Chapter 10
T he day seemed like it went on forever. I would like to blame it on the many tattoo sessions I had crammed into one day. But I knew better. It seemed like since I’d run into Willow at Chrome, she had been running through my mind nonstop. It didn’t help that now that Charlie had met her; she was all she could talk about.
You would think she was introduced as the woman I planned to date. Charlie sang her praises from the moment her eyes opened this morning. She had everyone in the tattoo shop wondering what I had going on. I remembered in that instant why I lessened the amount of times loose lips came with me to work.
I finished up my final session, then checked my watch. Charlie was watching her iPad in the corner of the room. I sprayed the tattoo down and wiped away the residue before wrapping it up. After giving them the care instructions, I led them to the front so they could pay for it.
Once I let them out, I locked down the shop since I was the last to leave tonight.
“Daddy, are you done now?” Charlie asked behind me.
“Yes ma’am. You don’t like being in the shop with daddy?” I asked.
She shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head to the side.
“Sometimes, but I don’t have anyone to play with.”
I nodded and leaned down to lift her into my arms. I held on tightly to her as I closed every blind, then turned off all the lights, before heading out the back door toward the stairs that led to our place. She leaned in and kissed my cheek, then wiggled from my grip to run ahead of me upstairs.
I followed suit, chasing her and making growling noises. Her little giggles rang out through the hall. The sound always soothed any worries I held when it came to wondering if I was doing right by her.
I unlocked the door, and Charlie rushed to her room. I went to mine to get cleaned up before we made our way over to my mother’s for dinner. Every Sunday, we tried to make sure we got together to eat and catch up on our week. It was one of the things I appreciated about my parents. They made sure Charlie and I felt loved.
After I grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge, Charlie and I made our way to my mom’s. The moment we pulled up in front of the house, I noticed Jordan’s truck was parked outside. I shook my head because I knew he wouldn’t leave without getting a taste of my mother’s cooking.
As soon as we walked up the stairs, the front door opened, and Jordan walked out eating a piece of fried chicken. I don’t know how he convinced my mom to eat before everyone sat down, but he did.
“We were getting ready to eat without y’all! You know what time Sunday dinner starts,” he said, then laughed.
I waved him off and dapped him up. Charlie pulled at his pants leg, so he reached down to pick her up.
“What’s up, lil’ bit?”
She crossed her arms against her chest, then poked her bottom lip out.
“You didn’t say hi to me,” she whined.
This little girl was spoiled as hell, and I knew I was part of the problem. I shook my head and walked around them. Jordan had some explaining to do, and I didn’t need to be present to hear it. The moment I stepped inside, I followed the aroma wafting through the house. My mother stood in front of the stove, maneuvering between the two pots in front of her and then checking the oven.
“You just gone stare? Come, give your mother some love,” she called out.
I smiled and closed the distance between us. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, swallowing her small frame. She wrapped her arms around my waist and held on tightly. I pulled back a little bit then placed a kiss against her cheek.
“Where is pops?” I asked.
She walked back over to the stove to continue stirring and then she glanced back over her shoulder, pointing toward the living room.
“You know where that man is. Every Sunday, he plants himself right there on that couch to watch the game – any game, if you ask me. He doesn’t care if it’s not football season or basketball season.”
I couldn’t help but laugh because she was right. He had been doing the same thing since I was a kid. It was our thing; every Sunday, we watched the game and talked shit. I followed the sound of the TV and the now elevated voices. Clearly, Jordan had given Charlie a good enough excuse to be able to come into the house.
The TV was loud, but it did nothing to cover the bickering between Jordan and my pops. They couldn’t just sit there and watch the damn game; they had to debate, too. Jordan was like the son my dad wanted when it came to sports. I was happy the day they connected over it because he stopped forcing me to be part of different shit.
I walked over and took the open spot on the couch opposite of my pops. Charlie was sitting on his lap, eating a butterscotch that I was certain my dad had given her because he was eating one, too.
“Charlie, what I tell you about eating candy before you eat dinner?” I asked.
She had the nerve to look somber, then glance over at my pops, who turned to face me the moment she looked at him.
“This is my house. If I give my baby some candy, she gone have it at papa’s house. She only had one piece. Now, sit back and watch the game.”
I held back my smirk and leaned back. I closed my eyes, intent on getting in at least a twenty-minute nap before my mom came in to tell us we could come eat.
“Papa, Daddy got a friend. Her name is Willow, and she is so pretty.” Charlie said.
My eyes popped open so fast, already knowing where this conversation was getting ready to go. Jordan was smirking and slouching against the couch with a lift of his brow.
“Is that right? Where did you meet her at, lil’ bit?” Jordan asked, antagonizing the situation.
“She watched a movie with us at the park!” she exclaimed.
No later than she said that, was my mother now in the room with us, her head cocked to the side. I held my hands up in mock surrender.
“It wasn’t like that. You remember I picked up Charlie, and we went to Movies in the Square. Well, when we walked through to find a spot, we noticed Willow, I spoke, the end.”
