Page 13 of Just Listen
I watched as she leaned against the island, while craning her phone between her head and shoulder. Her mama was clearly saying a lot, as Big Baby held the phone and mostly just offered one-word answers.
“Okay. Well, I’ll call you back in a little bit,” she finally said, after a couple of minutes. “Alright…love you too.”
As she was wrapping up her call, I was fixing a plate for her.
“Eat, before it gets cold,” I instructed, after stepping up and placing the plate next to her.
She smiled, as she glimpsed at the food. “Thank you.”
I looked her sexy frame up and down. “You welcome.”
Biting her lip, she grabbed my hand. For a moment, neither of us said a thing, while gazing into each other’s eyes.
Eventually, she squinted.
“There’s something about you. I can’t quite put it into words. Makes me feel like I know you…without knowing you. If that makes sense.”
I nodded. “I definitely get what chu saying.”
“Do you?” She reached up, and brushed a finger over my lips.
“For sho’.” I maintained eye contact.
“Okay.” She pulled her hand back. “Now, sit down and eat with me,” she commanded.
I nodded, before turning to grab my plate. We then both copped squats at the island. Side by side.
“Oh, damn,” she mumbled, as she took a piece of omelet into her mouth. “I wasn’t expecting this. Who taught you how to cook like this?”
“My granny,” I admitted with pride.
She cut her eyes at me. “She raised you?”
“Shehelpedraise me. She would keep me a lot, but my mama was there too.”
“Oh, okay. That makes sense. Cause this is fucking delicious.” She randomly leaned in and kissed my lips. “You’re just full of surprises.”
I smiled. “Why is everything sosurprisingwith me?”
“Because. Maybe I was judging the book by it’s cover. So, I honestly had…differentexpectations.”
“Why?”
“Because. You’re young. Handsome. And look like you’ll pop somethin’. So, I thought that you’d have a wild spirit, versus this soothing calmness. Your vibe is…peaceful.”
I lightly chuckled. “Peaceful? That’s a first.”
“Well, if that aint usually you, then that means that you’re not always in situations where you can be yourself. And you just typically rise to the occasion. Because I’m sensing a foodie with great conversation. Is thatnotyou?”
A chill shot up my spine, as I realized that she was actually describing me. Ironically, if you asked most of my people, they’d probably describe somebody completely different. Because I was known as the hell raiser around my way. And most people couldn’t see beyond that. But when I did have time to slow my pace, which wasn’t often, I did love to indulge in fine cuisine or cook it up myself. But the average broad never picked up on that.
“You might be onto something.”
“I knew it,” she grinned, before her cell vibrated on the counter.
While chewing her food, she lifted the phone, and stared at the screen.
“I probably should put my clothes on, so you can drop me off,” she sighed, while placing her phone back on the counter. Face down.
