“Dawn is decent, I suppose. From what I have seen and heard about her she can be a bit on the feisty side.”
“Shit, that’s how I like ‘em! The feistier they are, the more I’m into them! You know them feisty one’s be the freakiest.”
“You would know, bro!” I laughed at my cousin as I cut my eyes over at Ava and smiled.
“You must really, really, really like her, Kev.”
“I do, how can you tell?” I asked.
“Shit, by the way you look at her. With that goofy ass grin on your face, she must have your mind gone. How long you been hittin’ that?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” I responded.
“Try me dude, ‘cause it must be a minute. You doin’ all of this moving for her and shit and for free at that! I know you, cuz. You don’t go hard for folks you not rockin’ the long way with.”
“True dat! But man, Ava and I are just friends. Ever since we started working together, I have been attracted to her, but all ithas ever been, was playful innocent flirting… nothing more,” I started to explain but Troy cut me off.
“So, wait… hold up! I’m confused.”
“I’m serious. Things didn’t really pick up between us until her marriage fell apart. I was there to be that shoulder she needed to cry on, and so far, that’s really all it has been.”
“Wait… you sayin’ you haven’t tapped that ass yet?”
“I couldn’t tell you what it looks like much less how her shit feels. In time though, hopefully, that will change. I’m just being the gentleman that I am and giving her some time to get her affairs in order and her life back on track. Hell, her divorce ain’t even final yet, not that it matters to me. I know that she is done with dude ‘cause the shit he did to her was unforgivable. Ava ain’t goin’ back to his ass… that I know for sure. I could care less about a piece of paper that says she’s still married to a fuckboy who she’s separated from, to be honest. I’m giving her space and time ‘cause once she’s mine there won’t be no turnin’ back.”
“You sound so sure of yourself. You betta be careful, bro.”
“Careful about what?”
“You being her shoulder to cry on and shit, looking out for her and she not even your woman and all, then boom!” Troy said doing the hand gesture for a bomb exploding before continuing. “She’s off and laying up with a new nigga and you get yourself played. You don’t want to be her rebound relationship.”
“I highly doubt that. I know Ava wants me just as much as I want her. I can see it in her eyes. It’s just a timing issue right now. She just lost her best friend and husband at the same time, and now she is in the middle of a divorce and having to start her life over. I think being patient is the best thing for us both right now.”
“I feel you my dude, just don’t be nobody’s fool is all I’m saying cuz. I’d hate to see you all heartbroken and shit over herass. I can tell she has you wide the fuck open, just by how you be looking at her and that’s what I’m most concerned about.”
“I’m good, fool! You don’t need to concern yourself with what’s going on with me. You just worry about grabbing the end of this dresser so you can help carry it into the house,” I replied as we both started laughing. However, I was serious and meant what I said.
Ava and her sister had finished unloading her car and were now in the house unpacking and watching the people from the furniture company put together the pieces of furniture that she had delivered. There was so much going on at one time, not to mention I was starting to get hungry and thirsty.
“Hey Kev, I fixed you and Troy a cup of ice water. The cups are over on the kitchen counter,” Ava said as Troy and I walked into the kitchen. “Dawn and I are trying to decide what to get to eat.”
“Thanks love, I appreciate that. I was just about to ask for something to drink,” I replied.
“Me too, I’m thirty as fuck! And hungry as hell. My stomach is touching my damn spine,” Troy said.
“I’m going to Uber us some food. What do you guys want me to get?” Ava asked as she laughed at Troy then continued to scroll through the Uber Eats app on her phone.
“Shit, anything to be honest. As hungry as I am, I could eat an ox if I had to,” Troy said making us all laugh again.
Dawn was unloading a box that had kitchen plates and glasses into a cabinet. I peeped her and Troy stealing glances at each other. In my mind, I thought they’d make a great couple, so I hoped Dawn gave my cousin a chance.
“Pizza would be great, just no anchovies,” I said as I looked over Ava’s shoulder at the menu for Mike’s pizza.
“Ewwww! You don’t have to worry about that. Anchovies are gross!” Ava replied with the stank face.
She ended up getting everyone’s pizza requests then ordered four large pizzas. I saw that she had spent over seventy dollars on the food, so I pulled out my wallet and handed her a hundred-dollar-bill.
“What’s this for?” Ava asked looking at the money that I had placed in her hand.
