“Glad you came,” he said.
“Me, too,” she said and moved forward to meet him as he pushed her into the door with his body, his mouth seeking hers.
They stood there for a while, getting reacquainted, their hands moving over each other’s body, getting used to the feel of each other. More than a few minutes later, they parted, and he rested his head against hers.
“So we are to be friends, and lovers, exclusively now?” she asked.
“That’s what I heard,” he said, his mouth finding hers again. “I’ve missed you,” he said, a little more serious than he’d intended.
“Me, too.”
They made their way slowly to Adam’s bedroom, and made up for, or tried to make up for, three weeks of not seeing each other.
At around midnight, when their breathing slowed to normal, Adam asked, “So does your brother call you like this often, a little last minute?”
She lifted her head. “Not usually, but sometimes there are emergencies and I’m all he has…all we both have since our grandparents died.”
“Your parents?” She shook her head. “I really only remember pieces of my dad. Joshua remembers more. It was always just the four of us. My grandparents, Joshua, and me for as far back as I can remember. He’s important to me, the most important person to me. I feel this need to help him, to protect him. Sorry about tonight,” she said.
He pulled her in for a kiss and they stayed that way for a while.
“So you’re not white.” She rested her head on her arm now, smiling down at him.
“I am, it’s just not all that I am,” he said, leaning back, placing his arm underneath his head.
“You could have said something.”
“And ruined your little assumptions? People see what they want to see,” he said, grinning.
“Not a very nice fiancée,” she said, serious now.
“Nope, not so very nice,” he replied and smiled.
“Better off without her,” she said.
“Yes, I am,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her and change the conversation. She let him. Around two they fell asleep, calmer, and wrapped around each other.
* * *
Adam opened his eyes and tried to check his watch. His arm was trapped underneath Mariah’s waist. She felt perfect here with him, her back pushed into his front, smooth and soft, her breathing even, still asleep. He lay there, his eyes sweeping over her body, not wanting to wake her. It was her first time spending the night, and it wasn’t a bad feeling, having her here. He dozed off again until he felt her stirring in his arms and opened his eyes. She turned to face him, leaned in and placed a soft kiss at his mouth, and then sat up.
“I slept longer than I meant to,” she said. Now that his arm was free, he checked his watch. It was almost eight.
“What are your plans for the day?” he asked.
She turned to him, surprised. “Today?”
“Yes, today. I don’t have any plans—thought I could tag along with you, maybe find out what my good friend Mariah does with her time outside of my bed. Maybe go to the derby together tonight,” he said, reaching for her arm, pulling her back to him. And she allowed herself to be tugged, and pulled in. He found his usual spot on top of her, and his mouth grazed her chin before he settled his supple lips over hers. She sighed into his mouth a few minutes later and pulled back to say, “I have to be home to meet someone doing some work at my house.”
“What time?”
“Ten.”
“We’ll be done and ready to go by then,” he said.
* * *
“That is some yellow house next door,” Adam said, walking up the sidewalk behind, checking out her house and the one next to hers.
“The more accurate name for that color is Spicy Banana Pepper,” she said.
“Interesting,” he said, checking out the other homes surrounding hers. She lived five minutes away from his apartment; who knew? Her home in a neighborhood of older homes. Quite a few were in major disrepair, but there were some that had been completely rebuilt from the ground up mixed in there, too.
He’d parked in the drive behind her car and followed her to her front door. Her home, with its light grey exterior and darker grey trim, was not in the best shape. The yard was neatly maintained, if a little plain, and there was an old garage out back at the end of the driveway. It was also painted grey, and was in need of a little work as it tilted slightly to the right.
“Went to pick it out with them,” she said, bringing his attention back to her. “It’s a party home.”
“What? Them? Party home?”
“The yellow house next door, some of my neighbors like to get together to play dominoes. The house belongs to one of the men. They are all in their late seventies to eighties and they love loud talk and beer, sometimes coffee if it’s a Saturday morning,” she said.
“Most of them knew my grandparents, looked out for me and Joshua growing up. I like the dominoes painted above the door. Did you notice?” She unlocked her front door.
“Hard to miss. I always wanted a pair of those over the front door of my home,” he replied, looking around the inside of her house, not quite sure what to make of it. Her electric scooter was plugged in near the front door.
“I bet you lived in one of the homes in one of those gated communities, away from neighborhoods with dominoes painted on their homes in a lovely shade of yellow.”
“What’s wrong with gated, and how long have you lived here?” he asked, taking in the many repairs this house could use.
“Always. My granny died four years ago, left it to Joshua and me. I purchased Joshua’s share. He needed the money to start his business, and he has a home near the restaurant. It’s not as bad as it looks,” she said, watching his expressions fighting to keep herself from getting defensive. “I am working on it, not all of it needs work, just this part.” She crossed her arms. He walked over, moved her arms, and gave her a kiss.
“I’m repairing it slowly. I don’t make the big bucks that you do, so it takes time. I’ve done the most important rooms—the bathroom, the porch, and the kitchen—which I paid for with my savings and money from my grandparents’ insurance that didn’t go to Joshua. The rest can wait until I get to it. I only have my bedroom, dining room, and this room left, and the old garage out back,” she said.
