Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
Perrae
I looked over the baby tee and fitted jeans I wore. Fortune was on his way over to fix my garbage disposal. I did need his help.
Something surely appeared to be stuck inside of there. I wasn’t sure, so I called in the expert. Plus, I couldn’t wait to see him again.
He’d been on my mind since we’d met. I knew I shouldn’t start anything with him. I never flirted or engaged with my male customers, but this one had me in a tizzy.
I exited my room and headed downstairs. My home was clean and smelled good, but the only thing out of place was the overflowing garbage. I walked back to the stairs.
“JJ, get your butt down here and take the garbage out!” I shouted upstairs.
I stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited. Minutes passed and he finally emerged from his room with his long locks flowing past his chest. I locked JJ’s long hair when he was nine, and now it was even longer.
“Boy, didn’t I tell you to take that trash out last night? What happened?”
“My bad, Mama. I got distracted playing the game. I’m in a tournament online.”
“I understand, baby, but can you please do as I ask? There are long days that I work, and I need y’all help.”
He nodded. “You right, Mama. I’ll do better.”
I grinned. “Thanks, baby. Now hurry up. The contractor is on his way to fix our sink.”
“I got you.” JJ raced past me and took care of the trash.
That boy worked my nerves, but he was still my baby. I walked into the living room and turned on the TV before I took a seat on the couch. It felt so good to be off today.
I didn’t have any appointments until tomorrow. Just when I’d gotten comfortable on the couch, JJ stormed into the room.
“Mama, I can’t take out the trash.”
“Why not, JJ?”
“Our garbage bin is filled outside. It wasn’t like that yesterday.”
“What the hell?” I slipped back into my slides and walked outside to our trash bin. It was just like he said. Black garbage bags were piled in our bin.
My bags were purple because I liked the lavender scented bags. I looked at my neighbor’s bin. His bin was stacked with black garbage bags just like the ones that filled mine.
I knew this man did not put his trash bags in my bin. Before I stormed over to his place, I pried a hole in a bag and rummaged through the trash until I came across one piece of letter mail with his name and address on it. We hadn’t officially met, but we’d waved here and there.
He looked like a lazy and dirty ass bum. Every time I saw him, he was drunk and stumbling. He had a little boy that looked as if he was the same age as my girls.
His yard was also filled with trash and very close to spilling on my grass. It looked as if we needed to have a chat. That little boy looked unkempt as well. Today, my neighbor had a hard lesson to learn. I looked at JJ.
“Help me take this shit to our neighbor’s house.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Together, we removed the four bags from my bin and marched over to his place. We set the bags on his porch, and I rang the doorbell repeatedly until shuffling could be heard on the other side of the door. Seconds passed before the door was snatched open.
JJ and I stepped back. A putrid smell hit our noses at the same time. What the hell? How was they living like that?
“Why the hell are you ringing my doorbell so damn early?” he quizzed with an attitude and an apparent hangover.
“Aye, bro. Watch how you talk to my mama,” JJ voiced with bass in his throat.
I turned to him. “Thank you, Son. I’ll handle it. Stand back there.”
He did as I instructed.
I looked back at my neighbor. “Are you Myron Burrs?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Good. Now I know I’m speaking to the right person. First of all, it’s the afternoon and not the morning time. Secondly, I’m your next-door neighbor. You have unlawfully and without permission placed your trash in my bin.
“Lucky for you, I’m a good person because I brought yo’ shit back to you. Don’t let that happen again, or we’re going to have a bigger problem. While we’re on the subject of trash, please clean your yard so your trash doesn’t land on my property. This is me asking nicely.”
He smacked his lips. His beady brown eyes bore into mine, but I refused to let him intimidate me.
I might’ve been a woman, but there was no way in hell I’d let another man push me around.
As a concealed carrier, I carried real heat in my house.
I hoped he didn’t find himself on the other end of one of my weapons.
Myron looked like a man capable of anything. As if he didn’t care about a thing. I hoped he heeded my warning because I was not opposed to calling the police. “Anything else?” he queried in a nasty tone.
“That’s all I got. I hope you heard me clearly.”
“I did, now fuck off my porch!” he stated loudly.
