TLWM: The Hate Experience

\XXI/ Weak

Past the six o'clock hour.

    Held at the last traffic light before turning into Letty's neighborhood, the flutters were already in full swing. I hadn't seen or spoken to her since yesterday morning when she was downstairs busy in the vault. Rehearsals had me upstairs but I was able to bug her on two brief occasions. The third time I'd went down, she was gone. 

     Otis Redding's These Arms of Mine faded and the clicking from my left blinker slowly drove me insane. The tape stopped and I was too antsy to think to turn it over. Is this shit broken? No one was coming down the road opposite of me and red was taking a lifetime to drop to green.

     Fuck it.

     Foot on the gas, my Wildcat went left and the truck behind me reprimanded with a loud honk. Didn't hurt my feelings. Nobody was out here so I ignored the STOP signs too on my way to her driveway.

     Usually, I'd park behind Ms. Jackee's car but it wasn't here. I hadn't showed up for every Sunday dinner but the few that I did, Ms. Jackee's Lexus was always around. Maybe she had a date.

      The sun was already down and the chill in the air was wicked on open skin. With no coat on, my walk was quick to the front door. Standing on the doormat, I knocked three times and rang the bell twice. My face was so cold I was tempted to bury it in the purple bouquet I held against my chest.

     Upstairs, Letty's bedroom light was on. The dining room window to my right was bright too. I knew she was in there ignoring the ding-dong going off in her house.

     The numb pillow of my thumb jammed into the doorbell probably 10 times before I finally got someone's attention. I didn't catch it quick enough to I.D. anyone but I saw the curtains moving.

     I was ready to defend my behavior but when the front door flew open, Letty was standing there with a phone stuck to her ear and a saluted finger between us telling me to shut up. "No, no. That's okay." Moving the flowers out of her way, she took hold of the low hanging chain around my neck and guided me in the house in slow motion, focused on getting the caller off her line. "Mm-hm, but—"

     Meanwhile, my eyes wandered every inch of her as she shut the door and twisted the lock. Her braids were up in a bun, sitting on top of her head, but I could tell it took time by the way they crossed over another. Her face was all dolled up too, free of her glasses.

     "Drive safely."

     But it was the red dress that had me bugging. For the first time, I was witnessing the danger of her curves.

     "I'm not going anywhere." To my face, she was smiling hard but I knew it wasn't for me. "'Kay, bye." As soon as she clicked END, her lips pressed together and her brows moved inward. "What are you doing here?"

     "It's Sunday."

     "It's Valentine's Day."

     I glanced at the XL bouquet cradled in my arms. "Does it look like I forgot that part?"

     Sighing, she shook her head, but not at my question. "You knew I wasn't cooking today."

     The savory aroma coming from the kitchen said otherwise. I nodded in its direction. "Um, you're obviously cooking for somebody."

     "But it's obviously not you."

     A nasal force of breath and grin came of my mild amusement.

     "You didn't bring Ace for a reason. You knew my family wouldn't be here."

     "And you're bringing your date here for a reason." I loved when she went quiet without denial. "You wanted to get caught."