He laughed. “Yo, I’m hydrated.”
“I’m sure. I need to get back in the gym or start running around the block or something. I’ve gained some weight since I started spending more time at your house than the place I pay rent with a gym downstairs,” I said randomly.
He laughed.
“What, you want me to put a treadmill in the crib, Killa?”
“You’d do that?”
“Do you want me to?” he asked firmly.
“Maybe. We’ll talk about it later.” I wanted to say yes, but I still had my moments where I feared being too comfortable.
“Bet. I’ma put that motherfucker right next to my raggedy ass car.”
I cackled. “Um, no. So both of us can inhale those fumes? I think not.”
It was now his turn to laugh and I lived in the joy of it. Yes, we were having one of those silly ass relationship-y conversations, but with everything going on in his mind, hearing him laugh made me smile.
“Ain’t no damn fumes out there, man.”
“Mhmm.” I turned on the street where the range was and immediately saw the little parking lot was empty. I pulled in and slowed near the doors, seeing a white, handwritten sign taped inside the door that said closed in bold letters.
“It’s closed,” I said aloud, then pulled over and decided to shoot Adela a message. It read delivered immediately after I sent it, so I knew her phone was on.
“What’s closed?” he asked, reminding me I was on the line with him.
“The range. I’m gonna go by her house, then the store to get my mayo. I’ll be home after that, okay?”
“Aight. Be safe and stop all that fucking speeding, Killa.”
We hung up. My mind immediately picked up on the fact that I’d called his house home. It wasn’t my home, but I spent so much time there with him it was almost like it was. I truly paid rent somewhere I didn’t sleep even two nights out of the week.
I was about to pull off when Adela responded to my message.
Dela: I’m good, lady, just taking some time. I’ll be back open by the end of the week. Are you alright? Be on the lookout for contact from my lawyer about what we talked about. I meant what I said, Li. You’re all I have.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. Now I was beyond worried about her, but I couldn’t make her appear. If I knew Adela like I thought I did, she wasn’t home where I could easilypull up on her. Adela was excellent at hiding or being so low that nobody could locate her with the best of glasses if she didn’t want to be seen.
Me:Checking on you. Call me when you can.
After sending that message, I continued to the grocery store. I was serious. I hated any type of sandwich without mayonnaise. Instead of going to the store in Lower Briar, I decided to go to the one closer to Iso’s. That way I didn’t have an expressway drive when I left. Plus the stores out there were always mostly near empty, with less of a probability of someone I knew tapping me on the shoulder. Though my sister lived this way as well, I never really saw her as she was always at the damn flower shop or in uptown.
I expected this to be a short stop, grabbing mayo and being right at the register, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case when I heard a familiar throat clearing behind me.
Immediately irritation filled my being and I rolled my eyes to the ceiling when I turned. I was faced with none other than Sergeant. I called him that so much that I’d forgotten the nigga’s name or didn’t bother to keep it in my memory bank. I just wasn’t interested and he refused to get that through his thick ass skull.
I looked at him. This time not even forcing a smile. He was dressed in blue jeans and a burgundy tee, a massive contrast from his uniform.
“I knew that was you. Something about those braids always makes you stick out.” He grinned.
A tight cheek, closed-mouth grin indented itself into my face. “Yep, good seeing you.” I tightened my grip on the mayo and went to move around him and his cart.
“I asked your sister if you were seeing anyone. She said not that she was aware of. Why do you keep playing this cat andmouse game with me, Liora? I’m trying to make an honest woman of you.”
I stopped in my tracks, then turned to look at him like I was seeing him for the first time. I tilted my head to the side, glaring at him. “It’s not a cat and mouse game if I’m not fucking interested. Especially if I haven’t shown interest at any point. I am not your speed and you are not mine.”
“The problem is you like those hood types. Those aggressive men who are just as fucking aggressive as you.”
