Some Day One Day

24

"Damn..." Angie said with uncharacteristic graveness into the phone when I answered with a bit more asperity than intended.
"What?" I asked, sitting heavily in the driver's seat. I'd just completed nine hours of work and all I wanted to do was retreat to my bed and remain there for as long as possible.
"You actually answered the phone. You've been ignoring me for the longest." Her knowing tone immediately told me there was no way lying about this.
"Sorry." I murmured contritely.
"What you doin'?" she asked.
"Not today Angie. I'm really tired." I told her earnestly, throwing my purse onto the passenger's seat.
"Huh? Damn must you think I always want something?"
Angie's voice wasn't perky and high pitched like usual. She wasn't over the top and that made me start to worry.
"My bad. I'm just real stressed out. How are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
"I'm good. Angie what's wrong?"
"Hmm? Nothing. I'm just real tired. We went shopping for Ojay's birthday party. You still coming right?"
"Mhmm. Saturday. Nine o'clock."
"Good Oh girl I'm so mad at that fool!" she ground out.
'Why I got to be a fool.' I heard Ojay in the distance and laughed.
"What happened?"
"This fucker lost my dog!"
'Better chill with that nasty talk before I fuck the hell out of you woman.' Ojay said and Angie muttered a disgusted sound. I was busy laughing.
"Ugh leave me alone Ojay. I don't want to talk to you. I don't even want to see you."
"He lost your dog? No no no not my princess Diamond." I loved that dog even though I usually forgot of its existence. Maybe it's because it was so doggone small. I knew how much that dog meant to Angie. Especially since it had been a gift from Ojay himself. A few weeks ago, the dog tatteredand ruined some of his paperwork for a contract he'd been working on. Even though he had copies he still hated the poor dog from that moment on and it seemed Ojay and the dog had been going through a feud. I thought it was funny.
"Yes! He lost her! And then to make it worse he's acting like he doesn't care!"
'I did not lose that damn dog.' Ojay stressed, 'It ran away from me. What the fuck was I supposed to do...chase it down the street like an idiot?'
"Ojay don't talk to me right now okay? Just go be an asshole somewhere else."
'Now I'm an asshole? I must have Alzheimer's because I don't remember you callin' me that last night when I was hitting it right.'
"Ojay!-You know what just forget it."
'I bet that wont be hard considering the fact that I got Alzheimer's.'
"Can I just talk to my cousin without you butting in? Can't I just do that? Give me some room to breath damn it."
'So you're trying to act all brand new cause of a fucking dog? You just been getting mad over the dumbest shit lately. Like last week. Started crying all because I'd bought the wrong type of icecream. Gimme a fucking break Angie'
"Who the fuck eats coconut ice cream to be-fucking-gin with? I didn't see you eating it motherfucker! And this ain' just any damn dog! You gave it to me at a really rough time, which makes it special to me. And not only that, I loved that damn dog."
'Shit...why don't you marry it then? I heard they allow cross breeding between animals and humans nowadays.'
What I heard next was a clattering sound followed by Angie's voice bellowing at Ojay. Soon Ojay retorted with just as much ire. I was left on the phone flabbergasted and feeling awkward.
"Um...A-Angie...Angie maybe this is the part where I should hang up okay?"
"No! No please don't hang up," she cut herself off from her argument with Ojay, leaving him in his own tirade, "Ugh girl I can't take this shit anymore. I need to get away from this nigga...please."
"Want me to come pick you up?" I asked her despite the exhaustion that coursed through my veins. I'd heard them argue a lot but it was usually just fun and games. It didn't quite seem that way now.
All because of a dog.
Oh the things love drove people into.
"You don't have to." Angie said and I could hear the frown in her voice.
"I will. Be there in about an hour."
"Well, we're at that new clubhouse Ojay was talking about over at Monrovia trying to help him set up this party. Really you don't have to come if you don't want girl I was just really frustrated and needed someone to talk to." She sounded so upset that I couldn't just leave her deserted there. Not especially when I knew she couldn't leave when she wanted.
"No it's cool. I'll be there. Gimme a minute to go home and change first."
After giving me the directions since I couldn't vividly remember the place when they'd taken me there, we said our goodbyes and I headed on home.
A hot shower and a change of clothes rejuvenated my energy.
True to my word, I was wheeling into the parking lot less than an hour later but I was a tad bit fitful because my car had started giving me problems. It was when I was a few minutes away from the clubhouse that the gauge of my car started acting up. I prayed to god that it wouldn't stop. Luckily I got there in one piece and I prayed once again that when it was time to leave, my car wouldn't give me any trouble.
As I parked my car, I saw that Ojay and Angie were still bickering. Not too far away from where Ojay and Angie stood, Shawn was sitting by one of the steps with his arms loosely around his knees. He was watching the two of them with the same look of interest I had whenever I watched them. His skin had a pure bronze tone to it against the myriad of warm colors from the setting sun. My heart vaulted before crash landing in my gut. I shouldn't have been surprised with the way we kept on meeting each other but I was anyway. Taking in a deep breath, I got out of the car, stashed my keys into my pockets and walked quietly to them. For a day in spring, it was far too hot than should be deemed normal and I was glad I'd opted to wear shorts and a thinly threaded shirt.
