Him and I

Three - Brunch

"I'm serious. My version of hype is like having a couple drinks with a friend"

Melo laughs loudly "Oh, imma have to teach you some stuff. You white washed huh?"

"No, not whitewashed just like to chill" I shrug

"Couldn't be me" Melo shakes his head and glances at his phone before looking back up at the road

A few minutes of silence pass

"You like it in Charlotte? Like is it nice? Welcoming?" I ask

"I guess" he shrugs and puts his phone down "It's pretty normal, nothin special about the place. Teammates coo tho"

"So you like your team?"

"Nah, not like basketball wise but personality wise they pretty cool. Borrego be irkin me tho, like ole dude just don't give me no playin time or nothing. Aint got no faith in me"

"How long you been with that team?"

"Got drafted last year"

"Maybe give him time to adjust to you"

"He just don't like me" Melo pulls into a parking spot on the street and turns the car off

"Why wouldn't he like you?"

Melo rubs the back of his hand and smiles "You know"

"All I see is white" I remark. Melo laughs and shakes his head

"You think you funny" he wiggles his finger at me before getting out of the car. Taking a stride over to my side of the car, he opens my door and holds his hand out to help me

"Thanks" I grab his hand and get out the car.

"Oh, I see you picked up some manners today" He smiles and closes the door before letting my hand go.

"You walk slow" Melo slows his pace so I can catch up

"You walk fast" I rebuttal

"Got places to be, no time to lose" he grabs my hand and pulls me along into a small, busy café. He looks ahead of him at the menu before saying something unintelligible

"What" I gently pull at his sleeve to bring him down to my level

"Sorry," he leans down to my level and speaks a little louder "I asked if you've been here before?"

"Oh, no" I shake my head and look at the menu "I like the vibe though, it's very calm"

The cafe has a LA vibe to it. There's plants decorating the walls and in every corner there's an indoor tree. Soft indie music plays through the speakers, and most people in the restaurant have an LA look to them. I can even hear some of them talking in that 'Wanh, wanh, wanh oh my goshhh" LA whiny voice that makes me want to yank my ears out, but somehow it makes the café even better

"Your mom told me you might like it" Melo says

"You talked to my mother?"

Melo nods his head, a small smile poking at his mouth "That's my mother-in-law, gotta be on good terms with her"

"Hm..." I struggle to wrap my head around the idea that my mother would be someone's mother-in-law so soon "She's nice when she's not barking orders, huh?"