29
Glover
I didn’t intend to rush Mona off the phone that night, but Max was about to leave. I was going to see her the next day anyway. When I told her I had company, she assumed it was Lionel.
I didn’t tell her otherwise.
In spite of two late evenings in a row with my future mother-in-law, I had a spring in my step by the end of the week. Friday was busy, having spent a lot of it on the phone with Adele, going over wedding planning and scheduling. It was becoming apparent that this was going to take up more time than that of my job itself. Lionel’s request to quit was beginning to seem more inviting.
I put off the usual evening with my girls, deciding to go it alone. I wasn’t sure if I knew myself anymore. I went jogging through my neighborhood with only my MP3 player for company. Time for some quiet reflection, I figured. It was stupid of me to accept Max’s barbecue invitation with so much stuff going on right now, but I had to. I had to see him again, had to prolong the conversation, both spoken and unspoken, that we had going on. Was it more about that “something” I’d found in Max that led me to want to foolishly extend this? Or was it more about what was lacking with me?
Lionel is going to kill me
, I kept thinking as I pushed on in my run.
I slept in late Saturday morning, sore from my jog. It felt so good to simply lie around and not think about anything. However, I began to stir as the hours went by, reaching out from under the comforter to pick up my phone from its cradle. I dialed the number off the piece of paper again, continuing my folly in spite of having the perfect man ready and willing to commit to me.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s me.”
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re calling to bail on me.”
“No, no,” I answered, emerging from my down cocoon into the daylight. I squinted as my eyes adjusted. “I was calling to see if you’re really okay with me going by there.”
“Of course I’m okay with it. I wouldn’t have asked you. Friends, right?”
“Right,” I answered, reaffirming my part of the lie we were agreeing to.
“Then hurry up and bring yo’ ass over here,” he teased. “Feel free to bring the rest of you too, ’cause it ain’t bad either. We’re about to start ’cueing.”
“All right, I’m coming.” I sat up, taking in the full day.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about. Before I forget, bring your swimsuit. My apartment may not be as posh as yours, but we have a pool too.”
“I’ll think about it, Max.”
“My apartment number is 105. My white Corolla is parked right outside. If I’m not there, I’ll be out by the pool. A’ight?”
“A’ight,” I mimicked. “See you soon.”
“Don’t keep me waiting.”
I hung up the phone and climbed out of bed. I got in a good long, catlike stretch before walking over to my dresser. I didn’t know how anyone else was going to be dressed, so I spent twenty minutes in front of the mirror like a silly schoolgirl. I finally selected my outfit and laid it out on the bed. I also selected some swimwear, my navy Anne Cole tankini top with the white bottom, stowing them in my tote bag along with my cell phone. Afterward, I skipped into the bathroom to get my act together.
I arrived at Max’s complex two hours later and stepped out of my car, wearing white linen shorts, a tan sleeveless top, and white canvas tennis shoes for the tired old feet. My Calvin Klein tortoise shell shades kept the sun out of my eyes, and my CK tote bag draped my shoulder. Only one chance to make a first impression, so I might as well go in coordinated.
There were two units near Max’s car. One was on the second floor, and the other was just below it. Both of their patio doors were slightly open, and I could hear music coming from both as well. I figured that Max’s was the ground level unit based on his apartment number. I walked through the hallway to the interior of the complex, finding his unit. I took a deep breath and knocked.
No answer.
Maybe the music was too loud. I waited then knocked harder before a heavyset man greeted me with a smile.
“Hello. I must have the wrong apartment.”
“You must be looking for Max,” he said with an extra-wide grin. “He’s by the pool with the food. C’mon, I’ll walk you there. He’s been expecting you.” The brother certainly was the friendly sort. What exactly had Max told him about me?
“By the way, pleased to meet you. Samir,” he offered, his large hand engulfing mine.
“Glover. Do you live here too, Samir?”
“No, I live over in Gardena. I’m Max’s manager at Denny’s. He’s a good worker. Yep, my boy’s gonna blow up one day. Soon. Just you wait and see.” His smile reflected an almost fatherly pride in Max. I knew about his work history already from his resume, imagining for a second how much ridicule I would sustain if I did something to ruin my engagement to Lionel for this newfound friend. But Max was just a friend.
We’d both agreed to that.
