by Anna Black
He smiled at her. “No, I like November.”
“Fine, if that works for you,” she said and shut the door. She walked up the sidewalk to the building, and he pulled off.
As usual, meddlesome Ms. Wanda was in her window with a Newport dangling from her mouth. “Hey, I see you finally got a man,” she belted.
“Hey, Ms. Wanda. And that is not my man, so mind your business.”
“Don’t tell me to mind my business. My business is this building, and you, my dear, live in this building.”
“Ms. Wanda, you are the landlord. Your business is this building, not what I do or who I do it with.”
“Don’t get smart, Miss Thang. You know I can put you out before your little notice date.”
“Yes, you can, Ms. Wanda, and I can also sue you for breach of contract.”
That shut the older woman up quick, but she rolled her eyes. She was so simple she didn’t remember the lease had expired more than three months ago. November was living month to month without any type of lease.
“Well, one thing is for sure, Ms. Shareese: your new man pushing some nice wheels.” Ms. Wanda smiled.
To keep from carrying on any more conversation, November agreed and walked into the building.
She took off her jacket and went into her tiny kitchen to get a snack. She wasn’t hungry, but she wanted to munch. She hit the speakerphone button and dialed into her voice mail. She looked at the card that Tracy had given her, and she realized she had left her bag on the floor in the tow yard trailer. “Damn,” she said. “How could I be so simple to forget my bag?”
After she listened to her messages, she dialed the cell number on the card. When voice mail answered, she hung up. After she showered, she tried calling him again, this time from her cell phone. Her home number was blocked. Maybe he didn’t answer calls from private numbers.
He answered on the third ring. “Hello.” She heard the volume of his music go down.
“Hello, Tracy, this is Shareese.”
“Shareese?” he said as if the name were not familiar.
“November.”
“Oh, okay. What’s up?”
“I know you may think I’m a little on the simple side.”
“Why would I think that?”
“Because I forgot my bag. I left it in the trailer on the floor by the counter.”
“Yes, November, you are by far the simplest woman I have ever met.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. She could not believe he had actually said that to her. She was speechless.
“I . . . I,” she stuttered. She didn’t expect him to agree with her.
“November, I’m kidding. I’m joking. I can bring it to you tomorrow after I am done working.”
She let the air out of her chest. “Man, I was gon’ say,” she said.
“You know I was just joking. I will swing by there tomorrow with your bag, okay?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to put you out. I wouldn’t have a problem coming by to get it, but you know I am without a vehicle.”
“No, it’s no problem. I got you,” he said.
His voice was soothing, and she could tell that he was cool with it, so she agreed. “Thanks, Tracy. I will give you gas money for doing that for me.”
“November, please. Don’t insult me. I’ll be all right. Plus, I may have an offer for you.”
She flopped down onto the sofa. “What kind of an offer?”
“Something that may help you out. We can talk about it tomorrow when I come over to bring your bag.”
She frowned. “Okay,” she said slowly.
“Cool. Talk to you later.”
“Okay,” she said and hung up the phone. What could he possibly have to offer me?
She got up and headed for the kitchen, where she grabbed cheese from the fridge and popped a cube into her mouth. Then she went for the red wine and a glass and spent the rest of the night wondering what was on Tracy’s mind.
Chapter Two
The next day, November got up and went to the bank to deposit her insurance check. She then grabbed a cab and went to check out a couple of furniture stores, checking out what was new and hot. None of that old college thrift-store mess was going into her new place, she thought as she walked through the stores. After the last store, she hopped on the bus and headed back to the Ninety-fifth Street train station and rode back to her place. By the time she got home, the sun was going down, and she was exhausted from the hustle and bustle of her day. She ate her Italian beef and decided to do a little work around the house. She put her iPod on the dock and got busy while she listened to Mary J. Blige.
She had already begun packing, so she had boxes all over. She took a shower, then sat on the couch with a glass of merlot. The music was good and the evening breeze from the window was nice. Strangely, her block was quiet, which was totally out of the ordinary for a Saturday night. Someone was always out or yelling from their windows, but that night, no one was moving around.
Her cell phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID. The number wasn’t familiar, but she answered it anyway, thinking she’d hang up if it was someone she didn’t want to talk to.
“Hello,” she said, her voice low. She wasn’t sure why she did that, but she figured it must have been the merlot.
“November?” a male voice said.
“Yes?” she answered, wondering who in the hell was calling her that.
“Hey, this is Trey.”
She had no idea who Trey was. “Who?” she asked suspiciously.
“Tracy. Tracy Stone from Stone Cold Towing.”
“Oh, hey, Tracy. What’s up?”
“I am close to your place. Is it cool for me to bring your bag over?”
She had totally forgotten he was coming by to bring her bag. “Oh, I forgot.” She looked down at the dingy old sweats she had on and sprang from the sofa.
“Is this not a good time?’
