I looked around trying to see it. When I spotted the opening garage door, I pulled forward and made a left, then backed into the awaiting garage. The light came on just as the door lowered.
I opened my door to get out when I heard his voice.
“You know what they say about chicks who prefer to back into parks?”
“Nah, what?”
“Real niggas.”
I got out of the car laughing. “Well.”
My eyes landed on the rust bucket on the side of my car. It was an old school that needed a lot. “Is that what you told me not to hit?”
He laughed. “Yeah and?”
“Looks like it’s been hit … a lot.”
He led the way into his place. I smelled the food from the threshold. Inside we walked past a massive sofa toward what I assumed to be the kitchen. I was right and in complete awe when I took in the full kitchen. I was no cook or anything like that, but I knew how to appreciate a good kitchen when I saw one. I used to help my mother when I was younger.
“Didn’t know what you liked, so I picked up two different types of pizza and wings.”
“I’m basic. Probably would’ve gone for anything as long as you weren’t putting fruit on the pizza.”
His lips turned up. “Hell nah, that ain’t my motion.”
“Good.” I studied the way Iso moved through the kitchen, the way he pulled plates out and set them on the counter right before he pulled out bottled water and that nasty ass coconut water for himself. He was comfortable, unlike on the pier.
Before he caught me staring at him, I decided to focus on the space around me once more. “It’s nice here.”
He looked up from the pizza box and we locked eyes before he shrugged. “It’s alright."
“Nonsense. This is one of those homes you have when you have your shit together. When you know your end game.”
He looked up at me again, those serious eyes housing a vulnerability I had a feeling he would never utter. “Well, I damn sure ain’t got my shit together. We’re eating outside, if you cool with that.”
I nodded before I responded, “Me neither, even though I told myself for so many years that I did.”
Once he had the boxes stacked in one hand and the drinks in the other, he led the way onto the patio. Out here was just a wooden, bench-style picnic table.
When he set everything down, I watched him take a seat on one side and took a seat on the same side as him. I didn’t like having my back to anything.
“Why don’t you think you have your shit together?” he asked out of nowhere.
“Because I don’t. I’m all over the place. I’ve never known where I belonged because I’m so good at keeping it moving.”
“You ever thought it could just be a phase? That with different phases you belong in different places?”
“I never thought about it that way. Shoot, to be honest, I avoid thinking about it for too long.”
He nodded. “I get that.”
“And you? It’s none of my business, but since we’re becoming friends right now, how does it feel to almost die? Or how do you look at it?”
A chuckle escaped his lips. “We friends” He repeated it instead of questioning my statement.
I looked from him to the food between us. “I mean… yeah, you know my hobbies and I know a little bit of your business. And we’re sharing a meal, we may as well be best friends at this point.”
Another chuckle escaped those sexy ass lips. “Okay, shorty.”
