Page 74 of Welcome to the Table
Hang your coat, take off your shoes, hot water in the tub for you
Don’t have to, but I’d love to do
Bartender, I’ll pour a drink, a movie on to entertain
I’m down to do the little things
Just wanna take some time to thank ya
And let you know just how you make me proud
The good times make up for the bad ones
I see you tryin’, and I don’t know how
The song had a nice ring to it. I hadn’t heard it before, so I looked at her as she tried her hardest to sing it. She was on key, but her voice wasn’t the best. It was sweet to me. Not so muchher voice but the words. I listened to the song until she finished, and she was smiling.
“That’s how you really feel about a nigga?” I asked her, and she blushed harder.
“Grove, I have an entire journal written about us and what we could be if it weren’t for my brothers. I would never come between that,” she said.
“You won’t. I already got the okay from Athena?”
She cut my words off. “What did she tell you?” I knew I had fucked up, but I didn’t care.
“Everything I needed to know but just enough to know that I can’t break your heart, or she will break every bone in my body,” I told her as I took the exit to get to their house.
“No, I’m going with you. Don’t take me home. It’s boring there,” she said, and I thought about it.
Athena knew she was in good hands fucking with me, so I decided to keep going.
“It’s boring at my shit too. Ain’t nobody there,” I told her.
“But we will be. I’m sure we can find something to entertain us for the night because I’m spending it with you,” she said, and focused her eyes on the road like she was driving.
I ran my hands across my face, still smelling her essence on them as I made my way to my house. This was about to be a long ass night.
“You hungry?” I asked Jaci as we passed Coplands and Ruth’s Chris.
She looked around at the different food spots and noticed a food truck under the Claiborne bridge.
“Let’s stop at the Food Assassin food truck over there,” she said, pointing out the window.
She would wanna stop in the neighborhood where shit could pop off at any minute. Niggas shot guns for a living in this area, and she wanted to stop. I had to give the princess what shewanted. I pulled up under the bridge next to the food truck and parked. I pulled my two guns out of my back, making sure they were off safety.
“It ain’t that serious, Grove. We just getting something to eat, and the line not even that long,” she said, and I ignored her.
“That lil knife you got ain’t gon’ stop no fucking bullets from flying, so let me protect yo’ lil ass. Now, come on,” I told her and got out of the truck.
I walked around to the other side and opened the door. I reached for her hand, and she placed hers into mine and stepped out of the truck.
“You’re such a gentleman,” she said and laughed.
“Only for you, Princess,” I told her and interlocked my hand with hers to let niggas know who she belonged to.
She looked in my direction and raised an eyebrow. “Niggas know not to fuck with me, and you know that. They know who the fuck we are. You just trying to stake claim, but I only got eyes for you.” She pulled me down and pecked my lips.
We walked to the line with Jaci standing in front of me. I wrapped my arms around her waist with my head in the crook of her neck. I was never a nigga to do PDA with a female, but Jaci made me wanna be all over her. I kissed her neck as we moved up in the line.
