Page 57 of Giving Him Something He Can Feel

"Ain't sad at all. Niggas will be niggas baby."

I nodded because he was right. "How is your shoulder?"

"Not too bad today. That oily ass massage you gave me last night did the work."

"It was. Now why were you picking me up again?" Earlier he insisted on picking up my car, and then picking me up when I finished work. It was all suspicious to me, but I didn'tfight him on it. I was too busy working on a retirementevent to pay him much attention.

"Cause one, I dropped your car off to get an oil change, and two we gotta go look at something."

"Look at what, Cartier? What are you up to?" I glanced at him attempting to see through the blank expression he offered.

"You ready to go, or not. I'm double parked down there. If a motherfucker hits my car that shit is on you."

I shook my head. "None of that is my fault. Why on earth would you even double park on a one way?"

"BecauseIexpectedyour egghead ass to be ready when I got up here." He walked over and grabbed my tote, and lunch bag. Then like the true asshole I knew him to be, he went and stood next to the door.

"Do I rush you?" I gathered the few loose items that I planned on taking with me.

"Look,all I'm tryna do is feed you and make shit easier for us. Now, we gotta get up outta here,becauseI planned thisshit aroundyou getting off work.”

“Planned what around me getting off?”

“Jovie.” His impatient ass growled my name like I was annoying him.

“Fine.” I opted out of challenging him and walked toward the door. After everything was locked up, we were headed to his car. Lately he felt like being a gentleman, so of course he opened the door for me to get in and closed it before heading on his side.

“I’d give all this money back to have one more day with my pop pop,” I admitted aloud. Instead of looking at him, I kept my eyes ahead.

“I know.” I felt his eyes on me almost as fast as his hand landed on my thigh. “He knows that too.”

I turned in his direction. “You think so?”

“More than you know. He didn’t leave you the money to replace him, but to ensure that you were good. To make sure you were taken care of and you never needed to depend on a soul.”

“I know, it’s just so weird not having any?—”

“Nope, you got us. We’re a lil’ family and I’m working on securingjust that.”

“And that means?” Just that fast I was attempting to read between the lines on just what the hell he was saying.

“What do you think about moving in together?” he kept his eyes on the road awaiting my response.

“Don’t we already kind of live together?”

“Somewhat, but I mean officially and in the city.” His eyes found their way to me again. He was trying to gauge my reaction.

“Why in the city, I like being out in the burbs.”

He laughed knowing I was being sarcastic. “I’m for real man.”

“Plus, we can just stay at my place. In your picky ass opinion it may be a little small, b?—”

“Exactly. Shit is small, and just enough space for you. We’re ‘bout to have a youngin’, which means we need space, space shorty.”

“Okay.”

“That’s a yeah you’re moving in with me or a yeah you’re right baby daddy?”

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