Chapter 8
“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were in love,” Micah said as I reclined in my chair.
It was my second day back at work, and Kyrie had sent flowers to the firehouse. I lay in my bunk and exhaled with a smile on my face. “I’m not in love, but I am smitten. The man is sweet, strong, and fine as hell!”
She giggled. “I’m just glad you look happy. You’re glowing. He’s made a liar out of me. I never saw him as being sweet. I mean like toothache sweet?”
I laughed loudly. “Girl, no! Like that smooth chocolate on chocolate cake that soothes your sweet tooth.”
“I hear you, sis! Well, I wish you well.” She lay back in her bunk and asked, “Did you hear that the chief may be retiring?”
“Really? When did he say that?”
“He only said it to the crew the day you got back from New York. We were so busy yesterday I forgot to say anything about it.”
“Wow. I suppose he’s tired. I mean, he’s worked as a firefighter for forty years. I plan to retire as soon as I’m eligible. I love my job, but when the time comes, I’m out of here. I plan to live my best life!”
“Period!” Micah said and laughed.
It was so funny how the way I talked had rubbed off on her. When people talked to her on the phone, they thought they were speaking to a black woman. I supposed us being around one another at least three days a week for the past couple of years could do that. Sometimes we were around one another on our off days as well.
She turned on the TV, and I turned on my side to text Kyrie. I was missing him like crazy. Dinner at his mom’s house was really cool. She seemed so genuinely excited to see me. That alone had me smiling the entire time I was there. She complimented me at every turn. My chest was so puffed out by the time we left, Kyrie said he had to deflate me a little to get me in the car.
Unfortunately, I didn’t linger around. I knew he had to get up early and that he had barely slept the night before. He needed rest. He’d gotten another text while at his mother’s house. I hated that for him. It had to be hard for him to function, knowing people were trying to kill him simply for doing his job. Whenever I tried to talk about it, he would change the subject. I didn’t know if that was because he couldn’t talk about it or if it was because he didn’t want to talk about it. Honestly, I’d understand either way.
Me: Hey, Kyrie. I hope you had a great day. I know you’ve been extremely busy. The flowers are beautiful.
Him: Hey, gorgeous. My day was my day. I hope you had a great one as well. Can you talk, or is texting what’s best?
I smiled slightly and got up to go to the common area. I didn’t want to disturb Micah. When I did, she said, “Go talk to your man. I’ll probably be asleep when you come back.”
“Okay, girl. Good night.”
“Good night.”
As soon as I left our room, I placed the call as I walked down the hallway to the couch. He answered on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Hey.”
We were quiet for a moment, soaking up the silence. It didn’t feel the least bit awkward. He said my spirit calmed him, so it was like he was channeling my energy. After a minute or so, he said, “Hey, baby.”
“You sound drained.”
“I am. I had lots of paperwork to go over. Plus, I had two case logs to read over. I’m beyond drained. I literally just got done. My entire Sunday was going over what I missed this week.”
“Wow. You had a late day. I wish I could rub your shoulders.”
“Me too. I’m sure they will still need rubbing day after tomorrow when you’re off.”
I chuckled. “Bet. I’ll take care of you. When do you plan to go home and start cleaning up?”
“Probably tomorrow. I’m so tapped out. I haven’t seen my house since I left it Friday. The only thing I even attempted to clean up was leftover food they’d thrown on the floor. I’m honestly thinking about paying someone else to do it.”
“That might be best. However, you know I’m off Tuesday, right? I don’t mind cleaning up for you.”
“No, ma’am. You’re my woman, not my maid. There’s glass everywhere. If you cut your beautiful self anywhere, I’d never forgive myself. We can’t have you bruising up that gorgeous body.”
I slightly rolled my eyes. “I would be careful. I truly don’t mind, Kyrie.”
“No, so stop pushing. My decision is final. I would love to have lunch with you on Tuesday though.”
My cheeks heated slightly. No matter how forceful or aggressive this man was, he still had the same effect on me… heated cheeks, along with other body parts, and heart palpitations. No one had ever made me feel this way, and I could barely handle it. “I would love to have lunch with you also. Where will we go?”
“Don’t worry about all that right now. I have it under control. I’ll make reservations.”
The thought of reservations made my eyelids flutter. A man that just took initiative and made plans was just my type. “Mm.”
He was quiet for a moment, then he asked, “Was that a good ‘mm’ or a bad one?”
I chuckled. “It was a good one. I like a man that makes reservations. Of course, reservations that coincide with my work schedule.”
It was his turn to chuckle. “Yeah, I would have you calling off on some of those weekends. I can be too aggressive at times. Let me know when I slightly cross the line. I’m going to try to consider your opinions on things, but the only child syndrome sometimes rears its ugly head.”
