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Taking my time I wash my body thoroughly hoping I can scrub away the memories that I can’t seem to shake.
Now that my mind and body have had a chance to sync up once again memories I’ve suppressed or long ago pushed to the far recesses of my mind come to the forefront.
“Tell me little dove,what does your dream date involve,” He muses, pressing soft kisses along the back of my neck. He was working late and I was irritated so I came to drag him to bed so he could hold me. Selfish I know.
“Umm, you mean like a bucket list type date?” Seeing his confusion, I add, “Like the best date I could have before I kick the bucket?”
“Hai, if you’re choosing to be morbid about it.” Nodding, he rests his head on my shoulder but doesn’t stop the code he’s still managing to write though I’ve plopped down in his lap.
“Simple. Take me to the theater,” I say. “Maybe dinner before or after. I’ll wear a nice dress.” Shrugging I watch his long, elegant fingers fly across the keyboard forming numbers and formulas with a dizzying amount of speed.
“What’s your favorite theater?” he asks in bemusement, when I have to look away from the busy display I in no way understand.
“Well. That’s a harder question. I love Broadway theaters because of all the excitement and openness. I love Drury Lane in London because it’s so stately. I’ve never been to the Sydney Opera house but would love to go. And the Théâtre Des Nouveautès in Paris was lovely when my parents took me there on my high school graduation trip.” I turn to find him smiling at me. “But I think the one here is now my favorite because you took me there.”
Heat rises to my face. I try to shy away but he doesn’t let me. He holds my face not letting me look away. “You would do me a great honor if you allow me to take you to these places, Tay-chan.” I can’t help but smile hearing those words, seeing the solemnity in his dark onyx eyes.
“Hai. I would love that.”
Findingmyself sitting on the edge of the bed like I’ve just come out of a fugue, I jump up and rush to detangle my still sopping wet hair, not recalling even finishing my bath or washing my hair.
Recalling in more detail other things matched up in his samurai mansion and things I’d told him I liked or wished to have. The color purple being my favorite and how it was the highlight of the room. How so many of the plants in his garden were of that shade. Even the silk pajamas were and my sheets lilac.
Okay he overdid it on the purple. Looking at my reflection, I notice how I’ve changed so much since the night I came here. That night I looked rested, well fed. Now, I look like someone rode me hard and put me away wet then left me to starve. My cheeks are hollowed out even for a curvy girl. My mom would be aghast. You’d think he left me.
No I left him. Accusing him of heinous shit very much the same way I feel he did me but only I didn’t have the proof. He’d been going off forged documents and at least they were good forgeries. If I didn’t know myself better I would have thought I’d done it.
Looking at my hair even it looks limp. It’s too wet to pull back in a ponytail, I just tie it up and away from my face. I have no energy to diffuse it.
I can tell by the way the light is streaming it’s still morning but well past dawn. Feeling like I lost time I grab my phone and check the time. After eleven a.m.
I’m so startled when the phone buzzes that I drop it and somehow it answers.
“Hello, Helloooo, Taylor?” The heavy twang of my cousin Kandie comes out over the line shaking me out of whatever state I’m in.
“H-hello?” I answer into the speaker after sitting it on the bed.
“Girl, are you still in town? Ulysses says he caught one of them Takedas sitting in a tree in Mrs. Earline’s yard. That’s right by that bungalow Billy and them fixed up as a get rich quickscheme to make it an Airbnb for Santiago. I guess it worked though since he leased it a year, so he could see his baby by Krie. Anyway, Ulysses’ lying ass says you’re living there for the time being. Why didn’t you tell nobody?”
“Well,” I hurry to cut in.” It’s a long story but yes. I just got back in town. I can concentrate better down here.”
“Um-hmm,” she says with skepticism dripping from her voice. “So why that real quiet one — and you know that’s saying something when Krie’s man don’t talk at all, is sitting in trees with night scopes and shit?”
Stunned silence builds around me. So that’s how he watched me.
“We are together,” I lie, my tummy in knots not wanting to make it sound worse than it is.
“Then why is that motherfucker sitting in a tree outside the house instead of in it with you?” She quizzes like she’s Judge Mathis or something.
“We had a fight and I locked his ass out,” I hurriedly explain wanting to be done. Something tells me everybody is going to know about this.
“Ohhh, I get that.” She chuckles a little. “I hope you blocked his ass on everything.”
I join her laughter because even though the situation is not funny the way she talks about it is.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“You have to make me promise on my momma and daddy for me not to.” She sounds bored.
