“No.”
“Do you want me to take you home?”
“No.”
“Okay. Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere but back to that house.”
“I got you.”
Turning my hazard lights off, I waited for traffic to clear so I could pull back onto the road. Tonight was taking a turn I hadn’t expected and I only hoped I was doing the right thing. Honestly, it would’ve fucked me up had I not made sure Celeste was okay. Her phone going dead only let me know I was at the right place at the right time. Her ass shouldn’t have been out here in the first place, when her weak ass boyfriend was right at the club. This was the second strike in one night where Spinna’s ass had rubbed me wrong. Even if you not gon’ fuck with somebody, have the decency to be a stand-up man and make sure the lady got home safe.
I had half a mind to take Celeste back to my condo, but I wanted her to feel safe. She was right when she said we didn’t know each other. Even if I never saw her after tonight, I needed her to know my intentions were pure when it came to her safety.
For twenty minutes, we rode in silence. The only sound that could be heard was her sniffling every now and again. Pulling up to the gate, I put my code in and parked behind my mother’s truck.
“Is this your house?” she asked in a panic.
“Calm down, shorty. This is my mom’s place. I figured you’d feel better over here.”
“Are you leaving me here alone? Your mom doesn’t know me. Hell, you don’t know me.”
Unbuckling my seat belt, I turned the truck off and exited. It wasn’t until I was at her side that I spoke again.
“We already established we didn’t know each other, so there’s no need for you to keep stating the obvious. My mother doesn’t know you, but she knows me. Meaning, she won’t be on no weird shit. She’ll treat you with kindness unlessyoupersonally give her a reason to treat you otherwise. And no, I wouldn’t leave you alone with her. Like you said, we don’t knoweach other, so what do I look like leaving my mother alone with a stranger?”
A part of me was being an asshole because I was starting to get annoyed. The situation we were in was unconventional, but she could’ve told me to take her ass home. Since she’d left the ball in my court, I was doing what I felt was right. She kept saying we didn’t know each other, but clearly, she trusted me enough for us to get this far. Her expression was one of awe. Celeste was taken aback but I didn’t care.
“Again, would you like me to take you home?”
Instead of answering with words, she peered at me before stretching her hand for me to take. When I thought about it being two-thirty in the morning, I knew my mom would have some smart shit to say. Like I knew she’d be, my mother stood at the front door with her piece in hand.
“Shane, what is going on?”
“Sorry for waking you up, Ma. I hadn’t planned on coming by this late, but I wanted to bring Celeste here. You remember her from the store the other day?” I asked.
Familiarity glistened in my mother’s eyes before she spoke.
“Oh yes, uh, Luxe Creation?”
“Luxe Addiction,” Celeste corrected respectfully.
“Well, come on in, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, everything is cool. Can we sleep in the guest rooms tonight?”
“Of course. Are you sure you’re okay, son?”
“Yes, Momma. We’re both fine. Celeste, I’ll grab you something from upstairs to sleep in so you can shower.”
As I made my way upstairs, I heard my mother’s voice fading as she told Celeste not to step on the carpet with her shoes. I laughed on the inside since I hadn’t been able to prepare her for my mother’s personality. Approaching the door to my old bedroom, I walked to the dresser and pulled out a plain white T-shirt and basketball shorts. I was sure the clothes would swallow Celeste, but at least she’d be able to wash away the events from today. By the time I returned downstairs, my mom had already shown Celeste to the guest room on the first floor. The shower water was already running and I decided to put the clothes on the bed without making my presence known.
I settled for a seat at the table and waited for my mother to join me. As cool as she was being right now, I knew she would want an explanation about what the hell was going on. The thought of trying to explain was already exhausting, but I hoped the short version would be good enough for tonight. The sound of the door clicking pulled me from my thoughts. In her burgundy robe, my mother made her way to the table with a blank expression.
“I’m sorry, Momma. I really didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“Boy, hush, it’s fine. It’s not like I got nobody’s job to wake up for. Now, what the hell is really going on and how did you end up with the owner of the store?”
