Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Ramel
“No disrespect, Pops, but what makes you think I need your permission to call off a wedding I don’t want to be a part of? I told you from the beginning I wasn’t down with this marriage. I played along because I wanted to bring honor to the family, but what has the family ever done for me?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It seems like I’m the only one making sacrifices so you can see the dream you have for yourself come true. You want to control my life so you can have the one you want. Everything from my career choice down to the woman I marry, you want to have your hand in it.”
Hearing that must have caught my pops off guard because he was silent. I knew it was the career part that had him too stunned to speak because not only did I choose my own career, I did it behind his back. But I was tired of doing stuff behind his back.
I was a grown man, and if I was going to be a grown man, I had to stand up to my pops and act like one.
I was no longer letting him call the shots.
He could call the shots in his family, but I was old enough to start my own, so that meant I no longer had to be attached to him, if that was the way he wanted it.
“Look, I know this move would help the family, but I’m not even thinking about the family right now. I’m thinking about me. It’s time I made decisions that I could live with, and that’s just not one of them.”
“You wait one minute.”
“Alright, Pops. I got to go.” I cut him off and hung up the phone as Top and Cap walked through the door.
Top, Cap, and I made up the leadership in Alpha company, and the last thing I wanted was for them to hear me on the phone arguing with my Pops. I did a good job of keeping my work life and personal life separate.
No one in the unit knew anything about me outside of work.
I hung out with them, and I did the best I could to make personal connections, but I was always one to separate my life from the Army.
I always felt like whatever I had going on outside of this uniform, I needed to keep it that way because once the personal life mixed with the uniform, that was when shit got fucked up, and I never wanted my life to be mixed or mingled.
“Damn, homie. We ain’t want to make you get off the phone with your girl. We see you deep in that cake conversation.”
“Nah, it’s not even like that. Just some family drama I’m having.”
“Old private ass nigga. I didn’t even know you had a family. Did you, Top?” Cap asked, sitting on top of the desk across from me.
“Nah, I can’t say that I do.” Top was an old-school dude.
He didn’t care one way or another what I had going on at home as long as I didn’t bring it to work.
It was cool with him, but Cap was always concerned about the unit’s welfare.
He cared about his soldiers way more than any leader I had ever seen, and I was no different.
Although I was the only other officer in the unit, he cared about me just as much as he did the enlisted soldiers.
I had to do a double job to keep him out of my business because he was always trying to put two and two together, especially when he felt like life wasn’t going the way it needed to be for you to come to work on your A game.
“Anything I could help with?” Cap asked, just as I knew he would.
“Nah, Cap, I’m good, but if I need something, I’ll let you know.” I gave him the same line I always did, and he respected it, but I knew he was always watching my back, even when I didn’t want him to.
I’d finished up all my work for the day, and I was really just sitting in there, waiting for them to finish up.
Now that I knew everybody was good, I was getting ready to head out, but first I needed to check with them, make sure they didn’t need anything before I did.
“I’m about to shut it down for the day. Anybody need anything before I go? ”
“I’m good,” Top said, barely looking up from his phone. His girl had his nose wide open. I could tell he had tapped out for the day, too. He was just waiting for us to walk out first.
“Cool. What about you, Cap? Need me to do anything before I go?”
“No, I’m good too. I saw your report come across my desk earlier today, so that’s pretty much it for me. You got anything for me? Because I’m right behind you.”
“No, I’m good. I have a few things to run by you, but it can wait until Monday morning.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
“Alright, sir. Have a good weekend,” I tossed back before grabbing my stuff and walking out.
I didn’t mean to be as short with them as I was, but that phone call with my dad pissed me off.
No matter how much I tried to stress to him that I was my own man, he insisted on trying to treat me like a little ass boy.
Our conversation had me needing a pick-me-up, and I knew just where I wanted it from.
Gina had been working at the diner for a few days now, and I’d memorized her schedule.
I knew I could always pop in there and check her out, and she’d be wearing that same smile she always sported around me.
We didn’t get off to the best start, but now that I was getting to know her, I could see why her walls were up so high.