I snatched open his screen door and glared at him. His body jostled from the sudden movement. I looked him dead in his eyes, ignoring the horrific smell that floated from his home and breath.
“Watch how the fuck you talk to me. That shit might work on the people in your circle, but not me. Please don’t get shit twisted because I’m a woman. Nonsense like this makes me trigger happy. Now you remember what the fuck I said.”
He snarled at me. I didn’t care. That shit didn’t bother me. As long as he heard what the hell I said. “Let’s go, JJ.”
Together we walked down Myron’s stairs. When I looked up, a utility like SUV was parked in front of my house.
A wide grin broke out across my face at the sight of Fortune’s fine ass. My eyes wandered over his black, short sleeve button-up with his company’s logo patch and his dark blue utility pants and boots. Fortune looked even better in a uniform.
His brows were merged together as he walked up to me. “Hey, beautiful. Is everything okay?” He used a white cloth to wipe his forehead.
“Hey, Fortune. Everything is good. Why do you ask?”
“You had a mug on your face as you walked away from your neighbor.”
I nodded. “Yeah, there was a disagreement. My son, JJ, discovered he was throwing his trash in our bin. After our chat, I hope we’re on the same page.”
Fortune nodded. “Me too.” He looked away from me and at Myron, who still stood in his doorway. When he saw us watching him, he slammed his door closed.
I looked back at Fortune. “Well, there’s that. Fortune, I’d like for you to meet my son, JJ. JJ, meet my contractor friend I told you about. His name is Fortune.”
“Nice to meet you, JJ,” Fortune expressed, holding out his hand.
“Same here, man,” JJ professed, shaking his hand.
“Now that we’re all acquainted, let’s take this inside. JJ, now that there’s room, please get the garbage out, son.”
“Yes, ma’am.” JJ jogged inside our home first.
When we made it inside, I turned to Fortune. “Welcome to my home. Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“Thank you, but no thank you. I’m good, beautiful. Once I leave here, I have one more client, then I have to pick up Madison. I’m saving my appetite for our dinner date tonight.”
I cheesed. “Aww, how sweet. I love that for her.”
“Yeah, I got her spoiled rotten.” He placed his tool bag on my kitchen island and walked over to the sink. “How you feeling? How’s your day going?” he quizzed.
“Not too bad. I can’t complain. What about you?”
“It’s better now that I’m here.”
“What happened?” I inquired.
“I just finished dealing with a complicated customer. Customers like that work my nerves because nothing makes them happy because they’re constantly changing their minds. I’m just glad the job is done.” He exhaled.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m glad things have turned around for you.”
He winked at me. “Me too.” He flipped on the switch to the garbage disposal. The kitchen was filled with loud noises from my broken machine.
Fortune quickly cut it off. “It looks like something is in there. I’m going under your sink to find out.”
“Alright.”
Fortune pulled on his work gloves, grabbed some kind of tool and a small flashlight, then lowered under my sink. My chin rested on my clasped hands. I couldn’t help but to admire his big body while he tinkered under my sink.
Goodness. What I wouldn’t give to saddle on top of his big body. I might’ve been single and celibate, but I surely remembered my way around a man’s body. I wanted it to be Fortune’s body that I found my way around.
Light shuffles in the kitchen pulled me from my horny thoughts. My twins walked into the kitchen with their tablets. “Hey, Mommy. What you doing?” Tahiri asked.
“I’m waiting for my friend to tell me what happened to the garbage disposal since you two won’t,” I answered.
Tahari climbed onto the seat next to me. “Well, what we do know is that it wasn’t me. I was taking a nap.” She went back to her tablet. The girls were a minute apart, and Tahiri was the oldest.
“I said the same thing,” Tahari voiced, making herself comfortable on the other side of me.
I shook my head. They were too much. “Well, I tell you both this. If it happens again, both of you will wash the dishes for a month straight without using the dishwasher.”
They looked up from their tablets and at me simultaneously.
“Mommy, you serious?” Tahari inquired.
“Yup. You all need to appreciate the things we have. I work hard to provide a better lifestyle for you all, and you all need to understand that and appreciate what we have more. We all on the same page?”
They nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” they answered in unison.
“Good girls. Now since I’m off today, how about we cuddle up on the couch and have a movie day?”
“Ooh, Mommy, I’m down. Can we binge the Jurassic Park series?” Tahari questioned with stars in her eyes. She was my little science fiction lover.
“Girl, no. I’m not in the mood to be watching no dinosaurs. Let’s binge the Marvel Universe timeline,” Tahiri offered.
Tahari rolled her eyes. “I’m tired of Marvel movies too.”
“Since y’all can’t choose, I will. Y’all can choose the snacks though.”
“Something’s better than nothing,” Tahari voiced.
Tahiri shrugged along with her. I couldn’t with those two.
Fortune rose from the floor and looked at my girls and me. “Wow! You three look like triplets. I know they’re twins, but they look just like you.”
I blushed. “Thank you. I get that all the time. Fortune, meet my daughters, Tahari and Tahiri. Girls, this is mommy’s friend, Fortune.”
“Nice to meet you, girls.”
“Hello,” they replied at the same time.
“Spoken like real twins,” Fortune confessed. “Okay. I found your problem. There was silverware trapped on the inside.” He raised the fork and spoon coated in peanut butter for me to see.
“That sounds about right.” I looked at Tahiri. “Ma’am, I’m not sure about the fork, but the spoon is definitely your doing. Nobody in here eats spoonfuls of peanut butter but you.”
“Sorry, Mommy.”
“Apology accepted. Please don’t let it happen again.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she replied, nodding her head adamantly.
I looked back at Fortune. “Thank you again for your help. I truly appreciate it.”
“You’re more than welcome, but I have a different thank you in mind.”
I raised my brow.
He chuckled. “It’s nothing like that. I was wondering if I can take you out this weekend?”
Tahari’s and Tahiri’s heads and eyes immediately snapped in my direction. They giggled just like girls did. I shook my head and gave him my attention.
“I’m not sure, Fortune. I haven’t been on a date in years.”
He smirked. “Well, looky here. I’m blessed to be the man you ready to spend your time with and give your attention to,” Fortune bragged.
I giggled like my girls, and that made them laugh harder. They hadn’t seen me like this in forever. “Fortune, I haven’t even agreed yet, and already you shipping us.”
“I’m a man that knows what he wants, Perrae. If I have to beg and get my Keith Sweat on, then I will. I’ll do whatever it takes to get your eyes, mind, and heart on me.”
I swallowed hard. My laughter ended so fast. Fortune spoke with intention.
He saw us having a future together. After all these years of being single, maybe it was time I gave love a try again. If the date went left, then we’d have a business relationship only. The ball was in my court.
“What do you say, Perrae?”
I licked my lips. His eyes followed the short drive to the other corner of my mouth. When he looked at me, I smirked. I was more than ready to play this cat and mouse game with him.
“I’m open and willing to give you my time and attention. Although there is room for error around me, please don’t take my kindness for weakness.”
Fortune smirked and nodded. “Perrae, I am a man of my word and actions. I don’t make excuses. Whatever I take interest in, I water and nurture it. You’re now a priority to me, Perrae. I’ll call you tonight with details for our date. Don’t flake on me, beautiful.”
I chuckled. “I won’t, love.”
Fortune turned away from me and switched on the garbage disposal. Now she purred like she once did. I was excited. He did know what he was doing.
“Sounds good. Your garbage disposal has been restored.” Fortune gathered his things and placed them in his bag.
“All thanks to you.” I walked him to my door, and we stepped out on the porch together.
“I’ll be reaching out to you tonight once I put Madison down for her bedtime.”
“I’ll be here waiting,” I flirted back with him.
“Good girl.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, you will,” I purred.
He smiled and swaggered toward his truck. Fortune was a man after my heart. If he played his cards right, he’d get everything he wanted.
Fortune climbed inside of his truck and pulled away. He drove away slowly as I saw him ogling Myron’s house. I followed his line of sight.
Myron stood in one of the rooms in his house and mugged me. He drank his beer. When our eyes connected, he stormed away, blinds swaying swiftly from his sudden movement. It looked as if he would be a problem, so I had to watch my back at all times.