Samir led me to the courtyard, where Max was manning the barbecue pit by the pool. I finally had a decent view of his broad shoulders, protruding from the black muscle shirt he sported. A small gathering stood nearby, talking and joking amongst themselves.
Upon seeing me, Max’s eyes lit up and he ran over. He put his arms around me, squeezing oh so tight as he lifted me off my feet. His energy and muscles both felt good.
“Hey, lady! You made it, huh?” he cheered. I liked the enthusiasm and attention he showered on me.
“I said I was coming,” I answered calmly as he set me down, although my heart was moving a little fast at the moment.
“Daaamn!” someone from the gathering yelled. One of his friends, I assumed, a little skinny fella in a pair of denims and a grey Raiders T-shirt. A heavy sister with a lollipop in her mouth gave the little dude a massive elbow, presumably in response to his outburst. She cast a nasty look at me with her beady eyes.
Lord, don’t let there be some shit up in here
.
“Glover, let me introduce you to some people. This is my boy, Smitty.” Smitty was shorter than me. Nice enough, though. I could tell he was a character, a male version of Charmaine. He was quick to shake my hand—in a very safe manner. His chest was probably red from the elbow he’d received.
“This is his girl, Zena.” Warrior princess, she wasn’t. She smiled, but her beady eyes didn’t look any happier than before.
“This is Zena’s sister, Niobi.” She was a smaller version of the Lollipop Kid, and lurked in the background. She was cuter than her sister, but wore a dead serious scowl on her face. Not even a fake smile. She made it apparent I was unwelcome here.
Like I really cared. Mona would proud of me.
A boom box rested on one of the patio tables. Next to it were aluminum pans filled with barbecued sausage, hamburgers, ribs, chicken, and kabobs. Coming primarily to hang, I wasn’t that hungry, but the food was lookin’ hella good.
“You’re looking beautiful as always,” Max heaped upon me. “Excuse my smell. I’m all hickory and shit.”
“I don’t mind, Max. You’re the chef today, so I’ll forgive you. Do you have somewhere I can put my tote bag?”
“Yeah. My apartment’s open. People have been going in and out of there, so you may want to put it up in the bedroom. Samir walked you from there, right?”
“Yes. He’s a nice person. Thinks very highly of you. I guess I kinda do too.”
We exchanged a glance as he fought a blush. I tilted my head so my eyes could meet his. Max stood there, transfixed, with a bottle of barbecue sauce in his hand.
At that moment, one of the partygoers broke our brief moment with, “Hey, Max! That’s your girlfriend, dawg?”
Max snapped out of it, casting a glance his way. “Nah, dawg, she’s not mine. She’s just a friend,” he replied. No matter my situation, those words bothered me.
Max paused as he looked back toward me, seeing bare fingers on my left hand. Thrown for a loop in mid-sentence, his eyes widened. They moved up from my hand, where they were met by my smiling face.
I hadn’t planned on leaving my ring off; it just worked out that way. I accidentally left it on my dresser when I was trying on clothes in front of my mirror. I was halfway to Max’s place before I realized it was absent. I almost turned around, but decided it might be best to leave it off if I planned on swimming. Explaining a lost ring to Lionel would be worse than Max’s confusion, which was actually cute at the moment.
“I’ll be back. I’m going to put up my bag.”
“Hurry back. Don’t make me come looking for you.”
“What if that’s what I want?” I teased, looking over my shoulder. I loved playing around with him, but somewhere beneath my words I felt that maybe I could be serious. I had to get a grip. Zena’s and Niobi’s eyes were on me, whispering as I watched them out of the corner of my eye.
Max’s apartment had the look of a college student’s, albeit a lot neater. Still, a far cry from the situated, stable opulence of Lionel’s place. Not that I should be comparing the two anyway.
I found Max’s bedroom and stowed my tote bag on the side of his bed, where it wouldn’t be too visible. The bedroom was immaculate. Not what I expected from a single young man. I still had a lot to learn about him. I ran my hand across the top of his bed and walked over to his oak dresser.
Sitting on his dresser beside his Mason ring was a framed picture. It was of Max and his mom, from his college graduation. I smiled over our similarities just as sounds in the living room startled me. Somebody had entered the apartment. I hurried out of Max’s bedroom thinking—perhaps hoping—that he’d followed me inside.
“Well, if it isn’t Ms. Siddity. Look at this here, Niobi.” The Lollipop Kid and sis had some shit on their collective mind. Being a lady, I tried ignoring them as I walked by.
