23. Halo
Halo
Two weeks later
E verything had been hectic. I’d been applying to almost every opening I’d seen, in hopes that I could find something, and was still jobless. The pressure was on. Bills were going to roll around soon, and I didn’t have any money to pay anything. It was frustrating.
Practice, looking for a job, and studying was tiring as hell. I hadn’t had much time to do anything else.
My phone rang, and I swiped it from the coffee table. Relaxing back on the couch with my right leg underneath me, I swiped the screen and placed the phone to my ear. “Hey, Ma,” I answered.
“Hey, baby girl. I was just calling to check in on you. How are you?”
“If I’m being honest, I’m stressed, but I’m making it.”
“Still no job?”
“No. It’s so hard. That’s why I was holding on to the other one.”
“I have faith that you’ll find something soon. Don’t give up.”
“I won’t. How are you holding up though?”
“I’m doing fine. I’ve started my treatment. I just be tired as hell most days.”
“I know, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
There was a knock at my front door. Getting up, I stepped over to it and looked through the peephole. Some guy stood on the other side with this huge bouquet of red roses. It looked like dozens bunched together.
“Ma, let me call you back,” I said and slowly eased the phone down from my ear and then disconnected the call. Pulling the door open, I peeked around it.
“Halo Carter?” the guy asked.
“Yes.”
“These are for you.” He handed me the flowers and then strolled away from the door. I pushed the door up behind him and locked it. Sticking out the flowers, I saw a white card. I took the flowers into the kitchen, removed the card, and then placed the flowers on the counter. Opening the card, I read it.
Be ready at six. I’m sending a car for you. -Joker
My cheeks burned from smiling so hard. I slid the card on the counter and grabbed my new vase from under that cabinet. After I received flowers the last time, I went out and got a bigger one. I’m not sure if it was going to be big enough for all those flowers though. I might have to split them up.
After putting the flowers in the vase, I went into my bedroom to see if I had something to toss on. Joker wanted to take me out at such short notice. I had to see if Krissy would be able to keep Brave for me. If not, I was trotting across the hallway and asking Mrs. Maple. He wasn’t thinking about Brave when he made those plans. It also must’ve slipped his mind that I wasn’t working anymore and couldn’t pay anyone to keep him.
Going to Krissy’s contact, I pressed the phone icon and put the phone on speaker. The call connected after the third ring. “Hey, girl,” she said.
“Hey. What were you doing?”
“I’m at work right now.”
“You getting off at the usual time?”
“I was actually about to get off soon. Something wrong?”
“No. Joker just asked me on a date. I don’t know what I’m going to wear or who is going to keep Brave.”
“If that’s your way of asking me to keep him, you know I will. I don’t have any plans tonight. As far as the outfit, if you want, I can bring you something over out my closet.”
“You will?” The corner of my mouth quirked. Krissy and I damn near wore the same size clothes, so me fitting something of hers wouldn’t be an issue.
“Yeah. I’ll run by the house and see what I have in there. What time do you have to be ready?”
“Six.”
“Okay. I have more than enough time. I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed. Stepping to my mirror on my dresser, I examined my hair. It was frizzy. I don’t even remember the last time I washed it. Since I didn’t have any money to go get it done, I was going to wash it and silk press it myself.
Stepping out the room, I grabbed a towel out of the linen closet and the shampoo. I went into the kitchen, turned on the water in the sink, and waited ’til it was the perfect temperature before removing my scrunchie and then placing my head underneath. I washed and conditioned my hair. After I was done, I went into my bedroom.
My heart skipped beats in my chest. I was nervous about going on a date with Joker. This was going to be our first date. After he told me that I belonged to him, I’d been waiting for him to show me. He kinda went distant, which had me thinking that I pushed him away. That shit between him and Jah had Jah acting funny toward me. He hadn’t been hanging around the building anymore, and the last time I saw him out on the streets, he looked at me and went the other way. I felt bad for him. I knew how much he liked me, but I just didn’t like him like that; plus, my mind had been on Joker lately. Getting with him wouldn’t even be fair to him if my mind was stuck on someone else.
Getting my flat irons and all my hair products, I proceeded to do my hair. By the time I was done, I received a message from Krissy.
Kris: I got the dress and I’m picking up Brave now. We’ll be there in a few.
Me: Thank you so much.
I know I’ve said it a million times, but I honestly don’t know where I’d be without Krissy. That girl was really a lifesaver.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the front door. I scurried and opened it to be met by Brave’s smiling face. “Hey, Mrs. Maple,” Krissy said from the hallway as I stepped out the way to let Brave into the house.
“Hey, baby. How you doing?” Mrs. Maple asked Kris.
“I’m good.” Kris appeared in the doorway with a red dress hanging over her arm. “Why you looking like that?” she questioned me.
“I’m nervous as hell. You know this is my first date in a long time.”
“Everything is going to be just fine. Stop overthinking. Here.”
She handed me the dress and I went into my bedroom to start getting dressed while Brave packed his things to spend the night with Kris. I placed the dress on the bed without even looking to see what it was she handed me and went into the closet to find a pair of shoes to wear with it. Grabbing a pair of gold pumps and a gold handbag, I placed them on the bed and went into the bathroom to start the shower.
