Chapter 28 #3
From the hallway, I heard him worriedly say, “Come to her. I unintentionally triggered her. Get her to see a therapist, Thiago. The money gon’ be on the counter. As many sessions as she need, make sho’ she get help.”
?????????
“You lookin’ better, guh,” Thiago spoke, wiping spaghetti sauce from my face.
“Thanks.” I exhaled, feeling a little better. This early-morning mishap took me so low that I wasn’t sure I would come up for air. I didn’t fall asleep peacefully in his arms until the sun broke through the sky.
“Momma havin’ a toddler sleepover at her crib. Azaria’s been invited. Is it cool if I tell Momma she can stay over?” Thiago asked warmly, twirling the fork in his fettuccine noodles.
Nodding, I said, “Of course. She’s about the closest person to a grandmother for her.”
“Yep.” He nodded, relaxing back on the bench and staring into my eyes.
“What’s up?” I asked, twirling the fork into my angel-hair noodles.
“May I stay over tonight?”
Nodding, I said, “I would like that. Scrabble?”
Proudly, he cheesed. “Battleship, too?”
“Of course.” I grinned, eager to hear him hiss that I sank his ship.
“Should we include addin’ the stuff we bought fo’ Angelette’s room?” he asked slowly as a petite woman with fluffy, loosely curled hair, nastily hollered his name.
“Ah shit. Her ass,” he growled, closing his eyes and slumping back on the bench.
“What, Melanie?” he voiced through gritted teeth as the chick landed at our table and rolled her eyes at me.
“Bitch, better check your eye muscles before I make sure they never work again,” I spat loudly, causing Thiago to open his eyes and sit upright.
“Melanie, chill. Mona, this my cousin Melanie,” he rushed to say standing as the bitch pointed at me.
“Sooo, I’m very late in receiving the news that you left your wife for someone else’s ex-wife.
What the fuck, Thiago? You are known for doing irrational shit, but to leave your wife for someone’s ex trash is wild!
” the bitch hollered, causing all the demons in me to rise swiftly before Thiago could blink.
Growling, I slung the plate of spaghetti at the bitch’s head as if it were a boomerang. When it connected to her temple, the bitch’s body logged out.
“Gotdamn it, Mona! That was a lot of pressure behind that toss!” Thiago hollered, catching his cousin as I slid his plate before me.
Clapping my feet, I giggled. “Sure was. According to last night’s science lessons, the right temple, if damaged, can cause eye problems, thinking issues, poor blood circulation, and difficulties moving the jaw.
I really enjoyed science last night. Maybe before Scrabble, we can partake in more learning about the body?
Narrowing his eyes, which were filled with love, Thiago’s gold teeth showed when he hissed, “Get yo’ fine ass home.
I’mma get her to wherever an’ be on my way to yo’ crib.
It’s a long night fo’ what you just did.
Momma finna have a time fussin’ at me fo’ not being quick enough to snatch my cousin from gettin’ concussed an’ possibly have a lil brain trauma from a swift ass jackguh. ”
Eating his food, I nodded. “I’ll be looking forward to a long ass night with you. I’m disturbed in more ways than one.”
“I bet yo’ ass is,” he hissed as I stood with his plate and slurped more noodles into my mouth.
Looking down at the pretty bitch coming around to the land of consciousness, I cheesed like Azaria after I’ve hollered to bring me the ass-whooping belt. Thiago howled in laughter and pulled his cousin closer to him.
“You should be careful how you talk to a pregnant woman. We get passes on a lot of shit. Anywho, enjoy your day, concussed bitch,” I snarled, dropping her cousin’s food on her face.
“Go now!” Thiago barked, rushing to grab a napkin while the bitch screeched.
“I’m on it,” I grinned wickedly, dropping the plate on the dumb bitch’s head.
“Gotdamn it, woman!” Thiago hollered as I winked and sashayed from the table without giving a figgly fuck about customers or the workers’ eyes on me.
“Don’t forget to tip our waiter greatly, honey buns!” I shouted through a smile, raising my arm and waving at the man I was sure watched me walk away.
Once in the sunny, breezy atmosphere, Gourdon Bank’s “Keep You in Mind” blasted dangerously loud from my right. For some strange reason, I felt August Senior was near, scoping and smoking a blunt. My heart galloped, and fingers curled into my palm as I wasn’t sure if my eyes needed to land on him.
Looking to my right, I saw the dark-tinted, deep-black SUV he’d been traveling in parked by a tree.
My legs wouldn’t move as my breathing slowed and grew unsteady.
My fingers twitched faster as the driver’s door opened.
The strong wind carried the thick, white smoke from the vehicle as August Senior stepped out, never removing his eyes from me.
Various emotions blanketed me, but only one sat on me the heaviest. Desire. For what, I wasn’t certain until he stood before the truck, apologetically and lovingly looking in my direction. The sun kissed the shirtless man, dressed in black Dickie jean and his feet stuffed into black combat boots.
“Jesus, he looks powerfully disastrous and delectable,” I mumbled as he tucked his left thumb into the waistline of his jeans and blew me a kiss. Without thinking, I tossed him one back.
Nodding, he chunked the deuces and walked toward the driver’s door.
I wanted to call him, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
He was right; we weren’t ready for the next stages of whatever lingered between us.
He was fixing himself; it was only right that I did the same.
Angelette deserved to come into a chaos-free world between her parents, whether we reunited or not.
As he drove slowly from the parking slot, he beat the block down with Pastor Troy featuring Ralph’s “Dope Boy”.
Immediately, I received strength in my legs.
My breathing returned to normal as I ran from the Italian eatery, held my stomach with my left hand, and retrieved my keys from my right pocket.