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With a shake of my head, I tittered, realizing she was about to commence the morning-after walk of shame. I prayed anyone she encountered was generous enough to mind their fucking business and stay out of hers. It was possibly asking too much in a neighborhood full of motherfuckers who had a plethora of time on their hands and gossip groups dedicated to wealthy housewives.
The door slammed behind her, jolting me back to reality. For a second, my mind roamed, but thoughts of the tasks of my day got me back to where I needed to be. I just hoped by the end of the day, I could piece together my night to the fullest. Fucking around with Lawe, it was almost impossible.
After getting dressed, I settled for another bottle of water and a protein shake from the fridge. I cleared the pad of any traces of human activity and headed out the door without delay. The trip to my car was quick and uneventful, making it rather pleasurable, to say the least.
Sunrise was in full bloom as my altitude climbed, setting a beautiful scene right in front of me. My ears were like small explosives waiting to erupt as elevation continued. As magnetic as the ascent was, it was sometimes jarring. The Peaks sat atop the hills of Berkeley, serving as a partition for the mountains behind us.
Black gates parted, prompting me to pull forward and into my driveway after punching in the code to gain access. The engine of my i8 purred quietly as I tapped the gas slightly, carefully creeping beside the Ashton inside of my four-car garage. With each bay full, an extension of the design was climbing its way up my priority list.
My long limbs stretched until my bones popped, submerging me in relief. With haste, I exited the garage and the gate that had cost six figures to install. After receiving the quote, I was convinced I was in the wrong profession and that a career as a neuropsychologist wasn’t as nearly as lucrative as one spent building fences. I imagined the owner ofFounder Fencinglived just up the road in a house just as stunning as all the homes on my block with a fence that made neighbors envious.
My index and thumb pressured the buttons on the side of my sports watch, starting the timer that began ticking immediately. I picked up the pace, going from a brisk walk to a full jog, and stayed there until the first two beeps sounded. They signified the ten-minute mark, kicking me into high gear. Once I began running, my legs didn’t rest until I was inside the ridiculously expensive fence, leaning forward with my hands on my knees in an attempt to catch my breath.
“FUCK! That was rough,” I admitted out loud, thinking of the three times I regretted the decisions I’d made last night.
Mornings after were always the toughest runs, forcing me to reconsider my way of life and some changes that needed to occur. A creature of habit, I always found myself back in the same predicament at least twice a week. It was hard to decipher if I was simply in search of a good time or escaping the things that hid in the tiny folds of my mind. They were small but they were mighty, with the power to humble even the strongest soldier.
No pity for me, I reminded myself of the words often spoken in my childhood dwelling.
Cool air escaped as I opened the door. The scent of fresh linen, sage, and cedarwood welcomed me home. I loosened the straps of my watch, tossing it onto the console in the entryway. My phone was next, but not before checking for new notifications. There were none.
Sucking the skin of my teeth, I tilted my head as I stared at the message thread that was full of short phrases and dry replies. I was still praying daily that the reality of it all shifted in my favor. Until it did, I’d continue putting in my bid, recognizing special days, and reminding her that I was still here…still waiting and still ready.
I climbed the steps two at a time, desperate to spend time underneath the massaging showerhead before the clock struck eight. Warm towels waited next to the shower in the linen dispenser. I added a new white T-shirt, fresh out of the pack.
My morning showers ended on a cooler note, making sure I was alert and prepared for the duration of the day. Otherwise, I’d find myself climbing into bed to get a few minutes of sleep, which resulted in hours of uninterrupted, forbidden rest that threw my entire day off.
I stepped behind the glass door after stripping completely. The motion sensors detected my presence, starting the shower automatically. The science behind the perfected temperature within the first second of dispensing would always be a mystery to me but I appreciated the fellow wiz who mastered it. A sucker for all things scientific, I was intrigued.
Nature… Thirty-six candles, today, love. We’re getting on up there, huh? I’m wishing the happiest of birthdays, continued wealth, prosperity, peace, and ultimate success for my favorite girl in the entire world. May this day be as magical as you imagined. I love you. Milo.
I reviewed the message in my head a fourth time, wondering if I’d said the right words and if they were enough to garner a response. Quite honestly, I was counting on one. I could use the improvement of my day. Though it wasn’t shaping up to be a bad one, it could always be better. Nature held the power to make that happen.
With a soaped towel, I scrubbed the remnants of my night and the evidence of my four-mile run from my skin. A second and third time summoned contentment, clearing my conscious as I stepped out and into the coolness feeling squeaky clean. The warm towel soaked up the cold water from the last leg of my shower that trickled down my body.
“Shit!” I shivered, feeling like I’d been drenched in ice.
Once clean, it was unlawful to touch the floor’s surface without a layer of protection. Pure white bath slippers lined the bottom of the cabinet, waiting for my size twelve feet to fill them. Burying my feet in the terry cloth fabric, my temperature rose even more. Feeling somewhat toasty, I strolled to my closet where I chose the day’s attire.
A simple pair of denim and a white button-down managed to get the job done. Before slipping into either, I hydrated and moisturized my skin. Ashy ass skin was a pet peeve I’d developed as a kid and it stuck with me throughout adulthood.
I never stepped out the door without drenching myself in the best moisturizer on the market. I was too Black to even consider it. My ashy was a different kind of ashy, and after one too many experiences, I never wanted to be on the receiving end of bulging eyes and critical colorism jokes that almost ended with motherfuckers’ teeth on the pavement.
Fully dressed and standing in the mirror, I added the final details. Rolex watch. Cuban link chain and bracelet duo. Cologne. And last, the plate of gold open faces that partially covered six of my bottom teeth. It was subtle, but it was the perfect touch for a Black doctor who defied every stereotype attached to Black men by society.
“Alrighty.”
Anxiously, I grabbed my phone as I headed out of the door. My day had officially started. Down the stairs and through the first level, I floated. I unlocked my phone just as I stepped outside. The blank screen forced hard, sharp air from my nose as I sighed in despair.
Still nothing, I thought as I lowered my body into the car and started the engine. I imagined it was Nature’s intention to push me as close to the edge as possible, the few times of year I texted her, by dragging with her response. There was almost always a wait.
Without a doubt, I knew she’d already opened and read my message back and forth. She hated unopened notifications on her phone and always had. A well-calculated and prideful woman, more than likely, Nature was perfecting her response before sending it, no matter how simple it might be.
Lil Baby’s track filled the car. The chorus began as I pulled out of the gate. By the time I pushed the gas and shot down the street, the first verse came through.
“How we get so deep so fast? Bae stop playing I’ll beat yo’ ass. You be on some toxic shit but I cannot get off this bitch. I haven’t seen you in three m—”
The music halted as a text came through. I felt around the middle console to locate my phone while keeping my eyes on the road.
