by W. S. Greer
“Oh please. You know I would never hide from you. I’ve actually missed you. How’s Mike and Amy?”
“There good. Mike’s been wondering what’s been up with Kelvin. He misses his boyfriend.”
“I bet he does,” I joked. “We need to hang out soon.”
“Well, why not tonight? We don’t have shit going on. You guys free for dinner? Anywhere except Red Lobster.”
I thought about what Kelvin had told James about us staying inside. He never said anything about us bringing people over. Kelvin had already jumped in the shower, so I made a command decision.
“Umm, how about we do dinner inside? Me and Kelvin will cook something up if you guys want to come over.”
“What? Dinner at the luxurious penthouse suite? Hell yeah! Count us in. What time?”
“Well, as soon as you’re free from work. So, let’s just say seven. That okay?”
“Absolutely. Seven it is. I’ll tell Mike. He’ll be so excited to see his boyfriend again.”
“Great! We’ll see you guys later then.”
“Sounds good.”
Just as I hung up the phone, Kelvin came strolling out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. I took a second to examine the tattoos on his perfectly chiseled chest and stomach.
“How’s Lex?” he said, standing in front of me, still wet.
“She’s good. She says her and Mike miss us. We need to spend some time with them, Babe.”
“You’re right. We should figure something out about that.”
“Well, I kind of already did,” I said with a sneaky grin. “They’re kind of coming over tonight, and we’re kind of, sort of, cooking them dinner.”
Kelvin looked down at me, smiled, and shook his head. “Always making me bend the rules, Babe. That’s why I love you.”
“Well, look what the damn cat drug in. You know, I had to take on that bitch, Angela Bronson, all by myself today at lunch. Her, and her dumb ass Packers mug. What a bitch. And you were just nowhere to be found.”
I laughed as I leaned in and gave Lexy a hug, lightly rubbing her back. “You should’ve knocked that mug right out of her hand and broke that shit.”
“Girls are so violent these days,” Mike chimed in as he stepped off the elevator and the concierge pressed the button to ride the elevator back down to the lobby. Mike sauntered in wearing a white button up and black slacks, with the fanciest black shoes I’d ever seen him wear.
“Check you out,” I commented. “Looking all spiffy and shit.”
“So, you’re gonna compliment Mike’s clothes and don’t even acknowledge my sexy ass dress that I froze my ass off in just so I could look good. You’re already on thin ice.”
“Geez! You’re dress is so sexy, Lex,” I said sarcastically, pretending to inspect her wavy black dress. “And why the hell am I on thin ice? I explained everything, remember?”
“Ohh… yeah, that’s right. Whatever. Anyway, it’s nice to finally see you, Lil. You’re not looking too bad yourself. Red top, white skirt, red heels. Nice combo. So, where’s Kelvin?”
Right on cue, Kelvin came strutting into the hall wearing white slacks with black stitching, and a white button up with the top two buttons undone. He’d also decided to do me the honor of wearing my favorite white and black patent leather shoes tonight.
“You stealing shoes out of my closet now, Mike?” he said as he strolled in and shook hands with Mike.
“Whatever. These are a downgrade for you, bro,” Mike replied.
Kelvin looked over at Lexy and smiled as he leaned in to give her a hug. “Lily told me about your uncle. I’m so sorry for your loss,” Lexy said solemnly.
“Thank you,” Kelvin replied, looking down at the floor. It was way too soon to be talking about it.
“Alright,” I intentionally interrupted. “What do you say we head into the living room and get this party started?”
I led our guests into the living room where a bottle of Cristal was waiting in the center of the black coffee table, next to four wine glasses. The second Lexy eyed the bottle, I saw her face light up.
“Holy shit! You guys are doing it big with the Cristal over here. The casino business has been good to you, huh Kelvin?” she said, picking up the bottle and inspecting the label as if she couldn’t believe it.
