again, and I would be there for her then, like I was there for her now.
And don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t tryin’ to step on Kenny’s toes. But he was leavin’ me with no choice. Besides, it wasn’t like he ain’t never stepped on my toes.
“Where y’all stayin’ at now?” I asked Leah as I put the truck in drive.
“Across City Line Avenue,” she said, buckling her seat belt.
I pulled off and headed toward City Line. Once there, Leah guided me the rest of the way to Kenny’s and her mini-mansion in Bryn Mawr, a wealthy suburb outside Philly. It was only about twenty-five minutes from the shop, but it was a whole different world when comparing the two neighborhoods.
“Thank you so much, Nasir,” Leah said, turning to me.
“No problem. I wasn’t goin’ make you take a cab, and I damn sure wasn’t goin’ leave you stranded.”
“You was always the sweet one,” she said.
“What you mean?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head and opening the door. “I don’t wanna take up too much of your time. I know you got plans and all.”
She got out and started the brief walk to her front door. Before she could get there I rolled down the window.
“Ay!” I called out to her.
She turned around.
“I don’t really have plans tonight. I just said that so I could be the one to drop you off instead of a cab.”
She smirked and said, “That’s what I mean.” Then she waved good-bye and continued to her door.
I rolled the window back up and drove off. The whole ride home, I thought about that girl. I imagined her being mine. And call me what you want, but if I was goin’ move in a house with anybody, it would be Leah. And damn, I felt bad for having strong feelings like that for Leah and not for my own girl. But I couldn’t help it. Leah did somethin’ for me that no other girl has. And that was something I always felt.
Leah
I was sitting in the theater room eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes and watching Family Feud on the 102-inch projection screen. My intention when I first went in there was to put on a movie, but when I turned on the TV and saw that one of my favorite game shows was on, I couldn’t resist. I had on my most comfortable pajamas, which were also my oldest pair, some blue flannel pants and a matching shirt that buttoned up, leaving everything to the imagination. I wanted to make it clear that Kenny wasn’t getting any that night. I was hot with him. We had had seven o’clock reservations at Le Bec-Fin, and here it was nine and he wasn’t even home yet.
“Shoes,” I blurted out right after the Family Feud host read the question. Number one answer, like I thought. What else would a husband say his wife spent too much money on?
I ate the last spoonful of my cereal and then tipped the bowl up to my mouth and drank the milk. It wasn’t the rack of lamb that my mouth watered for, but it curbed my appetite. That damn Kenny.
I got up to put my bowl in the dishwasher, and I heard the garage door opening. My heart started to race with anticipation. Should I curse him out and show him just how very pissed off I was at him for standing me up, or should I ignore him and act like it didn’t faze me? I wanted to go with the former, but I had to wait and see what kind of mood he was in. If he came in actin’ shitty, then I’d be better off ignoring him, leaving it alone. If he came in apologetic, though, I would be able to get away with letting him know how I felt.
“Baby, I’m so sorry,” he apologized as soon as he walked in the door.
“Where were you?” I asked him, frustration in my tone. I looked down at the four Sneaker Villa bags he had in his hands, and I snapped, “I know you didn’t stand me up to go shopping!”
“Of course not,” he said, putting the bags down on the table. “I just got caught up. But I’m goin’ make it up to you.”
Normally I would not have pried. I would have let Kenny’s answer be what it was. But I took that as an opportunity to
And don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t tryin’ to step on Kenny’s toes. But he was leavin’ me with no choice. Besides, it wasn’t like he ain’t never stepped on my toes.
“Where y’all stayin’ at now?” I asked Leah as I put the truck in drive.
“Across City Line Avenue,” she said, buckling her seat belt.
I pulled off and headed toward City Line. Once there, Leah guided me the rest of the way to Kenny’s and her mini-mansion in Bryn Mawr, a wealthy suburb outside Philly. It was only about twenty-five minutes from the shop, but it was a whole different world when comparing the two neighborhoods.
“Thank you so much, Nasir,” Leah said, turning to me.
“No problem. I wasn’t goin’ make you take a cab, and I damn sure wasn’t goin’ leave you stranded.”
“You was always the sweet one,” she said.
“What you mean?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head and opening the door. “I don’t wanna take up too much of your time. I know you got plans and all.”
She got out and started the brief walk to her front door. Before she could get there I rolled down the window.
“Ay!” I called out to her.
She turned around.
“I don’t really have plans tonight. I just said that so I could be the one to drop you off instead of a cab.”
She smirked and said, “That’s what I mean.” Then she waved good-bye and continued to her door.
I rolled the window back up and drove off. The whole ride home, I thought about that girl. I imagined her being mine. And call me what you want, but if I was goin’ move in a house with anybody, it would be Leah. And damn, I felt bad for having strong feelings like that for Leah and not for my own girl. But I couldn’t help it. Leah did somethin’ for me that no other girl has. And that was something I always felt.
Leah
I was sitting in the theater room eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes and watching Family Feud on the 102-inch projection screen. My intention when I first went in there was to put on a movie, but when I turned on the TV and saw that one of my favorite game shows was on, I couldn’t resist. I had on my most comfortable pajamas, which were also my oldest pair, some blue flannel pants and a matching shirt that buttoned up, leaving everything to the imagination. I wanted to make it clear that Kenny wasn’t getting any that night. I was hot with him. We had had seven o’clock reservations at Le Bec-Fin, and here it was nine and he wasn’t even home yet.
“Shoes,” I blurted out right after the Family Feud host read the question. Number one answer, like I thought. What else would a husband say his wife spent too much money on?
I ate the last spoonful of my cereal and then tipped the bowl up to my mouth and drank the milk. It wasn’t the rack of lamb that my mouth watered for, but it curbed my appetite. That damn Kenny.
I got up to put my bowl in the dishwasher, and I heard the garage door opening. My heart started to race with anticipation. Should I curse him out and show him just how very pissed off I was at him for standing me up, or should I ignore him and act like it didn’t faze me? I wanted to go with the former, but I had to wait and see what kind of mood he was in. If he came in actin’ shitty, then I’d be better off ignoring him, leaving it alone. If he came in apologetic, though, I would be able to get away with letting him know how I felt.
“Baby, I’m so sorry,” he apologized as soon as he walked in the door.
“Where were you?” I asked him, frustration in my tone. I looked down at the four Sneaker Villa bags he had in his hands, and I snapped, “I know you didn’t stand me up to go shopping!”
“Of course not,” he said, putting the bags down on the table. “I just got caught up. But I’m goin’ make it up to you.”
Normally I would not have pried. I would have let Kenny’s answer be what it was. But I took that as an opportunity to
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