“Well, that’s why I suggested you go to Terrica’s.”
Go to Terrica’s and say what?
I’m sorry we haven’t talked in over a year, now how ’bout some wedding dress shopping?
I scoff. “I said I didn’t mind it. I can see Terrica this weekend.”
Her thin eyebrows wrinkle. “So you’re at least staying until the weekend?”
“Ye…yeah.”
“Well, I guess you can come with me…” she says in that sing-song tone I missed. “I have a packed day tomorrow, though. Vera needs a deep cleaning this week—walls and baseboards. She’s got a new cat, so she has me coming twice a week now. Then I got a new client way out in Manvel. They want me to come out for an initial consult, so I’ll be sitting in traffic for God knows how long. I’ve been crazy busy between cleaning and prepping for Family Fun Day.”
“Since when do you take clients in Manvel?” I ask. “What happened to the fifteen-mile radius you put in place after I left for New York?”
“That was back then. Things are different now. We need a few things around the house and that AC unit ain’t gonna buy itself.” She shrugs, then her eyes light up. “Oh! You can clean Rich’s house while I do the consult, and then I’ll pick you up and we’ll head on over to Vera’s to tackle that together. Then I have one more clean after that. Sound good?”
Yes!
I almost jump out of my chair with my fist in the air.
I want to clean until my eyes water from ammonia. I want to nudge away Ms. Vera’s annoying tabby while I empty her litter box. I wan?—
“Ehh…” Uncle Kenny groans, pushing back from the table and shuffling over to the kitchen sink with his mug. “I don’t know ‘bout that.”
My stomach sinks.
I feel like I’m back with AJ, rattling off my weekly plans until he knocks the wind out of my sails with his favorite word.
Aunt Faye shuffles to the side as he gets closer and drops a hand on her slender hip. “What you mean you ‘don’t know ‘bout that?’”
“The girl is saying she wanna spend the day with you tomorrow, not have you abandon her at some dude’s housewhile you run across town. And what if somebody sees her going over there? Imagine what they’ll say about us. It’s bad enough he’s at the gym.”
“Excuse me?” she squeals, making the hair on my neck shoot up. “What did you just say?”
He sucks his teeth. “You know what I meant, Faye.”
“I don’t. Everything you just said was so problematic that I don’t even know where to start. If you don’t want her down at Rich’s because of what you think he is, then man up and say that.”
“That ain’t what I’m saying.”
“It sure sounds like it to me.”
“That’s really not?—”
“If you gon’ keep thinking Rich is some bad seed, then you shouldn’t have agreed to work with him.”
“I didnotsay that.”
“You might as well have.” She points her long fingernail in his face.
“Look, I believe you when you say that Rich is…is…a decent dude.” His husky shoulders lift, and mine tense as they stare at each other.
“He’s a goodmanwho’s in an unfortunate situation. He ain’t like these other boys that come running up on that porch looking for you!”
“Yet he’s in an ‘unfortunate situation’ just like those other boys.” He snorts, looking away.
“Kenny, I’m not doing this with you tonight.”