“I do alright,” Kelvin replied as he took the gold bottle out of Lexy’s hands and popped out the cork. He poured four glasses, handing out each one to a different person as he went. When he finished pouring his own glass, he held it out in the air, signaling a toast. “I’d like to make a quick toast to begin our night, if you don’t mind. To life, love, and happiness. And, to preserving forever. Love is worth fighting for. It’s worth protecting. Here’s to believing in eternal love.”
“Here, here,” Lexy chirped as all four of us dinged our glasses together and took a sip of the expensive champagne.
“Alright, now that we’ve had our first sips, I believe the food is already ready to go. Who’s hungry?” I said.
“You know I am, girl. What’s on the menu tonight?” Lexy answered.
“Tonight, Kelvin and I have collaborated on a parmesan chicken and pasta dish. And when I say collaborated, I mean Kelvin cooked it,” I joked as I walked into the kitchen and took four plates out of the cabinet.
I uncovered the skillet and used a spatula to place the chicken on the plates, then Kelvin applied his perfect marinara sauce, and topped it with parmesan cheese. The aroma went swooping in and out of my nostrils and made its way around the room in a hurry.
“Holy shit that smells good,” Lexy exclaimed as she enthusiastically sniffed the air. “Where’d you learn how to cook, Kelvin?”
“I actually learned it from my mother,” Kelvin answered as he placed pasta on all four plates. “After my parents split up when I was nine, I went and stayed with my mom until I was eighteen. She was intent on making sure that I learned how to be a strong man, but she also wanted me to be sensitive and unique. She showed me a lot of shit that I wouldn’t have learned if I would’ve gone to live with my dad. So, I know how to cook, play piano, sing, and I wear my emotions on my sleeve. All thanks to my mom.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet. You’re a little momma’s boy. That’s cute,” Mike said with a sneer. “Did she teach you how to bake cookies, and insert your tampon… wait, she’s not dead is she?”
Kelvin looked up from his task of organizing the plates and smiled at Mike. “Luckily for you, my mom’s not dead. Asshole. She lives on the outskirts of the city. Now, imagine how shitty you would’ve felt if I told you that my mom was dead, after you started talking shit about tampons and whatnot. Tisk tisk.”
“Well, she’s not dead, so I can make all the fun I want. That’s the rules. So, about those tampons—did she show you how to use those to plug your little sensitive vagina?”
The entire room burst into laughter. “Fuck you,” Kelvin replied between chuckles. “Alright, enough talking shit about me and my mom. You all can thank her, because she was the one who taught me how to make this sexy ass meal we’re about to feast on. Dinner is served. Everybody head to the dining room and have a seat.”
We all walked through the living room and into the dining area. The giant glass window was letting the lights from the city seep right in. The orange glow of the street lights painted the entire room a beautiful amber that reflected off of the walls.
We all took our seats as Kelvin brought the plates over to the table. Once the four of us were all seated, we refilled our wine glasses and dug right in. As usual, Kelvin waited until I’d taken my first bite before he even started to cut his own food. As he put his first forkful in his mouth, I noticed Lexy nudge Mike with her shoulder as he chewed his own food.
“See there,” she snipped. “Why the hell don’t you wait for me to take my first bite before you start fucking pigging out on your food? Maybe you should’ve lived with your mom, too.”
Mike looked over at Kelvin and hit him with his elbo
w. “See what you did, being all sensitive and shit? You got me in trouble. Because you’re sensitive, now I have to be sensitive. Thanks a lot!”
“Hey, hey. Don’t get mad at me because your mom didn’t teach you how to treat a lady. See there, now you’re wishing you had some of this sensitivity. No tampon jokes now, huh?”
“Whatever! You’re still lame,” Mike fired back with a smile.
“We’re having a new rule in the house,” Lexy interrupted. “No one gets to take a bite out of their food until I do. Because I’m the queen, and that’s how the queen wants it.”
“What! Fuck that. I’m too hungry to be waiting for you, so that’s not gonna work,” Mike said.
“You’re an ass,” Lexy snapped.
“Whatever. You still love me though,” Mike fired back.
“Anyway,” Lexy said as she ignored Mike’s comment and turned her attention to me. “So, you’re not coming back to work until after the Christmas and New Year’s break?”
