Four
Emory
M y gaze was pinned across the yard, hyper focused on where Bree stood with a few of the other ladies at this small gathering, head thrown back in laughter, no doubt from some outrageous shit my sister said. Those two had been thick as thieves since Bree and I made it official; Eb was too hype that she no longer had to exclude me from their little couples nights I typically crashed anyway. Like she felt my gaze searing her skin, Bree turned her attention to me once she’d sobered, playfully sticking her tongue out. I was two steps from giving her something better to do with that tongue when a hand clapped me on the shoulder.
“Ay, real shit, Bree’s a good look for you, man,” Floyd said, coming to stand alongside me in the backyard at their new place.
They were finally all settled, despite having moved here—and into this place—months ago, but Eb had wanted to wait to host their official housewarming until she had the place decked out to her standard. The invite list wasn’t huge, basically just both of our families, with a couple friends thrown in the mix.
“The best look,” I agreed, turning to him with a grin.
“Aw shit, you said that like you going ring shopping soon.”
“Nah, chill out on me. We ain’t there quite yet, but…given some time, it could be in our future fa sho.”
Floyd damn near spat out the sip he’d just taken from his beer. “I was just fuckin’ with you, but you serious huh?”
“Hell yeah. It’s only been three months but shit is smooth. I never get tired of being in her presence, like ever. And nigga, you of all people know that shit ain’t like me.”
“Exactly why I’m shocked, fam. I mean, I shoulda known. Shit, she got yo’ ass out here doing family Sunday Fundays with the girls. Not that you weren’t an active uncle before, but…mani pedi dates and shit, my guy?”
“Fuck outta here,” I cracked, pushing his shoulder as I laughed. “Ain’t shit wrong with taking care of yourself, and lowkey, that shit relaxing. That wax shit they put on ya feet, fam? Yeah, that’s the one. I know you know all about that self-care shit, considering your ass is why I ended up outta six hundred dollars pre tax at that Aire shit downtown.”
“You gotta admit that shit was smooth though. That float pool? Man, I coulda stayed in that mothafucka all damn day.”
“I can’t even hold you, the eucalyptus aromatherapy shit had me ’bout ready to ask if they had a monthly membership at the front desk,” I replied with a chuckle.
“Look at us, both sitting here in relationships, talking about spa dates and shit. Three years ago, when we were in Turks, if you woulda told me this shit would be in our futures, I woulda laughed until I pulled something.”
“Turks was crazy .”
“Nah, fool, you were crazy in Turks,” Floyd shot back immediately.
“Oh and you wasn’t right by my side and with the shits?” I replied with a smirk.
“With what shits?” my sister finally piped up, which had me looking over my shoulder to see her and Bree approaching. Too busy caught up in reminiscing about some shit that we previously agreed to never bring up in mixed company again, I had totally missed them crossing the yard.
“Mind ya business when grown folks talking,” I joked, trying to shift the convo so I wouldn’t make the block hot for Floyd or me.
Bree mighta been on her “what happens here stays here” shit when we linked in Vegas, but me and my boy had actually gotten into some “this can never leave this island” type shit on a random ass trip we took with a crew of our boys a few years back. Certainly nothing that needed to be rehashed in present day.
“Mmmmhmmm, keep y’all’s lil secrets or whatever, it’s cool,” Eb said, leaning into Floyd and speaking to him lowly.
Not even trying to overhear whatever they had going on, I snaked an arm around Bree, bringing her flush against me, and pressed a quick smack to her lips. “You having fun, baby?” I asked.
“I ammmmmm,” she replied quickly. “But where’s my girl Miss Helene? I need her to come help me show these kids how to dance for real,” Bree said, laughing lightly.
