Page 8 of Zero
Seeing the way Rei was with Nitro hurt my soul. Deep down I knew I shouldn’t be jealous. If the two of them were to get together, it took away nothing from my life.
But Rei seemed like a decent guy. He didn’t seem bored with Nitro’s chatter and he answered her questions as best he could. From time to time, Nitro would fall into Patois and he either asked her to repeat or ask Justice what she meant.
I ate silently but didn’t finish my meal. Halfway through I couldn’t take it anymore. I excused myself to help Sarge in the kitchen.
“You hidin’” Sarge said, removing some fritters from the fryer. “The question is, from what?”
“I’m not hiding.” I pouted. After stacking a large rum cake on the pedestal, I began slicing it up to be wrapped individually for sale.
“If you say so.”
I allowed our talk to end there and changed the subject to the day’s special. My waitress arrived soon afterward, and I was sent back to the table with the others who were rising to leave. Justice kissed the side of my head, Nitro hugged Rei and my brother left with him.
Nitro and I cleaned up the table so that customers could use it again. While she brought things into the back, I added the decorations to the table, working slowly, my mind elsewhere.
We didn’t stick around for opening but made our way into St. Ann’s Bay. As we wandered through the day, I sunk deeper into hiding from my thoughts. From stopping at the hair salon and getting our nails done to doing a little shopping, I pretended my jealousy didn’t exist.
A few young boys stopped to speak with Nitro. They loved her as she was one of the best racers on the island and they found her cute. Little girls gushed over and regaled her with tales of seeing her race and that they wished to be like her.
I smiled proudly and fell into photographer mode.
By the time we got back to my place, I was exhausted. But I washed my hands and face and got on with life. Nitro would be leaving for a race in a few days and I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.
“We have a lot of food.” Nitro told me. “How about you pack a plate and bring it up for Rei?”
I frowned. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“That’s not the point.” She told me. “And I’m sure he’s back home by now.”
“Maybe he’s already eaten.”
“So, food is always better as leftovers.” She pushed. “Don’t fight me on this.”
If I refused, there would be another lecture. All I had to do was drive the food up, drop the food off and leave. There was no need to suffer through a lecture for something so simple. After clearing my throat, I agreed.
“I’ll take a soak in the tub while you do that.” She told me. “I also have a few calls to make—check on the car’s shipment—that sort of thing. You being gone will give me time to do all that. When you come back, we eat and chill.”
I showered and changed into a black summer dress with red splashes on it. It was as though someone had taken a paintbrush and dragged red paint over the fabric. I then grabbed Nitro’s keys because she blocked my car in.
Twenty-five minutes of driving and I was pulling into the driveway of the house Rei was given for his time on the island. It was quaint and belonged to my father before he passed. Justice and I agreed we’d keep it in the family though both of us lived other places. I moved to be closer to the city and the restaurant. I still had privacy and land, but the drive into Ocho Rios was easier.
The military was borrowing it from us to house Rei, and I didn’t see the harm.
Before climbing from the vehicle, I checked my face and hair in the mirror and adjusted my breasts. I rooted through my glovebox for my spare lip gloss and ensured my lips were properly moistened.
Once I was satisfied with the way I looked, I pushed the door open. I stopped to pick up the package with the meal and walked up the front steps to knock. It took a bit for Rei to answer but when he did, I almost dropped the food.
A shirtless Rei Hakama would rule my wet dreams for the rest of my life.
My dear sir—what the actual fuck?
I licked my lips and forced my chin up, so I didn’t look down at this wide shoulders and perfectly sculpted abs.
“Ms. Bailey because I’m nasty.” He greeted me. “What a surprise.”
I bit back a moan. “I thought I’d bring you some dinner.”
“That’s very thoughtful—please, come in.” He stepped to the side.
