Rough Draft

Don't Phunk With My Heart

"Damn girl." He peeled a low whistle. "You're lookin' good!"

Tina rolled her eyes, desperately trying to avoid locking gazes, "How's college been, Zeke?"

"Eh, you know." He shrugged. "I'm learning to cook. Taking professional chef classes."

She caught him in a sideways glance, "I thought you were on a sports scholarship."

He nodded, his eyes drifting to the cars lining up behind Tina. "Go around!" He shouted, then lower, "Yes. But I can do sports and take real courses too, Tina." His eyes drifted over her body again. "I mean damn girl. You always were cute."

Tina couldn't ignore the bubbles rising in her stomach at his continued compliments. "I've been working out lately. Helps with my nerves. I guess I get really anxious about stuff."

"I heard yer published, girl!" His sudden change of topic made her smile faintly. "Congrats. Now I can say I know a bona fide author!"

"It's nothing big, really Zeke. What are you-" He pulled away suddenly, walking around to the front of her car, opening the door and hopping in. "Wh-wha-?"

"Let's go, Tina-girl." He grasped the strap of the bag by his feet as he twisted to buckle himself in. "I got some words to say to your daddy."

The reminder startled her, for a second she had forgotten.

"So what's it like in Rhode Island?"

She snuck a glance across the car. He had small gauges in his ears. Well, his left ear anyway. "It wasn't much different."

"I bet you were the apple of every guys eye, ol' 'Drive 'Em Nuts Tina'!" He chuckled.

She shook her head, ignoring the way the muscled in his forearms corded when he slapped his knee at his own joke. "I've never been that Tina."

"Girl, you had Jay-Ju fightin' with some loser over you? Lord knows I wanted a piece of that."

She started, pulling in front of the restaurant. "What?"

"What?" He unbuckled, clambering out. Hastily Tina followed. "I told you as much."

"No-"

He frowned, "I told you we were gettin' married. I ain't givin' up on that dream yet. Just you wait."

He held the door open as Tina walked past.

"Stop staring at my sisters butt!"

Tina rolled her eyes, sighing deeply as the smell of hot oil an fry seasoning hit her hard. "Hey Louise!"

"Tina!" Her sisters face appeared in the serving window. "We thought you'd be another few hours at least, let me get mom."

"Oh. Ok-"

"MOM! MOM TINA'S HERE!"

Tina flinched, grinning wide.

"Dang girl." Zeke pushed past Tina to sit at a barstool. "You still got them pipes and those crazy eyes."

"Well thank you." Louise smiled, returning to the grill as Rudy popped up in her place, ketchup smeared across his left cheek.

"Don't you be making advances on my girl." He threatened with one of the cutting knives, "I'm not asthmatic anymore, Zeke. I could beat you- Ow!" He shifted to the left violently as Louise elbowed him, whispering low. He blushed furious red, "W-well... not as asthmatic." He corrected, wheezing.

"Boy it's good to be back home, innit Tina?" Zeke spun to face her, looking up to catch her eyes behind her thick glasses.

Something about the scene, about the image of such a big man looking up at her... inspiration speared her fast through the chest.