My mom and Bree were also just as tight as her and my sister, especially since my mother had started going to those movement classes down at Turner Dance. Bree wasn’t the instructor, but she did fill in every now and again when the regular one had a conflict. She couldn’t stop raving about my mother’s natural rhythm and Mama ate them damn compliments up like they were a fresh slice of homemade pound cake. And when Mama came back out of the house, Bree's eyes lit up as she said, “Oop! There goes my girl. Lemme get her over here to show these kids what’s up.” After another quick kiss, she was out of my arms and heading in my mother’s direction.
“Y’all are so cute ,” Eb crooned as Bree walked away. “See, baby bro, I told you so.”
I raised a brow and asked, “What did you tell me?”
“That she was a good girl and not to play with her. And look at you, not playing so you happily booed up now. Like I said in Vegas, you’re welcome .”
“Yeah, yeah,” I grumbled, but that was easily contradicted by the broad grin on my face.
“But hey,” Ebonée said, her tone turning serious, “While we have you by yourself, come inside real quick. We have something we need to share with you.”
I looked at Floyd, hoping he’d give me a hint of what to expect, but he was too busy cheesing down at Eb. Following them into the house, I collapsed onto the couch in their den as they settled on the love seat across from me. Silence lingered for a couple beats before I asked, “What’s up?”
Eb and Flo exchanged a look before they both turned to me grinning.
“You’re about to be an uncle to two more,” Floyd finally said, eyes shining with so much happiness that it was contagious.
“Real shit?” I asked, eyes wide.
At their nods of confirmation I sprang up, pulling my sister into a tight hug, offering my congratulations before doing the same with my boy.
“Twins, huh?” I said, once I’d pulled back, looking at Floyd with a sly grin. “Hope they’re both girls. Your ass finna be on ya Kobe girl dad shit,” I teased.
“Actually,” Eb said with a little chuckle. “We’re having two sons.”
“Oh shit, I’m finna have some neph…wait, how the hell y’all already know what the babies gon’ be? Was your ass drinking and turning up in the club with my nephews in there?” I said, extending a hand toward Ebonée’s midsection which she quickly swatted away.
“Y’all were the ones drinking. I was merely vibing with my little mocktails and enjoying my last vacation as a mother of two,” she quipped, laughing.
“I can’t believe yo’ ass is pregnant again after all that shit you was talkin’,” I said, laughing right along with her.
“Shit… you ?” she shot back.
“Both of y’all wildin’,” Floyd said, pulling Eb back into him, wrapping his arms around her, his hands cradling her barely noticeable baby bump.
“Mama know?”
“Now you know damn well yo’ nosy ass mama was the first one talmbout she dreamed of fish? Meanwhile, I know her ass just saw the five pregnancy tests in my bathroom trash.”
“Five, damn sis?”
“I needed to be sure. Get off my back,” Eb replied, laughing again.
“Aight man, I’mma get off you, but I’m happy for y’all, though. Real shit. I gotta keep this on the low?”
“You can tell Bree… we know that’s what you’re really asking,” Eb said, still laughing.
“Glad you knew… what the hell is going on out there?” I said, as folks yelling outside got louder.
We walked back outside to see everyone gathered around Lily and my damn mother battling each other, while the crowd hyped my mom up, Bree’s ass—who I could just about guess was the instigator of this situation—hootin’ and hollerin’ the loudest. I was about to walk over and say some smart shit, but one look at my mama’s face shut all that up, as I joined the crowd cheering her on, walking up behind Bree and pulling her into me.
After a few minutes of back and forth, Lily finally waved her metaphorical white flag, declaring her grandmother the winner, but Mama wasn’t done, encouraging the girls to put that damn “Boots on the Ground” song on so she could do the little line dance shit that went with it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her looking so happy and carefree, something I remarked to Bree later that night once we were back at my place.
“You had my mama out there cuttin’ up,” I said we lay lounging on the couch.
“My girl couldn’t wait to cut a rug,” Bree replied with a huge grin. “She is a mess; would you believe she was the one who called Lily out?”
“Actually,” I said before shaking my head, “I can.” Memories from long ago crept back into the forefront of my mind at the moment. “Mama and the aunties used to love a good two step. She would have Pops’ ass out there on the floor at every gathering. Damn, I forgot all about that.”