“What happened in here?” he asked, pointing to a hole between what he guessed was two rooms.
“I knocked that wall down myself,” she said, walking over to stand next to him, looking at her most recent attempt at home improvement. “I thought I could do it myself,” she said, walking to stand next to him. “Home improvement is not as easy as it looks on those do-it-yourself TV shows. Thought I could follow along in this book.” She walked over to a table where 102 Do It Yourself Home Improvements rested next to a huge hammer and several other tools.
“I follow the instructions, but for some reason mine never looks quite like the picture,” she said. He picked it up and studied it for a few seconds.
“The knocking-it-down part wasn’t hard, I’m just not sure what to do afterwards, you know? Anyway…” She took the book from his hand and put it back on the table. “My goal is…was to make this into one large room.” She led him through the hole, which was easily twice the size of a normal doorway.
“This used to be a bedroom,” she said, spinning around the room, turning to him as he walked in behind her. “I wanted a larger living room, and I don’t really need an extra bedroom. It’s just me.” He followed her back out and over to the kitchen/dining room.
The kitchen was modern, the dining room not.
“Part of the initial renovation,” she said, pointing to her kitchen. “Did you know there’s a store in town that will work with you, whatever your price range? It’s not the top-of-the-line stuff that you’re probably used to, but for me it works.” She headed through the kitchen and out a door.
He followed her through a small hallway to the entrance to h
er bathroom. “Here is one of my favorite rooms,” she said, smiling. “I had it enlarged, painted it the white and the yellow.” He smiled.
“Spicy Banana Pepper?” he said, looking at the yellow in her bathroom.
“Sunny Summer,” she said and smiled at him. “I had it gutted and rebuilt. It’s larger now, the older one was too small.” She followed him over to the tub, an overlarge white claw-footed one, huge shower head above it. He followed her out and down the hall, leading away from the kitchen.
“My bedroom is over there, and not renovated yet,” she said. He stuck his head in, noting that, indeed, it had not been renovated.
“Now for my favorite part of the house,” she said, and he followed her to what must be the back door and stepped out into a small porch. It was enclosed by large-paned windows that were open, allowing fresh air in. There was a collection of four mismatched chairs surrounding a large square-shaped wooden table.
“Nice,” he said.
“Thanks. It’s home. Nothing big, but I don’t need a lot, and it’s mine,” she said, shy all of a sudden. “Probably not what you’re used to, but…” She shrugged.
He reached for her hand. “I like it. I like what you’re doing to it, but maybe you should hire someone else to do it for you,” he said, laughing as she stuck out her tongue. He bent over to capture it before she pulled it back in. He pulled back a second later.
“Like your backyard,” he said, turned to look out the window. It was nothing fancy, just green grass and a few shrubs, a bird bath in the middle of it, and a bird feeder hung from the trees. He turned to her and watched her smile form. He liked that they were going to be more than bed partners and wondered now why he’d resisted so.
“I like it here, reminds me of my granny. We spent a lot of time out here. She used to needlepoint while I read,” she said, looking off in the distance.
They heard knocking on the door. “The estimate,” she said, turning and heading to the front. He watched her leave, those green cargo pants hanging off her slim hips, the smaller-than-required t-shirt she favored, and her boots, army style today, were unlaced. Her hair was wet; she’d used his gel, and her dyed blonde hair stood in spikes on her head. His heart stuttered.
* * *
“Where are we?” Adam asked, following Mariah to an apartment later that afternoon. He stood behind her as she knocked on the door of a first floor apartment. A well-tended plant sat in an urn next to the front door.
“These are a couple of friends of mine. I try and stop by on the weekends to check in with them,” she said by way of explanation.
They waited until a woman, small and dark haired, answered the door.
“Hey, Jocelyn,” Mariah said, walking in. “Hey, Caitlyn,” she said to the other woman that stood in the room. Both were blind.
“Hi,” they replied in unison.
“I brought a friend with me today. His name is Adam, he’s hanging out with me.”
“But not your boyfriend,” Caitlyn said, her smile sly.
“Cut it out, and no, he’s not my boyfriend,” Mariah said. “We can put him to work, though, if you guys don’t mind?”
“No, we don’t mind. Hi, Adam,” Jocelyn said shyly.
“Sure, Hi Adam, who’s not Mariah’s boyfriend,” Caitlyn said.
“Don’t pay Caitlyn any attention. She likes to harass me. What do you need for us to read?” Mariah asked.
“Mail,” Jocelyn said, moving over to the desk near the window. A stack of mail rested on it. Mariah picked it up.
“I’m going to make a cake. Can Adam help?” Caitlyn said, ever the man fan.
“Sure,” he replied.
“Okay, then, ” Mariah said, looking at him. “You mostly just read the cooking prep instructions to her while she types it into her Braillewriter. Caitlyn loves to cook, along with giving me a hard time.”
