Still Waters

Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTE: ALL POETRY INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK IS THE ORIGINAL WORK OF THE AUTHOR AND IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT.

"'Sup Natasha."

"Kenney?" I stretched and tried to shake the sleep off. "I thought I told you not to call me in the middle of the night."

"Are you kiddin' me? It's only seven o'clock! Whatchyou doin' sleep this early on a Saturday anyway?"

"I'm tired."

"Tired of what?"

"Tired of people calling me waking my ass up!"

"Ooo-wee!" He laughed in true Texas form. "I like them hot-blooded red guls."

"What!" I sat up. He had my full attention now. "Who you callin' red, yella? You 'bout three shades lighter than me! Lookin' like golden fried chicken..."

He only laughed harder, but I really was pissed. I hated when black folks called me red. Like I wasn't black like the rest a them fools.

"Hey, get dressed darlin'," he said, totally overlooking my pisstivity. "I'll call you back in a few." Before I could answer, he hung up.

"A few" turned into nine o'clock, and by then I was already back asleep. Not that I had any intentions of going anywhere with him that night, anyway. I hadn't budged since our last conversation and fell asleep about an hour later watching The Box, a random music video channel we used to have that only came through sometimes.

Brring! The shrill telephone jerked me out of what was almost a good dream gone bad.

"Hello?"

"Dang! Soundin' all sexy. You ain't gotta be extra for me, darlin'."

"Whatever," I yawned. "You woke me up. Again."

"Mm-hmm. Hey, sorry 'bout that whole 'red' thing. That's just what we say back home."

"Well, don't say it to me."

"Aight. So, where you from?"

"Maryland."

"What? Somehow I'm not buyin' it."

"Buying what?"

"That you're from Maryland. I'm getting' more of a southern vibe from you."

"Well believe it." I stretched again. "You really think you know something, don't you?"

"I like to believe," he drawled, undoubtedly trying to charm me. "I know somebody did you wrong," he said quietly.

"I'm hanging up now."

"No! Wait. Wait. I meant to keep that one to myself." I couldn't help but laugh. He took that as his queue to continue. "So, are you ready or what?"

"Ready for what? I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not?"

"No." The nerve of this guy!

"Then what'd I get all dressed up for?"

"Are you kidding me?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. That's one thing I don't do is assume I'm goin' somewhere."

"Good thing." I laid back down and propped the phone up to my ear.

"So, what are your plans for the evening?"