“How long has it been since your dad passed?”
“Shiiit, ’bout eight…nine years now. Seems like just yesterday some days, though.” I let out a long breath, shaking my head.
“I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing my arm.
“Why you apologizing?”
“Because I didn’t mean to bring the room down by asking about your dad,” Bree said, voice filled with sympathy.
“Nah,” I said wistfully. “You ain’t bring the room down at all, babe. I don’t talk about him too much because I still mess the hell outta that dude, but seeing Mama out there today, looking like she used to when he was still here… I never thought I’d see her smiling like that again. And you did that. So really I should be thanking you, love.”
“Me? What’d I do?”
“You know what Flo said to me earlier?”
Bree shook her head.
“He said you were a good look for me. And he’s right, but not only me. The way you’ve come into all of our lives and made them better…shit, if I ain’t know better…”
A few beats of silence passed before Bree spoke up, timidly.
“If you didn’t know better what?”
“I woulda talked your pretty ass into going to see Elvis when we were in Vegas,” I joked, making her laugh. “But nah seriously, this thing with you and me…” I trailed off, not wanting to say too much too soon and spook her.
To my surprise, Bree quickly said, “Me too. You’re not the only one whose life has been changed for the better since that night in Vegas.”
“Ohhhh, she admits it. Wasn’t even tryna fuck with ya boy for real, but now look at cha!” I crowed, dusting my shoulders off.
“You are so…”
“In love with you?” I finished, making her take in a little sharp gasp of air. “I told myself I would slow roll it, not wanting to pressure you or anything but I?—”
She placed a finger to my lips, halting my words before leaning forward and placing the gentlest kiss on my lips.
“I love you too, Emory.”
I grinned, brows raised in surprise. “Yeah?”
“ Yes . And despite being scared that this shit is too good to be true too quickly, I’m not giving into that fear. Because the same way you say I have made your life better, it’s the reverse as well. Your energy came through and shook up my life. I was merely existing before you came along, going through my same day by day routines, settling into a comfortable yet boring life. But your insistence on me taking a chance and the ways you continually show me that you care and show up for me every time I’ve needed you over these past few months? How could I not be in love with you, man?”
Tension I hadn’t even known I’d been holding in my body slowly disappeared as I sank further into the couch, as Bree sank further into my embrace. There wasn’t any need for further words as we lingered in a comfortable silence.
“Hey,” Bree said a few moments later, before letting out a soft yawn. “You ’bout ready to call it one? You know we gotta do this all over again tomorrow, right?”
We would be hanging out with her people this time. Her best friend Aunya’s birthday was tomorrow and she’d planned some kind of paint and sip event to commemorate the occasion. I wasn’t no Picasso ass nigga, but wherever Bree was going I wouldn’t be too far behind. I’d met and chilled with her homegirls and their partners before and it was a decent lil time. So I didn’t expect tomorrow to be anything less. I stood, stretching briefly before extending a hand to help Bree up then wrapping myself around her form as we headed to my room. I emptied my pockets of all my shit—phone, wallet, and keys—while Bree headed straight into the en suite bathroom, stripping the little sundress she wore off along the way.
By the time I’d stripped down and joined her, she was beneath the spray of my shower, the water sluicing down her body. I wasted no time entering right behind her, but she wasn’t going for me tryna get her even more dirty, shrinking from my grasp as soon as I slid my hands from her waist up to her titties, already knowing what type of time I was on. She spun in my hold, pursing her lips and shaking her head.
“Later, I’m too tired right now,” she murmured, but the way she pressed her body against mine as my hands roamed clearly contradicted those words.
However, I listened to what she vocalized over my interpretation of her body language and I kept it PG in the shower with a little groping and kissing between both of us getting cleaned up, then heading back to get into the bed. Once we’d dried off and moisturized, she slipped into her favorite sleepwear whenever she was over my place, one of my old T-shirts from when I hooped in junior college, and climbed into the bed. I threw on a pair of shorts and slid in right beside her, pulling her close to me as we both drifted off to sleep.
