Page 38 of Electric Blue Love
A ringing caught my attention. We’d left our phones in our respective bedrooms, so we wouldn’t be tempted by the allure of social media or text messages, but the shrill ringtone carried into the living room and we both stopped singing and dancing and stood in the middle of the living room. We stared at each other sharing a look that asked if we should break this moment to find out who it was.
“Let me just make sure it’s not my family,” I said as I hustled to my bedroom. I unplugged my phone and carried it to the living room as I stared in shock at the screen. “It’s Court.”
Tasha’s eyes lit up and she turned the music down. “Answer it!”
I’d have blamed it on the wine, but my heart pounded with excitement that had nothing to do with the alcohol coursing through my blood.
“Hello?” I answered in a surprised greeting like maybe my phone was playing tricks on me and it wasn’t really Court on the other end.
“8B, what are you doing?” his smooth voice had me smiling before he’d finished uttering a complete sentence.
“Tasha and I are hanging out at home,” I said.
Tasha spoke louder than necessary and leaned toward the phone. “We’re celebrating.”
“Celebrating, huh? Sounds like I’m in the right place then.”
“In the – what?” I asked, putting a hand to my free ear and pushing the cell into the other to hear him better.
He chuckled, and I heard the slam of a car door. “I’m outside. You want to tell me which apartment is yours or should I just start shouting until someone points me in the right direction?”
My face must have shown my excitement because Tasha looked at me with an impatient stare and mouthed, “What’s going on?”
Ignoring her, I walked to the front door and opened it tentatively. I stepped out, Tasha on my heels, and looked down the stairwell to the parking lot. There he was looking handsome as ever striding toward us with a paper bag tucked neatly under his arm. I waved, having lost the ability to speak, and Court lifted his chin in acknowledgement.
“What is he doing here?” Tasha whispered with bubbly excitement.
I had no idea and I didn’t care.
“Can I crash the party?” he asked winking at Tasha.
“Depends on what’s in that bag,” she said, hands on hips.
She moved allowing him into the apartment and he brushed past me leaving me stunned and still speechless.
He sat the bag on the counter and Tasha greedily examined it pulling out a two liter of diet coke, a bottle of rum, and then every type of candy known to man.
“Did you rob a gas station?” I asked, setting my phone on the counter and picking up a pack of Twizzlers in one hand and powdered donuts in the other.
“I didn’t want to come empty handed, but I had no idea what you liked,” he admitted.
I laughed and tossed them back on the counter and then stared at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s my last night in Connecticut,” he said as if that was reason enough.
“Oh my God,” Tasha squealed as she tore into a Nutty Bar. Her eyes rolled back as she bit into the sugary delight.
Court’s fingers lightly brushed mine. “I just wanted to see you again before I leave. I’ll go if you want.”
“Stay,” I said softly at the same time Tasha called out. “Oh my gosh, B, he got pop rocks!”
Court moved his hand and a chill ran through my body. I missed the warmth of his light touch and I wanted more of it. And I wanted it everywhere.
In that moment, I finally stopped fighting the constant buzz of electricity between us. It wasn’t his wit or his knowledge on life and the male mind that I wanted. It was him. For reasons I didn’t understand and couldn’t twist into logic, I felt a connection with Court that I’d never had before.
A friendship and a mutual respect. And a desire.Current.
While Court and I made our way to the living room, drinks and junk food in tow, Tasha skipped off to her room, pop rocks and nutty bar in hand, as she sing-songed something about checking her phone.
