Page 3 of Another Constant

“No, but when do you want me to drop my car off?”

“Now. I’ll have it fi—” I started, but barking caught her and my attention.

She rushed to the back of the car. “I have to take my puppies to get their shots.”

“Puppies?” I asked, knowing it wasn’t my business, but I still asked.

“Yes.” She looked me over before moving to the back door of her car and opening it. “This is why I need my car.”

I followed and watched her pull out a tan colored dog, nine times out of ten the one crying, because as soon as she had it in her arms, it was quiet.

“How many dogs do you have in this car, shorty?” I know I was being nosy, but right now I wanted to know her business and I didn’t give a fuck how it came off.

“Six. I’m a dog breeder.”

I tilted my head to the side, looking at her. She didn’t look like the type, but shit nobody looked like the type to do anything these days.

“Again, this is why I can’t give you my car right now.”

I chuckled, not knowing what the hell I was doing. “Yo, if I hand you the keys to my shit, can you guarantee yeen gonna get no dog shit in my car?”

“Course I can, but I’m not taking the keys to your car. I only drive my own car, nobody else’s. Now Mr.—”

“Kinga, call me Kinga.”

“Okay, Kinga. When can I come back and you fix my car?” She put an emphasis on you and I liked that.

I cracked a smile because she was funny as hell without even trying to be. “Monday night, and since I’m doing this shit for free, bring me a meal.”

She sucked her teeth. “Excuse me?”

“You heard right. I’ll see you around seven or eight, that works for you?”

She looked at me, eyes nearly jumping out of her skull. She nodded though, agreeing with my terms. “If I was to bring you something to eat, what would I be bringing?”

I laughed. “Anything, except fish. I’m allergic to that shit.”

She nodded. “Fine.”

“Now, you're gonna gimme your name or what?”

“Harlem.”

“Like the street?” I asked, just to fuck with her.

“Yeah.” She licked those thick full lips of hers, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“Good, I’ma see you then. Call that number and I will send the invoice when you pull up.”

She agreed and about fifteen minutes later, she was pulling out of the shop’s driveway, leaving me to stare at the back of her truck as she drove further and further away, because what the fuck was that?

She was not only fine as hell, but something about her had me coming at her differently than I would have anybody else. Had she been a soul else I would have told her to keep it moving, but she wasn’t. She was more than attractive, shit, she had personality and I could tell that much from her face.

I purposely chose Monday night because I knew I would be the only person in my shop. While the shop was closed to the public on Mondays, I liked to come through and work on my own shit. Also during that time I was in the shop alone and able to only be bothered with my own thoughts.

“So you offer your ride out and smile in chicks’ faces now?” Sora’s voice made me look in his direction.

“You listening so fucking hard, but you ain’t listening. Maurice fucked up her shit and my name was attached to it. Why wouldn’t I help shorty out?”