Page 20 of Refuel

I extended a hand toward her, and she screamed, causing the entire restaurant to look at us.

An hour and a half later, Tennessee sat in the passenger seat. I had the music up, bumping to the latest track from Kendrick Lamar. Tennessee tried to turn it down, and I slapped his hand away.

“You know I don’t let anybody fool with my music.”

“Are you going to that party this weekend?” Tennessee asked.

“Yeah, Sarai has me as the VIP guest. I’m getting paid to appear,” I replied.

“Cool. I might swing through. But what’s up with your boy, Ronny?” He used his nickname that only came out when someone had something negative to say about Ronald.

“As far as I know, nothing. Why?”

“I don’t know yet. He just seems off, like he’s hiding something.” I drove down Pacific Highway to my mom’s place. She lived in the same neighborhood that Colton lived after he mentioned the peacefulness he had from the paparazzi. I’d thought about moving in the same area, but I liked being near the city of LA in my condo. Turning into my mom’s driveway, I turned the car off.

“He’s always been to himself.” I opened the driver’s door, slamming it shut, and saw the front door swing open. My mom stood with her hands on her hips and a towel in her hand.

“Why am I hearing about you getting engaged and having a baby?” Mom asked. I raised my arms to give her a hug, and she pushed me back.

“Ma, you know how the media takes things and runs with them.”

“I don’t know what the media does because my son is always into some type of drama,” Mom told me.

“Ma, you remember Tennessee,” I said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Tennessee, do you worry your mother the way Kash worries me?” she asked, turning her back to head inside the house.

He exchanged a smile with her, then shook his head. “No, ma’am,” Tennessee said.

“He’s lying, Ma,” I said. I shoved him in the arm, and he play boxed with me.

“Anyone hungry?” Mom asked as she sauntered off to the kitchen.

I rubbed my stomach “No, we just ate.”

“Tell me about this woman, Kamden,” she demanded.

I groaned, not in the mood to have another conversation about my love life.

“The only woman I’m worried about is you,” I replied.

“Josie called me,” Mom said as she pulled the cookies out of the oven.

Josie was a longtime friend who I happened to have sex with every blue moon. Nothing serious between us on my end, but over time, her feelings had changed, and I told her I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I wasn’t the commitment type. She worked as a sports reporter, and our schedules worked out to benefit us both. Now to hear that she’d reached out to my mom to get in good wouldn’t fly with me.

“What did she say?”

“She wanted to know why you’re ignoring her calls. I never liked her for you; she seemed like an opportunist,” Mom explained.

Something we both agreed about. Josie could manipulate any situation and often, if I didn’t call her back, she’d show up at the racetrack or my house trying to get me to talk with her.

“I’ll take care of it, Ma. Don’t worry.”

“This new girl though, she’s pretty,” Ma stated, passing the plate of cookies to me. She opened the fridge next to the oven and grabbed the milk and glasses.

The image of her melted away like mist before the sun. “Ma,” I said.

She gave Tennessee a subtle wink, giving him a glass and pouring milk inside.

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