Jaheim
It was officially summer in Bloomington, and the whole town had erupted into Bloom Day festivities.
Every business participated in some way. Free food, live music, games for the kids, flowers hanging from damn near every storefront. Most of the town had already migrated toward the family farm that doubled as the fairground every year.
I had never seen a small town move like this before.
Bloomington treated Bloom Day like a family reunion mixed with a holiday.
I still wasn’t sure I planned on going.
Weeks had passed since I dropped Liana off at home after Cleo’s, and things between us remained stuck in the same place. Unnamed. Unsettled.
I said what I needed to say that night. She knew where I stood.
The next move belonged to her, and for once, I planned on leaving it there.
My phone rang, and it was Beau. I let it go to voicemail. My mood had shifted, and I needed to be alone to deal with my thoughts.
Then the buzzer on my door went off like somebody had lost their mind. I pulled up the panel. There was Beau standing outside with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face that said he had driven over here specifically to be in my business.
I buzzed him in.
“What, bruh?” I asked when he made it inside.
“You coming up out of here today little nigga. You got our street cred fucked up sitting up here sad over a woman.”
“Nigga get out of here with that dumb shit. What street cred you got? Plus, I’m straight. I’m chilling.”
“Yeah, okay. I don’t believe you.”
I held his gaze a second.
“Liana’s gon be there. So if you want a fighting chance, you better get your lopsided head ass up from out of this loft,” he said.
“I know. But I told you I’m done chasing her, B. The ball is in her court. Showing up to Bloom Day feels like doing the opposite.”
Beau walked past me into the kitchen, opened my refrigerator, closed it, and turned around.
“Don’t be a fuckin dummy. No ain’t an answer. You got thirty minutes. We going to get your girl back.”
He took off for downstairs while I shook my head.
I didn’t want to miss the day.
Still, I was in my feelings. Everything crashed into me at once. And the only person I wanted to share any of it with still wasn’t fully convinced I wouldn’t hurt her too.
I understood that. I even respected it.
Respecting it and being okay with it were two different things entirely.
“Fuck, I miss her.”
I dropped onto my bed and took a deep breath. Maybe some fresh air would help shake me out of this mood.
I changed into an outfit that at least gave me a fighting chance. I might’ve been going through it, but I still wasn’t about to bullshit my fit if Liana was gonna be there.
I hit my body with LV Imagination, smacked myself in the face once, and headed out.
The entrance to the fairground was covered in flowers. Real ones from the farm. Every variety imaginable bundled together and hanging near the gate waiting to be picked through.
A handwritten sign announced that the bouquet building was included with admission.
One ticket. One bouquet. Your choice of stems.
I bought my ticket and tucked the little card into my pocket while Beau disappeared toward the flag football field before I could say anything else. His camp kids were already out there, which conveniently gave him an excuse to chase after Noeva.
I stayed near the entrance for a second taking everything in.
Bloomington had fully shown out.
Kids ran through the field with snow cones melting down their arms while live music carried through the farm. People danced near the stage, bounced between food stalls, or stopped to hug somebody every few feet like the whole town was related somehow.
The Bloom name sat on half the signs around me, and for the first time I understood what Beau meant when he said their family built pieces of this town with their own hands. My mid instantly went to Liana.
My stomach growled before I could stand there much longer.
The grill line wrapped halfway down the field, but after tasting those ribs at The Bloom, I already knew settling for anything else would piss me off.
I finally made it to the front.
“Hey sweetheart, what can we get you?” A woman with a soft voice and a warm smile looked up at me. I smiled back because it was impossible not to.
“I’ll take a Rib plate. Green beans and coleslaw for my sides.”
“Oh son, you have got to try Crimson’s mac and cheese.”
My eyes went to her and then to the man working beside her and there was no way I could miss it. Same skin, same freckles scattered across the same cheekbones. Liana in thirty years standing right in front of me and it stopped me cold.
“It’s on the house, cutie. What’s your name?”
“Jaheim.”
“Jaheim.” She wrote it on the top of my to-go container like she was filing it somewhere. “Did you plan your day out, young man?”
“No ma’am. Just vibing.”