“Oh, no, you’re fine. I just forgot, but it’s okay for you to come.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
“Okay. You know what building, right?”
“The one on the right?”
“Yeah. I’m in building C, apartment C3.”
“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay,” she said.
Thanking God Tracy had said thirty minutes, she hung up, and she dashed into the bathroom. She removed her scarf, applied a little of her MAC gloss, and sprayed on some cherry blossom body spray. Then she threw on a pair of capris and a Supergirl T-shirt. After lighting a couple candles and moving a few boxes to the side, she thought her place still wasn’t ready for company. She hardly ever had anyone over, so the boxes had never been a big concern for her. She hoped he’d chalk the mess up to her moving soon.
As soon as she refilled her glass, she heard a knock at the door. She knew it was Tracy, but she looked through the peephole anyway. When she opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see him looking better than the night before. Instead of wearing the old blue uniform, he was dressed in a button-down shirt with a pair of jeans and white tennis shoes. His haircut was fresh with a nice, tight lining. He smiled, and she automatically smiled back at him.
“Hello,” he said.
After a few seconds, she realized she hadn’t invited him in. “Hey, come on in,” she said, moving from in front of the door.
“Here is your bag.” He handed it to her.
“Oh, thank you.” She put it to the side.
“What’s in that little bag? It’s kinda heavy.”
“Well, it’s my CDs and other crap from my car. My workout clothes—or I should say unused workout clothes—are in there too. I have not used those in over a year. Why I still carried them, I have no clue.”
“Workout? Girl, you are fine. What do you mean workout?” He eyed her up and down, and she knew he was examining her round hips, thick thighs, and plump ass. “In my opinion, you’re perfectly fine. Thick, slim w
aist, and . . .” He cleared his throat.
“And what?”
“Let’s just say you don’t need the gym.”
“I disagree. I can stand to lose some weight and get back into my clothes.” She was well aware that her jeans were fitting her tighter.
“Well, you’re doing just fine from where I’m standing.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, realizing they were still standing near the door. “Would you like to have a seat?”
“Sure,” he said.
She extended an arm toward the sofa. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Yes, that would be nice. What do you have?”
“What do you drink? My liquor cart is stocked, from a few parties I’ve hosted for the people in my building. I have rum, vodka, wine, beer.”
“I’ll have a beer.”
“Is Corona fine? That’s all I have.”
“Yeah, that is cool,” he said.
She went into the kitchen to get it. As she opened the top, she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with Tracy. What kind of offer did he have? When she got back into the living room, he was relaxed on the sofa.
She handed him the beer. “Here you go.” She got a coaster and joined him on the sofa with her glass of merlot.
“So, I see you’re packing already.”
“Yes. I am too, too excited to not pack.”
“Yeah, I feel ya.” He took a swallow of his beer. “When I got my loft, I was packed the same day I was approved for the mortgage. All I had to do was get a truck on closing day. Of course, then I only had a few items, because I was rooming with two of my partners for a whole minute before getting my own spot. So I had to basically start from scratch with furniture and everything.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Been through the roommates, the dorms, and the living with my parents. And thank God I’m finally getting out of this dump. As soon as I move, I’m getting all new stuff myself, starting with a new car. Man, I can’t wait to get me another car.”
“Oh, yeah, the car. That is what I wanted to talk to you about. I may be able to help you out.”
“Help me out how?”
“With your car situation.”
She frowned. “How can you help me with that?”
“Well, as you know, we have two towing companies.”
“Yeah,” she said, still confused. Who is “we”? she wondered.
“Back when my daddy first started our first towing company, he used to do repos for loan companies. Business grew due to so many cars being repossessed, so my daddy decided he’d buy the cars from the loan companies at a lower price. After a while of doing that, he started a small used car dealership.
“Years later, of course, we have grown, and my brother, Trent, owns and runs our dealership. So, since you are in no position to finance a loan right now, I can get him to let you hold something ’til you close on your new place.”
She tilted her head, blinked about ten times, and said, “You’re kidding, right?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m serious.”
She thought it was odd that a complete stranger was offering to give her a car on loan. “You’re pulling my leg. This must be a joke.” She waited for him to laugh or do something to show her that he was playing a trick.
“No,” he said. His tone sounded as if it were obvious he was serious.
“What’s the catch? I mean, you don’t know me from a can of paint, and you’d trust me with a car from your family’s lot?”
“November, I’m only trying to help you out. There is no catch, and this is not a gimmick. I don’t do this every day. It’s just, last night when I dropped you off, you seemed down about your car situation, and from the looks of your Accord, you took care of it. So, if you’d like to get a car to get around until you close on your condo, I would like to help you out.” He shrugged. “If you don’t need my help, just say so.”
She fought to hold in her laughter because she was sure it was a joke. She still didn’t believe his offer. “Look, Tracy—”
“Trey,” he said. “I go by Trey. Everyone calls me Trey, not Tracy.”
