Chapter 6 #2
I laughed, grateful for that. “You wanted a deep-fried fish sandwich. Right?”
“Yes, but I also said with the works, chef.”
“And I got you. Even though you didn’t tell me what the fuck the works was, Jade.
” I maneuvered through the city, eyes on the road going to this lil in the cut grocery store I frequented when I was here.
I didn’t much care for big stores, because everything had chemicals and was, nine times out of ten, processed.
Po’boys was this mom and pops minimarket that was a goldmine to me.
It had everything, though it didn’t look like too much of anything from the outside.
All of the produce was grown fresh and pesticide free, while their meat was from their own ranch on the outskirts of the city.
They were the true definition of farm to table.
I found a park on the street and eased in.
“Do you want me to pay for parking?” She had her phone up, in her hand in seconds.
“Nah, we won’t be long, beautiful.” I exited the car then went over to her side to let her out. Once she was out, I had her hand in mine, leading her toward the storefront.
“I’ve driven past this place a few times. Never thought to come in.” Excitement was evident in her tone. She was a breath of fresh air from Ashley in a lot of ways, but the main one being her ability to show interest in the things that excited me. She was genuinely interested.
We were in the store for all of three minutes before she got comfortable and started moving about the store on her own while I went immediately to the butcher and took a ticket.
“It smells so fresh in here.” Jade moved from aisle to aisle, putting shit in the handheld cart I had. Had I known she’d like the spot, I would’ve grabbed a real cart.
“It’s because everything is.” I smiled at her excitement.
She nodded. “I love it here.” Then her phone started ringing and she looked down at it before shaking her head. She was still getting calls out of nowhere. For the most part she ignored it, but I could tell it irritated her.
My number being called grabbed my attention while she once again disappeared into another aisle. I explained to the man behind the counter what I was looking to get while loosely keeping my eyes on her.
By the time we made it to the front to get checked out, Jade had filled this damn cart with some of everything, mostly flowers, but I didn’t mind. I liked seeing her in an enjoyment-filled space. I relished seeing this woman happy.
We checked out and moved toward the exit. We were headed back to her spot because we were closer and she wouldn’t have to rush out on me in the morning if I was at her spot.
The drive was brief which I was grateful for. City driving irritated me heavily, because obviously nobody knew the rules of the road, and everybody was so damn impatient. It always annoyed me to the fucking fullest.
“You seemed tense the entire ride,” she said when we were on the elevator on the way up to her spot.
“Because I don’t fuck with city driving. It doesn't seem like anybody has taken driver's ed and it’s too much going on.”
She nodded and the elevator opened seconds later. “If you wanted me to drive, you could’ve said that.”
I laughed. “Nah, baby. I’m not too convinced you can drive. You were just complaining about a random scratch on your car.”
“One that I could have very well gotten from somebody in the parking structure.” We turned the corner to her spot. We only had two bags, so when I got out, I grabbed them then opened the door. She was about to reach for one, but I shooed her away. “Man, lead the way.”
She snickered. “Fine, but you’re not gonna tell me I can’t drive. Even though I don’t like it, I do it all the time.”
“True, but you forgot I was on the phone with you when you had that lil road rage shit? Nah, I’m cool. I’ll keep doing the driving.” She pushed the automatic door button and we entered the lobby.
“That was one time…maybe three.”
“Exactly, so when we are together, I’ma do the driving.
” We stepped onto the elevator and I leaned against the back, eyes feasting on her fine ass.
She pressed the button and leaned against the side wall, checking her emails before she looked back at me, eyes traveling up and down my body from my head to my feet. Then she smirked.
“You may not wanna get me used to that because that’s a surefire way to have me spoiled.” She stepped off the elevator first and I followed.
“That’s cool too.” The moment I finished speaking, I peeped the nigga standing at her door. It was neither of her brothers because I didn’t recognize him. This nigga looked like a new age Norbit with that nut shit in his eyes. Apparently, she knew who he was.
