.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she used her hands to cover her face before dropping them a second later with a serious expression. “Wait. You didn’t get my ice cream sandwiches?”
I pulled them out of the bag so she could see. “Of course, I did, but you have your dessert, and I have mine.” My eyes trailed down between her legs, and I knew she’d creamed the seat of her panties.
“You are so damn nasty.”
I laughed heartily. “Whatever. You like it.”
My foot tappedagainst the concrete of the porch. My eyes were set on the sky above, watching the clouds skate by. A car pulled into the driveway, and one of El’s clients stepped out. We nodded at the same time as he headed toward her barbering shed. Business was still slow for her, so she was short on the bills.
I was down to my last band and had no clue what I was going to do next. El wouldn’t judge me for being a broke-ass nigga, but that shit didn’t sit right with my spirit. At fifteen, I was getting to the money and taking care of myself. I couldn’t move the way I used to though, because the last place I wanted to end up was back in prison. This week, I spent a lot of time at the library looking for jobs, but none of the employers would bite. It wasexpected. I had no work history and only a high-school diploma—no degrees, no certifications, no chance at being hired when they ran my criminal background to see I’d done time.
I was telling myself to remain positive, but it wasn’t working. I officially didn’t have a dime to my name. What the fuck was I going to do? I didn’t know how long I sat out on the porch racking my brain. At least three of El’s clients had come and gone when I finally came up with a solution. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was necessary.
Going inside the house, I went to my bedroom to look for the bag of things I brought home with me from prison. There, amongst the many letters, I found Tashay’s number. My father had told me to call her if I ever needed help. I couldn’t keep going like this. El deserved better from me, and I was afraid that if I didn’t get better, she wouldn’t want me. I couldn’t handle not being good enough for another woman. After taking a deep breath, I typed the number in, then called her. I waited on bated breath for her to pick up.
“Hello.” Her voice came through the line.
I scratched my beard and sighed. “Um, what’s up, Shay? It’s Perfect.”
I could hear the smile in her voice when she replied. “I was wondering how long it was going to take you to call me. You good, son?”
