Page 16 of Absolute Fulfillment
“Most of them I got you, but on the days I can’t ,I’ll let you know ahead of time. Is that okay?”
I nodded. “Perfect. I think I’m gonna put a lot of energy into finally opening a shop this summer.”
“Really? That’s always been your dream. I’m so happy for you.” She grinned big.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome and I’m down to help you whenever you need me,” she assured, eyes finding the screen of her phone again. Something was wrong.
“What’s wrong, Cy?”
She looked up from her phone and sighed. “It’s Drew. He’s been acting weird lately. First he said he needed space and wanted to forge his own path through college and I was cool with that. Well… maybe not cool. I was here on your couch crying and watchingPretty Womanwith you and Harlem. I swear I gave that man his space, Cay, now he wants to know where I am twenty-four-seven. Yesterday he sent me a request to share locations and even had the ner?—”
“Lemme stop you right there. Nope. I can’t tell you how to live your life, or any of your choices, but I’ve been right thus far. Don’t play this game with that boy. You’re young, Cy. Not nan one of these young ass boys deserve that much energy. At your age all they know how to do is play games, so don’t get caught up in the I love yous. Shit, even at my age men are still in that phase.”
She nodded. “I hear you.”
“Good. Now that part of business is up. How much do you need?”
She laughed. “I truly came to raid your fridge and lay low. Don’t need any money right now, big sis, but if you’d like to send a few dollars to my account that would be much appreciated.”
I cackled. “Okay.”
She and I talked for a while longer before it was time for me to start getting dressed to meet my girl for dinner. Even though Harlem had Kinga and the twins, she and I still had a standing dinner date at least once a week. I had already threatened Kinga about keeping it, to which he waved me off like a gnat. He did that shit every time I threatened his big ass about her.
By the time I was dressed to meet Harlem, my sister was passed out on the couch while her phone lit up over and over on the couch near her head. I already knew it was Drew, her high school love I had told her not to go off to school with. She was young and didn’t listen, now here we were. Either way it went, she was my sister, so I had her back regardless. I locked up and left soon after I threw a blanket on her.
The entire drive to dinner I talked to my mama and baby on FaceTime. I missed my son something crazy, but I was grateful for my mother. She was a big help any time I needed her and she didn’t mind him. She was the help his father wasn’t. Adonis spending a few weeks with my mother helped me a lot, givingme time to myself and time to work around the clock for a while during prom, wedding, and graduation seasons.
My standing dinner with Harlem was at Willows. So of course when I walked in the door, she was already seated in our usual booth, sipping what looked like water.
“Why are you never on time?” she asked, looking away from her phone to me.
“Traffic. Everybody isn’t a speed demon. You have been with Kinga so long you don’t stop at red lights or stop signs. You blow through them.”
She cackled. “Not true.”
“Yeah, right. Remember I’ve been in the car with you.”
She laughed and so did I. “Anyway, how are you?”
“I’m here. I miss my baby and I’m ready for him to come home. Two, Cylah is at the house.”
“Your mini? Is she still sulking over that boy?”
“Nope, from how she explained it, he’s borderline stalking.” I laughed, looking around the semi-empty restaurant. This used to be one of the most popping spots in the city, but when the owner's nephew and son died a few years back, so did her business.
“Didn’t I tell her he’d do that if she ignored him?”
“You did, but you also knew from experience.” I winked in her direction, referring to her nothing ass ex. I couldn’t stand his ass and I was so grateful when she was finally done with him for good. Now Kinga, I loved him for her. He loved and protected her and his kids with everything in him, and that was evident. She deserved a man who was selfish with her feelings, and most of all, selfish with her.
She nodded. She was about to speak, but the waitress approached our table. Once she introduced herself as Andy and took our drink orders, Harlem and I were left alone again.
“So, Rennix.” She crossed her arms across her chest and just looked at me.
“What about him?”
“What not about him? He took you home that night and I have been waiting for you to say something, very much something, but you said nothing. That means one of two things because you don’t like to be wrong. As a matter of fact, you don’t even lik?—”
