Chapter 26
“TT, can I grab some chips and cheese dip, please?” asked Tasha’s niece, Miracle.
Tasha was still pushing the cart forward as she glanced over the items on the shelf. “Yeah, Miracle. Only one bag. Your mama not about to grill me for bringing all that junk food into her house.”
Miracle turned around, racing back to the selection of chips, as she yelled back. “Thanks, TT.”
She was shopping at Whole Foods Market, and her niece, Miracle, decided to come along because she wanted to get out of the house for a bit.
Tasha made her way over to the produce section, weighing an eggplant in her palm, when, all of a sudden, she felt someone whispering in her ear.
“I got one even bigger.”
She jumped immediately, placing the eggplant back on the shelf, turning around with her palm over her heart. “Oh, my God!”
Kenji laughed out loud, grabbing her arms. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist it.” He dropped her arms. “You honestly set yourself up for that one.”
Tasha pushed his shoulder lightly, laughing. “You almost gave me a heart attack.” She tilted her head to the side, pointing at him. “You know how to do CPR?”
He laughed even louder. “Yeah, the bootleg version. I gotcha.” The laughter died down, and he folded his arms. “Well, I guess it’s meant to be,” he said with a voice smooth as whiskey.
A slow grin spread across her face as she looked him up and down. She let her gaze linger a little longer, taking in the way he wore his fitted hat to the side, that black muscle shirt revealing his toned arms, while he stood with that casual confidence in his stance.
“I guess you right. But you better stop sneaking up on women in the produce section, before you get that eggplant upside your head.”
“Noted! So Are you gonna keep your end of the deal and let me get your num—”
“TT, who this man?” Miracle asked, as she placed the chips in the cart. “He don’t look like Uncle Jue, to me.”
Tasha shoved her shoulders, to quiet her. She knew Miracle and her nephew Ant didn’t play about Juelz.
Kenji frowned his forehead crinkling. “I see you got your hands full. How you doing, li’l Lady?”
“Miracle, don’t be rude. He asked you a question, so answer it.”
Miracle blew out an exhausting breath, “Yes, ma’am. Hello, sir, I’m Miracle, and I’m doing quite lovely.” She bowed in front of him. “How do you do, my dear sir?”
Tasha rolled her eyes at her niece's antics. “Girl, don’t make me buss your ass. Tryna be cute. Kenji, I apologize for my knucklehead niece.”
“It’s okay. So, about that number.”
Tasha chuckled, shaking her head. “I see you are persistent, Mr. Riggs.” She tossed a bag of kale into the cart. “Lemme see your phone. I’ll lock my number in, and you can call me when you not stalkin’ women in the produce section.”
Kenji’s grin was pure victory as he unlocked his cellphone and handed it over to her.
Tasha’s fingers flew across the screen, her name and number appearing under new contact.
She hit save contact and passed the phone back to Kenji, her finger brushing his in the process.
An electric jolt shot through her, making her body tingle.
“Now, don’t make me regret this. Don’t be blowin’ me up in the middle of the night, with that WYD text.”
“Never,” he replied, as he licked his lips.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket, the promise hanging in the air between them.
“I’ll call you later today. Maybe we can go grab a bite to eat tomorrow, if you're hungry?” He interlocked his fingers behind his back, becoming a little nervous. “I mean, if you want to.”
“I would love that,” she shot back, looking down at her pedicured feet. “Just lemme know whatever you come up with.”
He gave her one last, quick smile, then a nod to Miracle, who was recording the entire exchange with her cellphone. “It was a pleasure, Young lady.”
“Umm hmm, the pleasure was all mine, dear sir,” Miracle replied with a sarcastic comeback.
Kenji laughed out loud, shaking his head as he turned and walked away. Tasha watched him as he disappeared down the aisle, leaving his mesmerizing scent behind. She let out a breath and leaned back on her cart, her heart racing a mile a minute as if it was about to jump out on the floor.
“Okay, li’l miss nosy,” she said to her niece, pushing the cart forward. “Let's get outta here, before I run into another surprise.”
Miracle paused for a moment, standing in the middle of the aisle, causing Tasha to look back at her. “Girl! Whatchu doin’? Come on here.”
“TT? Why haven’t you and Uncle Jue made up with each other?”
Tasha sighed, rubbing her temples. “Miracle, we are not havin’ this conversation right now. Let's go.”
“But why not?” She pressed, folding her arms, as her forehead creased. “Uncle Jue has been gone too long, TT. Mama said you need to stop playing hard to get and forgive him.”
Tasha rolled her eyes and knelt so she was eye-level with her niece.
“Look, Miracle. That’s grown folks' stuff, okay? Sometimes people have relationship complications and have to work them out among themselves.” Tasha stood back up, giving her niece a twisted grin.
“And your mama needs to worry about herself, and stay outta my business.”
“Is that man gonna be your new boyfriend?” Miracle asked, with sadness in her eyes.
“No. No. No. We are just friends,” Tasha said a little too quick. “If it leads to somethin’ else? Then so be it.”
“Hmph,” Miracle said, pouting, twisting her lips. “I recorded it for my uncle Jue, just in case.”
Tasha couldn’t help but laugh. She pulled her niece in for a hug, ruffling her hair up. “You are just too much, li’l girl.”
As they were headed to checkout, Tasha’s phone buzzed in her purse. She pulled it out; her stomach damn near dropped. The screen displayed a text from an unknown number.
Unknown number:
It’s Kenji. Just checking to see if you gave me the wrong number.
A wide grin spread across Tasha's face. She saved his contact information, her thumb hovering over the keyboard before she typed back a reply,
Tasha:
Don’t get blocked already.
She hit send just as they reached the cashier.
As Miracle started unloading the groceries onto the conveyor belt, Tasha reached for her debit card out of her purse, still smiling.
She hadn’t smiled like this in months, so she was interested to see where this newfound friendship with Kenji would lead.
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