Page 3 of Sweet Love From Saturn

“Man, that shit was an accident. Was ol’ girl hurt?”

“No, she was cool. She was crying but I think it was for other reasons. I’ll fuck around and drop by the shop whenever I have a chance. No lie, I threw away about two hundred roses. Hopefully she’s working when I stop by,” I admitted.

“Stop by to check on her?”

“That, and to pay her back. That many roses couldn’t have been chump change.”

“That’s true.”

Relaxing deeper into the couch, I threw my arm over my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I was tired as hell, but the task of getting my home in order wouldn’t complete itself. After a few moments of silence, the energy in the room shifted and I knew Justin was about to hit me with some bullshit. We’d been friends for so long that I’d grown familiar with his character. He was always deep in thought before telling me what was up.

“Just say it,” I stated, wanting to get it out of the way.

“Carmen came by again. She wants you to call her and tell her that you’re good.”

“Must be the guilt kickin’ in. There really isn’t shit for us to talk about. She said what she said and I took it on the chin.”

Carmen was my ex-fiancé. We had been together almost three years when she decided she didn’t want children. Getting married and starting a family was a high priority for me and I wanted that with her. Carmen and I had chemistry so deep; I just knew she’d be my wife. She checked every box and met my every standard. Yet here I was, unmarried and childless. Growing up, I always admired how my dad provided for us. Even on his worst days, he put our family first and always treated my mother with respect. A love like theirs was something I longed for but seemed like I’d never get.

“I keep tellin’ her you cool, but she comes by every other day. Has she been doin’ the same thing to your parents?” he quizzed.

“Not that I know of. My mom or sister would’ve told me by now.”

“I know you came here to get away from everything, but how would you feel if I moved down the street?”

My eyes popped open and I sat up at Justin’s question. Him being closer would be some shit to look forward to.

“You wanna move out here? I thought you said it was too slow for you?”

“Yeah, that was until we started ridin’ around. This a cool lil town. It’s probably what I need right now. We’re thirty-three, man. It’s time for some shit to shake. I done smashed half the women in Gwendal and I just don’t feel like that’s where I’m supposed to be forever. It’ll always be home, but I wanna make a new home. If I don’t get the house down the street, I was thinkin’ about movin’ out to this small city right outside of Dallas.”

“Texas?” I asked with a brow hiked.

“Yep. I’m weighing my options now. Dallas is just far as fuck, but it’ll be a fresh start. The winters there are nothing compared to the shit we have here.”

“That’s true. What are you leaning toward the most?”

“Pleasant Springs, honestly. It’s not far from home but it’s far enough. I also feel like the city has a lot of potential when it comes to real estate. There’s so much land out here that isn’t occupied and I feel like I can change that,” Just explained.

He was right. Pleasant Springs was already a nice city, but there was room for growth. The people here seemed to like how things ran, but bringing in more businesses and tourist attractions meant the city would generate more money.

“You my brother. I wouldn’t feel no type of way if you moved out here. Especially if you see an opportunity to deepen your pockets. Shit, it’ll be better to have you here in person anyway.You can get that ass handed to you in Madden right in my living room,” I joked, standing from the couch.

“You swear you the Madden king. I don’t hear you talkin’ shit when them other niggas be blowin’ yo’ ass out.”

“Nah, that shit be laggin’ sometimes. That’s the only time I lose.”

“Whatever, man. Where the toolbox at so we can get to it?”

Over the next several hours, Justin and I put all the furniture together. We took a small break to grab dinner, but got back at it afterward. By nightfall, my house was in order and I could see it all coming together. I was excited to have a new space to call my own.

THREE

Saturn

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but this isn’t what I ordered.”

With a fake smile, I took the receipt from the lady’s hand and looked it over. I was grateful for every customer that came in my shop, but this lady was on my last nerve. She’d done nothing but complain since she walked in and my patience was starting to thin. With each flower I read, I looked at the arrangement to see where I went wrong. It frustrated me because I knew the order wasn’t wrong, but I was human and mistakes happened.

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