* * *
“Ay, this some bullshit,” I grumbled, looking at the canvas in front of me.
Apparently Bree’s homegirl thought instead of us all painting some random cityscape or flowers or some shit, we would each be tasked with painting a portrait of the person we came here with. We were each given forty-five minutes while stationed across from one another to create the best likeness of our partners that we could within this time. Not wanting to be the only one complaining, I went along with the flow, talking shit like I was cold like everybody else.
“Ten minute warning, y’all,” Aunya called out as she squinted at her guy Jabo, then looked back at her canvas and nodded like she had really mastered that shit.
Since me and Jabo were on the same side of the table, I peeked over at his shit and blew out a little breath of relief. His rendering of Aunya looked worse than mine of Bree. Briefly, the thought flitted in my mind that I shoulda asked Floyd for some pointers, knowing this was coming.
“Say bruh, at least yours won’t have you on the couch tonight,” Jabo said, nudging me with an elbow.
“Shiiiiid, he bout the only one,” Carl, another one of her homegirls’ dudes said. “Aunya know she ain't right,” he continued, raising his voice a little higher.
“What’s wrong, CD? Can’t handle a lil friendly competition?” Jabo teased.
“Competition?” I asked.
“You didn’t tell him, Breezy?” Aunya said before turning her attention to me. “Best men’s painting wins a prize, best women’s painting does too.”
“Woooow, that’s how you do me, baby?” I asked Bree who merely gave me an impish grin in return.
“In my defense…” she started, but a chorus of “oh, here she go” from all of her girlfriends quickly interrupted whatever excuse she was about to hand over as they all started laughing and talking over one another. She waited until the chatter quieted before she continued, “Y’all bitches stay hating. Anyway, like I was saying … this man’s closest friend is literally a visual artist. Would you have rather I let him come in here and shit on y’all?”
“Okay, Breezy might have a point,” Jabo said. “I mean, that shit might still happen though, g. ’Cause from where I’m sittin’...”
“Fuck that,” Drew, another boyfriend of the crew spoke up, “I’m the hood’s Michelangelo. I’m shittin’ on all y’all with my joint.”
“Michelangelo… like the Ninja Turtles?” his girl, Taylor I think her name was, chimed in, her face furrowed in confusion.
“Baby, the Turtles were named after real life artists…” he murmured softly, likely so the rest of us couldn’t hear it, but we had.
“Ohhhhh,” she said, nodding thoughtfully, as everyone else burst into laughter.
“Y’all doing all this yapping and time finna be over with soon. Better put those final touches on your masterpieces,” Aunya called out, still swiping at her canvas with some crazy ass brush strokes like she was really over there creating something. I took one final look at my canvas, figuring I’d done the best I could do, and didn’t bother doing anything further. Bree, like Aunya, was still in deep concentration, focused on her canvas until the timer sounded, letting us know that the allotted time was up.
“Aight, y’all ready for judging?” Aunya said, clapping her hands as she stood.
“Wait…who is the judge?” Bree asked.
“Me, duh!” Aunya responded, grinning broadly.
“Ah hell, everybody else pack it up. She finna say her and Jay won,” Terrica, Aunya’s sister, called out, making us laugh again.
“Noooo, we’re not even included in the final competition,” Aunya insisted. “I promise I’ll be impartial.”
“Liar,” Bree muttered through a cough, then slapped hands with Terrica as they fell into each other laughing.
“Keep laughing and I’m DQing you hoes,” Aunya said with a pout. “Aight, who wanna go first?”
“Ladies first,” Jabo insisted.
“I’ll go,” Taylor piped up, standing and revealing her canvas with a flourish like she was about to show us something, but the khaki colored stick figure she unveiled garnered nothing but a room full of folks screaming and laughing. Aunya was the worst, pretending she had to catch her breath before she responded.
