by Nia Arthurs
“Hey!” I protested.
Tyrone wasn’t winning any points in my books anymore.
Persia followed her boyfriend’s advice and I had to pick up two extra cards from the deck.
“You’ll pay for that.” I threatened the both of them. “Drew,” I whispered, “slip me the Draw 4 in your hand.”
Aghast, Drew stuck his cards closer to his chest. “Lexi!” He scolded.
I fanned my face with my full hand, “It’s not my fault you put all your cards on display like a seller at the fish market.”
An amused grin played with his lips, but he didn’t slip me the card.
Stupid Drew.
Melody ended up winning the game. All Reyes women have the corner on gloating and Melody was no exception. She stood amongst us all and straightened her hot pink T-shirt. Rounding the room and waving the like The Queen of the Bay, she blew kisses at imaginary fans.
“Oh, yes. I am the best!” She sang, did a little dance and then sat down.
“Spencer,” I shielded my eyes, “why?”
Spencer laughed, “I don’t know, Lexi.”
“Hey,” Melody grinned, “don’t try to play off my win.” She spoke to Drew and Tyrone, “I haven’t won a game since I had Ally. I’ve finally proven that I can win all on my own.”
“Good for you.” Tyrone replied in his deep voice and nodded. I swear, the man had missed his calling. He was supposed to be an international radio DJ with all that bass in his tone.
Drew leaned over and fist-bumped my big sister. “Congrats,” He said charmingly.
I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, enough with the victory speech already,” Susan moaned, “Shuffle up the deck and let’s go again.”
I laughed at Susan’s expression. It was a fun time and I was glad to be there. During my hiatus from Drew and all things associated with Drew, I’d missed my family. Sometimes, a girl wanted to feel like a part of something bigger, even though she was comfortable being alone.
Later that night while eating fried chicken and joking around, someone finally addressed the topic of Drew and I as a couple. It wasn’t like we were doing anything as publicly affectionate as any of the married people. A little bit of hand-holding here and there; some touching, mixed in with lots of smiles and eye contact was all that we did. It didn’t feel like flirting to me. It just felt… natural. Still, my family had a love radar and, especially given my residency in the Cupid’s Bow Apartment, I was never far from their scrupulous gaze. Though I was waiting for them to say something, I was surprised by the person that brought the matter to light.
Drew and I were sitting next to each other on the floor. He was teasing me about the way I loved chicken legs.
“You can’t seriously be hating on me for eating chicken legs.” I groaned softly.
Drew grinned. “I think chicken legs are gross. Have you ever seen a chicken? Their legs are far from that robust drumstick you have in your hand. I’m sure there’s some kind of foul play involved there.”
I stared at him, wondering if he was indeed the crazier of the two of us, “It’s all foul play. The chicken is dead!”
Drew tried to defend his point and I couldn’t stop snickering as I shoved his side and shook my head.
All of a sudden, a small nine-year-old shadow cast over us.
I glanced up and broke my conversation, “Hey, handsome.” I grinned up at my favorite little guy.
“What’s up, man?” Drew nodded at Josh.
My little friend regarded my face and then Drew’s with a severe expression.
“What’s wrong, Josh?” I set my plate on the floor and hefted myself up on my knees so that I could be level with him.
His handsome brown face twisted into a frown, Josh accused me, “Are you marrying him?”
The word ‘marriage’ resounded through the living room and to a tee every head turned in our direction.
The love radar was on and kicking tonight.
My mouth fell open. “Joshua, no.” I sputtered.
Drew gave me a strange look.
“You promised that you’d marry me, Lexi. We had a deal.” He insisted.
I glanced helplessly at Persia who had a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.
This wasn’t funny!
“Josh, as much as I love you, you’re way too young for me.” I tried to explain.
I glanced at Drew again. His face was a mixture of shock, amusement and sympathy.
“You didn’t say that when you took my ring pop.”
“Oh! Burn!” Mia murmured.
I shot her a dirty look.
I reached for my “fiancé’s” hand but he yanked it out of reach, “Josh,” I tried to calm him, “I thought we both understood that I was only kidding around. You’ll always be a very important part of my life, my number one guy.”
“So that’s it.” He railed, tears in his eyes, “you’re leaving me for him!” Joshua pointed at Drew with an accusatory finger.
“I’m not.”
But the little boy rushed out of the room.
“Joshua.” I stood to go after him.
Drew placed a hand on my wrist. His blue eyes regarded mine seriously.
“Let me.” He said.
I sat back down, feeling like a jerk, and allowed Drew to go after Joshua.
The room seemed only mildly concerned.
“I’m so sorry, Persia.” I said to Josh’s mom, feeling like a heel.
“Lexi, he’s nine. You were his first crush. Josh will get over you by tomorrow.”
Ouch. Was I that replaceable?
I set my food aside and let my family’s conversation wash over me. After five minutes of twiddling my thumps, I took my plate and Drew’s to the kitchen. My gaze glanced toward the door of my old room where my two favorite guys were. I tiptoed quietly to the door set slightly ajar and leaned my head next to the wooden panel.
