Page 51 of The Sweetest Devotion

Bacon

Rice

Bread

Baby Spinach

…smile because I love you

My hand fell upon the old slip of paper.

It had been over a year since we parted ways. She’d moved on, found herself a good time under the spotlight and with a new partner. Me, I guessed I’d finally moved on as well. If only as a fuck buddy—someone to call whenever Kennedy needed some dick. Nothing deep. Nothing real. Nothing true.

“You not goin’ nowhere.” Leila’s words echoed in my ears and I felt a piece of me chip off.

This arrangement was another testament to her words.

The whole thing was ridiculous really. Kennedy had a Chanel bag, an expensive ride, and designer clothes on her back. The epitome of “Black girl luxury.” This was just supposed to be sex, and it would only work that way. I wasn’t sure I’d ever not feel dirty for touching her. Hampton Hills’s princess.

“Keith?” Kennedy suddenly called out to me. “If you can, bring me back a brownie? I’ll do whatever you want if it’s frosted.”

The sweetness she’d dipped her tone into managed to turn my mood around, causing me to smile.

She was a spoiled brat, but looking at her, I couldn’t blame a guy for falling on his knee to give her what she wanted.

Despite our class differences, it wasn’t hard to miss that Kennedy wasn’t that experienced. Especially in the bedroom. I could tell by the way she reacted when I touched her. The way her body responded to mine. The feel of her coming around me.

Maybe all I could ever amount to was offering her sex. But at least it was good sex.

I avoided Leila’s list and saw myself out of the house. I had some shopping to do.

Finnegan’s was fairly busy when I parked my Tahoe in the half-full parking lot. As I got out, right away I spotted Dominique in a lime reflective safety vest pushing carts back into the store. The kid was still holding on to this job, a sight that gave me a sense of pride. I wasn’t the best role model to follow after, but if I could steer Dom right, I’d feel worth a damn.

He had his earbuds in when I caught up to him at the east entrance. I had to tap his arm to gain his attention.

Ready to fight, Dominique spun around and glared at me. Up close, I could see he wasn’t in the best of moods, something instantly putting me on alert.

“?’Sup?” I held my hand out and he reluctantly slapped his against mine before coming in for a quick hug.

Dom shrugged his shoulders and frowned at the ground. “Not much.”

Like me, he wasn’t one to be smiling and glowing with an approach-me aura, but something about his vibe was off. Wary.

“What’s going on? You don’t look so hot,” I said.

Dominique moved out of the way as a man with a few of his kids came into the store. He grabbed a cart and placed a toddler in the seat before leading two more other children into the store.

I led Dominique outside and stood with him, wanting to get to the bottom of his mood.

“This ain’t enough, Keith, man,” Dominique said, gesturing around us, emphasizing his job. “They don’t pay me enough for this shit.”

“Language,” I corrected, earning an eye roll. “I know it’s hard, but stick to it. Now, you’re doin’ carts, maybe in time you can get promoted to do something in the store and get a raise.”

Dom hung his head, shaking it. “It’s just me, my mom, and my sister, man. My mom not workin’ as much as she used to. Her back be hurtin’.”

Shit.

Being where we were from, having money issues, often led down a very bad path.

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