The Only Exception

13

Jo looked at me and quickly wiped the expression away. "What? No."

I laughed. "No, you're totally worried right now. Don't lie."

Once my laughter died out, she glanced at me. "You know that I care about you... right?"

"Duh."

"I'm serious, Letoya. I care about you. So if you decided to leave, I'd be hurt, but I wouldn't stop you."

"Why you telling me this Jo?" I asked softly because I didn't want to think that deep into it. Of course I wouldn't be with her forever, after this contract expired, it would be a wrap. We walk away... or at least try to do so.

She sighed. "I'm just saying, Toya. You understand that if you ever wanna walk away from this that you can. Right?"

"Yeah."

"Would you?"

"Would I walk away from this?" I asked.

"Yeah...." She trailed off leaving time for me to answer as we pulled into her driveway.

Everything in my soul told me that I wouldn't walk away. I couldn't walk away. I knew that, but that wasn't what I signed and agreed to. I had agreed to do this, no strings attached. No feelings involved, but could I honestly help it when Jo's being.... Jo.

I took too long to verbally answer for Jo, and she shook her head as she cut her car off. "Never mind, that was a dumb question. Forget I asked." Before I got a chance to object, she had gotten out the car and sluggishly, I followed. Even though she was clearly feeling some type of way, she still got my bag out the back for me as I followed her into her house. When we made it in, she walked upstairs and sat my bag down before coming back downstairs and looking at me. "You ate?"

Nodding, I responded. "Yeah, I had ate at the square before it closed."

"Well come on." She mumbled before walking towards the basement door. I followed and realized that what was supposed to be her basement was her theater instead. "I didn't exactly know what you ate, but I did remember that every time you chose for lunch, you ate something with cheese and bacon fries. So..."

I squealed when my eyes landed on my guilty pleasure. It was a plate full of fries with cheese and bacon on top. Grabbing it, I ate one and my eyes widened as I moaned. "Woman, you just don't know how happy you just made me."

Jo shook her head as she laughed. "You have a problem. What movie do you want to watch?"

Shrugging, I sat down in one of the recliner chairs as she walked over to where the movies went in at. "Well pick something. Romance. Horror. Thriller. Comedy. What?"

"Ouu, romance. African American romance though. White peoples be so dumb half the time." I rolled my eyes at the thought of those dumb ass movies.

"True. True." She agreed as she began calling out movies as she looked through them. "I have, Love Jones, Love and Basketball, Just Wright, Deliver Us from Eva, Hitch... I think that's it."

"Just Wright." I responded quickly.

Jo raised a eyebrow. "You prefer that over Deliver Us from Eva?"

"I don't know really, let's not compare the two. I'm just in a mood to see Common. That's all."

"So Common over LL?"

Thinking that question over, I finally shook my head. "No. Not at all but I'm not in a LL mood right now."

She made a face. "Hey, just asking. So Queen Latifah over Gabrielle Union."

"I don't compare Black Excellence."

"Ah. Good answer."

We both chuckled as she put the movie on and dimmed the lights before I sighed. "I'm not even in a movie mood."

Jo shot me a look as the movie began. "So what do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Eat my fries and talk."

"See, if we talk, we are going to discuss the fact that you have a problem." She mused as she sat next to me.

When she reached over to try and take one, I popped her hand. "Nu uh. I don't want you to get the same problem I have."

"Haha. Whatever." Grabbing one, I held it towards her mouth. She ate it and smiled at me. "Thank you."

"Mhm." I rolled my eyes playfully as I continued eating. The conversation dropped for a few moments for Jo had actually started paying attention to the movie.

The light from the huge screen lit her face up entirely and I studied her. She didn't seem to mind because I knew she noticed that I was staring at her. Sometimes, this was all I wanted to see and do, then I would snap myself out of it for the sake of this contract. I didn't want to get hurt at the end of this, but still I wouldn't ever just leave if I had a choice.

"I wouldn't." I mumbled lowly.

She looked over at me with a confused expression. "Huh?"

"I wouldn't just leave you. Not if I had a choice. I wouldn't."

Jo smiled at me. "Good, because I don't want you to go."