Page 102 of Certified to Handle You
“I feel that. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.”
“What about you?” I asked. “What you be doin’?”
“I work a lot, but when I ain’t workin’, I’m laid back. I don’t really be all over the place either.”
“What you do for a livin’?” I asked, curious now.
“I cook.”
I sat up, my smile spreadin’ before I could stop it. “Oh, so you cook, cook?”
That laugh came again, deeper this time. “Yeah… I cook, cook.”
“Well that’s good,” I said, grinnin’ into the phone. “’Cause I’m a big girl, and a nigga gotta be able to feed me.”
“I’ll do more than feed you,” he replied, smooth as ever, and I felt a laugh bubble out of me before I could hold it in.
“Okay then,” I said, playin’ with the edge of my blanket. “What you like to cook?”
“Whatever I’m in the mood for, but I pay attention to who I’m cookin’ for.”
That made my smile linger. “So what you tryna say?”
“I’m sayin’ I’d figure out what you like… then make it how you like it.”
I pressed my lips together, smilin’ to myself. “Mmm… okay.”
“What you like to eat?”
I started tellin’ him everything, from seafood to pasta to soul food, and he listened to all of it, askin’ questions here and there like he really cared about what I was sayin’.
We went back and forth like that for hours, talkin’ about food, work, family, random shit that didn’t even matter, but it all felt good. The more we talked, the more his voice settled in, gettin’ deeper and lower, like he was laid back somewhere just vibin’ with me. And I ain’t even realize how much I was smilin’ until my face started hurtin’.
At some point, he asked, “What you doin’ this weekend?”
I pulled the blanket tighter around me. “I ain’t got nothin’ planned.”
“I really would like to take you out,” he said. “If you cool with that.”
I thought about it for a second, even though I already knew I was gon’ say yeah.
“I’m cool with that,” I replied. “But I’ll meet you there.”
“That’s fine,” he said right away. “Whatever make you comfortable.”
I nodded to myself, smilin’. “Okay.”
We talked a lil’ while longer before we finally got off the phone, tellin’ each other goodnight like we had been doin’ this type of shit with each other.
I walked to my room, still smilin’, and set my phone on the charger. As soon as I plugged it in, it buzzed.
I looked down and saw his name.
Couture: It was nice talkin’ to you.
I smiled and texted back.
It was nice talkin’ to you too.