“Tracy,” she said. She preferred it like he preferred November. “I appreciate your offer, but I’d hate to get a car from you and something happens to it. I don’t know you well, and I’d be uneasy taking that type of risk.”
“Well, November, we can get insurance on the car in your name, and you won’t be without transportation. Listen, I know it’s a strange offer, but I’m serious. I wanna help you out. No strings.”
“Well, Tracy, I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I would like to think about it. I mean, I never expected you to offer me something this huge. I do appreciate you trying to help me out and all, but I just need to think about it.”
He gave her a sexy smile. “Okay, cool, if that is your answer. Just know I’d like to help you.”
“I know,” she said, returning the smile.
They sat for hours, drinking, laughing, and telling stories to each other about family and college experiences.
She yawned and realized it was after three a.m., but she was enjoying his company so much she didn’t want him to leave. He was just so funny and interesting, and she was having a good time with him. She really relished having him over, and she hated the idea of their night coming to an end.
“Are you tired?” he asked.
“Yeah, a little, but I’m good.” She hoped he wanted to stay longer, because she didn’t want him to leave.
He stood. “Can I use your bathroom?”
“Yeah, sure. It’s around the corner, straight ahead.” She gave him a point in the right direction, and he went down the hall into the bathroom.
While he was gone, she got their empty glasses and took them into the kitchen. He came into the kitchen as she was rinsing them in the sink.
“Well, Ms. November, I see it’s pretty late, so I’ll go so you can get some shut-eye.”
“Okay. Hold on. I’ll walk you out.” She dried her hands with a paper towel.
“No, no, no. It’s late, and if you walk me out, who’s gonna walk you back in?” They both laughed.
“Aww, man, I’ll be fine. This is my building and everyone knows me, so don’t worry,” she said.
She followed him to the door. When they got there, they stood for a moment in an awkward silence.
“You are a beautiful woman, November,” Tracy said. He caressed her cheek.
“You think so?” she replied shyly. She did think she was cute, but the compliment coming from a man as fine as Tracy was a first. She didn’t want to even imagine him being interested in her, because she knew she’d be setting herself up for failure. Guys like him never, ever went for her. Not in a million years would she get a date with someone so good-looking, she thought.
“Yes, I think so, and even if you decide not to use the car, I’d like it if you’d call me anyway,” he said.
“Okay, I’ll do that,” she said.
She walked him out. He headed down the stairs, and she leaned over the banister and gave him another, “Good night.”
“Good night, November,” he responded. She stood in the hall until she heard the downstairs door shut.
“November? Who in the hell is November?” It was one of her nosy neighbors.
Before slamming her door, she said, “Mind your business, Roderick.” She let out a breath. “Oooh, I can’t wait to move outta this building!”
Chapter Three
“So, what do you think, April?” November asked. She had called to tell her sister about Tracy and his car offer.
“I think this is destiny.”
“You say the craziest shit, April. Everything is destiny to you and your crazy momma. Born in April, so name her April. Born in November, so call her November. You and your momma are crazy.”
“First of all, little sista, that is your momma too. And secondly, you don’t think that this is destiny to meet a man with the same birthday as yours? Come on, this i
s phenomenal.”
“You know what, Cleo?” Ever since that fake woman back in the nineties was on television with her fake Jamaican accent, November would always say that was going to be April one day, somewhere or on TV lying to people about their futures. “You are crazy. All I wanna know is do you think I should use the car, not how our meeting is destiny.”
“And again, I say yes. You don’t have a car, and you can’t finance anything or tamper with your credit ’til you close. So, yes, receive your blessing and move on.”
November was still unsure. “You really think I should?”
“For the hundredth time, deaf girl, yes,” April said, making her sister laugh. “I have a daycare center to run, and I don’t have time to keep repeating myself. I swear you are slower than some of these two-year-olds I got up in here.”
“Okay then, April, get back to your brats. I will talk to you later.”
“Okay. Bye.”
They hung up, and November sat in her office wondering what she should do. She did have one other option. She could just rent a car using the money she had gotten from the insurance company.
But when she went online to price car rentals for the amount of time she would need it, it was way more expensive than what she wanted to spend. She had gotten a little more than $7,000 back, but she decided to use that money to buy new furniture instead. She would be financing a new car, so to not have to finance new furniture too would be a burden off of her bank account.
She had no clue what to do. It was Tuesday, and she hadn’t spoken to Tracy since Saturday night. She watched the clock tick and thought about him. She smiled to herself when she replayed his voice in her mind, hearing him say, “You are a beautiful woman.” She couldn’t help but wonder if he, in fact, meant what he said or if he was just talking out the side of his neck. She closed her eyes, remembering the soft touch of him caressing her face.
“Stop it. Don’t even go there,” she said out loud, snapping herself out of it. He couldn’t be interested in her. You’d only end up hurt, she told herself, and she got back to work.
She fought the urge to call him, although she really wanted to take him up on his offer. Getting up an hour early to make it to work on time was killing her.