“Yeah, I mean there’s only two more days in the week before the break anyway. I’m sure Kelly can handle it on her own until the week is over.”
“Wayne said you had a family emergency. He told us all to pray for you and your family.”
“Well, that’s sweet of him. It was more like Kelvin’s family emergency. I kind of claimed it as my own.”
“Aww. You two are turning into a goddamn power couple. I’m proud of you. And, I really have to say thank you to you, Kelvin,” Lexy said, pointing the tip of her wine glass across the table at Kelvin.
“Thank me for what?”
“I have to thank you for saving my dear Lily. She was having a rough time in the dating scene. Always dating losers, and premature ejaculators, and then of course the psychopath, Tim. You swooped right in here and became her knight in fancy ass suits. She’s finally found what she was looking for. I know that it means a lot to her, but it also means a lot to me too. It’s really good to see her happy. So, I have to thank you for that. Thank you for saving my girl, and please keep it up. Don’t you fucking break her heart.”
Kelvin smiled an appreciative smile at Lexy. “Wow, that’s so sweet, Lex. I really appreciate that, and if there’s one thing I can promise you, it’s that I’ll continue to take care of her. She means everything to me, and I’d never let anything happen to her. Her heart is safe with me, and so is the rest of her. You don’t have to worry. I got this.”
“I believe you. I trust you,” Lexy replied with a bright smile. I could see she was genuinely happy about the place I was in with Kelvin. She really did want to see me happy, and I was proud to call her my friend. Now, if I could just quit lying to her about my secret ties to the mob, I’d be all set.
The next two hours of the night went on without a hitch. After dinner, the four of us sat in front of the fireplace and drank down three bottles of Kelvin’s expensive Cristal—most of which was drank by Lexy and Mike—while talking about absolutely anything we could think of.
Lexy complained about having to be at work without me, while Mike and Kelvin jokingly argued about which political party was ruining the country. I, on the other hand, decided to relax and quietly soak in the moment. It was so good to have our best friends over and enjoy each other’s company, without having to worry about who was in danger, or if Senior was going to come in and say something offensive to piss off Kelvin. It was good to relax, and I realized just how much I wanted the rest of my life to be this way. I wanted nothing more than to have the perfect man, coupled with the perfect friends, and to have nights where we all could just hang out and drink wine and laugh together. The night had somehow morphed my dream life into a reality, and I was upset when it had to come to an end.
Lexy looked over at Mike, and then down at her watch, and I knew what she was about to say.
“It’s nine-fifteen, Mike. We should really get home and check on Amy. You know I don’t trust that damn babysitter. Not to mention, it’s a school night,” she said as she lifted herself up off the floor.
“Yeah, you’re right, Babe. We should get going,” Mike replied with a sigh. “Well, thanks so much for having us over, you guys. It was great to hang out with you, as always.”
Kelvin and I both got up from our positions on the couch at the same time and started walking the Farrington’s over to the elevator.
“We appreciate you guys coming,” I said. “We had a blast. We have to do this again sometime, but we can do it at your house. That way, you don’t have to leave Amy at home with the untrustworthy babysitter.”
“That’d be great,” Lexy replied. “I’d love to not have to call that babysitter ever again. I so don’t trust her. You know, I’m pretty sure she’s stealing the backs to my earrings.”
We all paused for a second, and then burst into laughter. “Why the hell would she take the backs? Why not take the whole earring?” Kelvin asked, still laughing.
“I don’t know. But, the backs of my earrings keep going missing, so it must be her. It definitely isn’t Mike, and we haven’t gotten Amy’s ears pierced yet. So, it must be her.”
“Have you ever thought that maybe you’re just losing the backs to your earrings?” Kelvin inquired again.
“Hey! Whose side are you on here, Fancy Pants, mine or the babysitter’s?” Lexy snapped, stumbling just a little from the effects of the Cristal.
“Oh, excuse me, Mrs. Stumbles. I’m on your side. Sorry for trusting the babysitter. My mistake.”
