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“Girl, tell me about it. At least you get some entertainment. Mr. Hodge makes my night every time I’m on duty and I’ve never even had the man on my rounds.”
“Filling in for me when I’m on break is enough time with Mr. Hodge to get you through an entire shift.”
“I promise. The man missed his calling. He’s a comedian.”
“He’s sweet, too, he just hates to expose that side of him to everyone.”
“Hmm. ’Cause I still haven’t seen it yet. You’d have to make me a believer.”
“I’m serious, Shelly. He has his days. He’s tired of being here, which I understand.”
“Me, too. Hell, I’m tired the second I clock in.”
“You sound like me, today,” I admitted, another yawn splitting my mouth in half.
“If you need thirty, I promise I won’t tell a soul,” Shelly whispered.
“Oh, God. As much as I’d love to, I can’t do that to you.”
“Girl, they’re asleep. I’ll be fine.”
“No. Not right now, at least. If you’re still willing to cover for me, I’ll add that extra fifteen to my lunch break. I could use some shut-eye to get me through the rest of my shift.”
“You know I got you, girl.”
“Thanks, babe. I’m heading to the break room.”
I patted my pockets to make sure I had my debit card and phone. Walking back would reserve far too much time and I needed every bit of the fifteen minutes I was taking. I began down the hallway, excited to rest my bottom and make the phone call I’d been waiting all night for.
Finding the break room empty was always a joyous time for me. I tapped my card against the vending machine and made two selections. A bag of chips and a Twix were the perfect combination. I moved along to the other machine and retrieved a bottle of cold water.
By the time I decided on a seat, the first of the two Twix bars was half-eaten. I opened my phone to find my notification center empty. The fact that Makai hadn’t sent a single message gave me mixed emotions.
On one hand, I thought it was hilarious and utterly ridiculous to find an entire thread of messages when I took a break. On the other hand, I looked forward to them. Knowing that there was so much on the top of his brain that he wanted to share while I was away warmed me to the core.
I pushed my feelings aside and made a call to him. The ringing began and proceeded far longer than usual. Worry lines creased my forehead as the third ring turned into a fourth. It wasn’t until the fifth that I heard his voice.
Relief drenched me. A smile lined my lips. The deep, raspiness of his baritone gave the perfect explanation for the delay and the reason my notification center was empty.
“Mommas,” Makai groaned. “What’s up?”
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“I didn’t mean to wake you. I assumed you were still awake. Get some rest, baby. I’ll see you in the morning. Are you at the condo or—”
Makai had purchased the condominium for us both. His closet was as extensive as mine. He had as many pieces inside of it as I did. His toothbrush was used almost every day of the week. It was he who pushed the trash down every day. Though we hadn’t addressed the situation or stated the obvious, we lived together and had been for the last four and a half months. My extended stay at his home was the beginning of our living arrangement.
“Nah. Nah. I’m good. What you doing?”
“Nothing. I’m in the break room, taking my fifteen-minute break.”
“How has your shift been going?”
“Good,” I tittered. “Until I realized you hadn’t sent me anything. Have you not been missing me?”
“That’s why I’m in your bed, under all this damn cover, on your side. Yeah, I miss you, baby. I fell asleep, hoping I’d wake up to you coming through the door.”
