Page 15 of On Everything
I looked back towards the door, paralyzed in fear when I saw it was Hov standing in the doorway of my ransacked apartment. I was stuck not only because of his presence but thefact that he called me by my name. It sounded so good coming off his lips too. It was almost like I was in trouble, but in a way that is disciplined through sex or something else kinky.
“Ye, Yes?”
Tripping over my words, I dropped the dustpan from my hands.
“Why are you cleaning up this shit by yourself?”
“Because I don’t have anyone else to do it. How do you know my name?”
“I just do.” He chucked his chin back, looking down towards me.
“Look, put that shit down and get up out of here for a few hours. When you come back, it will be cleaned up for you.”
“I don’t understand. Cleaned up by who?”
“Do you want to take the offer or not?”
“Uhhhh.” I looked around at all the turned over shit and dents in my wall. I don’t know Hov, but I’m sure he wasn’t offering to get my place cleaned to steal any of the junk up out of here. I’m sure he knows someone he can pay to clean for cheap because he doesn’t seem like the type to pick up anything from the floor.
“That’s cool, but I don’t know where to go in the meantime. Can’t I just stay here and help?”
“You would just be in the way. Leave here and come back about 5:00 tonight. Everything will be done for you by then.”
“Okay. But I need to shower and get dressed before I leave. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, do you. Just leave this door unlocked,” he replied, before he disappeared from the door frame.
I lifted my left hand and pinched my right side to see if I was dreaming or hallucinating off these chemicals. Why was Hov of all people at my door trying to help me? Especially since we've never had a conversation before in our lives.
I quickly got out of my head, closed the door and locked it to go in my bedroom’s closet to grab a pair of jean shorts and a shirt to take a shower.
“Perfect.”
I said, after going back in the racks to get my bottoms for my outfit of the day.
These shorts in particular were ones Kairo had a fit about me wearing before and ones that I placed in the back of my closet. It wasn’t until now that I had the balls to pull them out and flaunt what he didn’t feel was good enough to have exclusively. These shorts are just the beginning of me doing and wearing what I want. No more rules from my no good husband.
I turned on the shower wishing that I could’ve taken a bath to soak my sore coochie, but I’m in a rush to get the hell out of here and fast. Pressing a warm, wet towel on my lips should do the trick and if not, then I know I can hold ice on it for a few minutes to stop the pain. It was an old trick I learned when I first lost my virginity to Kairo.
When I was done showering, I went downstairs and stepped out of the building hearing, “Yo mama!” before my feet hit the pavement on the sidewalk. I decided to just keep walking and keep my head down so I could go to the Bodega down the street to grab something to coat my empty stomach.
Once I hit the corner to head to my little spot, my phone rang, and it was a call from Pernelle.
“What’s up?” I hit accept on the call.
“Shid, nothing, painting my toenails so I won’t look crazy in these new slides Emoney bought me. How did your night go, Ms. hot in the pants?”
“It was chill, actually.”
“Like chill chill or freaky chill?”
“Freaky chill. I fucked him.”
“Ahhh! Yes! My bitch is popping that coochie!”
Pernelle started screaming in excitement and I had to move the phone away from my ear as I traveled down the sidewalk. She was louder than all the horns, conversations, and classical sounds of Castle Hill Ave in the background.
“Girl, relax. I wasn’t a virgin, you do know that right?”