“You…uh, care to explain how that’s supposed to be Drew, Tay?”
“Girl, hell I don’t know. You know I’m not good at this,” Taylor said, laughing with the rest of us.
“There’s no way you spent forty-five minutes doing that, friend,” Terrica said, still giggling.
“Hell no, I did more sipping than painting for damn sure,” Taylor fired back. “I was not doing this mess with y’all tonight. Beep me 911 when we go back to doing Taboo at game night. I can’t with this.”
The rest of the girls went down the line, sharing their works and getting joked on by everyone until Bree was the last one left to reveal.
“Okay, Breezy, we saved the best for last! Your turn, sis. Wow us with your brilliance!” Aunya crowed.
“First of all, shoutout to Tay for making sure whatever came after her attempt shined bright like a diamond. Now…I gotta say… I think I captured the pure essence of my man,” Bree said proudly before turning her canvas for the rest of us to see.
“Say bruh, did you give my mans a gumby?” Trae, Terrica’s boyfriend who’d been quiet all night, said immediately.
That set everybody off again as we all took a closer look at Bree’s attempt at painting me.
“Breezy, would you like to… defend yourself? Did you, in fact, give our new friend Emory here a gumby?”
“Okay, so like…not on purpose. I got a little carried away with tryna replicate his curls, but the rest of it? I’m on point, don’t try to front on me. Look at that smooth chocolate skin, dark piercing eyes, the angular jaw. That’s my baby. I did that shit,” Bree said proudly, pointing a finger toward her canvas with her head angled to the side, daring anyone to challenge her pronouncement.
“I mean, if I squint my left eye and turn my head seventy-eight degrees to the right, I think I can see the vision,” Aunya said. “Okay, bestie, you did your one!”
“Bitch, did you just say she did her one ? Where’s the big?” Terrica choked out.
“Now now… Mama ain’t raise us to be liars, sisterrrrrr. Aight, fellas, I pray y’all give us something better than your better halves tried to do. Show us what you got, Michelangelo,” Aunya said to Drew.
Much like his lady’s, his shit left much to be desired. Hell, everybody’s did, which had me feeling a bit more confident in finally revealing mine. Clearly I had been judging myself a little too harshly because mine was the only one that somewhat resembled a human form. While it wasn’t the best representation of my girl, given a bit more time I probably could have come up with something way better, it was head and shoulders above the competition.
“Negro, did you even put the exact number of freckles she has on her nose onto the painting? Ah hell. Okay so the clear winner for the men is Emory,” Aunya said.
“I demand a recount,” Drew piped up immediately, making everyone laugh again.
I swear my damn stomach hurt because we’d been laughing and talking shit the whole night through. The way they welcomed me into their little circle so quickly, including the clowning they stayed doing amongst each other, had me feeling even more secure that this thing with me and Bree had some legs.
“Alright, Emory, here’s your prize,” Aunya said, sashaying my way with a little blue gift bag, leaning forward to whisper, “You might wanna wait until y’all leave to explore the contents.”
“Wait… which one of us girls won?” Taylor said.
“Baby, you know it wasn’t you,” Terrica responded instantly.
“Since all of y’alls were equally…unique, yeah let’s say that, I decided to keep that prize for myself,” Aunya said with a little smirk.
“See, I knew she was on bullshit,” Bree said immediately, her and Terrica going over to corner Aunya, trying to bully her into choosing a female winner.
“Ay, bruh,” Jabo said, leaning over toward me with a grin, “It’s still early enough for you to opt outta this crazy shit.”
I stared over at Bree, watching her and her girlfriends going back and forth fake arguing, then dissolving into a heap against one another as they all laughed. She was in her element, no pretense, no facade, just pure, unadulterated Aubreanna Marie Turner, and I was loving every second of it.
“Nah, man. That one right there? I’m on her real bad,” I replied.