Tonight,, I was laid up in my bed with nothin’ on but my briefs, and the phone to my ear. I had the lights off, just listenin’ to her talk while my hand rested behind my head.
Her voice was low, softer than usual, and I knew she was laid up too, probably in her room at her mama’s house, tryna wind down but still not ready to get off the phone.
We wasn’t even talkin’ about nothin’ serious. She was tellin’ me about somethin’ her mama said earlier that had her laughin’, and I found myself smilin’ for no reason other than the fact that she sounded good.
“You always laughin’ at somethin’,” I muttered.
“’Cause shit be funny, Renza. That’s why,” she shot back, and I could hear the smile in her voice.
I shook my head, lookin’ up at the ceilin’ even though it was dark.
“You is somethin’,” I said.
There was a short pause after that, but it wasn’t awkward. It was one of them pauses where neither one of us felt the need to rush into sayin’ somethin’ else just to fill the space.
That’s what I liked about ‘Nelle though. She always let shit be what it was.
“I been thinkin’,” I said after a minute, movin’ a lil’ in the bed.
“Uh oh,” she replied, draggin’ it out like she already knew I was about to say somethin’ that was gon’ have her thinkin’ too.
I smirked to myself before I spoke again.
“I booked another Airbnb,” I told her.
She went quiet for a second, and I could picture her sittin’ up, tryna figure out where I was goin’ with it.
“In my city?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “I booked it a few days ago. I’m gon’ be out there for a week.”
Another pause hit, and I could tell she was caught off guard, but not in a bad way.
“I want you to come stay with me,” I added, keepin’ my tone calm like I wasn’t just sayin’ some shit I had never said to her before.
She ain’t answer right away, and I let her have that moment instead of pressin’ her for a response.
“For real?” she asked finally, her voice softer now.
“For real,” I said. “Spend the week with me. I got some shit lined up for us while I’m out there.”
I could hear her let out a light breath on the other end, and I knew she was smilin’ even though she ain’t say it.
“You serious?” she asked again, like she needed to hear it one more time.
“I ain’t gon’ just sit up here and say some shit I ain’t serious about,” I replied.
She let out a laugh under her breath.
“A week?” she repeated.
“A whole week,” I confirmed.
There was a longer pause this time, and I could tell she was thinkin’ it through.
“Yeah,” she said finally. “I’ll come spend a week with you.”
I smiled at that, lettin’ it sit for a second before I spoke again.