The argument taking place in front of me was so heated that it was hotter than the setting sun and for the first few moments Ojay and Angie didn't acknowledge my presence.
But Shawn did.
He glanced up at me. I waited for him to either narrow his eyes in angst or simply ignore me and turn away. Instead he slid his eyes down my frame, lingering on my exposed legs, which began to buckle from his gaze. He finally turned away.
"Sup." He said impartially and I felt myself blush against my own wishes. Was this the first time Shawn greeted me since four years ago? Taken aback, I didn't respond for a few precautious seconds before finally deciding that maybe he wasn't going to be the king of all grimness today.
"Nothing much," I don't know where I found the courage but I was actually able to sit beside him and watch both Angie and Ojay as they argued, "Damn. They're still going at it?"
Shawn looked down at his wristwatch. At first I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but that was the same silver watch he'd had since high school.
"I been here for fifteen minutes and these niggas ain' said a word to me," he looked up at me, "What you doin' here?"
"I came to pick Angie up. I think they've reached that stage where they're finally tired of each other."
Shawn shook his head, looking at them.
"Haven't we been through this before?" he asked even though the question was one of those not meant for answering.
Still, beyond my control, my heart leaped and I felt constriction in my chest. Was he deliberately bringing us up? Was I just being paranoid?
"They're always putting us in the middle of their drama." Shawn clarified.
I wished disappointment hadn't wrapped itself around me like it did when he said that, but I should've been smarter. Of course he'd been talking about Ojay and Angie. He couldn't have really been talking about us.
As far as I was concerned, that was beyond impossible.
"Oh. Yeah. They still behaved like this in high school." I said thoughtfully.
"Still on that crazy shit." Shawn murmured and from the corner of my eye I could see him shaking his head dismally. I chuckled softly.
"Makes me wonder why history keeps repeating itself." I said conversationally, watching Ojay stare at Angie with a stone face while she railed the hell out of him, her hands flying everywhere animatedly. Watching the two of them, I started to feel the occasional envy I felt whenever eyeing a couple that were obviously terribly in love. The lonely void that I was so familiar with as a teenage girl had been harboring the borders of my heart lately.
"Cause some people don't change." Shawn's voice pierced through my thoughts.
"Hmm?" I zapped out of my thoughts and looked at him.
"That's why history keeps repeating itself. Cause some people and some things don't change." He explained casually and coolly.
Either I was reading too much into it or I was still unsure of his sudden approachability, but I wondered if his words were in reference to something else. It sounded like he was speaking generally, so I tried not to read too much into it.
"Oh. Yeah. That's true..." I muttered softly, "So why are you here?"
"Trying to help this nigga move stuff in for his party."
"Oh."
It was quiet for a while until Shawn's deep voice made me jump slightly.
"How's your hand?"
Still surprised that he was talking to me, I stared at him for a little while before finding my voice.
"Oh! It's okay. It's much better now thanks."
Shawn simply nodded as he continuously stared at the arguing couple.
"How did meeting the clients go?"
"Good. We scored with them good." He said. Although the tone should've mirrored his words, it didn't. It was empty of any emotion, impassive almost. It was like it didn't seem to matter to him, but maybe I was being overtly analytic.
"That's great Shawn. Congratulations. I'm truly happy for you." I truly did mean every word that drifted from me. There was nothing more that I wanted in this world other than for him to be successful because he deserved it whole-heartedly.
My voice had been so gentle and genuine that it brought Shawn's dark eyes up to mine.
Angie's screeching voice minimized our trance-like state and forced both of us to focus on them once again.
Angie suddenly whipped around and tried to walk away but Ojay grabbed her and brought their bodes inseparably close. Before she could slip away he was pressing his lips against hers. Angie's struggle against him didn't last because she was soon melting in his arms, wrapping her arms around him and reciprocating the kiss.
Shawn chuckled deeply, "Only Angie and Ojay."
He didn't even have to elaborate for me to know what he meant. Those two were too much.
"Yeah. Just one of a kind." I responded with a small laugh of my own.
Even though I was calm and collected on the outside, I was anything but on the inside. Not only was I surprised that we were talking like consenting, mature adults, but I was moreso surprised that we were sitting at such a close distance to one another. Not to say that the tension didn't leave because it was still very much alive. We just seemed to be more tolerant of it for some reason. But like an annoying, record that was broken and stuck, everytime we went through these placid moments, the fact that he was now a father would relentlessly drill into my mind.
I was still yet to bring it up. I didn't really know how to without sounding so suspicious.
I needed to just accept it as what it was and move on. After all, what would it have mattered to me since we were never going to be together again? I shook those thoughts away from me.
The couple that had once been on fire were calm now as they walked towards us, arm in arm.
"Aw man. Does this mean that we're not hanging out?" I asked Angie with a playful pout, making her smile with chagrin.