“I’m happy for you, you know,” Kris said from the bathroom doorway. I turned and faced her as the water steamed up the bathroom. “You put your fear to the side and are finally going after what you’ve always wanted. I’m proud of you.”
“Let’s just hope that it’s not a mistake.”
“You gotta have faith. I’ll call you later and see how everything went.”
After she and Brave left, I jumped in the shower, lotioned my body, and got dressed. Once I was done, I got a notification on my phone about a Lyft coming to pick me up. I stepped to the mirror to check out my outfit. The red bodycon dress Kris gave me looked as if it was made for me, hugging my every curve. Grabbing my bag, I exited the apartment. I stood out front, everyone eyeing me as I waited for my ride.
“You wrong as hell how you did Jah,” one of the guys said as he posted against the wall. I wanted to ask him how he knew what happened, but all they did was be nosey and gossip out here.
“I didn’t do anything to Jah,” I simply answered as a gray Tahoe pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of me. I looked down at the name on the screen and locked eyes with the driver. “Marco?” I asked, trying to make sure it was the correct person.
“Yes, ma’am.” I gripped the handle of the truck and pulled the back door open.
“That karma gon’ get yo’ ass,” the guy said as I climbed into the truck.
Though I believed in karma, I hadn’t done anything wrong for me to be paying a debt. He was mad at me as if I turned his ass down.
The truck pulled out the parking lot. I sat there, watching as they zoomed in and out of traffic, trying to figure out where I was going ’til the truck pulled into the parking lot of Firebirds. I didn’t even know the place was out here. Never heard of it before.
“Thank you,” I said when the truck came to a halt and I stepped down out of it. I tugged at the hem of my dress as I turned and approached the revolving door. I entered and the hostess beamed a smile at me.
“How many?”
My eyes roamed the dimly lit restaurant. The first thing I saw was the bar. From where I stood, I couldn’t see the dining area, so I wasn’t certain if Joker had already made it here or not.
“I’m meeting someone here.”
“What’s the name on the reservation?”
“I’m not sure if he used Joker or Knox.” Her right brow arched to her hairline when I said his name, and then her eyes went to the tablet.
“I see a reservation for Knox. Your party hasn’t arrived yet, but I can go ahead and seat you.”
“Okay.”
She grabbed a couple menus then stepped from behind the podium. I thought it was strange how he told me to be ready at a certain time and he wasn’t even here yet.
I followed her through the restaurant ’til we got to a table with a booth. She placed the menus on the table and said, “Your waitress will be right with you,” and then bounced away from the table. I scooted into the booth and picked up the menu to skim over while I waited for Joker. My eyes damn near bulged out of my head when I saw the prices.
“He had to have lost his mind,” I said, mumbling. This place was expensive as hell. May not have been pricey to someone else, but it was to me. Some plates were twenty-something dollars.
“Hey, my name is Lex. I’ll be your server for the evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?”
I was so engrossed in the prices that I didn’t even realize that she was standing there. “No. I’ll order once he arrives,” I told her, and she nodded.
“Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
I sat there and waited for Joker. I waited for what seemed like forever, and he still hadn’t shown up. Pulling my phone out my purse, I went to his contact and pressed the phone icon and then placed it to my ear. It went straight to voicemail. Thinking that maybe he was on the phone, I waited a couple seconds before doing it again. Still nothing but the voicemail. Going to the text thread, I sent him a message.
Hey, I was waiting for you at the restaurant. I’m not sure what’s going on, if you’re running late or not. Call me.
Not delivered. I just know I wasn’t blocked. I remembered when dealing with Nutt, every time he got mad at me, he’d put me on the blocklist. I hadn’t done anything to piss Joker off and he didn’t seem like the type of man that’d play those sorts of games. After sitting there for ten more minutes, I got up from the table and exited the building. I didn’t have the money to order another ride, so I found myself standing at the bus stop. The two people who were there as well eyed me but didn’t say a word.
Five minutes later, the bus pulled up. We stepped on, paid, and then found a seat. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sat there with my head resting against the window. This was one of the most embarrassing things ever. I don’t know if Joker was trying to play some sick joke on me or what, but it wasn’t funny.
It took me an hour to make it back home. I walked into the parking lot. Rocks sticking me in the feet because they were so sore from the pumps that I had to take them off. Kids ran around the parking lot tossing a football. It was dark outside. I’ll never understand how their parents were so comfortable with them being out here like this. I jumped back and halted as one ran across my path.
“Sorry,” he tossed over his shoulder and kept running.
I stepped to the entrance and grabbed the doorknob. All I heard was, “Aye,” coming from behind me. When I turned around, I was faced with the homeless man. He reached his hand in my direction and yanked my necklace from my neck. This man took off running as if he ran track in school. I ran behind him, but he was going so fast that I couldn’t keep up. Stopping, I doubled over, gasping for air. “Wait, wait, my son gave me that,” I said as if he could hear me.