“Hi, Jade.” He ignored my whole fucking presence, fixated on her. I didn’t like that at all.
“Hello, Ant. What are you doing here?” Her body went rigid, catching me off guard, something I didn’t like.
“Your internet is down again. I was coming by to check out the lines and make sure we can do a digital reboot.” His eyes never once left her, on some weird shit.
“Oden, this is Ant, the IT guy for the entire building. Our internet has been going out a lot lately.” Then she began fumbling for her keys as she stepped up to the door. “Uh. Okay. I asked them to let me know when you or anybody would be coming by. Right now, isn’t the best time. I hav?—”
“Nah, let the man do his job, baby. I’m sure he’ll be brief.” I looked directly at him and he cringed the moment I said baby. Yeah I’d be watching this nigga. Something was off.
“Uh. Okay,” she answered, opening the door for us to enter. Of course, when she stepped through, I watched his eyes. They immediately went to her ass. That shit was expected, as Jade was on the thick side, body crafted by a god whose sole intention was to gift this earth.
Upon entry, I went to the kitchen to set the bags down. She joined me there seconds later before I pulled her into my space. “How often does he find himself at your door?”
“As of lately a lot. My internet as well as a few of my neighbors have been shitty.”
I nodded. I believed her, but something about ol’ boy was off, and him just showing up to her spot didn’t sit well with me.
“I bet you don’t have to deal with that out where you live.”
“Shit I don’t. Don’t even have the internet. I barely have any type of cell towers.”
The expression on her face was fucking hilarious. It was like a deer caught in headlights. “On second thought, maybe it’s a good thing you haven’t invited me to visit you.”
“What? You gonna turn me down or something?” I turned around and placed her on the counter.
“Should I?”
“Nah, you ain’t. There’s many more things to do out there than you think. Be openminded and know I have every intention of keeping you busy when the time comes.”
“I am very openminded. Which is why I asked a question instead of giving a definite answer.”
I laughed. “We’ll see.”
She laughed as well, but before she could get any sort of statement out, I was leaning in and kissing her.
“All done. I should have you back up and running in no time, Jade.” He announced his presence. When I turned around, he was desperately trying to hide whatever was in those crazy ass eyes of his.
“Cool. Hopefully this stops happening, so you don’t have to keep running over here,” she responded politely.
That was just her, extremely nice to people, regardless of anything.
Earlier, when we left the store, there was a homeless guy begging for money.
He’d told her he was extremely homeless, which had me looking at his ass sideways, but her nah.
She handed the man the money and didn’t think twice.
She had one of those giving spirits, the type of heart that would give the clothes off her back if necessary.
I walked over and held the door open for ol’ boy, cause yeah, I didn’t play that standing around shit. Job was done, what the fuck else did he need?
Once ol’ boy left, I was back in her space. Seconds from voicing the possessiveness I felt in my chest, then I shook my head. It was too early for me to be this possessive over her, but I couldn’t fucking help it. “Keep that nigga out of your space, Jade.”
She grinned. “Okay, baby.” Though her lips held a grin, her eyes didn't, which had me nodding.
I commenced cooking a little later, while she kept me company, talking and tasting whatever I held to her lips. Halfway through the evening, she started receiving those damn calls again.
“You sure you don’t want to change your number?”
She sighed. “I fear I may have to. I just hate it because I have a lot connected to this number. I have had it for over five years.”
I nodded. “Understood. And you have no idea who it could be?”
“Nope. I’m not the type to have a stalker. I’m too…” She must’ve felt me looking at her because her sentence trailed off.
“You’re too what, love?”
“I don’t know. Too boring. I’m not the IG model type. I’m just me. Not stalker worthy at all. I’m a regular girl.”
I shook my head and continued to chop up the cabbage for coleslaw a little finer. “Trust me, that’s a damn lie.”
A knock at the door tabled whatever her response would be.
“I got it.” She rushed out of the room. Within seconds I heard her scream.
