I Ain't No 50/50 Type Of Chick

28. Jai

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

JAI

S avvy: I can’t wait to get you out of my head and into my bed. When I’ma see you again?

I blushed, reading Savvy’s text.

It had been a few days since we’d seen each other, and I was craving to be in his presence again. The night we spent together was so special, and I just couldn’t get it or him off my mind. A thought came to mind.

Me: Likewise, But… will you be busy this evening around 5:00? I’m going to see my grandfather at that time, and I know you said you wanted to meet him… while he’s awake. Lol. Hopefully, he will be. I just figured maybe you could meet me there. You could kill two birds with one stone. You could meet him as well as see me again.

I nibbled on my bottom lip, waiting for his response.

About two minutes later, he responded.

Savvy: I’m always busy, gorgeous. Never too busy for you, though. I’ll meet you there.

I couldn’t contain the smile that came on my face.

Me: Okay. See you then.

“Who has you blushing, ma’am? It wouldn’t happen to be Savvy, would it?” Skye teased playfully, a broad smile lighting up her face as she walked into the break room and took a seat beside me.

It was my third week working alongside Skye in the office, and while I was still under supervision, the supervisors were beginning to grant me more responsibilities and hands-on tasks than I had experienced during my time at the hospital. Initially, the transition was a bit overwhelming. I had to adjust to the new team members who were monitoring my performance. However, as the days went by, I began to feel more comfortable around them. The excitement of going in each day, eager to see what kind of complex autopsy we would tackle next, fueled my motivation and made the experience worthwhile.

I glanced at Skye, unable to suppress a grin, and replied coyly, “Maybe.”

“Mm-hmm. So, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how did y’all date go? We tried to squeeze some details out of Savvy, but all he pretty much told us was that it went good.”

“And it did,” I confirmed. I wanted to add it went very well. I took that moment to reminisce about the way his tongue catered to my kitty that night.

“Jai!” Skye shouted, but not too loud. Just enough to get my attention.

“Oh, I’m sorry, girl!” I said, coming back to the moment. “But yes, it was good.”

I proceeded to tell her about our night, but I made sure to keep the juicy details to myself. Skye was cool, but we weren’t on a relationship level where I felt comfortable just going into those kinds of details with her, especially with me having a boyfriend.

“Sounds like y’all had a good time,” she commented after I finished, but I heard a little sadness in her tone, and it felt like she needed someone to talk to.

I faced her. “Again, we did, but enough about me. How are you doing… like, really? I know working here and being Monte’s nurse is or at least should be a lot, so talk to me.”

She sighed. “Balancing the two jobs is actually easier than I thought, so that’s not the problem. It’s just that being around Monte every day and not knowing if he’s going to wake up is killing me. I talk to him daily, hoping he somehow hears me. It’s just the waiting process is a bit too much.” I heard the hurt and impatience in her voice.

I rubbed her shoulder. “I haven’t been through what you’re going through, but I can only imagine. Just keep praying, and most importantly, keep talking to him, even if you feel he doesn’t hear you. I’m praying for all y’all. As a matter of fact, let’s pray now.”

I didn’t care that we were at work; a certain location never stopped me from taking a moment out to pray, whether it was for myself or others. I grabbed her hand and proceeded to pray.

“Thank you, Jai,” she whimpered, hugging me after I finished praying.

“Of course, girl,” I replied, then drew back. “On another note… let’s talk about this freaky ass book you had me reading!”

“So, you read the book by Jai?”

“Yes, girl, and let’s just say she didn’t disappoint, especially with those sex scenes! Whew!”

We shared a laugh then chatted a bit more. From that day forward, I could really see her and me being really good coworkers/friends.

“So, how are you feeling about your upcoming date with Leek ?” Cali asked, referring to our date that was approaching in the days to come.

I was heading to see my grandfather in my car. Yes, my car—the one I thought I had lost for good. Maleek's mom surprisingly paid off the entire balance. But her generosity didn't stop there. She also signed the title over to me, making it officially mine. To ensure that everything was in perfect order, I decided to stop by the tax office for a quick visit, needing to double-check the paperwork and confirm that all the details were correctly filed. That car held a special significance for me, representing not just a mode of transportation but a crucial part of my identity. The moment I got behind the wheel again, it felt like I was reconnecting with a long-lost piece of myself. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of persuasion Maleek had used on his mom to convince her to get it back or even sign it over to me, but in that moment, it didn’t matter. As long as I had my baby back, I was satisfied.

