Page 82 of Definitely Not a Thing
“Because it is,” he countered. “Now… what else do we need for the pizza you mentioned? Oh, and didn’t you talk about getting cucumbers?”
“None from here – my mom is bringing some in a few days,” I answered. “As far as the pizza, uh… there should be some fresh mozzarella in the coolers inside.”
And just like that, I was successfully redirected.
I was – we were –vibing.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that seeing his suitcase packed, sitting by his door, and helping him clear the perishables from his fridge didn’t bring back my panicky feelings.
It was crazy to start up athingright before one of the people was going to be out of pocket for weeks, right? I mean, sure – Blackwood was twenty minutes up the road, forty with heavytraffic, so it wasn’t like he was going to the other side of the world, but still.
He was going to be busy – getting his spot back on the team, reacclimating to athlete mode – late nights and early mornings, physical strain.
Andstress.
I know this shit had to be stressful.
On the outside, it didn’t show – he was upbeat, cracking jokes, flirting, all his usual stuff. His friend from the hardware store, Marquis came by, with a wood-fired pizza oven strapped to the back of a huge pickup. Him, Calvin, and a another guy he’d brought along – Foster, apparently – got it down off the truck with Arthur, who’d materialized from nowhere in anArthur’s Outdoors and Morehat supervising while they set it up in the courtyard with the grills.
Because Iverycasually mentioned that I thought the pizzas would be better in a “real” pizza oven.
Hands propped at his sides, Calvin looked at me with a grin. “Okay – you read to make some pizza now?”
“Oh… you thought I meant…today?” I asked, keeping the confused look on my face as his smile melted away. He looked at the pizza oven, then back at me, then at his friends who were still panting from the late-summer heat and effort they’d just put into setting that thing up.
“Are you… deadass?” he asked, completely serious.
ThenI smiled.
“Just fucking with you.”
I couldn’t name a better feeling than his friends – and Arthur – busting out laughing as he nodded, then started clapping.
“You got me good with that one – I legit felt a tear forming,” he laughed, pulling me into a hug with his arm around my neck.
“Ay- y’all talking about pizza, but is itnota perfect day to put something on one of thesegrills?” Keys asked.
“Nigga… nobody put you keeps a rack of ribs at the readybutyou,” Foster chuckled. “You been looking for an opening all week haven’t you?”
Keys sighed. “Man, I got banned from the corner store, and have had to suffer through the smell without any relief. Can you blame me?”
“Uh-howexactly does one get banned from there?” I asked. “Mrs. Spencer is literally the sweetest lady on the planet. Were you in there bothering her?!”
“Nahhh!” Keys defended. “That was my daddy’s lil’ sweetheart… until he fucked it up and she said she don’t want nothing to do with the Coopers.”
“Damn. Banned your whole bloodline?” Calvin asked, and Keys nodded. “That’s tough.”
“Agreed,” Keys said. “So… im’a go grab these ribs and some charcoal then.” He motioned for Foster to join him back in the truck as we laughed.
And… from there, it kinda… turned into a going-away party.
“You remember that night we met?” Calvin asked me, hours later, sitting at one of the benches in the courtyard while people talked, played, and ate around us. Some were neighbors, some were friends we’d called, some were people I’d never seen before in my life, which… was fine too, honestly.
We were vibing.
“How could I forget – the first time you ever trolled me,” I laughed, leaning into his shoulder.
“You were mean as hell, in my defense.”
