Back In The Game

Chapter 7

LaShawn's POV

     I followed her back to her apartment closely behind her so I wouldn't lose sight of her car. She has a nice car, might I add, in better shape than mine.

     When we pull into the parking lot of her building, she parks as close the the door as possible before climbing out of her car and into mine.

     "So where are we going," she ask me. Her Jersey accent, though it slips in and out, is so attractive, I barely comprehended what she just said.

      "I was thinking Ben & Jerry's. They have a shop in the middle of Times Square," I told her. She nods in agreement as I pull out of the parking lot. Since Times Square is pretty busy all the time, we had to walk most of the way. I parked the car into one of the parking garages about three blocks away from the shop. It was pretty chilly out, so I gave her my jacket. I take her hand so she wouldn't get lost and we start on our way.

"So how often do you come into Times Square," she asks me over the noise of the crowd.

"Not very often, I'm pretty busy all the time. What about you," I ask her, looking down at her beautiful face.

"Not as often as I would like. Im pretty busy too, but I love coming here," she tells me.  She grips my hand harder as a homeless drunk stumbles past us.

"Don't worry, they don't usually bother anybody," I tell her to ease her mind. We then arrive at the ice cream shop. Compared to the noise outside, this place was very peaceful.

"What kind do you want,"I ask her.

"Plain vanilla is fine," she tells me, taking off my jacket and slinging it over the back of the chair.

"Okay, well Ill be right back," I tell her and walk over to the counter to order.

"Can I get two plain vanilla cups please," I ask the cashier at the counter.  A few second later he shows back up with two cups of ice cream and two spoons.

"That will be $7.65 please," he says handing me the cups.

'Damn,' I think as I pay him and return to Marie at the table.

"So, do you plan on going anywhere before you start school," I ask trying to start a conversation.

"I do actually. Me and my girls are planning on going back to Jersey before I have to go to North Carolina," she tells me.

"Oh that sounds fun. So tell me, what is it about Jersey, that you keep going back to it?"

At first, she just sat there and I didn't think she would answer.

"I don't know really. I just really like it. It's so different from New York. I get a sense of freedom I guess," she finally explains, licking her spoon.

"Well, if you like it so much, why are you here?"

"I don't know, I just can't seem to leave this place. It's where I grew up, and its where everything and everyone I love is."

"Well, as long as you're happy," Is all I can tell her.

"How far from home have you been?"

"Not very far, just to Massachusetts. It's where most of my family is," I tell her.

"Oh, what led you down here?"

The crack game is what really led me down here but I don't want to reopen that conversation.

"I just wanted some space I guess."

We finish our ice cream and are almost out of the door when my phone rings.

"Hold on," I tell her before she goes any further. The call is from Tyrone.

"Man you gotta get down here quick," Tyrone tells me. I look at the time. Its already 12:45.

"Can it wait, im kind of busy," I say, eyeing Marie.

"Bruh get down here now. We are on 77th," is all he says before he hangs up.

"Is everything okay," she ask me. I guess I still have a worried look on my face.

"Yeah everything is good. I should hurry and get you home though," I say and grab her hand. We weave through the crowd as fast as we can until we arrive at the parking garage. We get in, fasten our seatbelts, and starts towards her apartment.

"I had fun tonight," she tells me.

I grab her hand with my free one before saying,"So did I." She smiles that beautiful smile she has. "Im sure people have told you this before, but you are gorgeous," I tell her, just because she is.

"Thank you," she says, her eyes lighting up a little bit.

We pull into the parking lot and she gets out of the car. She stops midstep and turns back around.

"What's wrong?"

She didn't reply, instead she plants a kiss on my cheek before turning and leaving again.

"Thanks again," she calls from the stairs, and dissapeares into her apartment. I just couldn't stop smiling.