“Take that shit off yo’ head. Why are you covering up like you’re embarrassed to be seen with me?”
I stopped mid-chew. “First off, I’m comfortable this way, and if I didn’t want to be seen with you, I wouldn’t be here,” I retorted.
He flicked at my hood. “You hungry?”
When I didn’t respond, he sat back with the menu in his hand, pointing to the items. “What do you like? Wings? Burgers? Or some fancy shit?”
I smirked. “Wings are fine. Just make sure they’re hot. I like my shit spicy.” I winked.
He nodded slowly. “Spicy, huh? What else do you like? I want to know it all.”
My eyes rose to him slowly. It wasn’t often that I was asked what I liked. Syior cared, but to an extent. Percy barely asked questions, and Harlem didn’t care at all as long as he was served with a night of fun. This was new to me, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to answer.
Xavier looked at me. “Are you going to tell me or sit there quiet and shit?”
“Damn, are you going to give me time to respond?”
He shrugged. “You had enough time to think of all the things you wanted to say on your way over here.”
I thought Syior had a smart-ass mouth, but this was top tier. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but this is the first time a guy has asked what I liked and seems to care.”
“I can’t say that I’m not like other niggas, but I am different. If I want to know something about someone, I’m going to ask. If you give me lip, I’m going to give it back. Simple.”
A smile eased on my face as I admired his honesty. As I was about to respond, the waitress came to the table. “Are you guys ready to order?” She paused when she looked at me. “Hey, girl! Surprised to see you here today,” she said while giving me the side eye.
I knew she was looking at me like that because most of the time when I came here, it was with Syior. “Umm, can I get a water and wings?”
“Your usual. Got it.”
The fuck?I thought. I couldn’t believe she did that. I quickly looked at Xavier, who was watching the menu. Then my eyes shifted back to her, and she looked at Xavier before asking, “And you?”
He ran his hand through his beard. “Let me get a sweet tea and your burger special. I’m not fucking with those wings.”
She scribbled on her raggedy-ass pad and walked away. Xavier didn’t even look at me but started speaking. “Look, unless you currently have a nigga, I don’t care. Shit, today is the first day that you and I are even doing some shit like this. That kickback at Dio’s was light. This is a whole new day. No strings attached,” he said as he now looked at me.
I nodded slowly. “No strings attached,” I mumbled. “What’s your major?”
He shrugged. “Truthfully, I don’t know.” He paused as he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I mean, I picked history, but it was something to pick because all I know is basketball. It’s my life. What about you?”
“Science.”
He burst into laughter. “Okay, little Einstein.”
A giggle erupted from my belly. “I’ll be that, but when I’m out here saving the ecosystem, making sure the air you breathe is safe, I don’t want to hear shit.”
“Yeah? Well, I want to see that shit happen. Out here mixing chemicals with your perfume and shit. Talking about ‘I came up with a way the air can smell like your favorite scent’,” he tried mocking me while moving his head from side to side.
It was nice to genuinely laugh. Xavier and I talked about everything under the fucking sun, and for once, it felt good to be heard. The back of Hoodoo’s became a shield for us. Everything we talked about was surface level; it was the safe zone. I hoped like hell he didn’t want to dig any deeper because talking about my life beyond the basics was off-limits. There were certain things about me that many couldn’t handle.
SAMARA
The phone rang a few times before the sound of my brother’s cries filled it. “Talk to me,” Chevy said on the other end.
“Hey, why is Savior crying like that?”
I could hear the cries growing faint, indicating Chevy was moving elsewhere in the house. When everything went silent, I knew he was no longer near the boys. “How did you know that was Savior?”
I giggled. “I do know what my brothers sound like. They are twins, Chevy, yes, but they are also their own people. Don’t forget that.”
