Page 34 of Definitely Not a Thing
“Somewhat?!” I replied, eyes wide until he held up what appeared to be a damn juice box.
“Oh! Uh… yeah, actually – you have another one?”
“Yuuup. You want… pineapple lemonade or fruit punch?”
“Pineapple lemonade,” I answered. “Sounds like it might put me in the mind of a lemon drop.” A moment later he signaled that he was tossing it to me across the short distance.
I almost dropped it, but quickly recovered.
“Good save!” he called. “I’m guessing lemon drops are your fave?”
As soon as it was in my hands, I realized it wasnota juice box at all.
It was a frozen margarita.
“Nice,” I muttered, pulling off the straw and punching it into the top of the pouch. “Lemon dropsaremy fave. Thanks, neighbor!” I called to Calvin as I took a seat and kicked my feet up before I took a sip. “Although I must say – you don’t givekeep girly drinks on hand at homevibes.”
He chuckled. “Leftovers from that kickback I had a few weeks ago.”
“The day I moved in?”
“Yuuuup. We’re probably not getting power back tonight, and it’s too hot to sleep, so… may as well pretend it’s a vacation, right?”
“I think I see your logic,” I agreed. “But…should I be concerned that you were maybe about to sit a drink a bunch of these by yourself?”
“Nah, I just pulled out these two. My mom and sisters will probably fuck ‘em up next time they slide through.”
“Aww – they visit often?”
“Not nearly enough,” he admitted. “I haven’t had a good head rub, been told exactly where I fucked up my life, had the best thing stolen off my plate, or gotten my forehead thumped inweeks.”
“Whoa,” I laughed. “Let me guess – baby of the family?”
“I am,” he said. “Is this a case of game recognize game, or I sound spoiled or something?”
I shook my head. “Neither. You sound loved.”
His eyebrows went up in surprise at that answer before he nodded. “I’ll take that. What about you? You have siblings?”
“No – only child,” I said. “Never met my father, but Mama hasalwaysheld it down for me.”
“We have that in common then – well, almost. Sperm donor has made his attempts to make himself known now that there’s a possibility of something in it for him.”
I frowned and took another sip. “That’s shitty.”
“Indeed. But… fuck them,” he shrugged. “Like you said – Mama held it down.”
“And still does,” I giggled a bit. “I can’t decide how I feel about it – On one hand, I would love for her to recognize that I’m a grown lady too, and can take care of myself. On the other though… girl, what time is that doctor’s appointment and how am I supposed to keep this house cleanandcook dinner? Oh, and keep myself up, and keep a roster of niggas? Cause you – she – made it look so easy.”
“Oh, you’ve got a roster, huh?”
I sucked my teeth. “Why am I not surprised that’s the only thing you heard?”
“It’s not the only thing I heard – it’s what piqued my interest the most,” he corrected, coming to lean on the balcony railing. “Answer the question.”
“If I had arosterof niggas, do you really think I’d be all twisted up, crying overone?” I asked, wrinkling my nose at him. “Besides – the point of that statement was that I do not have my shit together like she did at my age. And she had a kid!”
He chuckled. “I fully believe our parents’ generation is just… I don’t know. Tougher, for sure.”
