tell. You don’t say much, but you’ve had a lot more to say about fools wanting us to tank games before.”
Kyle sigh was more of an anguished groan. “It’s Shaun. And Scott. And even Harlow. But mostly it’s me. I’m crazy about her, Darren. But you know me. Shit, I’m this just white bread kinda guy, and she’s – she’s just beautiful. I can’t compete against her ex. Did you know he’s that rapper, the one called The Great OZ? The guy is a phenomenon. I had no idea that his songs get played so much in our locker room-”
“So? Who’s she with? She’s with you, not him.”
“And she’s got a daughter by him. So they have to talk. A lot. He’ll never be out of the picture.”
Darren sat back, narrowing his eyes. “Do you really want something like that? Because if you do, then what if it was Maddy? Wouldn’t you get involved, or would you just let Erin and hew new man handle it?”
“I-I-”
“I-I- I,” Darren mimicked. “Kyle, get your head out of your ass. You knew she had a kid when you started talking to her, but that didn’t stop you. And you knew she was dealing with an entertainer ex-husband. Just like you knew I thought she was real cute. But since you’re Kyle McClure, you just bogarted your way in.”
“Hey, man. I didn’t know you were interested.”
“Don’t bullshit me. You knew.”
“Darren, I really didn’t know you were interested in Harlow. It just happened between me and her, you gotta believe me. I just – I’m not just in love with her. I’m crazy in love with her.”
Man to man, Darren weighed not only Kyle’s words, but his demeanor. He hated to admit it, but Kyle was telling the truth. That’s just how he was. Dude didn’t really know anything but being real, even if it made him seem square as hell, so Darren had to ask, “Have you told her in any shape or form how you feel about her ex?”
“Not yet.”
“I guess I’m losing my touch with the ladies if she’d pick you over me, so it’s her loss. I was too slow or something.” Yeah, he could kick himself for being so slow to talk to Harlow. What was that old saying? If you snooze, you lose? Well, that’s what happened to him. “I could tell the two of you really hit it off so I started making myself scarce. But I’m letting you know, if it don’t work out I’m gonna see if I can pick up the pieces. I ain’t scared of her ex. Believe that. I’ll be her shoulder to cry on, and you know I can do it.”
“Yeah, I know. But you’ll be stuck waiting. Because it’s gonna work out.”
10
Moving was murder on her back, especially since Harlow hadn’t been in this brownstone very long. But she’d found a cute three bedroom apartment not too far from Reina’s school, so it was time to go. Though she was pleasantly surprised at Kyle’s offer to help her pack, they wound up flat on their backs instead of filling boxes. Her biggest concern was Reina coming home early and catching their little afternoon lovefest. After a particularly vigorous round of love making Harlow did her best to get rid of the evidence so that her daughter would be none the wiser.
Kyle had to chuckle over her need to appeal chaste for Reina. “What makes you think she doesn’t already know we’re doing it while she’s in school?”
Harlow gave him a simmering glare as she gathered up his clothes and her underwear. “Just wait, your turn is coming with yuh little Maddy. Then we’ll see if yuh still feel like joking about it. I can just imagine how crazy you’ll get when she tells yuh she has a crush on a boy.”
“I have a shotgun, and ammunition. I’ll just scare them off.”
“It’s not that easy. Kids talk to each other in school, and on the internet. I’ve already caught boys leaving love messages to Reina.”
“Can’t blame ‘em. She pretty, just like you.”
“Yuh think?”
“I saw it immediately, after viewing that photo where you were fifteen and you were in that dance
Kyle sigh was more of an anguished groan. “It’s Shaun. And Scott. And even Harlow. But mostly it’s me. I’m crazy about her, Darren. But you know me. Shit, I’m this just white bread kinda guy, and she’s – she’s just beautiful. I can’t compete against her ex. Did you know he’s that rapper, the one called The Great OZ? The guy is a phenomenon. I had no idea that his songs get played so much in our locker room-”
“So? Who’s she with? She’s with you, not him.”
“And she’s got a daughter by him. So they have to talk. A lot. He’ll never be out of the picture.”
Darren sat back, narrowing his eyes. “Do you really want something like that? Because if you do, then what if it was Maddy? Wouldn’t you get involved, or would you just let Erin and hew new man handle it?”
“I-I-”
“I-I- I,” Darren mimicked. “Kyle, get your head out of your ass. You knew she had a kid when you started talking to her, but that didn’t stop you. And you knew she was dealing with an entertainer ex-husband. Just like you knew I thought she was real cute. But since you’re Kyle McClure, you just bogarted your way in.”
“Hey, man. I didn’t know you were interested.”
“Don’t bullshit me. You knew.”
“Darren, I really didn’t know you were interested in Harlow. It just happened between me and her, you gotta believe me. I just – I’m not just in love with her. I’m crazy in love with her.”
Man to man, Darren weighed not only Kyle’s words, but his demeanor. He hated to admit it, but Kyle was telling the truth. That’s just how he was. Dude didn’t really know anything but being real, even if it made him seem square as hell, so Darren had to ask, “Have you told her in any shape or form how you feel about her ex?”
“Not yet.”
“I guess I’m losing my touch with the ladies if she’d pick you over me, so it’s her loss. I was too slow or something.” Yeah, he could kick himself for being so slow to talk to Harlow. What was that old saying? If you snooze, you lose? Well, that’s what happened to him. “I could tell the two of you really hit it off so I started making myself scarce. But I’m letting you know, if it don’t work out I’m gonna see if I can pick up the pieces. I ain’t scared of her ex. Believe that. I’ll be her shoulder to cry on, and you know I can do it.”
“Yeah, I know. But you’ll be stuck waiting. Because it’s gonna work out.”
10
Moving was murder on her back, especially since Harlow hadn’t been in this brownstone very long. But she’d found a cute three bedroom apartment not too far from Reina’s school, so it was time to go. Though she was pleasantly surprised at Kyle’s offer to help her pack, they wound up flat on their backs instead of filling boxes. Her biggest concern was Reina coming home early and catching their little afternoon lovefest. After a particularly vigorous round of love making Harlow did her best to get rid of the evidence so that her daughter would be none the wiser.
Kyle had to chuckle over her need to appeal chaste for Reina. “What makes you think she doesn’t already know we’re doing it while she’s in school?”
Harlow gave him a simmering glare as she gathered up his clothes and her underwear. “Just wait, your turn is coming with yuh little Maddy. Then we’ll see if yuh still feel like joking about it. I can just imagine how crazy you’ll get when she tells yuh she has a crush on a boy.”
“I have a shotgun, and ammunition. I’ll just scare them off.”
“It’s not that easy. Kids talk to each other in school, and on the internet. I’ve already caught boys leaving love messages to Reina.”
“Can’t blame ‘em. She pretty, just like you.”
“Yuh think?”
“I saw it immediately, after viewing that photo where you were fifteen and you were in that dance
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