Chapter 6
S M O K E
Three Days Later
I stepped back and looked at the new counter, and I was truly tired of looking at that mahfucka. “Mike, check that end again,” I said, pointing toward the corner closest to the kitchen. “That shit still look off to me.”
Mike put the level back on it while Darius stood a few feet away cutting open another box of hardware.
Shawn was in the kitchen finishing the trim around the new doorway, and his nail gun was loud as hell over the music somebody had playing near the front windows.
We had been busting our asses since we got there, but Loretta’s was finally starting to look like a diner again instead of some shit we had halfway torn apart.
Most of the plastic was down, the new flooring was finished, the booths were in, and the paint had dried.
We still had fixtures to put up, hardware to install, shit to touch up, and a bunch of other little shit that always took longer than it should’ve.
The hard part was done, though, and now I just needed to get the rest of this shit finished before the festival.
Loretta’s was reopening whether we were ready or not, and I already knew she was gon’ be on my ass until every last thing was exactly how she wanted it.
“Sherrod!” I kept looking at the counter until she yelled again. “Smoke!”
“I hear you, Loretta.”
“Well, come here then!”
Darius laughed under his breath, and I looked over at him. “Fuck is so funny, bro?”
“Nothin’.”
I walked into the kitchen and found Loretta standing beside two unopened boxes with her hands on her hips.
Lace was next to her holding a clipboard, wearing some tight grey pants, a fitted pink blouse, and heels.
Her hair was pulled back, with a few pieces hanging loose around her face.
I had already caught myself looking at her ass too many fucking times, and seeing her standing there wasn’t helping shit.
Loretta pointed at the boxes. “These are supposed to be the pendant lights.”
“Aight.”
“Well, I don’t remember approving this color.”
I looked at the label on the side of the box and shook my head. “That’s ’cause you didn’t. They sent the wrong shit.”
Lace looked down at the clipboard. “The order says antique brass.”
“Those are black,” Loretta said.
“I can see that, Mama.”
“I’m just saying.”
Lace looked at me, and I damn near laughed. “I’ll handle it,” I told Loretta.
“I need the right ones before we open.”
“I said I got it.”
Loretta looked at me for another second before finally nodding. “Okay.”
As soon as she walked away, Lace looked at me. “You know she’s gonna ask you about those lights at least four more times today.”
“Nah, five.”
She laughed. “Probably.”
I took the clipboard out of her hand and looked over the list. She’d handled damn near everything for Loretta while the inside was closed, including finally getting the diner set up on FastDash so people could still order food and have it delivered.
On top of that, she was keeping up with our deliveries, checking shit off her mama’s to-do list, and organizing everything that needed to go back into place once we finished renovating.
“You eat yet?” Lace asked.
“You see me workin’.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“I’ll eat when I get a minute.”
“And when is that?”
I handed her clipboard back. “You my mama now?”
“No, but apparently somebody needs to make sure you eat.”
I reached past her for my water and looked down at her. “You worried ’bout a nigga, Lace?”
“I’m worried about you passing out in my mother’s diner and delaying everything.”
“Aight. Whatever you gotta tell yourself.”
She rolled her eyes and walked away, and my eyes went straight to her ass. I didn’t even bother looking away when Mike came around the corner and caught me. “You ain’t even tryna hide that shit no more.”
I took a drink of my water. “Hide what?”
“That y’all fuckin’.” I looked at his ass, and he immediately put both hands up. “I ain’t said shit.”
“Then keep not sayin’ shit.” This nigga laughed and headed toward the front while I went back to work.
The rest of the afternoon stayed busy enough that I didn’t have much time to think about anything besides finishing the job.
I had Byron calling about a contractor order that hadn’t shown up, a customer waiting on a quote, and three different people asking me questions inside Loretta’s.
In between all that, people kept stopping outside to look through the windows like the CLOSED sign somehow didn’t apply to them.
Bellhaven was already getting ready for the festival. Every time I stepped outside to smoke, something else had gone up along Main Street. Banners hung from the light poles, city workers were putting up temporary signs, and people from the festival committee kept moving between businesses.
Half the town had something going on next weekend. Loretta’s reopening was one of the things everybody kept asking about. That was why I wanted the shit done right.