Niobi mumbled, “Who the fuck does she think she is? Sorry-ass bitch.”
“Excuse me? I heard you talking about a sorry-ass bitch. Someone I know?” I was about to get “ignit” with these pro-wrestling heifers and possibly get drove by them, but the sista wasn’t backing down. First thing, that lollipop was going straight down Zena’s throat.
“Girl, you steppin’ to Max like that in front of my li’l sister. That’s disrespectful, and we don’t play that shit. Maybe that’s cool where you from, but not around here.”
“Excuse me? Is Max your man?” I asked of Niobi, looking at her with a crazy smile and half-laugh, catching her off guard. I could tell she was about to lie the way she paused and looked away as she prepared to answer. Something I learned in my job. I didn’t think Max to be the type to invite me if he really had an interest in Niobi, but let her think I was about to wild out anyway. My mom didn’t raise no punk, and I prepared to take my beating if it came to it.
“There y’all two! Honestly, I can’t take you anywhere. All frowned up like somebody stole your lunch. I told both y’all to chill.” It was Max’s friend, Smitty, fast-talking to diffuse things. “I need to make another beer run. You wanna drive me, Zena? You know you’re almost out of lollipops, baby.”
Zena and Niobi loosened up, storming out of the apartment. Before they left, they gave me parting looks, with Niobi motioning to her head with her hand, like a gun going “Pow!”
Smitty started walking out behind them, then paused. “Sorry about them,” he said with a shrug. “They’re all talk ... most of the time. Zena called herself hooking Niobi up with Max, but Max ain’t havin’ that. Not even if you weren’t here with all your sexiness, girl. You know you got my boy buggin’, right?”
“Be gentle with him, though. He don’t get it that often and you ...” He mocked wiping sweat off his face. “You
foin
as hell, girl. You damn lucky I’m with Zena, ‘cause I’d make you forget all about Max. Have you worshipping in the Temple of Smitty.”
“No, no. We’re just friends. I’m engaged and—”
“Riiiiiiiiiiight!” he jeered, cutting me off. “I saw how you two look at each other. Don’t shit a shitter. See ya later.” Smitty shot out the door to catch up with the two headbusters. He enjoyed making me squirm, and I probably deserved it for the bullshit of which I was trying to convince myself.
I let out a huge sigh, exhaling mightily before heading out the door. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I came here, but I was definitely hungry now.
30
Max
I invited Jay to the barbecue, but he was a no-show. Probably out scheming as usual, but it didn’t really matter. I had other concerns on my mind. Glover had been gone for a while and hadn’t returned from my apartment. Maybe she was serious about wanting me to look for her. Nah. I learned to limit most of my fantasizing when she broke it down to me. No need to get my hormones riled up.
Just then, Glover appeared in the courtyard. Her shades were off, so I was able to peer into her pretty brown eyes again.
“Everything okay? Thought you’d gotten lost.” “Everything’s fine, Max. Thanks for your concern, though.”
“I fixed a plate for you over there,” I said, motioning to one of the nearby patio tables. “Figured you’d get hungry eventually, and can’t have you starving on my watch.”
“You not gonna join me? What kind of host are you anyway?”
“Okay. I’m finished ’cueing anyway. I’ll fix a plate too.”
Relieving myself from my duties at the pit, I joined her at the table.
“Did you have any other plans this weekend?” I asked, relishing the close space I shared with her.
“Not really. I cleared my entire schedule just to come here. I had to taste your barbecue.”
“Well? What’s the verdict?”
“It’s good. Share your secret?”
“Beer.”
“What? You get drunk before you start?”
“Cute. You sooo funny. I pour it over the meat while it’s cooking. Just before I dab the sauce on.”
“I should have known. You’re an alcoholic. Probably full right now.”
“I don’t hear you complaining about the food.”
“You know I’m just fucking with you, right?”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why you’ve got some sauce on your face.”
“I do? Where?” she asked, feeling embarrassed.
“You know I’m just fucking with you, right?”
“Max?”
“Huh?”
“Stop.”
“Okay. What do you like to do for fun? I mean, besides giving people a hard time and making them squirm.”
“You’re cute,” Glover said with a chuckle. “I like to listen to music and chill out sometimes. I like to travel when I can. I like hanging with my friends most of all. They’re important to me. Kind of like family.”
