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Settle. Ty brought his hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking long breaths to calm his mind. His brain was trying to go into hyper-drive. For over ten years Ty had to live in Atlanta’s slums so he could stack his money the best he could without hurting anyone. And he’d never made an enemy, had always stayed off the radar. Then suddenly out of nowhere it looked like the Grim Reaper himself was on his ass. Did Cheddar have someone following him? He took out his cell and pulled up his number.
Ty: Yo man. You good?
After the bus turned on Mooreland Ave and gained speed, Ty was relieved he didn’t hear the devil’s chariot behind it.
Cheddar: Yeah. You almost here. I got everything set.
Nothing sounded out of the ordinary. If Ty had a tail, he didn’t want to lead him back to Cheddar.
Ty: I’ll hit you up in the morning. Something came up.
Cheddar: Cool
Ty pocketed his phone. Cheddar never questioned him. He knew Ty was a man of his word, and he’d make sure the package was there and on time. It was going on four o’clock, he’d been on the bus for an hour now, riding mindlessly through Edgewood where he transferred and took the bus into Cabbagetown, still avoiding the route to take him home. If he was being followed they’d get tired of it after a few hours, and that was just how long he rode before finally looping back around to the West End. Ty’s ass was numb when he got off the bus and made the small trek down his depressing street to his building. He looked up and down the sidewalk, but all was quiet. He gave an involuntary shudder because he knew, he somehow just knew, he hadn’t lost the man in black. Not for good. He was coming for him.
“Be aware of the calm before the storm, son.”
Ty let himself into his one-bedroom apartment, listening intently for any unusual sounds before he closed the door and locked himself inside. First thing he did was remove his coat then he grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge, not stopping until he’d drained them both. He stood in the tiny kitchenette with his hands on the counter, his chin tucked to his chest. He closed his eyes and tried to think clearly, now that he felt less like a dried-out sponge. He went to the framed photo of his father in his Navy uniform hanging on the wall beside his entertainment stand. “What have I got myself into, Dad?” He stared at the picture for a few more minutes as if he’d hear an answer. Shaking away any trepidation, Ty realized he had something to take his mind off of the unknown. Sharain. He went to his bedroom to find something to wear for tonight.
Ty waited in his stairwell for a few minutes before he finally left through the main door. He called a Lyft to meet him at the church one street over—not taking any chances—and took it to Sharain’s apartment near Clark Atlanta University. He’d brought a bottle of wine with him and a single red rose. His mom hadn’t been a drinker, but she loved to pair a nice bottle of wine with a special occasion. Ty considered it fitting and he wanted to get it right, because a woman will let a man know when he’s dropped the ball. And he knew not to go to anyone’s home for the first time empty-handed.
The Lyft let him out at the curb in front of Sharain’s building, and to his dismay there were several people hanging out around the block and on the stoop. Heads turned his way, the ladies showing their approval boldly, the four men sizing him up from his fresh Jordans to the gold chain around his neck. Ty looked each one in the eye as he walked past.
“Look at this cat. Think he the shit. He must be Sharain’s flavor of the month,” one of the men said, plenty loud enough for him to hear.
Ty kept going up the few stairs, not bothering to show a reaction. If that lounging-ass bastard thought that remark was enough to make him pause then he was just as bitch as his comment was.
Ty knocked on door 1B, holding the rose and bottle of wine close to his side. The door swung open and Ty tried not to cringe at the sexy nightwear Sharain was wearing, or the potent scent of perfume that knocked him in his face as she waved him inside. He averted his eyes quickly, but he still saw enough to know Sharain was leaving absolutely nothing to his imagination. At his age and in his hood, he was used to the females flaunting what they mama gave ‘em, but growing up in his home he’d been taught differently.