"We are. Ojay and I just had a few things to set straight first."
"Yeah. Sorry. I hope we didn't keep ya'll waiting." Ojay said to us unremorsefully and I shook my head at him.
"Oh nah it's straight, don't be sorry. Of course we didn't mind waiting. We obviously have nothing better to do than revolve around ya'lls lives. You iight son." Shawn said with dry sarcasm and I couldn't help but laugh at the way he said it. It was funny to me because I thought the same way sometimes too.
"Okay so," Ojay pointed at Shawn with an unbothered finger, "fuck you nigga and what's up Beyonce." he told me with a kind smile.
"Nothing. Where's Diamond?" I asked, smiling sagaciously at him and deriving a scowl.
"Ugh. Don't bring up that little bitch's name."
Angie cast dark eyes at him and he smiled with prevaricated sweetness.
"What? She is a bitch."
Angie's reaction remained unchanged.
"Okay, what I really meant to say was...I'm working on finding my precious." Ojay told her with a cheesy smile.
"Fucking punk..." I heard Shawn murmur lowly. I don't think anyone was supposed to hear but I did and had to twist my mouth to prevent me from laughing out loudly.
Angie pecked Ojay for his heed to her and the satisfactory smile on his face said he didn't care about anything other than pleasing her.
"That's more like it boo," she told him before turning to me, "So Beyonce where do you want to go?"
Shrugging, I surged to my feet, dusting my shorts.
"Why don't ya'll help us out? My brother and his friend ain' back and I want to leave this place before nine." Ojay asked and Angie narrowed her eyes at him.
"We're the women. We ain' supposed to do that type of work."
"It's cause you can't do that kind of work." I heard Shawn say and looked down at him.
"What?" I heard myself say before I even realized I was saying it.
With an apathetic shrug, Shawn stood to his feet. I tried not to focus on the evident masculinity of his long legs behind the smoky jeans that he wore.
"I'm just sayin'. Ya'll probably ain' strong enough to carry any of this shit so we're probably better off without your help." He said logically. For a moment, I couldn't tell whether or not he was deliberately trying to provoke me or simply teasing.
Then the first signs of a smirk started to lift the corner of his lips though—one of the sexiest I'd seen for a while and I felt confusing butterflies in my stomach.
When I all but stared at him with a faint smile with hints of surprise, I found that behind my smile I was slightly impressed. It was something I didn't want to admit but Shawn always put me up for a challenge since I'd always been so keen to take the easy way out. Not to say that he was doing it now though.
"Oh Beyonce he told yo ass." Ojay randomly said somewhere behind me.
"Oh wow...So you're just assuming that I can't do the same work that you do because I'm a woman?" I asked him, folding my arms.
Shawn wet his lips as if that would help him sustain a smile. Guys trying to conceal their smiles were the cutest things to me sometimes.
"I didn't say that," he shook his head, "Just said you might not be strong enough."
"Not strong enough?"
"Oh gosh Beyonce now isn't the time to prove your womanhood and all that empowerment shit. Let's go before they actually make us help." Angie said, grabbing my hand and dragging me along with her.
Shawn was snickering to Ojay as Angie pulled me away until I finally had to turn around so that I wouldn't miss a step and trip.
"I can't believe he said that." I told Angie while removing my key from my pocket, wishing I could wipe off the foolish, small smile from my face but unable to.
"You know he's just teasing." Angie said.
"Yeah but I will set him straight nonetheless." I murmured.
"Niggas are just idiots." Angie said and I joined her in a laugh.
"They are," she stressed, "Make me so damn sick."
"Angie shut up," I said as I opened the door to my car, "You say that and then the next thing, ya'll are kissing and making up."
I slid into the car, reached over to the passenger's door and opened it for her.
"That's what relationships are about. I mean didn't you and Lee used to argue, kiss, and make up?"
Her question was so comical to me that I laughed out loud while trying to rev the car into life.
"No. Lee and I got along all the time. He used to be like my bestfriend." I was speaking distractedly because the car wouldn't start.
"Oh yeah. He was on the syrupy side of things—"
"Shit!"
"Sorry girl but he was. I don't know how you didn't see it coming. Well to be honest I didn't either cause he was so fucking sexy."
"No. I meant my car wont start. Fuck!" I pounded the steering wheel with a fisted hand, "I just got this thing fixed the other day!"
"Well. I guess we're gonna have to stay and help."
"Why can't we use Ojay's car?" as I asked the question, I looked around the empty parking lot. I hadn't even cared to notice that his car wasn't there when I arrived. The only one was Shawn's sleek, black car.
"Well after we unloaded some of the cartons with all the things we needed, his brother and his friend who was helping us went to go get something to eat."
"Damn." I muttered to myself, slumping into my chair.
This was another thing to worry about. Now I had to figure out where to get money to pay for getting this car fixed.
"Come on girl. Let's go back and...help...these guys." Angie said as she opened her car door.
With a heavy sigh, I ceded and I too abandoned my borderline dinged car.