“Sounds a lot like me. I used to be a party person. Now I’m content to just hang out. Maybe I’m growing up, or maybe it’s just that my priorities are changing. I guess a move to a city like Los Angeles will do that to you also. Whew, it has been an adjustment.”
“The hustle and bustle?”
“Just the unfamiliarity of it all. I’m on familiar turf back in Louisiana. The place isn’t that big, so you get a feel for things and people really quick. You know where you stand. Here, I’m a little slow to trust. So much is not as it seems, y’know?”
“Me included, right?” Glover said as she rested her hand under her chin.
“No, I wasn’t including you in that statement. This is a place where so many people come to reinvent themselves. Fresh starts. I guess I’m included in that group.”
“So, what do you want to change, Max? Better yet, what
would
you change in your life right now?”
“Well, I would have my career on a roll, whatever that is. A nice house with an ocean view and someone special to share it with.”
“Having someone special is important, Max. Trust me on that.”
Trust.
I trusted her. I wanted her to be that someone special, but couldn’t bring that up again.
“Did you bring your swimsuit?” I asked, avoiding the waters I found myself sailing in.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Hey, nudity is cool too. The pool is heated, but you still might be a tad cold.”
“Always the joker. Are you ever serious?”
“Most of the time. I just like seeing the life in your face when you smile.”
“You’re the one with the nice smile. Real genuine and sincere. It’s refreshing.”
The mutual admiration society continued its meeting for the next hour and was only adjourned as some of the partygoers moved on. Smitty returned from his beer run. He was busy keeping an angry Zena and Niobi at bay, until he moved the remainder of the party upstairs to his place. The sun was setting in the west as clouds began rolling in.
“Do you want to go up to Smitty’s?” I asked, sensing a change in the flow of things. “It’s up to you.”
“No, not really,” she said, taking a final look at Zena and her sister. She pushed her chair away from the table and walked lazily around the courtyard. I watched her as she took a wine cooler from the ice chest. “Is that a Jacuzzi on the other end of the pool?”
“Yep, and it’s working this week, too. I knock these apartments, but they’re really pretty nice. I wish they had a gym, though. Even just a small one.”
“You could come by and use mine sometime, Max. Don’t want you losing that muscle tone, now, do we?”
“That’s a no-no. Friends aren’t supposed to talk about each other’s bodies. Not even if they’re as fine and sexy as yours.”
Glover responded with a grin. She came over, taking my arm in hers. “C’mon. Show me your place before we come back for that swim. I need to change anyway.”
“So you did bring a suit.” I grinned like a little kid at Christmas.
We strolled to my apartment, where I gave her an informal tour of my tiny abode. I sat on the arm of my sofa while Glover looked through my photo album. She took great delight in laughing at photos of my developmental years, filled with bad haircut and clothing ideas that we all thought were “da bomb” at the time.
“I need to shower before we head down to the pool. I smell just like that pit. Make yourself comfortable and remember to tell any females that you’re my cousin if they call. Okay?”
“Any other orders? Shall I wash dishes or anything?”
“No, that’ll do, madam. You know you can hang upstairs if you want while I shower. I won’t be long.” I pointed up at the ceiling, as we could hear the muffled sounds of music and dancing overhead.
“Nah, I’m not really up for seeing
certain
people. I’m here to have fun, and the company down here is just fine.”
“Did something happen with Zena and Niobi? They didn’t try to start any shit, huh?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. They were just being catty in their own special way. I’m not causing any problems with you and Niobi, am I? I don’t want to assume I know the answer.”
“Niobi? Nah. Zena calls herself trying to set me up with her crazy sister, but she knows I’m not interested. You’re cool. Trust me. There is nothing going on there and never will be. So you’re gonna sit tight?”
“Yep. Get your ass in there and shower before I change my mind. You know a sister doesn’t want to get her hair wet anyway.”
“A’ight! A’ight!”
I walked into my bedroom, tossing my smoke-infused attire in the dirty clothes hamper. A cold shower would be a good idea, but I needed this shower primarily to get clean. I quickly sudsed up so I wouldn’t keep Glover waiting too long.
My bathroom door was partially open, so I called out to Glover that I would be out soon. She responded, sounding much closer than the living room where I’d left her. It was probably my imagination. As I turned off the shower, I reached for my towel to wipe the water from my eyes.
