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“Hey, Adrienne, what’s up?”
“What do you mean, what’s up? I waited at the token booth for over an hour.”
Normally, Adrienne’s voice was low and husky, but right now it had a shrill quality to it.
“I’m sorry, baby. I laid down and fell back to sleep. Debra just woke me up.”
“Are you lying to me?”
“Naw, baby.”
“Look, Mel, if you’re not going to meet me halfway, then this is not going to work,” Adrienne said angrily.
“Come on, Adrienne. I’m sorry. Don’t be like that.”
“Dan and Charlene haven’t said anything, but I know they must be tired of me pulling out their sofa bed to sleep on every night. I’ve been here for six months and it’s time to move.”
Mel knew that Dan’s living room was crammed with Adrienne’s clothes, books, and toiletries. Everything was stuffed into supermarket crates because there was no extra closet to hold them.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Do you have any more appointments set up?”
It was amazing how quickly time had passed. Two weeks after Delilah’s funeral, Adrienne had sunk into a severe depression. Her grief and anger had been almost palpable, and she had had trouble eating and sleeping. It was three months before she could bring herself to talk to anyone, especially Mel.
“Yes, there’s a two-bedroom apartment available on West Thirty-ninth Street. The rent is only fifteen hundred a month.”
Mel understood why Adrienne wanted to stay in Manhattan, far away from the tragedy, but now they would be paying twice as much as they had in the old apartment. New York City was becoming more expensive each year. Neither one of them would be able to pay $1,500 alone since neither made more than $30,000 per year. Mel sighed. What if one of them got laid off? Surely Adrienne could find less room for less money.
A lump formed in Mel’s throat. “Why do we need two bedrooms?”
“I thought maybe . . .” she hesitated.
“Thought what?” he asked gruffly.
“Nothing,” she said quickly.
Mel switched the phone to his other ear. If Adrienne was going to look at two-bedroom apartments, it meant she was thinking about getting pregnant. That scared him.
“Are you working tomorrow?” Adrienne asked.
“No. Why?”
“I’m looking at the apartment on my lunch hour. Meet me outside my job at twelve.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mel.”
He hung up and turned around. Everybody was looking at him. Debra had a grin on her face. She started clapping.
“My brother, the actor.”
Everybody in the circle laughed and clapped along with her. Mel couldn’t help grinning. Debra and her friends always acted so stupid. He dragged one of the kitchen chairs over to the circle.
“I’m playin’.”
Big Boy poured half a glass of straight rum and took a gulp. “Let’s see your money, muthafucka.”
Mel took out his last five dollars and threw it on the pile on the coffee table.
