“I’m coming!”
I hoped Italian’s underage little self hadn’t been drinking again. The last time they all got drunk, they fell asleep outside the door, talking me to death all night. Although I wasn’t the happiest that they had been drinking, the group was like my babies now. I felt comfort when talking to them, the same comfort I felt from the American mob wives.
Looking around the bathroom, I searched for my pajamas and scoffed when I realized I must’ve left them on the dresser.
I opened the bathroom door slightly so he could hear my request. “Italian, pass me my pajamas, please. I am not decent. They are on the dresser.”
Boom Boom Boom
Snatching the door open, I stuck my head out, shielding my body. “Italian! I just got out of the show—Shio?”
In a white tank top, basketball shorts, long white Nike socks, and Gucci slides stood Shio just outside the bathroom door. His eyes were low and red, and although he smelled of soap and Listerine, I knew he’d been smoking because I could smell the marijuana too.
“What… What are you doing here?” I asked with as much attitude as I could muster.
Licking his lips, he held his hand out. Snatching my pajamas from him, I remained behind the door but kept my head out, waiting for him to answer.
Whatever product he had used to moisturize his body had defined his muscles because of the sheen. His hair was lined to perfection and his face was without blemish, perfectly sculpted like his parents had carved him out of stone. There wasn’t a piece of jewelry in sight besides the gold ring he always wore. He was void of all the things that would enhance a man, and yet, he still was extremely attractive. As my eyes assessed his frame, I reared my head back, noticing two large light purple welts on the side of his neck. I was inexperienced but I was not dumb. Those were marks of passion.
How dare he?
“Get dressed and come out, Solana. I’m sleepy.”
“Ehhh… Okay… If you’re sleepy, Shio, go to your home.”
Using his thumb, he swiped his nose and looked off briefly before giving me his attention again. “I did. Twice, and left both times. The thing about houses is when it’s no love in that muthafucka, it don’t feel like home.” He took a step back. “Lemme holla at you real quick.”
I sighed. “I was about to blow dry my hair.”
I thought of the first thing that came to mind to hopefully distance myself from his request. To further support my claim,I hid myself further behind the door and opened it wider so that he could see the products on the counter. He reached his long arms in, collecting the hair dryer, the brush, and the heat protectant.
“Get dressed and come out.”
Closing the door because I felt like if I held it open any longer, he’d see me pass out, I slammed it harder than I intended. My pajamas for the day were simply a nightgown. Bella had brought it down the other day, claiming it reminded her of me. It was just a house dress with sombreros all over it.We both got a good laugh after I promised to wear it.
Drying my body quicker than I ever had, I slid the dress over my damp head since I also removed the towel. I wanted to skip moisturizing my body, but it would just bother me, so I grabbed the Neutrogena oil. It was another Walmart buy from Bella, and since I’d learned that a little went a long way, I poured enough in my hand to cover my body in one pass, finishing in less than a minute. I was actually way too oiled, but I didn’t want to keep him waiting for too long, nor did I want to fuel his speculations that I was doing cocaine.
Opening the door, Shio was standing by the bed, holding the hair dryer. He gestured for me to sit down, and seeing the door was shut and locked again had me uneasy.
“I… I don’t need you to show me how good my body can feel without the drug anymore. Thank you for that, but I’m okay, Shio,” I said as I nervously took a seat.
Instead of replying to me, he began sectioning my hair. I could feel it separating horizontally, from ear to ear, and knew I hadn’t given him a comb, so it had to be his fingers. They felt so good against my scalp, and I closed my eyes while squeezing my thighs together. I wasn’t wearing any panties because Mahzeyah had told me it wasn’t good to sleep in them, according to her mother. I was learning a lot from the littles about American life,and while I was older, I trusted them to only tell me things that would not hurt me.
Once my hair was sectioned, he took the brush and began brushing the back left portion from the bottom up. I’d been tender-headed as a child, mainly because people did not know what to do with my coarse hair or how to care for it, but over time, I grew out of it. He was handling my curls with such care that one would have thought I was still sensitive.
The brush detangling my strands and the silence that surrounded us were serene. I was grateful for him not forcing conversation because my focus was solely on controlling my breathing and the thumping between my legs.
“Your hair got longer.” He pointed out as he moved to the next section.
“Yes. It normally does when I wash it regularly. Plus, I have been taking these vitamins. But you probably already know that, um.”
He chuckled in response as he moved to the front right section. For some reason, the silence was no longer comforting, and I felt that Shio wanted to talk. He wouldn’t have come if he didn’t because he had no problem ignoring me any other day. I wanted to return his sentiment, but unlike him, I thought of myself as a considerate person.
Swallowing my pride, I began to say something, but he said something first.
“What’s on your mind?”
“You…”Always you, Shio.