“Honestly, Cali, I’m not really feeling it, but he’s been talking about it all week, so I know he’s looking forward to it. Girl, that nigga even went so far as to buy me a nice ass dress, shoes, and accessories to match!”

“Okaaaaaay! He’s serious, serious!”

“Right. I’ma go, though, just so I don’t disappoint him.”

“What if he’s planning to propose to you, girl? I’m just saying since he’s going to those lengths, and that’s something he’s never done, right?”

“No, it’s not. And that’s really something I’ve never thought about. However, I hope not. Me and Leek aren’t even in the best place in our relationship to be considering marriage. So, for his sake of getting embarrassed, I would truly hope he doesn’t have anything like that planned.”

I was so serious. Maleek and I truly weren’t ready for marriage, especially with us being on the verge of breaking up, but I was going on the date to see how we could possibly move forward in our relationship after all the lies, and of course, because he was so looking forward to it.

“Would you really tell him no, though, Jai? Although you know I’m team Savvy, I’m just curious, so I’ll know when I need to be a fly on the wall to see his reaction.”

I burst out laughing.

“Only you would say that. But, yes, I’m serious, girl, especially if he were to ask me this weekend. We’re not ready for that kind of commitment.”

“Definitely not. But hold on, Jai,” Cali said, and then she started arguing with Jayceon, which had become a norm with them.

I just didn’t see how she did it. That shit would literally drain the fuck out of me, arguing with a nigga every day, and I truly didn’t understand why she put up with Jayceon’s shit. Cali was a pretty ass girl who could literally get any man she wanted. But only she’d know when she had enough.

“You think that nigga blacked yo’ eyes. Muthafucka, I’ll black yo’ lips ! Keep talking that crazy shit to me!” she yelled to Jayceon after getting back on the phone.

The way I hollered when she said that. Although I didn’t really care for her being with Jayceon, I couldn’t lie and say that I didn’t get a dose of entertainment every time they got into it. Cali had mentioned to me some days before that somebody had whooped his ass. Jayceon tried to explain that it didn’t go down like that, but he really couldn’t convince her differently. Cali had also told me about her and Draco, so if I had to guess, that’s what they were arguing about. Finding out that Savvy’s cousin was her ‘work bae’ was a true shocker and truly illustrated how small the world is. Cali never revealed his name until she told me about the situation that occurred at her house between him and Jayceon.

“My bad, girl,” she added.

At that point, I was still laughing. “You’re fine but look, handle your business. I just made it to the nursing home. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, chick.”

After ending the call with her, I sighed and did a quick prayer before going inside to see my grandfather. Once I finished, I gathered my things and went inside.

When I entered, I went straight to the nurse’s cart to inquire about my grandfather’s day. The nurse, Kandice, the nurse I loved the most, wasn’t there that night, but the nurse on duty was familiar with me, and she was cool. After getting an update about my grandfather’s day, I went to join him in the dining room.

“Hey, Papa Gene!” I greeted him with a hug as I always did.

“J-Jai? It’s… It’s really you, baby girl?” he asked in surprise.

My eyes brimmed with tears at him recognizing me instead of seeing me as my mom.

“Yes, it’s me, Papa Gene.” I took a seat next to him.

“Oh, you’re so pretty. You’ve always been pretty.”

“Thank you, Papa Gene!” I wiped the tear that had slid down my cheek. “Papa Gene, someone will be joining us today,” I announced.

“Oh, yeah? Who?”

“He’s...” I hesitated, trying to find the right words to explain my relationship with Savvy. “He’s a friend of mine who wants to meet you. He should’ve been here by now.”

A wave of concern washed over me as I scanned the lobby, hoping that nothing had come up or that he hadn't changed his mind. Just as I was about to reach for my phone to call him, I caught sight of his familiar figure striding through the entrance. A huge smile broke across my face, lighting up my entire being.

