“This is nice,” Passion said. She put it on her arm, turned it this way and that.
The other shopper, a woman, looked at the bracelet as well.
“It’s pretty, huh?” Passion said to her, being friendly. “You think it’s worth two hundred dollars?” That’s the deal Lin said he’d give to Passion, because “she good customer.”
The woman didn’t answer, just stared. Passion looked up and stared back. The face was familiar. Then it dawned on her.
“Robin? Robin Cook? Girl, is that you?”
Robin was shocked, her response subdued. “Passion Perkins?”
Both women were incredulous. It had been twenty years.
“What on earth are you doing in LA?” Passion exclaimed, stepping forward to grab her former best friend in a bear hug. As she did so, she felt something cold, hard, pressing against her stomach. She pulled back, looked down. “And why are you buying a gun?”
Robin looked at Passion, then down at the gun, almost as if she didn’t know how it had gotten in her hand.
“I, well, uh, girl, it’s good to see you!” Robin placed the gun on the counter and hugged Passion with fervor. This had been her best friend back in the day. She was genuinely glad to see her again, but still couldn’t have a sistah all up in her business.
Passion didn’t miss the fact that her question had been diverted. But this was Robin, her homegirl from the ATL!
“Oh my God, Robin, I swear I thought about you just today. Listen, we’ve got to grab something to eat and catch up; you got time?”
“Of course.” Time was all Robin had had for the past eighteen months.
Both the gun and the tennis bracelet stayed at Gold’s Pawn Shop as Passion and Robin headed for the Chinese food restaurant three doors down. They quickly ordered, paid for their food, and sat down.
“Passion Perkins, or is it something else now?”
“No, it’s Perkins again. I’ve been divorced almost five years, got a little girl. What about you; are you married, divorced, kids? Are you living here or just visiting? Girl, I still can’t believe I’m looking at you!”
“Me neither,” Robin said, taking a large bite of her egg roll. “Um, this food is good.”
“Good and greasy,” Passion countered around a forkful of chicken fried rice. “Just the way I like it.”
Passion and Robin were silent a moment, devouring their tasty dishes, and then Passion probed again. “So, Robin, tell me wuzzup?”
Robin smiled as Passion mimicked the voice of their teens. She felt she could maybe share a few things with an old friend.
“Well, for starters, I’m divorced, no kids.” Robin filled Passion in on her ten years in Tampa, Florida, after leaving Atlanta, her turbulent marriage and its equally turbulent end, the split-second decision to stay in Los Angeles after visiting almost two years ago, and her current employment.
“You’ve been here two years?”
“Off and on.” Robin didn’t want to tell Passion or anyone else where she’d actually resided during most of her LA stay—in prison for identity theft and credit card fraud. “I took some time off to, uh, visit family…came back a couple months ago.”
“Wow, girl, you must be rolling to be able to take off work like that.” Even as Passion said this, her thoughts returned to the gun left lying on the pawn shop counter.
“Hardly,” Robin replied. “But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.”
Like shoot somebody? “So, where are you staying?” Passion asked.
“Downtown,” was Robin’s short reply.
Passion studied the face of her former running buddy. Twenty years was a long time; maybe she shouldn’t expect the two girls-turned-women to be as close as they once were. Still, Passion didn’t understand the guardedness she sensed in Robin’s demeanor—eking out conversation as if words cost money.
After an awkward silence, Passion reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “I stay over in Leimert Park. Let’s hang out one day soon. What’s your number?”
They exchanged phone numbers and then Passion rose to leave. “You coming?” she asked Robin.
“Uh, in a minute, girl,” Robin said, looking up at the menu, prominently displayed along the restaurant’s back wall. “I think I’m going to get me something to go.”
Passion leaned over and hugged Robin. “Well, it was good seeing you, Robin. Take care, and let’s talk soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
Robin waited until Passion walked out the door, and then placed a take-out order. There was just one other purchase she needed to make before leaving the area.
Passion wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t leave the strip mall when she got in her car. Instead, she sat watching the door to the Chinese restaurant. A couple minutes later, Robin came out of the restaurant, looked around briefly, and headed back to the pawn shop. She looked around again before going inside.
Passion waited until she saw Lin unlock the gun case and hand something to Robin. “I knew she was going back to buy that gun,” Passion said to herself as she started the car and left the parking lot. “What is going on with you, Robin Cook? What is really going on?”
DAFINA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2008 by Lutishia Lovely
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Dafina Books and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-5589-1
Table of Contents
Cover
Also by Lutishia Lovely
Title Page
Dedication
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Contents
1. Remember to Forget
2. God, Always with You…
3. From Dreams to Reality
4. That’s What Friends Are For
5. Tootie Says Hi
6. Mercy…Peace…Love…
7. It’s Still Good
8. Big Booty Tootie
9. Worth the Wait
10. The Sanctity of Sisterhood
11. One Way or Another
12. Open Arms
13. Personal Matters
14. Compromising Situations
15. Precious Lord…
16. The Man of Her Dreams
17. The Past Is Back
18. Manly Men
19. Just Bring You
20. Chocolate Cake, Anyone?
21. In the Name of Jesus
22. A Pentecostal Handshake
23. Mama’s Got a Feelin’…
24. Air for Breathing
25. Enjoy Your Time at Kingdom Citizens
26. My Man’s Bone
27. Pastor Jack
28. Strictly Business
29. What’s Done in Darkness…
30. To Friendship…
31. No Mountain We Can’t Climb
32. Looking for Love
33. Game On
34. No Place Like Home
35. Good Night, Theodore
36. One Big Mess
37. Wait on God
38. The Truth Is the Light
39. A Father’s Pride
40. Satisfied
41. Divine Daughters
42. God’s Work
43. Hallelujah
Copyright
Love Like Hallelujah Page 27