Page 45 of Only for the Week
I think about the space back home that I want to create. The vision that Rome helped bring clarity to. “Not yet.”
“Well, you say the word and I got you. We’re gonna be seeing a lot more of each other so you know I’ll take care of you.”
My eyes cut to his. “We’ll be seeing a lot more of each other?”
“Yeah. Isn’t your sister marrying my friend? I imagine that puts us in the same circle.”
I bow my head with a smirk. “Oh, right.”
The grin he sends my way is slick with mockery. If he weren’t so damn handsome, I’d want to slap the grin off him. “Why? Is there another reason we might be seeing a lot more of each other?” he asks, the implication in his voice clear.
I chew on my bottom lip, shaking my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I bet you don’t.” He pats my arm as we reach the group and makes his way over to Dani, and for the briefest of moments I see her look at him with what looks like longing before she slips back into a mask of indifference.
I catch Rome’s eye and he mouths the words“you okay”to me to which I wink at him and he smiles.
“If you’re horny, let’s do it. Ride it, my pony.” Evie sings “Pony” by Ginuwine and dances her way down the aisle while everyone laughs.
“Evie, be fucking forreal,” Dani says in between laughs. “That is not what you’d walk down the aisle to.”
We’re supposed to be having a sort of wedding rehearsal tonight, even though the space won’t be decorated until the night before the wedding, followed by a group dinner to celebrate our last night having this place to ourselves. Instead of taking it seriously, however, this has deteriorated into karaoke night with us challenging each other to sing the song we’d want to walk down the aisle to or the song we’d pick for our wives to walk down the aisle to.
“What you mean?” Evie sucks her teeth. “If I find a man that makes me wanna give up my last name, it must mean he’s laying down soul-snatching peen, and so I will commemorate it appropriately. Y’all will be lucky if we make it to our own reception.”
“No, the song fits her because she’s probably gonna elope,” I point out.
“Even better. Now can I continue my performance? Damn, have some decorum, y’all.”
She continues singing “Pony” all the way down the aisle, making sex faces at Micah and gagging faces at Christian. Christian rolls his eyes at her but his song of choice is “I Wanna Sex You Up.”
Dani picks “When I See U” by Fantasia and Ri, Evie, and I act as her backup singers.
Micah takes his turn next. “I believe in you and me. I believe that we will be in love eternally. Well, as far as I can see.” He continues singing “I Believe in You and Me” by Whitney Houston for a few more lines and when he finishes, we all stand with slack jaws.
“Why y’all looking at me like that?”
“Where the hell have you been hiding that voice?” Evie shrieks.
“I haven’t been hiding it.”
“The fuck you haven’t. I haven’t heard you sing so much as‘Happy Birthday,’but you over here busting out Whitney and making her sound like Barry White?” Christian adds.
Micah wipes his hands down the front of his shirt with a coy smirk. “I’m a very right-brained individual. Y’all know this.”
“So that means you can just sing your ass off? Micah, I’m ’bout to throw my thong at you right now, stop playing,” Evie teases.
“You might sing better than you paint, bro.” Christian whistles.
Micah cuts his eyes over to Christian. “Watch ya mouth. I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit,” he says as he chucks the deuces up and walks away.
I’m up next and I decide to go with “Have You Ever” by Brandy. When I get to the line about needing something so bad you can’t sleep at night, I don’t even think Rome realizes that he nods along heavily.
Fuck.
Rome picks “I Gotta Be” by Jagged Edge, which cracks everyone up because he’s so into the song he performs the entire damn thing. Christian tries to cut him off but he stiff arms him and keeps going.
Since Ri and Arnold already have their wedding song picked out, they decide to sing “’03 Bonnie and Clyde” together to close us out.