“You young people don’t plan anything anymore.” She shook her head without any real frustration in it. “Well, I’m picking you for the pie-eating contest. Two o’clock. Don’t go missing on me.”
I had a feeling she wasn’t taking no for an answer. I handed her my card and let her mark me down. Lawrence looked over at me from the grill with steady eyes. I held them for a second, nodded, and he nodded back before going back to his ribs.
I found a picnic table and took a seat to eat.
I hadn’t been seated five minutes before two older ladies settled in across from me.
“Young man. Young man. Young man,” the first one said, drawing it out like a song.
I looked up from my ribs. “Yes ma’am.”
“Don’t, yes ma’am me, you know what that means,” the second one said, and they fell into each other laughing.
I shook my head and smiled. “I’m Jaheim. Y’all enjoying your day?”
“I’m Miss Earline, and this is Dot Dale. We've been coming to Bloom Day since before you were even a thought. We just lucky to still be here.”
“First time seeing you here though,” Dot said, leaning forward. “You must be one of the new men in town everyone’s talking about.”
“Mhmm, that’s him.” Earline looked me over with zero shame. “You got somebody?”
“Working on it.”
They exchanged a look. “Not what we heard.”
“And what did y’all hear? Enlighten me.”
“Oh he’s smart too. Using those big ole words. Watch out now.”
“We heard you and Miss Liana Bloom have a little something going on. You know, they say that bar was built on love, and that’s why it’s been open so long. That and of course the fact that drunks gon drink.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny what me and Miss Liana Bloom have going on. I need some pointers, though. Hit me.”
“Flirty too.” Dot shook her head. “Well, look, this town raised that girl until that ole Jordan boy swept her off her feet, only to toss her later like the jive turkey he is.”
“What Dot is trying to say,” Earline cut in, “is that you being here is the pointer. This town is the way to her heart. Consistency is the way to stay there.”
Her expression softened.
“I miss my ole man Frank. He was mean as a snake, but to me he was a teddy bear.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Miss Earline.”
“You can apologize with a dance. Come on.”
Against my better judgment, I got up and followed Miss Earline and Dot Dale to the makeshift dance floor.
Flanked by both of them I felt like Norbit with his wine cooler.
Brickhouse came through the speakers and those two ladies gave it everything they had.
I loosened my shoulders and let the music move me.
I thought about my mom dancing in the kitchen. Happy, sad, indifferent, it didn’t matter. Eunice danced through all of it.
All you need is music, dancing, and ginger ale to feel better, Jah. People forget those first two. She would say it while holding my arms, making me move with her . You gotta move, baby.
I was mid two-step when I realized somebody was watching me. I tried hard not to look, but I’d only be lying to myself if I said I hadn’t been praying to lay eyes on Liana since I walked through that gate.
“You might as well look. You look like a puppy,” Dot said.
Earline cackled and they joked together right in my face.
“Y’all got so many jokes. Dance by yourselves next year.” I pointed at both of them, laughed, and headed back to my table.
I sat down to finish the rest of my food and did not look up when I heard her coming. I refused to give her the satisfaction of watching me clock her arrival.
She sat down across from me, bringing her scent with her. I sighed, shook my head, and went back to eating.
“Hey,” she said.
I took a sip of my lemonade.
“Jaheim.”
“Liana.” I looked up and kept my face even. “You enjoying your day?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
I could see the fight happening in real time. Part of her wanted me to chase her, and I would. Hell, I’d chase that woman anywhere. But her pushing me away while I kept dragging her back toward me was getting old.
I wasn’t sure Liana was ready to stop, and I wasn’t ready for who I’d become if she didn’t.
I had fucked around and got attached. I wanted more. I needed more. My head had been gone since Cleo’s. If this went any further, I’d have to let her in. I was prepared to do that. But not until she stopped with this policy bullshit.
“It’s like that?” she asked.
“For now,” I said, looking her in the eyes.
We stayed like that for a minute, the fairground moving around us, and then the announcer’s voice came over the speakers.
“Pie eating contest in fifteen minutes. All contestants, make your way to the main stage.”
I looked back at her and smiled for the first time since she sat down.
“Get ready for the show, baby.”