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Out in the
living room, Ryan and Kennita just about heard it all.
“Wow,” Ryan laughed, “She’s saying love...wow.”
“Wow is right,” Kennita blurted. “She loves him now.”
Ryan said, “So, I guess you must have been the one seeing Larry.”
Kennita bristled. She could have punched him in the chest. “Me?” she snarled. “No way. He is not my type. I don't know if I like that guy.”
“Who Larry? Not many intelligent people do. He is world famous in the world of B-ball, but that doesn't give him the right to shit on folks. Oops, sorry, didn't mean to diss your boo.”
“My boo?” she shook her head then shot back at him with, “Where’s your girlfriend?”
“I don’t have one.”
“You lie.”
“Don’t call me a liar.”
She turned her head, mumbled. She was thinking about him on his phone explaining walking with two women.
“What, you think you know me?”
“Whatever. Just play your little game.”
Ryan laughed. “So you single?”
Kennita gave him a killer glare.
He nodded, “It’s okay to be single.”
“Is it really?”
“Yes. What are you looking for?”
“Why are we having this conversation?”
“We talking. Getting to know one another. Like grown folks.”
“Um hmm. I guess we are.”
Quiet happened for a long second. Their concentration falls into a funny commercial. When it ends, Ryan threw her more questions.
“Why you not seeing anybody?”
“Ya dippin’.”
“I know.”
“You want to know why?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Because I am looking for something you men are afraid of or ain't with in the ATL: A committed, long term, true, relationship.”
Ryan puts his two forefingers together to create a cross and grimaces. “You scaring me.”
“I know. I ain't laughing.”
“Well, okay, what do you like in guys? What's your dream guy like? I gotta ask, seeing how you seemed to think they don’t exist.”
“That's right, change the subject. I don't have a dream guy per se.”
“Per se.”
“Oh, you smart and all that.”
“Okay, you ain't going to be clowning me.”
“Never that. You Miss Joyful over there, I thought you like to laugh and joke.”
“Uh huh. Okay. Anyway. I like tall men. Color, size, I like them thick, but basically, I like them tall. Horny guys, though, are a serious major, major turn off.”
“I ain't horny. What you trying to say?”
“Kick dog holla. I ain't say your name. No, I am just saying.”
“Kick dog holla? I ain't never heard that one.”
They laugh as Al comes from the back in baggy shorts and a black wife beater and walks by swiftly.
“You kids place nice.”
“Damn. What in the world?”
“Your boy is off the chain.”
“And your girl is new to all that, right?”
“No, I guess she gets down like that. But back to you...”
“You were saying, where's your girlfriends?”
“We weren’t there. I told you I ain’t got a honey of my own. And ssss? I ain't got it like that. Yet.”
“Sure.”
“I mean, I see some ladies, but ain't nothing to brag about. Some of y’all is crazy.”
“Us. Right.”
“Yes, y’all are crazy. But sexy and soft and lovable. And crazy.”
“I’ma let that go. So, any kids?”
“Not yet.”
“No children, no girlfriend? Hmm.”
“I am trying to hit them books and play a little baseball, that's it. Gotta be focused. I play on the baseball team, go to classes, movies, hang with Al or my teammates.”
Kennita smiled. “I like baseball.”
It was her first sign of flirtation.
“Really?”
“Al doesn't play?”
“Naw, he’s on the football team.”
“Yeah, he’s big like that.”
“That’s what she said.”
“Huh?”
“The Office?”
“Office?”
“Yeah, the TV show. It’s from Jim.”
“Out of my lane. I don’t watch it.”
“What? That show is funny.”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“It’s in reruns, you might can catch up and then you’d be down.”
“Ah, none of my friends watch, so, I am down, with my circle of friends.”
“How can I be down in that circle?”
Kennita smiled, “It’s a tight circle. But we’ll see, we’ll see.”
“Okay then. I’ll get my application together.”
She laughed as Al appeared as if floating on a cloud.
“I need some shit.”
He opened the refrigerator and they could hear the unmistakable sound of a man popping ice cubes out of a tray. They heard him slam the door and he came back through holding a glass of ice.
He stopped abruptly. “Dude, come here for a second.”
When Ryan got up and met him in the hallway, He said, too loudly, “You got any rubbers? I see you intellectuals won’t be needing any.”
“My room, top drawer. Don’t fucking take them all.”
“Like you need some tonight? Please. I am taking the whole fucking box. Sharing is caring. Don’t let me be killed, or worse, you want me to be a father right now?
“Asshole.”
Al looked back in the living room behind Ryan returning to his spot on the couch. “You kids play nice!”
Kennita was shaking her head.
“Them two need Jesus,” Ryan said.
“For real. I know you thinking on trying to get me like my friend.”
“You want to?”
“Nasty. You think that's why I can here?”
“Why else?”
Her mouth opened into a shocked O.
Ryan said, “And you must have been the one who was seeing Larry since your girl is all in love.”
Kennita bristled. She could have punched him in the chest.
“Me? No. I was an invited guest.”
“Right.”
“That’s right.”
“Okay.”
“Ah, excuse you? Maybe I was out hanging with my friend?”
