Portabella
Josiah Hill.
With my arm wrapped around Harmony's shoulders, I guided her down the sidewalk in the direction of the diner. I truly was enjoying her company tonight. The way we danced, talked and laughed made me feel comfortable around her. It feels like we've known each other for longer than these past couple of weeks. I usually close myself off to people due to my reserved nature, but with Harmony, I feel like I can be myself. I'm usually guarded because of the name I'm creating for myself, and that makes it hard to tell if people's intentions to get to know are genuine or because they want to use me for the benefits. Harmony seems like she wants to get to know me for me. Beyond the NBA prospect life.
"What kind of food do they have at this diner," she questioned while tilting her head upward and looking up at me.
"You'll just have to trust me and see," I responded with a grin.
"It better be good," she said while turning her attention toward the direction in front of us.
"It is, I swear."
"Mhm," she said with tucked lips.
She leaned her head against my shoulder while wrapping her hand around my bicep. I glanced over at her with a soft smile. Not she getting comfortable with me. I don't mind it, tho.
Shortly, I was grasping the handle of the diner door, pulling it open and removing my arm from around her shoulders. I stepped to the side to allow her to enter the establishment before me as I followed in behind her. She gazed around the diner as she stood close to the entrance. I chuckled as I grabbed her hand and guided her toward one of the booths.
"You just look so lost," I said with a smirk.
"Shut up," she said with a smile tugging at her lips as we climbed into our seats.
I sat in the booth across from her. I watched as she grabbed the menus from the clip, sitting one in front of herself and passing one along to me. I thanked her with a smile before glancing down at the lettering in front of me. I skimmed over the words on the menu, but I already knew what I was ordering. I get the same meal every time I come here. The meal being a patty melt with avocado and fries for my side. Nobody makes a burger with toast the way they do.
"Do you know what you're ordering, yet," she questioned while laying her menu on the table.
"A patty melt most likely," I answered while lifting my head and laying the menu down to look at her. "What about you?"
"That sounds tasty. I might get the same. A burger seems right at this hour," she said looking up from her menu with a smile.
"It do. If you don't like it, I didn't suggest that meal to you," I chuckled. "If you ready to order, we have to go up to the register."
As those words left my mouth, my phone started buzzing in my pocket. I slightly leaned over to retrieve the device out of my back pocket and looking at the screen as an unfamiliar number appeared. I shook my head and muted the call before putting the phone face down on the table top.
"You don't wanna get that," she questioned.
"I don't know who it is, so it's no point," I said with a shrug.
She looked up at me and slowly nodded. "Right. Um, I'm ready to go order if you are."
"Yeah, I'll lead the way," I said with a chuckle while sliding out of my seat and heading toward the register. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure she was following behind me. I smiled as our eyes made contact.
"You sure know a lot about this place. How often you come," she questioned while standing beside me once we made it to the register. There was one customer in front of us.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Just whenever I'm in town and I'm out late. I found it randomly one night and just been comin' ever since."
"That's your story to this diner?" She chuckled. "Well, I guess that's reasonable."
"What?" I laughed. "You expected something hearty? Nah, I really just found this place by fate."
"Maybe soon this place will find new meaning," she said subtly as if there were undertones in her words.
I glanced at the side of her face with an arched brow just as the customer before us stepped aside. The cashier greeted us warmly as I gestured for Harmony to order first.
After we both placed our orders, the waitress handed us our numbers and instructed us to take a seat. I guided Harmony toward the booth we'd already been sitting at and rested the number on the table before we sat in the seats across from one another. She smiled as our eyes locked with one another.
"I'm curious. What made you wanna play basketball? Like what was the start for you," she questioned while interlocking her fingers and resting them beneath her chin.
I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. I wasn't expecting that question from her. I lightly chuckled. "I haven't been asked that in a while. My dad put me in a little league basketball team and I just fell in love with the game."
She looked at me with a blank expression. "That's it?"
"What," I chuckled.
"I wanted more than you just fell in love with the game. What about the game is it that you love?"
I smiled at her softly while rubbing my hands together beneath the table before looking off to the side, contemplating my answer. "I like the competitiveness of it. I like the feeling of winning. I like the feeling of being a star player. It keeps me in shape. It has a lot of perks and benefits. It keeps me out of trouble. It taught me a lot about discipline. I can go on and on and on about what I love about it, but I don't wanna bore you."
"Then go on and on. Nothing about you could bore me," she said while laying her face in her palm.
I lifted my brows at her response. I'm not sure if she was just saying that in a friendly way or more than that. Either way, it had me intrigued.
"Oh," I responded. That was all I could muster out. She really be having me at a loss for words.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" She laughed.
I chuckled, feeling my cheeks start to heat up out of embarrassment. Something about Harmony's energy just has this hold over me. My eyes couldn't leave hers as they stared back at me. Her lips curled into a sly smirk with her head tilting slightly. I found my bottom lip tucked between my teeth as I gazed over her expressions. I wish I could read her mind right now and gain insight on what she was thinking. It's like the moment between us was getting heated.
"Yo, Josiah, they got your brother!"
I looked up at Aubrey out of confusion as he marched up to our table, snapping me out of my trance. "What?"
"Tyler! He got arrested! I been tryna call you, man. Come on, let's go!"
Without a thought, I climbed out the booth and raced toward the exit.
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If y'all haven't noticed the movie is slightly based on ATL. I know this chapter is short, but it's almost summer break so I'll be able to commit to it long term! I have so many ideas planned for this book!