Josh’s sweet, squeaky voice spoke with conviction. “And, you’ve got to get her good slices of pie. Lexi likes that.”
Drew’s deeper voice laughed aloud, “You need to slow down, man. I can’t write that fast.”
What were they doing?
“Okay,” Drew quipped. “What’s the last one?”
“You have it all written down?” Josh asked with suspicion coloring his tone.
“Yeah,” Drew shuffled what sounded like papers around and read from the list, “I’ll kiss her when no one is looking.”
I covered my mouth as a smile split my face in half.
“I’ll make sure to feed her three times a day and take her places.”
I arched an eyebrow. Were they talking about me or a dog?
“And I’ll give her good slices of pie.”
“Okay,” Josh sounded satisfied. “This is the last one. It’s the most important. You’ve got to love her.”
A beat of silence passed in the room.
“Well… right it down!” Josh demanded.
“Sorry,” I heard the crinkling of paper.
“Yes,” Josh continued, “you have to go through sickness and illness and diseases together. And when she’s sad, you have to make her happy.”
I almost said “aww,” but I didn’t want them to know that I was listening.
I heard the scribbling of pen against paper.
“I’m done.” Drew said.
“I’m going to read it over before I sign it.” Josh muttered like a mature businessman instead of a nine year old little boy.
Sign it? Josh was signing me over like a piece of cattle?
I frowned. We would have some serious discussions about treating women like chattel slaves in the future. After a few seconds, I heard the rasp of a ballpoint against paper.
“Now you sign here.” Josh instructed.
“Sure.”
“Good,” Josh replied, “I guess she’s yours now. When you marry her, I want to be the best man. Can I do that?”
“You can stand right next to me.” Drew promise
d, “Will that work?”
“Do I have to carry a pillow with the rings?” Josh’s tone revealed his particular dislike for that task.
Drew chuckled, “No.”
“Then yeah, that’s fine.”
I heard their footsteps and scrambled back.
“Hey, Josh,” Drew stopped the boy just before opening the door and revealing my cowering figure. “Let’s not tell, Lexi about this. Okay?”
“Why?”
I could hear the smile in Drew’s voice, “Marriage is serious business and I don’t want to scare her before I propose.”
“Oh, sure.”
I didn’t wait around to hear the rest; I rushed toward the living room and hurled myself back to my spot on the floor.
“Why are you so out of breath?” Eryn asked.
She’d emerged from her room to sit and chat with her phone friends in a cloaked attempt at spending time with us.
“No (gasp) reason (gasp).”
Mein, I really needed to exercise.
Thankfully, further conversation was cut off when Drew and Joshua reemerged from the bedroom and returned to their seats.
“You guys work everything out?” Persia rubbed her son’s head.
“We’re cool.” Josh nodded and then as if he hadn’t just signed me away, he quipped. “Is anymore fried chicken left?”
I grinned. Ah, a man after my own heart.
Though I was sure that Drew was only following Joshua’s contract and talking about marrying me in order to humor the kid, the same way I humored him when I accepted his ring pop proposal; it felt really good to think of Drew and I together in a more permanent way.
I was far from ready for marriage. To be honest, the thought of waiting eleven years for Joshua to grow up had not been all that disconcerting to me. Still, the fact that Drew hadn’t shut down the thought was encouraging.
Wasn’t it?
Drew and I waved goodnight to everyone. I rushed back to the foyer to kiss Alexis on the cheek one more time before darting out into the cold night and sliding into Drew’s little car. He closed the door behind him and grinned at me as he slid the seat belt over his form. I didn’t wear a seat belt. Though it was the rule of the country, barely anyone followed it.
“Tonight was nice.” Drew smiled as he started the car.
“Yeah, apart from the little conflict with Joshua.” I twisted in my seat and turned toward him, “What did you guys talk about?”
He watched me out of the corner of his eyes. “Just… man stuff.”
“Man stuff?” I questioned.
“Yup.”
I debated pushing the issue but decided against it. I’d eves-dropped on their conversation long enough to get the gist.
“Drew.”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you a really stupid question?”
“That wouldn’t be anything new.” He teased.
I leaned back in offense.
The arrogant, big head.
I narrowed my eyes at him, “Ha, ha. Very funny.”
“I was just joking.” Drew turned down the lane to the street leading to my apartment, “Shoot.”
“Where can I get some of your super-hero T-shirts?”
“Huh?”
I explained, “You’re always wearing these amazing shirts.” I pulled at the sleeve of his black T-shirt with a cartoon picture of Thor on it. “I want one.”
He grinned, “You like them?”
“Yeah.”
“I can show you where I buy them sometime.”
I shrugged, “Cool.”
He parked in the lot of my apartment. I pushed the door open and glanced at him.
“You comin’ up?” I invited.
He glanced down, “Nah. I think I’ll just head home. I’ve got to wake up early tomorrow.”
“Oh,” I said disappointed, “Sure.”
I climbed out of the car and waved dejectedly.
“Well, good night.”
“Good night, Lexi.”
Drew made sure I got in safely before driving off.
My heart hung heavy inside of me when his little car disappeared into the darkness. I was the ever-consummate loner. I could spend hours on my laptop, embroiled in a code, creating my own animes, or watching my favorite Japanese shows.