“Uh huh, daddy. Then we watched two movies!” Charlie added.
I stood from the couch and stretched.
“Little girl, you were sleeping. How do you know we watched two movies?” I asked.
Charlie gripped her hips and smiled.
“Because I was pretending! I fake sleeped,” she admitted.
I shook my head and pulled one of her ponytails playfully.
“Man, I leave you around your grandma too much.”
My mother kissed her teeth and walked over to kiss Charlie’s cheek.
“Not too much on my grandbaby.”
“Y’all grandbaby about to move right in with you. Your husband giving her candy before dinner and now you got her trying to play matchmaker. Charlie, Willow is just a friend, baby. Nothing more.”
Charlie pouted and laid her head against my pops’ shoulder. I was going to need this bathroom break now more than anything. I knew my mom wasn’t going to let up on this conversation.
“You wouldn’t be able to stay away if she did move in here,” my mother said back.
I made my way toward the bathroom as my mom yelled at my back.
“Don’t think this conversation is over. I need to hear all about this woman.”
I dragged a hand down my face and went to the bathroom. These folks were set on driving me crazy this Sunday.
* * *
BLACK THORNS BLOCK PARTY FUNDRAISER
The sun was beating down hard as hell today and had been all week. Between me working on tattoos and taking care of Charlie, it took all my energy. If I hadn’t signed up with Duke to be part of the Black Thorns Block Party giveaway in Thorn Parkway, I would have been chilling in the damn house.
I joined the Black Thorns bikers’ club a few years after high school. By that time, Duke’s ass was running the shit, which was crazy to me. I used to ride with them all the time, but soon as Charlie came into the picture, my time was limited. I found myself only able to make it to things like this. We tried to help the lower income communities like Thorn Parkway as much as we could.
I held onto Charlie’s hand while she held a small backpack, and I carried the rest in my free hand. I always made sure she was a part of the setup. I wanted her to build character and be the best person she could be.
“Daddy, it’s hot out here!”
I glanced down to see little beads of sweat sliding down the side of her face. I nodded and continued to walk toward the tables to the left of us. Duke was standing behind them, giving instructions to one of the other guys.
I laid the bags I was holding down and then took the one from Charlie before lifting her into my arms. She laid her head against my shoulder like I had overworked her. My baby was so dramatic, but I would let her have it this time because it was hot as hell out here today. I don’t know if it was because of the location or if the weather was just on different shit today.
Duke walked over with a green freeze pop in his hand and held it out to Charlie. She perked up the moment she saw it, but before she took it, she looked back at me for permission. I sat her on the table.
“Go head, baby.” I told her.
She danced in her seat and then waited as Duke cut the top of it so she could get to it. Once she was preoccupied, I made sure to let her know not to get up from this spot.
“Okay!” she responded.
I walked a few steps away from her to help Duke set the bags up.
“You out here overworking lil’ mama.” Duke commented with a chuckle.
I laughed. “Nah, she got to learn to do her part in the community. She gone be alright with the way y’all spoil her.”
Duke shook his head but continued lining things up.
“What’s this I hear about you and Willow kicking it heavy?” Duke asked.
I glanced up and lifted a brow. Out of all people to ask me, I didn’t expect him to be one of them. He had to have heard it more times than he would have liked to bring it up.
“Man, not you, too.”
He held his hands up. “You know I’m not the type to get in other folks’ shit and this town doesn’t have nothing else better to do than be in someone else’s business. I had to hem up a few muthafuckas behind gossiping about yo shit in the bar. I’m not interested in the details, but do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” he asked.
I turned to face him fully and stuffed my hands into my pockets.
“It’s not like I’m trying to add anything new to my plate, but it’s something about her. It’s something that feels like if I ignore it, I’ll regret it. Not to mention, I’m not seeking her. We just end up in the same place all the time.”
“It sounds like you’ve decided how you’re moving behind this. Well, I’ll have your back if you need me. Now, you might need to check on my niece. Her ass might need a new outfit after that popsicle.” Duke pointed towards Charlie.
I looked over my shoulder, and she was licking the juice from her hands. Charlie’s shirt was covered in green juice, and all I could do was laugh and shake my head.
“Let me grab this child. Y’all good?” I asked.
“We good. We’ll see you later. Thanks for coming through and lending a hand.” He said, while pulling a bag of Skittles from his pocket.
I nodded and dapped him up before walking over Charlie, then lifting her from the tabletop. I held onto her and headed for the car.
“Daddy, we coming back?” she asked.
“Yeah, you think we did all that hard work for nothing? I at least need to get something to eat?—”
“And to see Ms. Willow!” she interrupted.
I lifted a brow with a smirk. “Who said Willow would be out here today?” I asked.
She gripped her chest in her usual dramatic fashion.
“I can feel it!” she responded with a giggle.
I shook my head and continued toward the car.
“I hope so, baby.” I said.
Willow Dawson definitely had my interest piqued, and I couldn’t wait to find out what that meant.