“Well, I have a little bit of that since I’m the only girl. I got whatever I wanted within reason.”
“So you’re spoiled. I don’t have a problem with that. I want to spoil you so much you won’t be good for anyone else… just me.”
“Make sure you can back up those words, Judge Patrick.”
“Mm. I don’t have a problem backing up anything I say, beautiful. Damn, I wish I could see you right now.”
“What would we be doing?” I asked, knowing exactly what we would be doing.
“You really have to ask? I would be turning that body every which way but loose, taking you to ecstasy with every stroke. Even with as tired as I am, I’m craving you, girl. You must have cocaine between your legs.”
I hollered with laughter then quickly covered my mouth. He laughed loudly, most likely at my outburst, then said, “I must be right. You got me all strung out, girl.”
When I finally composed myself, I said, “You are hilarious. You must be delirious too. Get some rest and call me tomorrow.”
“Mm hmm. Talk to you later, gorgeous.”
I ended the call and held the phone to my chest.
“Who got you in here screaming like that?”
I looked up to see fellow firefighter Bransford standing over me. He irritated my soul at times. The man always thought he was over somebody. We were ranked the same, but he was always trying to tell me what to do. “Sounds like you’re all in my business.”
He lifted his hands in a surrendering motion, although I knew he was doing everything but that.
“I’m just saying. Brother betta be careful. You may have more testosterone than him.”
I rolled my eyes as I shot him the finger. I stood from the couch to head to my bunk.
“You heard about the chief?” he asked.
I turned back to him. “Yeah, I heard. He’s done a remarkable job, especially at this station. So I’m sure we’ll be planning a retirement party once he makes it official.”
“Mm hmm. I’m gunning for that position though. I think I can take this precinct to the next level.”
I frowned, and I didn’t have the slightest idea how he thought he would do that. “I’m going for it too,” I said, shocking myself.
His eyebrows lifted. “Even after I told you I was going for it, you’re still gonna try to get it?”
“Yeah. I don’t owe you anything. You’re a chauvinistic asshole, Bransford. I have your back in the field because it’s my job. That’s the only reason.”
He brought his hand to his chest and dropped his head. “Damn. That hurt, Farris.”
I rolled my eyes again as he chuckled. “Well, I hope you ready for battle. I’m a marine, and I’m a winner. I fight dirty too.”
“Well, since the mayor is under fire right now, I suppose the mayor pro tem will be appointing who he deems best. Good luck.”
With that, I walked off. He was pretending to be playful with me, but I knew he was just as serious as I was. If I didn’t get the appointment, then I would pray that the city council wouldn’t confirm him. He wasn’t fit to lead. He had too many prejudices. Besides thinking women were inferior, he also felt that way about minorities and people younger than him. He was just an arrogant asshole, kind of what people described Kyrie to be.
I smiled as I thought of him. When I entered our bunk space, I noticed Micah wasn’t in bed. When I heard her coughing and something hitting the toilet water, I turned my lip up. While I could handle some of the most gruesome injuries, there was something about vomit that turned my stomach inside out.
When the toilet flushed and the water came on, I relaxed a bit, hoping she was done. I wondered what caused her to regurgitate that way. My mind quickly switched gears though. I knew the mayor pro tem. We went to the same church. While I didn’t see him to be biased, it couldn’t hurt to mention it once the chief formally announced his retirement. There was no way I would reveal that to Bransford though. He would be sure to make it seem like I got the appointment unfairly.
I deserved that position, and I didn’t come to that realization until he said he wanted it. If he thought he was qualified to lead, I knew I was qualified. I actually cared about the citizens I took an oath to protect. He was all about seeing his name in lights. He was a firefighter for all the wrong reasons, and I could only hope AJ Williams saw that when he was considering someone for the appointment.
Micah came out of the restroom, looking completely drained. “Girl, you okay?” I asked, standing from my bed to help her to hers.
“Yeah. I think that Chinese messed me up. That Kung Pao Chicken is doing just what its name suggests.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing. She was really feeling bad. Hopefully, we didn’t get called out. I would pick up her slack tomorrow, cleaning equipment, if she still felt bad. After lying down, she said, “Thanks, Genesis. Hopefully, I can sleep this off and that chicken can stop practicing its kung fu skills.”
I slowly shook my head as I covered her with the blanket. Going back to my bunk, I saw my screen lighting up. When I saw Kyrie’s name, I smiled. He was supposed to be asleep. Opening the message, I smiled bigger. It was a picture of him lying on a pillow, covered with a gray pillowcase. His eyes were low, as if he were about to fall asleep at any moment, and his lips looked moist as hell.
I took a deep breath, then lay in bed, still staring at his picture. Exiting out of the message, I pulled up the camera app and took a picture of myself in the same position as he was in, then sent it to him. I then sent kissy face emojis and plugged my phone up to the charger. After setting it on the nightstand, I closed my eyes with visions of Kyrie’s face lulling me into a sweet rest.
