Page 33 of One Good Reason

“Good.” Closing the Styrofoam container, Talitha leaned over and tossed it in the trash before wiping off her pants and standing from the table. “Let’s get the rest of this seminar out of the way. I’ve gotta pack and go spend some time with Gema before I disappear on her for the next few days.”

Looking down at my watch, I nodded. “Yes. Let’s get back to work. I, myself, need to handle a few things before we leave.”

I had preemptively told Mia I would see her tonight and now I was going to have to decline. Since this was Talitha’s first time in New York, I wanted to take her out on the town for our last night and leave her with a lasting memory. I needed to spend the rest of my evening setting everything up for her.

CHAPTER 8

Talitha

Unlocking the door, I pushed it opened, kicked off my sneakers, and sat my bag down on the entry way table. After wrapping up the seminar earlier today, I left Law and stopped by the mall so I could shop for clothes. I wasn’t lying when I told him I didn’t have New York weather appropriate clothing.

I ended up going to Phipps so I could stop by Saks and Neiman’s. I grabbed a few things that would hold me over until we made it to New York. I tried to find a dress for the gala, but nothing was catching my eye. On my way home, I called Mrs. Jessie to see if her and Gema had eaten dinner yet and after she confirmed that they hadn’t, I let her know I would stop and grab something.

“Tali, is that you?” Mrs. Jessie called out from the kitchen.

“Yes ma’am. I’ll be in there in a second. Let me go check on Gema.”

Sauntering down the hall, I came up on Gema room and peeked my head through the doorway. Leaning against the frame, I watched her a few seconds before whistling.

Without taking her eyes off the puzzle she was working on she fussed, “A whistling woman and a crowing hen comes to a bad end.”

“Girl.” I laughed. “You and these old wives tells.”

“Ain’t no old wives tell. My mama used to tell me that all the time.”

“Like I said… old wives tell,” I teased. “How was your trip?”

“It was aight I guess. Litha and that damn Joe Lee done stressed me out so bad.”

“What they do to you baby?” I asked and plopped down at the foot of her bed.

“Just being them,” she fussed. “I swear if I had it my way, I would knock that Joe Lee upside his head. Hell, I’d knock ya’ mama upside hers too for being a fool.”

“Can’t fix ignorance, Gema.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“Other than that, how was it?”

I kept prying only because I needed her to confirm that everything was okay. If she said anything different, I would be the one knocking my mama and her husband the fuck out.

“Okay, I reckon. Ya’ mama got mad when Jessie mentioned you going out of town this weekend.”

“Mad for what?”

“Said had she known you wasn’t gon’ be here, they would’ve just kept me down there. Over my dead body.”

“Nawl. She didn’t need to keep you. You was gone long enough.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“You ready to eat? I brought dinner.”

“I got Jessie in there making me something.”

“Okay. Well… let me go check on her and I’ll be back.”

“Alright.” She nodded.

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