I laughed. "Well damn, hello to you too!"
"I'm working," she snapped, sounding out of breath. "Why you calling me in the middle of the damn day? You know I'm on day shift."
I smiled even wider listening to her crazy ass. "I need you to meet me somewhere."
There was a brief pause before she spoke again, her voice dropping just enough for me to tell she'd walked away from the music. "Navy?”
"What?" I asked.
"Gir, you alright?" She quizzed as if something was wrong. Knowing her, she probably thought Rome kicked my ass again.
"I've never been better."
She didn't answer right away like she had to think about what I said. "You crying?"
I laughed again. "What? No Tasha."
"You only laugh like that when you crying or when something crazy done happened."
I shook my head, watching the line move up a little more. "Meet me at City Furniture."
"City Furniture?" she repeated. "For what?"
"I'll tell you when you get there."
"Girl, if you don't stop playing and tell me what the hell going on..."
I bit down on my lip, trying my hardest not to blurt it out. "Just come."
She sighed loud enough for me to hear it through the phone. "I got customers."
"I know and fuck them customers right now. Matter fact I’ll pay you whatever you may miss."
She sucked her teeth. "You owe me. You better not have me leaving this job for no bullshit. I'm serious." I could hear a door swing open on her end before the music faded into the background. "I done walked outside because I know your voice. What happened?"
"I got approved."
"Whattt?" She squealed.
A smile spread across my face. "Yes."
"Oh my God." I heard a car door slam somewhere near her before she started laughing. "Quit playing with me."
"I swear."
"Oh, hell no." She was talking so fast she was tripping over her own words now. "Hold on, hold on, did you sign already? When are you moving? Did Rome find out? Wait, where are you at right now?"
I laughed. "Damn, can I answer one question before you ask six more?"
I shook my head as I pulled up beside the employee standing outside with the handheld tablet taking orders. I gave her my meal, thanked her, then eased farther up in line before picking my phone back up.
"I don't care about none of that," Tasha shot back, and I could picture her pacing back and forth outside the club with one hand on her hip. "Answer the important ones. Matter fact I don't even care." She sniffled once before clearing her throat. "I'm so damn happy for you, Navy. So, either the bank gave the money back or Lulu gave it to you?"
Those words were different coming from her because she knew everything. She'd been there the night I packed a suitcase just to unpack it because I got scared. She was there after Rome drained my bank account. She was there every time I swore I was leaving and somehow ended up staying. She knew this wasn't just an apartment. It was my way out.
“I got my money back,” I lied, which was something I’d never do to Tasha. However, I was smart enough to know not to ever incriminate myself. Some things just weren’t meant to tell. “I still can’t believe this is real.”
"It is real." She paused for a second before adding, "Now tell me where you at."
