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Jay slapped hands with Bull and Mack once he’d paid his tab. “Y’all be easy, and remember, never mind another nigga’s business,” he directed at the man who could only sit there with a dumb look on his face.
As confident as he’d always been, Jay walked out with his shoulders squared and his head held high. It was strange to him how people were so wrapped up in his past relationship. He understood the fascination with it since Luna was an award-winning singer and songwriter who had been secretly married to a two-time Super Bowl winner. From the outside looking in, he was the one who missed out on something special just based on what people knew to be in her bank account. What they didn’t understand was, he was a self-made man with his own money. Of course, Luna knew that, but people outside of his family and friend group had no idea what he was worth. It could stay that way for all he cared.
The day was bright and beautiful, adding to his already blossoming mood. Since he’d inhaled Candi’s sultry scent, she’d been on his mind heavy. Jay wasn’t pressed to push up on her but knew if he had it his way, she’d at least take the time to get to know him. Whether she wanted to give him the time of day or not, he was going to be a stand-up guy and get her tire fixed. Jolene had raised him that way.
Trekking forward, a familiar face, out of the corner of his eye, got his attention. Honey-hued skin and a short pixie cut never looked better on anyone. Solar rolled her neck and shifted the weight of her body while she spoke to the Hispanic guy who seemed to be clueless as to what she was saying.
Jay pivoted to cross the street. They were in downtown Sapphire City and not far from his house. If he wanted to, he could walk to the barbershop. Cars honked as he dashed through them while keeping his eyes on the man because his hands had gone up in the air.
“I know you understand me, nigga!” Solar fussed.
Jay walked up, looking between the two of them. “What's up, Solar?”
Seeing it was Jay, she smiled. “Hey, Jay,” she greeted, reaching in for a hug. She liked him. He had done right by her sister, Luna. “This man pretending he doesn’t understand me. Something is wrong with the toilet and the landlord sent his ass out here the other day to fix it. I come in today and the toilet still doesn’t flush, so I called his ass back out here.”
Jay looked at the red man. Before he could say anything, the plumber had his hands in the air.
“I fix it now, my friend. Okay?” His broken English would’ve been funny, had he not just tried to play with Solar.
Her mouth hung open. “I know this man ain’t talking English? Wow!” She nodded as she ran her fingers through her short hair, which had started to sweat from standing in the sweltering heat.
The man smirked. “I go get started, okay, my friend?” His eyes went to Jay for permission to walk away. When it was granted, the short, stubby man shuffled back into the warehouse space Solar used to house some of her inventory.
She was in the process of moving to a bigger building in Emerald City but hadn’t officially done so. At just twenty years old, she was a boss and was rich off hair. Her journey had been a tough one because of her questionable choices, but she was better now, bossed up with two kids and a man who loved her to the moon.
“If I would’ve known he would get some act right when a man was around, I would’ve called French.” Solar laughed.
“Shit, you should’ve done that, anyway. I don’t know why women be trying to handle shit when they got a man,” Jay teased her. Her big sister Luna had been the same way when she belonged to him. Just from her social media pages, he could tell she’d let that independent, self-sufficient woman bullshit go.
Pursing her lips together, Solar rolled her eyes. “I haven’t seen you in a while. You look good though. How you been?”
“I’ve been around.” His eyes veered down the sidewalk before they landed back on Solar. “Just out here living and shit. What about yourself?”
“I can’t complain. Um…” Solar chewed her lip, searching for the right words. “You, uh… You seen Drew?”
His eyes doubled in size. The last thing he expected to come out of her mouth was questions about Drew. That was a touchy situation, and he knew her nigga wouldn’t take too kindly to her asking about another man. “Don’t even do that, Solar. If you good, be good, and don’t worry about shit your nigga already took care of.”
“You right.” She looked at the ground, ashamed.
He tilted her head up with his index finger. “Don’t do that. You good and we all have a shift in judgment. Yours is safe with me.”
“That’s why I always liked you, Jay,” Solar jested like she usually did.
He had to admit, he did miss the wild and crazy family. He’d watched Solar grow up and was so proud of how she pushed through. He was proud of all of them, especially his Luna—well, Javen’s Luna now. That realization panged his heart. The happy glow in his eyes turned sad. Solar saw it.
“Hey, you know she did love you, right?” Solar’s fun and animated tone switched to a serious one.
Forcing a smile on his face, Jay said, “It don’t matter no more, ain’t it? You be easy though, Solar, and tell everybody I said what’s up.” He turned to fight his way back across the street to his car.
“Luna too?” she called out.
“Stop being messy, but especially her!” he yelled back, picking up his pace when a car came down the street, going a little too fast.
Solar cupped her hands around her mouth to push her voice across the semi-busy street. “I’m gon’ tell her you was looking good and smelling good too.”
Jay laughed at that before dipping into his car. His head hit the headrest and his eyes closed. He was completely over Luna, but he’d never pretend that he didn’t sometimes miss her. His time with Luna showed him what he wanted. Having someone to come home to, someone to listen to, someone to give love and receive love—he missed all that. So much so, that he was ready to find his person. Jay had a big heart and felt someone somewhere deserved to experience love in its massive state because his shit was massive.
Everything about him was massive.
