Teenage Fever

Link Up

I kept a nice grip on Tahj's hand as we moved toward D's car. D stood outside his car for a second before hopping in.
Once we were beside his car I turned to face Tahj.

"That was... interesting," Tahj says.
"I've never seen him like that before, even before we ran into that dude. He really didn't want to come here."
I was feeling bad now.
"I'm sure he'll understand. You meant well."
Tahj grabs onto my other hand and leans in, giving me another kiss. I kiss him back briefly.
"I'm happy that something good came out of this night, but let me guess, I'm probably not going to see you for a while."

He stares into my eyes longingly before slowly shaking his head. He digs into his pocket, opening his phone and hands it over to me. I smile at him.

"You should take me out some time. I'm new in town if you didn't know," I say as I put my number into his phone.

He chuckles. I feel his arms around my waist, I plant a kiss on his left temple. I hand his phone back. He gives me his number and another kiss before we get into the car.
Before I could say anything Damario asks Tahj where he had to go.

Tahj lived in a nice area.
"I'll be hearing from you," he tells me at the passenger window.
He leaned into my window as he talked to me.
"Ditto," I tell him.

He grins at me before slowly kissing me, I could still taste that drink on him. I reluctantly broke the kiss off, not wanting to hold up Damario. Tahj smiles at me one more time before walking away.

The ride back to the apartment was silent. Damario didn't say a word. There was only a blank look on his face which didn't help me to figure out how he was feeling.

When we get back to the apartment I watch D slowly strip off his jacket. He grabbed the hair tie from his wrist and wrapped his hair up.

"Thank you for the Hennessy, things could have gone differently without it," he says.
I get put off guard when Damario speaks in his serious voice.
"I'm sorry for tonight, I shouldn't have—"

He held up his hand to stop me from speaking. His eyes were closed shut. After a time he slowly allows them to open and stares at me.

"It's fine," he whispers. "I wasn't really worried about seeing him but it occurred to me that he might be there. He obviously had too much to drink. None of that is your fault, Les."
I hesitate to ask.
"So, that's him? The ex? The one that even called you?"
"He harasses me on occasion."
Damario goes to sit in a chair to remove his shoes.
I follow and sit diagonally from him on the couch.
"You shouldn't have to go through that, D."
He exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders.
"It's all good," he slowly stands up. "You finally got your man, I think he likes you, not too sure, I could be thinking too much into it, but I think he likes you."
I laugh. He finally smiles.
"I'm gonna be in the shower," he tells me before heading off.
Something still felt off with him.

I was ready for sleep and had the lights out when Damario got out the shower.
I was back to sleeping on the couch, I didn't mind it so much now.

Tahj drifted back into my thoughts. That fluttering in my stomach started up. I was really feeling this guy. I realize that there was a lot I still didn't know about him. We had all the time to talk now it felt like. I like that I didn't have to beg or anything to stay in this guy's life. It's been mutual. He seemed to want me as much as I wanted him.

"I have a strange request."
I look over and see Damario's silhouette standing by his bedroom door. I could make out him looking down at his nails.
I sit up on the couch.
"What's up?"
He nods at his bedroom.
"You been on that couch too long, get ya ass in bed."
I pause for a minute too long.
"Come again?"
"Sleep with me, Les," he lightly chuckles.
"You scared of the monsters under your bed now or something?"
"C'mon," he says before going in.

I wasn't too weirded out by him asking, we're friends after all. Plus he had a huge ass bed.

I walked into the room. He had a lamp by his bedside on a end table turned on. He sat on his side of the bed yawning.

"Tonight was fun," he says.
"I'm about to apologize again."
"Don't. The best news I got tonight was that he has a new man. It might help him get off my dick some."
I throw my head back and laugh.
"I don't think that's happening as you can tell from tonight."
"A nigga can hope."
I laid down on the other side and looked up at the ceiling.
"What you doing tomorrow?" I ask.
He lays back on his back looking up at the ceiling too.
"Changing my phone number."

I take a nice warm shower the next morning. Afterwards I stepped to the mirror and trimmed my beard and shaped myself up.
I found Damario on the couch doing his hair.

"What you doing?" I asked in bewilderment.

He had hair products all over the place and it smelled real nice up in here. I picked up a container.

"Oh shit, you got the Shea Moisture going."
"I'm just putting twists in my hair."

I stood back and watched him grab piece after piece, squirt water in his hair then added what felt like multiple products to a piece before twisting it. He had a lot of hair.

"How long that take?"
"Not long cause I'm fast, maybe an hour."
"Shit, nigga, that's too long."

My phone vibrated so I picked it up and saw a good morning text from Tahj.
Awww, that shit was cute as hell. I reciprocated and asked what he was doing today.

Tahj😘: family outing today, there's going to be bbq 🤪😋

Me: Bring me something back.

Tahj😘: i already take two plates for myself, you know what they say about people taking home a third plate

Me: 😂 Damn man, you can eat then?

Tahj😘: somn like that 😏

Me: I can't wait to see you again.

Tahj😘: ☺️

Tahj😘: same, maybe tomorrow

Me: I'll be calling.

"Texting your boo thang?" Damario asked.
"Mind ya business."

Sunday couldn't get here soon enough. I spent the weekend playing video games with D. KJ's ass came by a few times throughout the day. Damario looked to be in a better place since Friday night. I didn't want to see him like that again if I could help it.

I wasn't sure how Tahj and I were going to meet up. He didn't have a car either and I didn't know my way around. But when the time came I just up and bounced, I could figure it out. We gave each other our directions. Tahj was a good ways away, he had to catch the city bus. I was too old for this, it's my top priority to get a car. The car I did have once upon a time living in Section 3 gave out on me way before the move.

I ran into Tahj right in the downtown area.
"Hey," he says.
"Hey."