“I’m a good cook, too, Adam. Not at all like Mariah,” she said, smiling. Mariah walked over and fake pinched her. Caitlyn brushed her hand aside, smiling the whole while.
“Whatever,” Mariah said. “Some of us weren’t born with the cooking gene. Caitlyn was, and since she’s my friend, I’ll just eat her food.” Mariah looked over at Adam. “Why don’t we all work in the kitchen? Jocelyn and I’ll take the desk and Caitlyn and Adam can have the table. I’ll be around in case Adam messes something up,” she said with a smile in her voice.
“Have you noticed that your friend loves to be the boss?” Adam said, teasing now.
“Yes,” the two women said, and laughed at the noise Mariah made to them all.
He followed Mariah as she entered the kitchen and took a seat at a small desk built into the counter. Jocelyn took a seat in the chair next to the desk, head bent, listening as Mariah opened an envelope. “This is from the post office,” Mariah said, and began reading it out loud to Jocelyn.
Adam took a seat at the table opposite Caitlyn, her writer in front of her. “Thanks for reading those to me,” she said, giving him a smile. ‘I’m ready when you are. You just read the directions and I’ll type them in Braille, and I can read them when I’m ready to cook.”
“Okay, sure,” he said, picking up the first box. “Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. What would you like me to read exactly?”
“Preparation instructions. I’ll take down what I need.”
“Okay. You will need one pound of beef, a half cup water, and sauce mix,” he said, watching as she typed. He waited until she finished and began reading the remaining instructions.
“Done,” she said five minutes later. “Now for the cake.” She handed the cake box to Adam, typing the instructions as he read them out to her.
When he was done, she asked him to check the expiration dates of the milk and juice, which he did, and there was this new cleaner underneath the sink, would he read the instructions to her from it? Afterward, they sat and talked for a while, listening to the voices of Mariah and Jocelyn as they talked about going to the grocery store next weekend.
“Usually Jocelyn and I take the bus. We don’t have much to buy, and Mariah takes us once a month for our big purchases. We used to call a cab, but Mariah offered and we could save the money for other things. She has to go shopping for herself and her brother anyway.”
“That’s cool,” Adam replied, looking at Mariah, who was standing up from the desk now.
“Can’t stay long today, girly girls, got the derby tonight. I’ll see you two next weekend. I’ll be here around seven, early, I know. Call if you need anything before then,” Mariah said, turning to Adam. “You ready to go?”
“Yes,” he said, standing up and following her out as they walked to the door. Caitlyn and Jocelyn trailing behind.
“One of your projects?” he asked when they were back in her car. Old and temperamental didn’t begin to describe her car.
“Friends,” she said, giving him an irritated look that showed she thought it was a stupid question. “Don’t listen to my brother. They are friends that I stop by to visit with once a week. It’s a chance for me to keep tabs on them. They were my students once. I like hanging with them when I can. Just reading mostly talking, or whatever else they need help with. It’s what friends do for each other.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” he said.
She shrugged. “I’m not. But they are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. I just like to help and they allow me to.”
* * *
Last Saturday in July
Team Thunderstorm vs. Prissy Missies
Adam walked toward the Rail Yard. This was the final bout of the regular scheduled season. It should be an easy win for Thunderstorm. Then it was on to the playoff bout—a rematch with the Demented Divas. The first bout between the two teams had been one of the best he’d seen this season. Okay, ever, this being his first season and all.
He was meeting Mariah here. She was logging in some off-skate time. He had been pondering Mariah on the way over. He was impressed with what he knew of her
so far, and was coming to like all the different sides he’d seen of her: the caregiver, the loving sister and friend who was fully committed to those she loved.
He found her as he entered the Rail Yard, pad in her hand, stamping the patrons that entered for tonight’s bout. She looked good enough to eat in a skirt and some type of shimmering top, as well as the ever-present boots. She smiled and his heart did that stuttering thing again.
* * *
August – first week
Adam parked and made his way to the front door of Joshua’s Place the following week. He was meeting Yvette here to introduce her to Mariah, who was working. He entered the restaurant and found Joshua standing behind the counter.
“Hey, Joshua,” Adam said, walking over to the counter. He looked around and spotted his sister in a booth, chatting it up with Mariah. So much for introductions.
“Hey, it’s the dentist,” Joshua said, recognizing Adam’s voice. “Your sister is here, and she is one talkative woman.”
“She always has been,” Adam said.
“Feel free to go on over. I’m on duty at the cash register.”
“Sure. I’ll see you later,” he said, heading toward Yvette’s table. He noticed the number of people eating and talking. It was crowded here most days after work. Jacob’s home cooking was popular. By the time he sat down, Mariah had moved on to another table.
“It’s about time you got here. I met your Mariah,” she said, like she was five again, teasing him about a girl.
“She’s a friend,” he said, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.
“Well, I like her. I’m with Dad on this one. You should think about keeping her.”
He looked around and spotted Mariah taking orders from a table filled with four men. She smiled, laughing at something one of them had said to her. He noticed the interested look in one of the men’s eyes as his gaze lingered on her.
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