I was carrying another box toward the back when Lace stepped into my path. “Where are you going?”
“To put this up.”
She held up a takeout container from Greene’s. “Eat.”
I glanced at the box in my hands and then at her. “Solace.”
“Sherrod.”
I almost laughed when she didn’t move. I set the box down. She handed me the container, and I opened it to see a plate of crispy fried chicken, yellow rice, and mixed vegetables. “No fries?”
“You’ll survive.”
I grabbed the plastic fork she had tucked inside and took a bite. The whole time she watched me. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Her lips pressed together, but I caught the smile anyway. She shook her head and turned away, but I caught her wrist before she got far. I pulled her back between my legs where I sat on one of the stools we had moved out of the way.
I put the container beside me and slid my hands around her waist as she giggled. “We’re supposed to be working.”
“You came over here botherin’ me.”
“I brought you food.”
“And now I’m thankin’ you.” I kissed her, and she kissed me back immediately, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Lace pulled her mouth away first. “Somebody is gonna come back here.”
“Smoke!” Loretta yelled from somewhere toward the front. “Where are you?”
We broke apart, and I closed my eyes. Lace started laughing against my shoulder. “Goddamn, Loretta. I’m eatin’!”
There was a pause before we heard her softly reply, “Okay. I was making sure.”
Solace laughed harder, and I looked at her. “Yo’ mama gettin’ on my fuckin’ nerves.”
“You’ve known her almost your whole life.”
“Exactly. She been gettin’ on my nerves a long time.”
She smiled and stepped away from me. “Finish eating.”
I watched her walk off before picking my food back up. I was still smiling when Darius came through the doorway. He looked at me, then toward where Lace had disappeared. I pointed my fork at him. “Leave me the fuck alone.”
Darius grabbed a bottle of water from the case. “All I know is you been in a real good mood lately.”
“Fuck you, bro. Get back to work.”
“Yes, boss.” He laughed all the way out.
The next day was more of the same shit, except we had even more to finish. I started my morning at Cole Hardware, handled everything that needed my attention over there, and then headed to Loretta’s to work with the crew.
The right pendant lights finally showed up, so at least Loretta stopped asking me about them every twenty fucking minutes. Mike and Shawn finished the last of the trim and touch-ups while Darius and I installed fixtures and worked our way through the rest of the punch list.
Lace was there again, and seeing her ass every damn day was starting to fuck with me.
She had spent eight years somewhere else living a whole life that ain’t have shit to do with me, but after five days of having her back in Bellhaven, I was already getting used to looking up and seeing her somewhere around me.
She came through the front carrying two coffees while I was on a ladder adjusting one of the new lights. “Your crew took the rest, but this one is yours.”
I climbed down and took the cup from her. “Good looks, baby.”
“You’re welcome.” She turned to walk away, but I caught her around the waist with my free hand and pulled her back against me. “Smoke.” She looked around while I kissed the side of her head before letting her go. “You’re getting real comfortable doing that in here.”
“Doin’ what?”
“Touching me whenever you feel like it.”
“You love this shit.” I winked at her, and she shook her head before walking away.
Loretta had started catching on to our shit too.
Her nosy ass wasn’t saying much yet, but I saw her watching us.
If Lace came over to ask me something, her mama was looking.
If I put my hand on her waist when I passed behind her, Loretta caught that shit too.
Then Lace followed me into the back while I was already back there, and I knew damn well Loretta noticed that shit.
I had gone into the storage room looking for a box of outlet covers when Lace walked in behind me.
“Have you seen the extra box of light bulbs?” I turned around and looked at her standing in the doorway.
She shifted her weight to one side when she saw the way I was looking at her, and I walked over and shut the door behind her. “Smoke.”
I grabbed her around the waist and kissed her instead of answering. Lace grabbed the front of my shirt while I backed her farther into the storage room. Then, she reached between us and grabbed my dick through my jeans.
“Fuck, baby.”
“Be quiet,” she whispered.
“You grabbin’ my dick and tellin’ me to be quiet is crazy.” I grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her again while she kept rubbing my dick through my jeans. I already knew we didn’t have time for half the shit I wanted to do to her, but I had enough time to fuck her.