Gina needed to know that she had someone in her corner who wouldn’t leave.
It was as if she could feel my presence when I walked through the door; as soon as she placed her customer’s plate on the table, her eyes met mine.
The smile that creased her lips let me know she was happy to see me.
I couldn’t tell if she gave it to me unwillingly, but even so, I was cool with it as long as I got it.
I smiled back before swagging over and taking a seat at a booth in her section. I ain’t want nobody else waiting for me. Now that she worked there, she was my personal waitress.
“What you want to eat today, Mr. Method?” she asked as she came over with a pad in hand.
“You.” I looked her dead in the eyes as I spoke because she needed to know I was dead fucking serious. I was so serious that I could already taste her juices on my lips.
I ran my tongue across my lips to savor the taste my mind had conjured up. A shimmer of lust flashed in her eyes before she cast them toward the ground. She wanted to blush, but she didn’t.
She was tough as hell, and I understood why. Still, understanding didn’t stop me from wanting to break down every wall she had up. I wanted to be the person to show her they weren’t needed. I knew that from the first moment I laid eyes on her in that bar.
In that moment, I was still tied to someone else, whether I wanted to be or not. Facts were facts, but now that I’d officially called off the wedding, I had the time and space I needed to make Gina mine. If she wanted me to chase her, I’d run full speed every day.
“How much longer you got?” I asked.
“I’m actually about to get off. I was just going to take your order before I left.”
“No need. I’m not even hungry. I came here to see you.”
There was that smile again. This time, she took the piece of hair that had fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. Gina was beautiful from every angle, but her side profile made a nigga weak. Her deep ass dimples added even more sex appeal to her already sexy ass.
“Okay, let me clock out, and I’ll come back and sit down.”
“Cool. I’ll be here.”
It didn’t take Gina long to come from out of the back and take her seat across from me.
I could just look at her as the time passed by, and it made me feel better, but I loved hearing her voice too.
Everything about her was perfect, and just looking at her calmed me.
I was happy to be able to come over here and be in her presence.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“So you could just tell something’s wrong by looking at me?”
“Yeah, kind of. I could tell you’re not your normal self.”
“Yeah, I just got some family stuff going on.”
“Don’t we all?”
“Yeah, I guess we do. What you got planned for the day?”
“I still have two more songs that I want to put on my demo. I was going to try to look for a recording studio that I can use in town. I know y’all don’t have much around here, but if I could find something, that’s all I need to wrap this thing up.
I want to start getting it out to labels as soon as I can. ”
“You may be in luck.”
“How so?”
“I dabbled in music a little while back, so I got a little recording studio in my apartment. I could help you out if you want.”
“Seriously? What are the odds that I run into somebody with a recording studio in their home? I guess I really am supposed to do this.”
“With a voice like yours, you never should have doubted that. God wouldn’t give you a gift like the one you have and not expect you to use it.”
I wasn’t even sure if I still knew how to work all the shit I had in my home studio. I’d bought it on a whim when I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Making beats had always fascinated me, so I figured I would start there.
Music kind of took a back seat when I joined the Army, though. Still, I was willing to figure the shit out for her. The more time I spent with Gina, the more I wanted to fulfill every need she had. So, if she needed someone to help her out in the studio, I would find a way to make it happen.
“Check this out. Since we get off around the same time, how about we start tomorrow after work? That will give me time to get everything situated in there tonight. I probably got to dust some shit off since it’s been so long since I even played around with it.”
She chuckled at that, and I did the same.
I knew the small studio I’d made of my guest bedroom wasn’t too messy, because I took pride in keeping my space clean.
I hated clutter, and I couldn’t sleep knowing parts of my house were out of order.
Still, I wanted to get in there and at least make sure everything was still working as it was supposed to.
“Oh my God, thank you so much. I really appreciate your help.”
“Don’t mention it. I’ve been saving your life since you came to this town.”
“Whatever.” She playfully slapped my shoulder as she giggled, and just her touch had me counting down the minutes until I saw her again.
“Alright, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then.”