And yet, I would have given up doing all those things for a little more time with Drew.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The next morning, I happily sat beside Drew on the hard bench in the Gym and watched Pastor Stanley bounce around on the pulpit.
“I’ve been around the world and I’ve been among kings and prime ministers. All I hear from them is fear.” He surveyed our faces with an intense expression, “The education systems are not working out. The economy is crashing before our very eyes and economists can’t fix it. The world banking system is corrupt and failing. Once great nations are falling to their knees in debt.”
I shivered. Those were grim realities indeed. I preferred sticking my head in the sandy shores of anime. It was a much happier place.
Pastor Stanley continued, “And we are so foolish. We put the people we raised and the children we placed in the same insufficient education system and expect them to fix our world.” The short, dark-skinned man at the front laughed. “That makes no sense.”
Strolling to the front, Pastor Stanley thundered, “Tell me who wouldn’t want to function under a government that encourages us and provides for us and helps us to fulfill our maximum potential in life? See, we have tried every human strategy and it has failed. Dare I say it … even religion has failed.”
“Glory!” A woman stood and waved her hands.
“That’s why the Governor is the most important person on earth. He brings us the presence and power of the Kingdom right now.”
The pastor spoke a little bit more and then concluded the service.
“That was good.” I commented to Drew as I stood and stretched.
He nodded, “I like the way he phrases things. It makes me think.”
“Oh yeah. That’s Pastor Stanley’s gift.”
“Andrew,” Ms. Maisey yoo-hooed for the handsome man, “Come give me a hug.”
Drew smirked at me and then obliged.
Ms. Maisey held on for a beat longer than necessary. I almost said something about it but Drew pulled away before I could unleash my inner gangsta.
“It’s good to see you, Ms. Maisey.”
“You promised you’d come see me at the store before you left right.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Drew charmed her, “I won’t leave next week until I see you at least once.”
“Good boy.” Ms. Maisey pinched his cheeks and was content to stare unabashedly at Drew’s face.
Okay then.
Thankfully, the rest of the gang urged us out of the pew and we rambled slowly toward the front door.
“Hey,” Drew turned to me, “I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me.”
I arched an eyebrow, “You missing potatoes again?”
“Yeah.” He ducked his head and then quickly raised it again and caught my stare, “Actually, there’s more to it than that. I want to take you on a proper date.”
I stared at him like he was joking.
“What do you mean ‘proper date’?”
Had we been dating this entire time and I was just now realizing it?
We trekked out toward the parking lot where the Reyes gang was disbursing into their individual cars to drive to Mom and Dad’s.
“I want to go somewhere nice. Just the two of us.”
I grinned. “Uh sure.”
He glanced at my parents. “You don’t have to tell your Mom and Dad?”
I grasped his elbow and steered him away from my dad and his machete which he kept locked up underneath his bed.
“I’ll text them.”
I got into Drew’s car and we went out for lunch. As ‘proper’ as this hang out was supposed to be, we talked and laughed and behaved our regula
r, weird, goofy selves. It was perfect.
The countdown to Drew’s flight back to New York began on Monday night. He hadn’t come close to kissing me since his promise last week Saturday. I didn’t normally consider myself an impatient person, but I have to admit that I was growing far too restless with our lack of labels. Though I promised myself that I wouldn’t try to take control and I would allow the Governor to do his thing, I watched Monday turn into Tuesday and felt an insane need to do something.
Hanging out with Drew took on a new meaning for me. He had a plane ticket for a ten o’clock flight on Thursday. And he hadn’t even been the one to tell me. I had to hear it from Susan who was my official Drew-informant. Drew was particularly closed-mouthed about his imminent departure and on Wednesday night, I could literally feel him slipping through my fingers.
On our last night together, Drew invited himself over to my apartment. This time, I promised that I’d cook for him. In our weeks of association, I’d never shown Drew what I was capable of in the kitchen. I must admit, a part of me felt that cooking was a good move. It said, “I am capable of taking care of you if and when you decide to marry me”. That was at the back of my mind.
The truth was, however, that I just wanted to show Drew my appreciation. He had been a really good friend and though I longed for more between us, I didn’t want to cheapen the fun, easy relationship that we did have.
“Hey,” I smiled when he came in at the door. He was dressed in the black shirt with the Batman emblem again. I liked that shirt on him. His jeans tapered down to black and white Vans. The black backpack was once again slung on his shoulder.
“Hi.” He leaned over and greeted me with a hug.
I tiptoed because, despite my height, Drew was still way taller than me. I held on to him for longer than necessary but he didn’t complain and so I didn’t let up until I was good and ready.
“Come on in.” I sniffed after releasing him.
He did and I closed the door behind him.
“Something smells good in here.” He boomed happily.
I followed him to the kitchen where our dinner was warming on the stove and counter top. I had entertained the thought of setting up the small, round dining table all romantically with candles and silverware. I’d even laid out the candles, but somehow it just didn’t feel like us. Drew and I were watch-television-on-the-couch-and-eat folks. Trying to be something we were not felt hypocritical so I’d put the candles back in the drawers.