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I turned around and saw Quinton with a bouquet of roses. He motioned with his head for me to meet him at the end of the truck. I walked past Rhonda to the back door so I could step out and talk to him.
“Those are beautiful,” I said once I stepped out of the truck.
“I figured three dozen was a good number,” Quinton said, extending the roses.
I accepted the roses as he passed them to me. “Thank you.”
“The roses aren’t half as beautiful as you. That’s why I didn’t want the day to pass without asking you to be my girlfriend. I can’t give someone else time to snatch you up.”
“I can’t believe you took me seriously.”
“I did, and more than that, I want you to take me seriously.”
“I do.”
“Will you be my lady, Shiloh? I promise I’m not gon’ stop looking out for you. We’re just getting started.”
“Sure, let’s see how this goes.”
“Come here. Give me a kiss to seal the deal,” he said, pulling me by my shirt and crashing his lips into mine. I got lost in the softness of his kiss as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
Clapping made us both burst out laughing. Rhonda and a couple of the mechanics were getting their eyes full at our expense.
Quinton shook his head. “The guys wanted to make sure I didn’t miss my chance with you. They swear I’ve been so happy since you came around. I keep telling them it’s the hot chocolate.”
“You said I was the hot chocolate,” I noted.
“They don’t need to know that. They’re nosy enough.”
“Well let me get back in here. I’ll see you tonight.”
“OK, baby. You sure I don’t need to bring anything?”
“I’m positive.”
“Thank you again for giving me a chance. I won’t let you down.”
9
Quinton
“Dad, do you like Theo’s mom?” Victor asked as we pulled up in front of her building.
His question caught me off guard, but I had expected it to come before we were on the way to her house. He looked at me weird when I told him that we were going to their house for dinner. It was the same face from the day of the storm when I said we were trapped together at the shop.
I didn’t really know how to answer the question. Hell yes, I liked her, but I didn’t want Victor taking that information to school and using it to tease her son. They had already had one run-in. I knew I needed to be careful with him until I knew how things would go. Instead of answering the question, I deflected the same way my mom used to do me.
“What I told you about being in grown folks’ business?”
“That’s what you say when you don’t want to answer my question.”
“I’m glad you know.”
“Theo said he got that new basketball game. I can’t wait to play it. Since he got that one, can you buy me the football game? Then he can play with me when he comes over to our house.”
Although I liked how he was looking forward to Theo visiting us, I didn’t miss how he tried to throw in a request for a new video game when I had just got him some other game he swore he had to have.
“I’m not talking about a game right now. I’m still seeing how you gon’ behave for the new few weeks. I haven’t forgot you got in trouble in school.”
