Page 29 of Koda's Love

He sat in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

I leaned back in my seat and rubbed my hand over the back of my neck. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to tell him or not, because he wouldn’t understand.

“Because Tamika might have ruined my shit with Avalon, and I don’t like the way I feel about it.” I decided to tell him because he was my best friend, and I didn’t keep things from him.

“What did she do?”

I ran down the shit Tamika pulled and how Avalon reacted to it afterward.

“I mean, she wasn’t wrong. When’s the last time you took a chick seriously?” He laughed, but I didn’t see shit funny. “You ain’t relationship material, Koda, and that’s okay.” He shook his head. “I know why you tried, but that shit ain’t you.”

I looked at him, and my jaw clenched. We never had any problems, but the shit he said made me want to reevaluate the friendship.

“That’s how you really feel?”

Jacoby shrugged. “My bad, K. I can see it’s really bothering you. You feeling her like that?”

“I am.”

“I knew there was a lover boy in there somewhere,” he joked. “I don’t have any advice for you because I don’t know shit about relationships. I hope it works out for you, though.”

He tried to clean it up, but it was too late. I didn’t know why I let his questions and comments bother me, but they did. It also made me think that he was right. That didn’t mean I was about to go do some dumb shit, especially with not knowing where Avalon stood, but I wasn’t sure anymore. Instead of overthinking it, I decided to just change the subject.

“Thanks. Why are you here?”

“Damn, I can’t stop by?”

“You could, but I know you. It’s a reason why you popped up on me in the middle of the week.”

He rubbed his hands together and smirked. I already knew he was about to say some mess that would further piss me off.

“I just wanted to see my boy.” The side of his mouth quirked upward. “I also came to see that fine-ass chef in the restaurant. Is she here today?”

“That ain’t your business. I’m not about to have you messing around with her. She’s the best chef around here, and I don’t need you breaking her heart and have her taking it out on my business.”

“Man.” He dragged the word out. “I wouldn’t do you like that. I’m not trying to marry her or nothing. I just want to see if she’s down for a little fun.”

Malia was too good of a person and worker for me to get her caught up with him.

“I don’t think she gets down like that, and even if she does, I wouldn’t put you on. If something would ever happen between y’all, it would have to be because you saw her somewhere otherthan in here. I’m telling you now, if it does happen, keep that shit out of my hotel.”

“I know how you are about this hotel, so I got you. I’ll just have to find her in the streets one day.”

I could only nod. I prayed he never approached her, but I also felt like one day, he would meet his match, and Malia might be just that person. Regardless, I didn’t want any parts of it.

Jacoby and I chopped it up for a while longer. It was family night, so I got my work done for the day, then headed to my parents’ house.

I couldn’t shake off the fact that I still hadn’t heard from Avalon, and the conversation I had with Jacoby. I wanted to be with her, but maybe I wasn’t cut out for a relationship like Jacoby implied. It was crazy for those thoughts to cross my mind because they hadn’t since I told Avalon I wanted to be with her. It had been on my mind the whole time I ate dinner with my family. I thought playing with my niece would cheer me up, but even that didn’t help for long. The minute she wanted to go to my sister, the thought of Avalon creeped into my mind again. My brother and Mycah talked about their wedding, and I was in my feelings. I wanted Avalon to be my date, but I wasn’t sure if there was a chance of that happening.

“Koda, you’ve been looking sad since you got here. Is everything okay?” my mom asked as she placed a fresh apple pie on the table. She even had vanilla ice cream to go with it.

“I just have a lot on my mind,” I told her.

Everyone looked at me like they were waiting for me to tell them what was going on, but I didn’t elaborate.

“Is it about the event?” my father asked.

“No. The planning for that is pretty much complete. It’s bigger than that.”