I dropped the knife and moved in her direction as fast as I could.
When I reached her, the door was open and her back was to me.
In front of the door was a silver trash can with a fire set in it.
I rushed back to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water before going back to her.
I threw water into the bin, putting the fire out. By then the fire alarm was going off.
I grabbed her, pulling her back into the house before I looked into the can.
Inside was what was left of a bouquet of roses and chocolate.
Both of those things dispelled her notion that she didn’t have a stalker.
Somebody was following her and had apparently gotten pissed with me being here with her.
“You've been in the city a lot lately. Are you moving back or something?” Kinga asked, leaned over, head inside of his old-school.
“Nah. I’m feeling something out. What’s up?
” I had just come from taking Aja to practice.
I was about to get on the road to go home when my brother called my name.
I’d been out here for almost a week, fucking around with Jade.
After that shit the other day, I made her go to my spot for a minute until her building could figure out how they didn’t have footage of a whole can burning outside her door.
Had I not seen that shit myself, I’d be looking crazy too, but it happened.
No matter how much she fought me on it, I wasn’t leaving her in that condo, especially because she kept downplaying it and refused to tell her brothers.
“Feeling something out? That sounds like you tryna keep secrets from me.” He grunted, standing up straight and moving to the tool chest a few feet from him.
“Nah, I’m grown. I don't keep secrets. I’m just seeing where something is going. I can’t do that?”
He laughed. “Do what you please, bro. Your happiness is mine and I love seeing it on you.”
I waved him off. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t. It’s cool to keep that shit a secret for now, but soon you’ll be telling me what’s up or letting us meet her.”
“You already know her, but I feel you.”
He tilted his head to the side. “I already know her. Who I already know?” He looked so damn confused that I thought about not telling his all-knowing ass.
“Jade.”
He looked like he was thinking then it hit him. I could tell exactly when it did too. “Yo, you fucking them niggas’ sister?”
I laughed at the way he was looking at me. “Not fucking her. Well not in the way you’re thinking. I’m kicking it with her.”
He waved me off with the rag he used to wash his hands. “Do me a favor. Don’t say kicking it no more. You’re too fucking old to be speaking like that.”
I shook my head. “Well I’m digging her.”
“Even worse.”
“Well shit, I ain’t got no more descriptions. It is what it is and she ain’t just them niggas’ sister. She’s a beautiful, capable woman.” Who I happened to enjoy having under me. I didn’t say that last part aloud.
“Ah shit.” Kinga shook his head with a smirk, digging into his pocket. When he pulled his phone out, he did some tapping before the phone began ringing aloud.
“Who are you calling?” I was completely confused at this point.
Seconds later, a male voice answered. “Yeah, Kinga.” Sora’s sleep-laced tone filled the space.
“This nigga done did it again.” He seemed so amused.
“Who did what again?”
“Your brother. He done fell his ‘I gotta fall in love’ ass in love again.” Kinga laughed into the phone.
Sora laughed. “For real? With who? Y’all met her? Where is he at right now?”
“Right here. He hears you and I’ma let him tell you that much.” My brother held his phone out and I damn sure didn’t take it.
“The whole time you can’t even get down on him because you were gone off Harlem the moment you laid eyes on her hostile ass in the shop giving your employees hell.
Remember that? You were knocking the spare change out of a nigga’s pockets over her by five that same damn day. Nigga, you really can’t talk.”
I laughed and so did my brother.
“Yo, shut the fuck up. That was different.” Kinga attempted to defend his stance before ultimately hanging the phone up on our baby brother.
“Tried to clown me and ended up getting your ass clowned, huh?”
He waved me off and I laughed. “Harlem caught me by surprise. Y’all know I wasn’t looking for shit I found.”
I nodded. “Well, you're good at it. Spending less time out in the city streets and more at home with your family. That’s a good look.”
He nodded. “Streets will always be a part of me, but I ain’t running them no more. I got way too much to lose out there being fast and loose with life.”