Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He ran his fingers through her long, soft butterfly locs. Jet black, with a bit of honey brown at the tips. She wrapped her arms around him and they rocked back and forth to the music. “I gotta go… Call me later.”
Gio released her with a sad sigh, stepped back, and slid his long legs into a pair of boxers. He took her hand and walked her to the front door of his apartment to the tune of ‘Japanese Denim,’ by Daniel Caesar.
“I love you, baby,” he said, biting his lower lip.
Her mouth twitched. Nerves sizzling. He surely remembered what she’d warned about saying such things. All she did was offer a nod. There was no use in lying. Sure, she felt something for him. Cared for him, imagined them together—perhaps even committed. But she needed more from him first. She needed to feel safe before she said the three words that meant so much to her, yet were treated so casually by so many others. Trust was a precious gift, and she didn’t just hand it to anyone. Something about Gio felt impenetrable. It was a feeling she had… and she couldn’t shake it.
He gave her one more kiss, unlocked his door, and she stepped out, her purse swinging over her shoulder. As she heard the door lock, she thought about her schedule for the rest of her afternoon and evening. There was work to do—due dates approaching for two contracted paintings. I should swing by the store first before headin’ home. As she walked farther down the hallway, she saw a woman approach, clad in blue nursing scrubs.
The woman looked strikingly similar to her. About five foot six, rich dark skin, thick and long natural hair, a long Romanesque nose, pouty lips covered in gloss. She even somewhat moved like her. Lengthy, slow strides, as if sailplaning across ice. What struck Azure the most, however, was the scowl on the lady’s face. Rutted brows, a pierced nose with flared nostrils.
The woman eyed her—a slow, uneasy glance that turned into an all-out stare, from her feet all the way up to the top of her head. They almost bumped shoulders as they drifted past one another. Normally, Azure would nod, offer a big smile, and say something like, ‘Good morning, sista,’ but the energy was off with this one. The vibe was stale and hurting. Her energy stunk up the joint.
“’Scuse me,” the woman broke the melting ice from the heat flowing between them. “Can I ask you somethin’?”
Azure paused, turned around and faced her.
“What is it?” She held her chin high, bracing herself for some bullshit. Checking the time on her blinged out watch, she hooked her gaze with the woman’s. Come on. Time is tickin’.
“What apartment did you just come out of?”
Azure cocked her head to the side and rested her hand on her hip. “My comings and goings are just that. Mine. So why do you ask?”
“If it was apartment 8C, that’s my apartment. The person inside of it? That’s my man.”
Azure’s heart boomed in her chest like African drums. Her skull throbbed as though a demon was wrapping his arms around it, and trying to rip her entire fucking head off with a series of tormenting squeezes and yanks. She’d been careful, looked for tell-tale signs. Like flashes of light, she replayed what she’d seen in the apartment—things she might have missed. The only thing that had made her pause was a purple shower curtain and matching toilet cover. Men like purple too, though…
There were no flowers, fluffy things, or decorations that screamed, ‘estrogen lives here.’ No Floral sprays. Photos of them together. Women’s clothing and shoes…
I didn’t open his bedroom closet though… Shit. I bet he got it all piled in there… All of her shit. Crammed in kitchen cabinets. Under beds. I bet he has the routine so down pat, he can do it in ten minutes or less.
“Your man?” Keeping her demeanor cool, Azure reached for her gold chain necklace and twirled it between her pointer finger and thumb. “Hmmm, interesting. You go on in and talk to him, honey. Let him know that you met Azure. I don’t want no part of this. Drama ain’t my thing.” She turned to walk away, planning to deal with Gio in a very personal way later.
“It’s too damn late for you to not want no part of this ’cause you was in my house fuckin’ my man, bitch! I can smell him on you!” She sniffed the air, her nostrils flared, fire in her eyes that said, ‘We are about to burn up in this mothafucka.’
“Well, baby, that’s ’tween y’all. He lied to me, just like he lied to you. That’s your man, just like you said. He ain’t mine. I ain’t his. I think you know how Gio rolls. Now, so do I. Duly noted.”