Me, You and Him

The next morning he wakes up earlier than usual, gets dressed and goes out into the living room. It’s only 5am. I don’t have to be to work until 8:30am and Dell lives less than 10 minutes away from my job, as opposed to my apartment in Smyrna which is about 25 minutes away from work.

“What’s going on?” I call out to him.

He walks back into the room. “I have to leave early,” he tells me. “I got a run to make.”

I sit up and stretch, preparing my mind to make the drive home. Then I think to myself, “Hell naw. I ain’t wasting gas to drive all the way up there when my job is right here and I brought clothes for work.”

“I ain’t going nowhere,” I tell him. “I’m not wasting my gas like that.” I get right back under the covers. He goes back into the living room and I go back to sleep.

He wakes me by calling out my name, or rather, the name he has called me since the first day we met. “Babe..Come lock the door,” he beckons.

I rub my eyes and stumble out of bed. He points toward the counter top where a shiny golden key has been placed.

“Is that for me?” I ask him.

He nods.

“What time do you want me to be here to let you in?”

“I don’t know Babe. Just be in place. Hold me down.”

“Can I get a hug before you go?”

He frowns. “You want what you want when you want it, don’t you?” he asks me but gives me the hug anyway.

I lock the door behind him after wishing him a good day and I smile as I run and jump back into his bed and back to my dreams.

At 7:47 I wake up, shower and am out the door quickly. As I turn the key in his lock I turn around and smile.

Wow. He gave me his housekey.

This is nice. It’s also a little confusing. He gave me his housekey but he has yet to kiss me or touch me. Maybe he’s just being nice and didn’t want to have to throw me out of his house because he was leaving early.

Stop being so negative. He gave it to you and that means a lot.

He obviously trusts me because if I was crooked I could have some people over to rob him blind, all of the plasma TV’s and all of his computers would be gone and sold in a flash.

He trusts me.

Wow.

After my work day I go home to grab more clothes and I head back to his place. Someone is walking into the building as I walk up so I follow them in and into the elevator. When I reach his apartment I walk in and smile. I decide to do another load of laundry for him and clean up his kitchen.

I use his computer and smoke a little of his stash.

I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes the clock read 7:30 am.

I call his phone. He answers quickly.

“Hey…Where are you? I spent the night at your house last night, waiting for you. I thought you needed your key to get in.”

“Oh for real? Sorry Babe. I had to go to Lousiana yesterday and I’m on my way to Miami right now.”

“When will you be back?”

“In a couple of days.”

“Well, I don’t want you to come back and be locked out and I don’t want to have to jump out of my bed at any given time to meet you back here to let you in. Remember I live in another city.”

“Babe, don’t stress yourself about that. You’re alright. Just hold me down.”

“Ok. Be safe. I’ll call you later.” I go on to work and then go home to spend the night.

The next day I’m back at his place by 7pm. This time there’s no one to let me in so I have to call his cell from the call box so he can buzz me in. I’m sure he can recognize the number from his cell and he answers the phone laughing. “DAMN! You just moved in, haven’t you?”

I laugh nervously. “Um.. Are you upset?”

“No,” he assures me. “Enjoy yourself. But I may have to ask you to put in on the light bill.”

We both laugh and he buzzes me in.

Over the course of a week, he still hasn’t made it back in town and I’m enjoying all the comforts of his cozy apartment. We talk everyday while he’s away and when I go over to his place I text him to let him know I’m there.

By the following Monday, he tells me that he’ll be back in town on Tuesday so I go home to grab a heavier coat and head down to his place to make sure everything is clean and neat for him.

I call him from the call box and he sends my call to voice mail. I shake my head and call his cell from my cell. The call is sent to voicemail again. I scratch my head.

Is he doing this on purpose? Wait girl. You’re being paranoid. He said he doesn’t have a problem with you being there. He’s probably just busy.

Hmm..I text message Suezette, who lives in the same building.

Girl, I need to get in.
Call my code. she writes back.

She buzzes me in.

I take the elevator to the top floor and round two corners until I see 606 on the apartment door. I place my bag on the floor and unlock the door. Immediately a warm rush of air hits me.

Wait. I didn’t leave the heat on although it’s hella cold outside. I didn’t even use the heat last night.