“And he was going to find you somebody to holla at.”
“No. I was just hanging out.”
“Right.”
“You don't believe me?”
Ryan shrugged.
“Like I care what you think,” she crossed her legs and an ankle bounced. “Nasty.”
“So, he was going to hook you up with someone? One of his friends?”
Her eyes turned hard again.
“Just making conversation,” he added.
Kennita sighed. He wasn’t a bad guy, she told herself, and maybe this wasn’t that bad of a situation. She said, “Look. Larry came into our store. He-”
“Store?” Ryan interrupted. “You guys got a store.”
“We work for Peaches, in South Dekalb Mall.”
“Oh, okay. I been in there before. About a year ago. We road out there to check out the mall. Off the chain.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Nothing but sneaker stores and a Macy’s...and fine women.”
“Yeah, I knew you’d noticed that. But there’s a little more to it than that.”
“Perhaps.”
“So, anyway, Larry came in bought all these CDs from me, and Wanda went ga-ga over him. She knew who he was right off.
“Did you?”
“No, not really. I mean, he looked familiar but I wasn’t sure how.”
“So y’all agree to hang with him tonight?”
“No y’all. Wanda did, and she wanted me to come along.”
“You just the road partner? You ain’t want to meet anybody.”
“Not really.”
“What, you got a man?”
Her lips curve.
“Just making conversation. Don’t want to be bothering a taken woman.”
“Don’t bother me then.”
“Right, good point.”
“Where's your girlfriend? Someplace thinking you here alone studying?”
“Funny. I don't have one.”
“Whatever.”
She turned her head, mumbled.
“What, you think you gonna keep asking me and I’ll slip up and admit to having one?”
“Whatever. Just play your little game.”
“I don’t want to play games. I want to talk to you.”
“Why? Just, I mean, let me just sit here and be and wait.”
“Okay.”
Ryan got up, came to her, and handed her the remote. “You can watch what you want while you chill.”
Her voice edgy. “Thank you.”
Kennita raised the remote and tapped the numbers to send the TV on BET.
“You having a good time?”
She looked back at him. She couldn’t think to say no.
“Well, then to hell with the why. Enjoy yourself, think your friend's not?”
“You're funny.”
“And nasty, right?”
She took the counterpunch. She nodded. “No, just funny right now.”
Animated, Ryan said, “What, funny? Like what? Like a clown. Am I funny for you, am I here for your amusement?”
She frowned. “What you talking?”
“Goodfellas? Hello?”
“Sorry. Wasn't interested, never saw it.”
Ryan shook his head in disbelief. “You ruined my joke.”
“Should have used a better movie. Maybe a Black one?”
“Wow.” Ryan exhaled nosily, “Okay, listen...you know what...?” he got up and began hooking up his gaming system. “...Come on, play a game with me, stimulate your mind.”
“From a video game?”
“Yeah. Strategy. Try to stop me from cheating and whipping your ass.”
“I don’t play these games, like men do, I told you that.”
“You know how to play Pac-Man, right?”
“You have that?”
“I have a lot to keep you entertained.”
“Nasty, gutter mind.”
“What?” he turned back to her as the X BOX came on the TV screen. He held up a few games. “I talking games, games? See?”
“Okay. Okay, I can play with you.” She was blushing at his obviously fake, innocent smile. She liked him, she decided.
They play and lose an hour easily.
Kennita sighed, “I win again.”
“Beginner’s luck like a mug,” Ryan said dropping the controller as if it had betrayed him.
“Sore loser.”
“Never that,” he smiled. “I don’t mind getting beat by a pretty woman.”
“Stop flirting.”
“That’s what I’m doing?”
“You trying.”
“And you smiling.”
“I want to see your room.”
“Really?”
“No, that's okay if you don't want me up in there.”
He stood.
“Shoot, I want nothing better. Come on.”
“No, it’s not that type of party.”
“Okay. You just want to go in there and look around?”
Kennita tilted her head and smirked. She said, “Yeah. I want to see how you live.”
Ryan sighed. “Okay.”
Kennita’s smirk became a grin; the guy was funny, she admitted once again. She rose off the couch. She stretched to wake up her bones from the long while of sitting like a lump. She bathed in Ryan’s vision. He was stealing looks, not just staring, but still he looked at her as if he was studying for a test, and she didn’t mind.
She said, “You don't want a second to clean up?”
“No, I think you can handle it. I know what you really want to see, or find. And it ain’t none of that.”
She smiled. “When did you have time to hide the evidence?”
“This morning. The Lord came to me and told me the love of my life was coming, and if you saw fresh, dirty panties in my room, or nude pictures of a sexy co-ed, you might freak.”
She laughed heartily. “You can not play with the Lord like that. That is so terrible.” She saw he wasn’t smiling. She sobered.
“I wasn’t playing. I was happy He hipped me to the haps.”
Ryan offered his hand. She looked at it as if was greasy and filthy. He waited for her, his hand steady. They both thought of Billy Dee Williams,
Leading the way. They left the living room and moved down the hall. Going by Al's room they could clearly hear the bed creaking and feminine moans.