I heard rustling sounds coming from my bedroom. It was Glover. Through the crack in my door, I saw her changing into her swimsuit. As I dried off, I was unable to take my eyes off her. She had to have heard the water stop, expecting me to emerge eventually. My eyes followed every inch of her, from her shoulders to her hips, as she removed her top, followed by her shorts.
“Told you I wouldn’t be long,” I shouted from inside the bathroom, giving her some kind of warning—and to feel less voyeuristic.
“Hope you don’t mind. I left my bag in here and started changing.” She didn’t pick up her pace or anything. She slowly reached for the clasp on the front of her bra and let it drop to the floor. Her bare breasts exposed, I stirred as I gazed at her lovely brown, erect nipples. She had to know I could see her every move. She had to know that I was watching.
And wanting very badly.
“That’s okay. You had to change somewhere ... and I’m in here hogging the bathroom,” I joked.
Her panties dropped to the floor. That round bootie right there, just waiting.
My every instinct was to rush out there and take her. To put her on my bed and know ecstasy as I’d imagined way too often.
No. For someone on the receiving end of betrayal in the past, it wasn’t worth the drama of being with another man’s woman.
My swim trunks were in there with her, so I waited for her to finish. Besides, I had a serious hard-on that my towel would not have hidden. She had to have seen me, but I didn’t ask. On one hand, I felt like a perv. On the other, I was a lucky witness.
When I knew she was finished, I exited the bathroom. Glover stood at the side of my bed, looking almost as good in her swimsuit as she had while unclothed. The top was navy blue. It covered some of her tight stomach, but revealed enough to make you want to see more. She had these cute little white bottoms that she nervously tugged at. Women. Why try to hide what we want to see? I politely smiled and went to my dresser.
In my mirror, I watched her as she folded her clothes on my bed. As she did this, I saw her eyes slyly watching my every move. I found my black swim trunks in the middle drawer and pulled them out.
Glover excused herself from my bedroom, but had to pass me on the way out.
As she walked into the living room, she asked, “Do you want me to leave a crack in the door?”
She was fire. And I was already sweating from the heat.
I exited the bedroom and we grabbed some drinks, a Smirnoff for her and a Corona for me, heading out to the pool. As the sun faded, the outdoor lights would be coming on shortly. We had been holed up in my apartment longer than I expected, as Smitty had already moved the barbecue pit and cleaned up at poolside.
I owed him.
We placed our drinks on the ground near the edge of the pool. Glover slowly lowered herself into the water as I held her hand. When she was completely in, she began backstroking toward the far end. Following in Glover’s wake, my head was visible by her feet as she paddled. She intentionally kicked water in my face the closer I got. We came to a truce, stopping to tread water when we reached the far side.
“This chlorine’s kickin’. You know you owe me for another relaxer,” she offered. “You’re the one who talked me into this. Denny’s pay you enough to take care of my next hair appointment?”
“I would say fuck you for that Denny’s crack, but you might take it literally, Ms. Look At My Big-Ass Ring. We can’t have you trying to freak me in the pool. I don’t swim that well, and you might drown me in more ways than one.”
Glover swatted her hand, sending a wave toward my face. After clearing my eyes, I dove below and came up under her. She playfully screamed as I picked her up and dunked her with a large splash. We wrestled around in the water for a minute, until we wound up face to face in each other’s arms.
The laughter slowly faded as our eyes locked on one another. Glover’s hands trembled as she pulled me against her, our wet bodies forming a seal. I slid my hands against the small of her back. She seemed to be in great pain. I just wanted to make it all better. We were heading somewhere we had been fighting with all our might.
I put my finger under her chin and lifted her head up. Her eyes revealed great confusion, like part of her wanted to run off, while the other part wanted something else.
Me.
I leaned over to finally kiss those lips ...
Bloop!
A large raindrop fell onto my nose. I flinched in surprise, enough to break the fragile mood that was set. Then several more fell—cold rain pouring from a sky that had just opened up.
Glover relaxed her grip on me. Her head lowered again as she whispered under her breath, “God’s crying.” It was barely audible.
“What did you say?” The rain picked up. A freak storm, I guess. And they say it never rains in Southern California.
“God’s crying. My mom used to tell me that when it rained. She used to say that somebody was doing wrong somewhere. Some stuff she brought from Virginia.”
“Let’s go in before we catch pneumonia.”
We retreated inside my apartment. I gave her a towel to dry off with and one of my shirts to don. We were back in friend mode.
The way it should be.