Page 32 of Call and Response

He laughed. “Iwill, but it’s not quite what I had in mind.”

“Oh.” I raised my eyebrows. “What did you have in mind?”

“Real talk?”

“Always, please.”

He licked his lips, hesitating for a bit before he answered. “I… just want to be around you. I’m okay with how corny that sounds.”

“Itdefinitelysounds corny,” I teased him. “The sentiment isn’t, though. But… does it mean youdon’twant to try for round four?”

“I don’t think it counts if it’s been twelve hours; I think you have to start over.”

“I think you’re missing the point.”

“You’re right.” He laughed. “But no… I’m not saying that.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

We just stood there, looking at each other.

Smirkingat each other.

And then…

“Do you want to come inside?”

CHAPTEREIGHT

Noble

Opening the door toGrown Folks’Musicto head down to the basement studio had my stomach twisted in knots. This always happened at the end of a bout with self-sabotage through procrastination, the weight of inaction was heavy and hard to shake. Mentally, physically, emotionally, it had to be peeled off and trudged through, and…shit.

Sometimes it caught hold again, with a firmer grasp.

I refused to get stuck again this time though.

“Uh-oh, do you need to go to the bathroom or something?”

At the sound of Audra’s voice, my gut instantly unclenched, and I looked up to find her standing a few feet in front of me in the record store. I tossed up a wave at the person working at the front counter, then hurried to where she was standing, stifling a laugh.

“Huh?” I asked, confused by both the question and the amusement on her face.

“Your expression,” she explained. “It's giving ‘anxiety ass’, coined by Winnie, of course.”

I shook my head. “Of course.Anxiety assthough?”

“Very much so—all your stress, straight out the backend. A very unsexy conversation starter.”

“Incredibly.”

She giggled. “Seriously though, are you good? Your face definitely looked like your stomach hurt.”

“Oh, nah. I’m good,” I assured her, and it was actually true—strangely.

None of the trepidation I’d felt just moments before plagued me as I followed her to the back, gesturing to the elevator that would take us down to where the studio space was.

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