“How did you know I like seafood?” I asked Kyrie after kissing his lips.
He shrugged. “I had no clue. I just figured you could appreciate good food.”
I met him here at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, and my stomach was so happy. I could barely contain my excitement. This was actually my favorite seafood spot in Beaumont. There were other places that I enjoyed, but this place was top-tier. The food was always delicious.
Kyrie grabbed my hand as the hostess led us to our table. Once we were seated, I could see a few eyes on us. Kyrie stretched his hands across the table, and I slid my hands to them with a smile on my face. He smiled in return, but I could tell that smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“How have things really been since I last saw you?” I asked.
He cleared his throat and released my hands. “A little tough, but I can handle it. I’ve been updating the detectives when there are new developments.”
“They still don’t have any leads?”
“No.”
I found that extremely skeptical, and I could tell that Kyrie did, too, simply by his tight lips and inability to look into my eyes while he was speaking. He was a very intelligent man, and I knew that he probably felt like he was probably working with the enemy.
Changing the subject, he looked up at me and said, “You look so beautiful. I know I’ve said it already, but this burnt orange against your skin is gorgeous.”
I smiled as I said, “Thank you.”
I really wished he could be open with me, talk about his fears, and what he needed help with, but I knew Kyrie was a “manly” man. What I meant by that was he was traditional in a sense. When it came to expressing what he felt was weakness… he didn’t. I was only trying to get him to state the obvious. Who wouldn’t be scared half to death, knowing people were trying to kill them? It was a normal reaction to a not so normal situation.
I knew it was still very soon in our relationship, but I wanted him to trust me to be able to handle his fears with care. I would never belittle him or judge him. As his woman, I was here to uplift him. I was already expecting him to behave like we’d been together for years. Ugh. Slow down, Genesis. I supposed I was just worried about him.
The waitress appeared, introduced herself, got our drink orders and our appetizer of fried alligator, then left to go fulfill those requests. As if reading my mind, Kyrie said, “I can see you’re worried. Everything is going to be okay. They will eventually find who’s behind these threats. They have cops around me at all times. Look at the door.”
I glanced around him and saw the cop standing near the hostess podium. That made me feel a little more comfortable. At least they were being proactive. Bringing my attention back to him, I asked, “Aren’t you a little worried though? I mean…” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to seem pushy. Forgive me.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to ask for forgiveness. You’ve done nothing wrong.” Closing his eyes for a moment, he said, “I am worried… somewhat afraid. I have too much to live for. However, their threats are not going to stop me from doing what I know is right. I’m sorry I’ve seemed closed off concerning that, but I don’t like talking about it. It reminds me that there are people out there who are really evil and don’t give a damn about what’s right or anyone besides themselves.”
“I understand. I just want to make sure you’re okay. If there is ever anything I can do to be of assistance to you, please let me know.”
“Well, I can think of at least one thing. I mean… my house is getting cleaned as we speak and should be done by the time I leave work today.”
The waitress set our drinks and a small loaf of bread on the table and said she would be back with our appetizer soon. After taking a sip of my water, I asked, “Will there be food?”
He released a hearty laugh then slowly shook his head. “I’m not enough?” he asked.
“Well, I need to know if I should eat before I come over.”
“Mm hmm. I like how you cleaned that up. I’ll have food, Genesis. Should I surprise you again, or would you like to suggest something?”
I intertwined my fingers and lifted them to rest my head on them, putting my elbows on the table. “Surprise me, please.”
He chuckled. “Seems I’ve found the way to your heart.”
I giggled as she set the alligator in front of us. All talking had to cease. I immediately grabbed one, dipped it in ketchup, and brought it to my mouth as Kyrie watched me, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Well, I thought we would bless the food. You do believe in God, right?”
I brought my hand to my mouth because I nearly choked. My eyebrows lifted as he laughed. When he stretched his hand across the table, I slapped it, causing him to laugh more. After swallowing what was in my mouth, I said, “Sorry, Lord. I’m super hungry.”
The smirk that appeared on Kyrie’s face caused my eyes to narrow. I put my hand in his, bowed my head, and closed my eyes.
“Lord… thank you… so much for… this day… and every day.”
I opened my eyes, and a frown graced my face. He was talking extremely slow. I jerked my hand away from his and said, “Jesus wept. Thank you, Lord.”
I popped another bite of alligator in my mouth while he laughed hard. I didn’t play about my food, and he was gonna fuck around and find out. Finally, I was able to join in on the laughter. “You make me sick.”
He smiled at me. “We are going to get along just fine. I can’t wait to spend more time with you later.”
“I can’t wait either.”