"What?" I yelled.
"The hell taking you so long?"
"I'm taking a shower!"
"I know that! Hurry up!"
I frowned. "For what Rome?"
“Because I need to run a few errands, and you riding with me."
I closed my eyes for a second.Lord, pleasseeee not today. I said to myself. "I'll be out in a minute!"
"Nah." I heard his footsteps getting closer until his shadow stopped outside the bathroom door. "Don't 'minute' me. Throw something on, we ain't gone be gone long."
I waited until I heard him walk away before letting my forehead fall against the cool shower tile. "You got to be kidding me," I mumbled.
Every second counted today. The furniture company had already given me my delivery window, and the last thing I needed was Rome deciding today was the perfect day to drag me all over Miami. I rinsed off as fast as I could, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around my body before rushing back into the bedroom. If I played this right, maybe I could get whatever little errands he had planned over with, find an excuse to break away, and still make it to my apartment before the delivery truck pulled up.
I tossed the towel onto the bed and started pulling clothes out the dresser without putting much thought into what matched. I wore a pair of light-wash jeans with a simple white fitted T-shirt, gold hoops, and gold and white Nike Vomero sneakers. My mind was far from clothes anyway as I sprayed on a little YSL perfume. Every minute that passed felt like another minute I was losing, and I still had to figure out how I was going to break away from Rome.
I ran a little mousse through my ponytail, swiped on some lip gloss, grabbed my purse, and slipped my phone inside. Before leaving the bedroom, I looked around one last time, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything.
"Navy!" Rome yelled again.
"Damn!" I hollered back, snatching my purse off the bed. "I'm coming!"
"You said that shit ten minutes ago."
"It wasn't ten minutes."
"It felt like it."
I walked downstairs already knowing he was about to have something slick to say. Sure enough, he was standing by the front door jingling his keys around his finger like he'd been waiting forever. He looked me up and down before smirking.
"Damn you look good even when you ain’t trying.”
I rolled my eyes and walked past him. "Whatever Rome. You act like we catching a flight the way you’re rushing me."
"Nah," he laughed, following behind me. "You just move slow as hell."
"I move slow?" I looked over my shoulder. "You the one that stopped me before I could even get dressed."
He grinned like he was proud of himself. "And I'd do it again."
I forced a little laugh, even though hearing him say it made my stomach turn. "You so aggravating."
"But you still love me."
I reached for the passenger door and climbed inside before answering. "Mhm."
He looked over at me after starting the truck. "Damn, that’s all I get?"
"What you want me to say?"
"I don't know." He backed out the driveway with one hand on the wheel. "Something with a little more enthusiasm."
I smiled without looking at him, hoping he'd mistake it for shyness instead of me trying not to say the wrong thing. "You ask for too much."