“Oh, there he is now! I’ll be right back!”

I quickly stood up, weaving through the tables to greet Savvy in the lobby. I wanted to make sure he knew exactly where to find us without having to ask anyone.

“Hey! I was starting to get really worried that you wouldn’t make it!” I said, relief evident in my voice.

He returned my smile. “Nah, I’m a man of my word. If something had come up, I definitely would’ve called you.” I nodded, feeling reassured, but my attention was quickly drawn to the multitude of bags he was juggling—both hands loaded, and one, in particular, caught my eye: a large KFC bag that emitted a tantalizing aroma.

“Savvy, what is all of that?” I asked.

“Well, I remember you telling me that he likes his chicken from this particular place. Also, I was out earlier and happened to come across a store that had some Dallas Cowboys fan items.”

I raised an eyebrow, the corners of my mouth curling into a smirk.

“You just so happened, huh?”

He chuckled. “Aight, so maybe I wanted to make a good first impression.”

I smiled. “Mm-hmm.” I peeked inside the bag. “Well, you’re going to make a grand one with all the stuff you have, but seriously, thank you for coming, Savvy.”

“Anything to make you smile.”

And that was what I did… smiled.

“Alright, follow me,” I instructed Savvy.

It was sad that Savvy would take the time to visit my grandfather while my own boyfriend rarely made an effort to join me, even when I asked. He always claimed that nursing homes brought him down, but I couldn’t quite understand why —none of his family had ever been in one, at least not that he mentioned.

As we were walking, I abruptly stopped in my tracks and faced Savvy again.

“Oh, before I let you meet him, please remember that he has Alzheimer’s, so if he mistakes you for―”

Savvy cut me off by holding his hand up to cease my talking.

“I know how to play along, Jai. I got this, gorgeous.”

“Thank you.”

Once we were near my grandfather, I introduced him to Savvy.

“Papa Gene, this is Savvy, the guy I mentioned to you,” I said, gesturing toward Savvy.

My grandfather squinted slightly, studying Savvy from head to toe. “Samuel, you say?” he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

“No, Savvy, Papa Gene,” I clarified, chuckling lightly at the mix-up.

“Well, how are you doing, Samuel?” my grandfather said, reaching out his gnarled hand, eager to greet Savvy.

I shook my head slightly at Savvy, silently encouraging him to just roll with it.

“I’m good, Mr. Gene. It’s nice to meet you,” Savvy replied, returning the handshake firmly. “I brought you a couple of things.”

As he revealed the gifts, my grandfather’s eyes instantly lit up with surprise and delight.

“You don’t say!” he exclaimed, his voice rising with enthusiasm as he admired the mug Savvy had gotten him, which I was sure would get put to good use since my grandfather loved coffee. “Wh-where did you find all of this?” he added, as his gaze shifted to the other items included.

“From around the way,” Savvy said, glancing over at me with a subtle twinkle in his eye.

“Oh, and he got you chicken, Papa Gene!” I exclaimed, showing him.

“Samuel, I think we’re going to get along just fine,” my grandfather said, drawing a laugh from me due to the unexpected use of Savvy's new nickname.

Seeing that Savvy had brought enough food for all of us, along with the gifts, I suggested we retreat to my grandfather’s room for dinner.

“So, Mr. Gene, tell me a little about your time in the war?” Savvy inquired as he sat across from him while he ate.

My grandfather paused for a moment, carefully wiping his mouth with his napkin before setting it aside. A familiar spark ignited in his eyes, indicating that he was about to step into a world of memories.

“Well…” he began.

That one word alone caused me to sink into the nearby sofa. I was fully aware that we were about to embark on a journey through the past that could last for hours. Despite the clouds of Alzheimer’s that sometimes shrouded his mind, memories of the war remained bright and clear for him. Once he started recounting those stories, there was no stopping him.

As I listened, I felt a warm swell of affection seeing Savvy engage my grandfather with such enthusiasm. It felt like a rare glimpse into a cherished corner of his heart. The way to my heart was undeniably through my grandfather. Little did Savvy know, he was slowly but surely making it increasingly difficult for me to stay faithful to Maleek, pulling at the strings of my emotions in ways I hadn’t anticipated.