“That’s right, your mistake, Smooth Criminal. Just don’t let it happen again,” Lexy said, pointing her finger at Kelvin. “Ugh. I just fucking love you guys. Don’t ever break up, okay?”
Kelvin and I looked at each other and smiled. Then I looked at Lexy and said “Well, we certainly don’t plan on it.”
“Good, because you two are made for each other. You’re just so cute together. Take care of her, Kelvin, and keep those other boys away from her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
When the words came out of Lexy’s mouth, I noticed Kelvin tense up. His demeanor seemed to change, but he tried to put on a fake smile and leaned in to give Lexy a hug.
“I won’t,” he said softly in her ear. Then he turned and shook hands with Mike. “Don’t worry about waiting for a cab. I’ll call down to the lobby and have one of the limos take you home.”
“Wow. Thanks, bro. It’s fucking awesome that you can do that,” Mike replied. I could tell the champagne was making him a little extra emotional. “Thanks so much, man. You’re the fucking best, bro. I mean it. The best. And, I fucking cherish your friendship.”
Kelvin smiled at Mike and patted him on the back as the elevator doors slid open and our two tipsy friends stepped inside. “We’ll talk to you soon, okay. Be safe. We love you guys.”
“We love you too!” Lexy responded far too enthusiastically, just as the doors closed.
“They’re a mess,” I said with a giggle.
Kelvin called down to the lobby to set up the Farrington’s ride, then walked into the living room and sat back down on the couch. He covered his mouth with his hands and was obviously in deep thought about something. The night had just ended and he seemed to be jumping right back into being worried.
“What’s the matter, Babe?” I asked as I sat next to him and rubbed his back.
“Don’t let her out of your sight. That’s exactly what Deshaun said to me. He wanted to tell me something about my dad, and he didn’t want me to let you out of my sight. He was trying to look out for more than just me. He was looking out for you, too.”
“I know he was. But, unfortunately, we really don’t know what that means. He never got the chance to tell us.”
Kelvin quickly stood up and looked down at me. “Maybe he did. Maybe he told us everything we needed to know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, but I’m gonna find out. Let’s go.”
Kelvin speed walked into the bed room and opened the closet door. I got up from the couch and
followed him, just in time to see him pulling out a black jacket for himself, and a black sweater for me.
“What’s going on? Where are we going?” I asked, dumbfounded by the sudden shift. I wasn’t exactly in the mood to go for a drive. I was kind of hoping to have sex and go to sleep, but Kelvin obviously had other plans.
“Let’s just take a little ride really quick. I promise it won’t take long.”
I took the jacket from Kelvin and slipped it on while he went to press the button to bring up the elevator.
“Aren’t we gonna call James? We told your dad that we’d stick to his rules,” I said curiously.
The doors opened and Kelvin and I stepped inside. “Nah. We have to do this without James.” Kelvin had a look of resentment on his face, but he was choosing not to elaborate.
“You’re making me confused, Babe. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know yet. I just need to check something.”
The elevator reached the basement and Kelvin led me to the passenger door of his Camaro. He closed the door once I was seated, and then ran over to his side and hopped in, starting up the engine and slowly pulling out of the parking space.
We drove up I-94 at a much calmer speed than I was used to. Kelvin had been driving so sporadically lately, I was wondering if breaking the speed limit was going to become a normal thing for him. However, this time he seemed calmer, like he was trying to drive quietly.
Kelvin merged onto the ramp that was exit three, and I finally figured out where we were going. After a few turns here and there, we made a left onto the street that ran adjacent to the street my house was on, but Kelvin chose not to turn onto my street. Instead, he followed the adjacent road which led us onto the street behind my house. We stopped at a stop sign, and as we stopped, Kelvin reached up and turned off the headlights. The street lights were very dim, so we were sitting in almost complete darkness.
“Kelvin, what the hell are we doing here? Why’d you turn off the lights?” I said nervously. I suddenly felt my heart speeding up and the hairs on my arms rising to a stand. It was like I was watching a scary movie, knowing something scary was about to happen, and anxiously anticipating the scare.