I walk in and it dawns on me that someone has been here. The light to his office is on and across the way, there’s a light in his bedroom that has been turned on. There’s a faint weed aroma and a half finished bottle of Colt45 on the kitchen counter.

I walk into his office. No one is there.

I walk into his bedroom. Empty. I check the shower to see if he had been there. No signs at all.

I’m confused but excited that he’s back. Before I could even unzip my jacket, I hear noise at the front door. I peek outside of his bedroom and see that he is trying to get in with a key. I smile and allow myself a little happy jump!

He is so FINE! I can’t WAIT to see him! It’s been more than a week since he’s been gone. I’m gonna get a kiss whether he likes it or not. He may just get raped ’round this piece.

He’s still fiddling at the door and I realize that I locked the top lock and he won’t be able to get in. I compose myself and walk over to the door as he begins to knock.

“Who is it?” I ask cheerfully.

“It’s Edward. Dell’s friend.”

“Edward? Well, I don’t know you so…..”

“Wait. I was just in there 2 minutes ago. All of the stuff you see around, I put there. The beer bottle. The laptop on the table.”

Well damn…

I open the door and Edward walks in. He’s about 5’10” light skinned with a goatee. He’s slim but since he doesn’t have a haircut he looks scraggly. He smiles at me. I’m feeling nervous. You know I don’t like men. They make me so uncomfortable. He leans against the kitchen counter and looks at me with a smirk.

“I’m Ms. Tee,” I tell him and extend my hand for a handshake.

“I’m Edward,” he says and looks me up and down.

“Um…Did Dell tell you that I was going to be here?”

He shakes his head.

“Well, he certainly didn’t tell me about you.”

“Why don’t you call him?” he tells me. “See what he says.”

I pick up my phone and dial Dell. He sends my call to voicemail.

“He’s not picking up my call,” I tell Edward. I’m beginning to feel like I don’t belong here.

My phone rings and it’s Dell. I’m relieved. He’ll tell me if this guy is cool or not.

“Hi,” I answer cheerfully.

“Yeah.” he responds gruffly.

“How are you?” I ask nervously.

“I’m fine.” he replies harshly.

What’s wrong with him today?

“Um…I’m at your house and there’s a guy here…” I begin.

“What are you doing at my house?” he demands angrily.

I’m shocked. “I came to spend the night and go to work in the morning.”

He’s quiet.

He doesn’t know that I have him on speaker phone and his friend Edward can hear the entire conversation. Edward is standing near the kitchen counter with his arms crossed, staring at me.

When Dell pauses, Edward says, “I wonder why he’s so quiet now.”

“Dell, who is this guy? Why is he here? What do you want me to do?”

“That’s my business partner,” Dell begins in an angry tone. “And the fact that you have been staying there and you haven’t run into him yet means that he hasn’t been doing his JOB!”

I remove the speakerphone option and walk into Dell’s bathroom for some privacy. He’s obviously upset.

“So..What do you want me to do?”

“Look Tee…I think you’re doing too much. Way too much. I’m not ready for all of this.”

“I’m doing too much? So what does that mean? Do you want me to leave?”

“Yeah. I think you should leave right now.”

“FINE!” I scream. “I’m leaving then!”

“FINE! PEACE!” he screams back and hangs up.

This is the weirdest experience I have ever had. Edward calls Dell’s phone and I can hear him trying to explain himself. “I don’t know her schedule…I am here during the day. I do my work. I don’t know why I have never seen her man.”

I gather my bag, my coat and I look at Edward as he animatedly speaks on the phone with Dell.

This feels like some gay shit.

He’s telling me to leave while this punk gets to stay.

I know I’m paranoid about men on the DL but…this doesn’t feel right.

I walk out the door while Dell and Edward are still on the phone going at it.

I reach the elevator and remember that I left something important. I drop my bags and walk back to the apartment to find Edward still standing in the kitchen on the phone with Dell.

I walk in with my head high, march over to the refrigerator and jump up to grab the wooden bowl that I know is on top.

I’m taking all this nicca weed!

I place my sack in my pocket and roll out meanwhile Edward is giving Dell the play by play.

“She walked back in! She’s going over to the frig! She’s grabbing something! She’s walking out! She’s closing the door!”

My phone rings and it’s Ruby.

“Girl, Wait until I get back to my car. You won’t believe the drama I just went through.”