[ Valentine ]
(Valentine aka Tino)
(Taurus)
(Stud)
I tip toed out of bed seeing Keris still sound asleep besides me. One loud creak and her reddened eyes popped open. I held in a groan as her eyes travelled to me standing besides the bed.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked in an annoyed voice, still sleepy from the events of last night. "I'm just going to get something to drink. My throat dry," I lied.
"Well, bring me some water back too," she mumbled. I already knew she was going to be asleep for another hour or two. She wasn't a morning person. That'd give me time to do what I needed to do. She buried her face back into a pillow.
I rushed out of the room in my boxers and bra and went to the fridge to make her some water. I made myself a glass too and left it on the counter, chugging half of it. I put hers upstairs on the nightstand and took the keys to my Lexus.
I slowly unlocked the front door then closed it behind myself. I raced to my car and pressed the button. Driving off, I glanced up at our bedroom window. I could see Keris staring out at me, anger in her eyes.
She knew this was how it had to be. This was all her fault anyways.
"Drop da addy, Tino," my good friend Teece said into my ear.
I placed my phone down in the cup holder seeing a cop about to pull up right beside me. I put Teece on speaker phone and I told her the address. "And somebody want us to steal some jewels. This some crazy shit, Tino," Teece said for the fourth time.
"And they know the shit not even real anyways. If me and you is ever this petty when we like sixty or seventy, we gon have to pay somebody to shoot us," I told her.
"For real. This is giving me very much-
"Hold on, I'm finna pull into Whataburger," I told Teece. "Aye, gimme me some fries and a coke."
"Large or small?" I asked her, sighing. Teece was always eating. I'm not even exaggerating, every hour I'm seeing her buying a snack or a meal, whatever's wrong with her is serious. If I could eat that much and not gain any weight, I'd do it too though.
"Large fry, I want a Sprite," she told me.
"Ight."
There wasn't a line in the drive thru but the parking lot was packed packed. I wonder what they have going on. I know some restaurants have kid friendly days and stuff where the kids paint or what not, but I'm starting to think they're having a party inside.
I'm never usually on this side of town, Meyerland is where either the middle class or really rich, River Oaks type of niggas be. I'm not either. This Lexus hardly gets paid every month, especially with Keris' habits.
"Hello," I said at the same time as the woman on the speaker. "Can I have a large fry and Sprite in a separate bag."
"Okay, will that be all?"
I cut the lady off, "And I'd also like a plain Whataburger sandwich, the combo. Just ketchup." She started totaling up my order and I added one more thing, "If it comes with a drink I'd like a Sprite too. If not, just add a drink on there, the Sprite, and I'll pay the extra." She told me my total and I pulled off towards the next window.
I skipped past it, only seeing a maintenance order paper attached to it. I pulled up to get my food, searching through my things to get my card out. She repeated my total, boredly adding in things on her register. I'd didn't pay her any mind.
"Y'all got sumin goin on today?" I asked her, in a good mood for small talk.
"Yeah, a kid's party," she said nonchalantly. The girl finally looked up, the dark freckles on her chocolate-mahogany skin catching the sun's reflection off my car. "Oh," she said, looking at me. I watched her attempt to hide her blush and start fiddling with her walkie talkie. "We're giving them free ice cream cones. Do you want one?" she asked me.
"Sure. Could I have two? For my friend," I added.
"Girlfriend?" she asked, then looked away, embarrassed.
"Ah, no, my best friend," I told her.
"Sure, lemme just...make them," she said breathlessly.
"Chocolate or vanilla?" she asked.
"One chocolate, one vanilla." I know Teece loves anything chocolate.
"We're only giving out vanilla, remember?" a random dude walked from the back, telling the girl. "Okay," she replied, watching him take off his apron and disappear from the behind the counter.
She handed me one chocolate cone and one vanilla cone quickly. I got my food and she handed me my card back. I hadn't even realized she had it still. Her dark purple afro was smushed under a hair net and she had on dark, winged liner with red lips.
She started to close the window but I lingered by. I heard a weird noise come from my phone and realized that Teece was still on. I randomly became frustrated and hung up. The girl was wondering while I was still here by her expression.
"Can I get your number? Get to know each other?" I asked with a coy smile. I placed one hand on the wheel as she tried not to rush down her number on the back of a discarded receipt paper.
"I'll be looking forward to your text," she told me with a beaming smile.
"Me too. I'm Valentine by the way," I told her in a smooth voice, before pulling off.
I had just rolled up my windows when I heard someone mimicking me.
"Ughh, I thought I hung up, Teece. You were so quiet I didn't even realize you were still here," I complained.
"I'm Valentine by the way," she repeated in a very Donald Trump-y way.
"Shut up befo I eat yo food," I rolled my eyes.
"Anywayss," she started to change the subject. "How about we meet up at like a park, eat, then make our move to get the jewels?" she suggested. "Sounds good, and this time hang up," I said seriously.
"Whyy, I can't talk with my favorite friend until we both get to the park?" she whined.
"Go to the park near the address I sent. To the west, not the east. Keris is calling, I gotta go Teece."
"Good luck," she chuckled.
"Yeah," I grumbled.
As soon as Teece hung up I picked up Keris' fourth call. "Soo, it's been almost an hour, Tinko." I cringed at the nickname she gave me. She made me feel like a cartoon character dinosaur.
"Me and Teece are hanging out. I actually have plans for us tonight," I lied. "I wanna take you out to dinner. So wear something really sexy because I might buy you something." I bit my lip, cringing at how hard I just lied. Keris was all "buy this, buy that" and never "hard work pays off". I know a gift is the only way to get her level headed though.
"Alright. What time? I still have to go and get my hair done and my bank account only has one hunnid in it," she trailed off. She was in a much better mood now.
I tried to sigh inaudibly but I still heard the disapproving click of my girlfriend's tongue. "Tinko, you want me to look cute right?"
"Yes bae. After me and Teece hang out I'll give you the money," I promised her.
"But I need it by two, and it's one now," she whined.
I only have thirty dollars in my account now, when me and Teece take the job then we'll get the five hundred and split it. The leftover one hundred is supposed to be for the plans Teece and I have for making it out the hood. Maybe with a business, maybe with a scam. Who knows?
"Bae, I only got thirty right now. I'll have it after me and Teece hang. I promise. You just get ready and go get your hair done. By the time you're done I'll CashApp you everything you need or whatever."
"My hair girl usually makes me pay half at the beginning," she told me. "Well, you'll have everything," I assured her once again. "Okay Tinko. But you better not have me out here in these streets lookin stupid and like a fool."
"I won't. Love you."
"Love you- Wait, Tinko?"
I sighed. "Yes?"
"What are you and Teece doing?"
"Don't worry bout it. Just know you'll have ya dough."
"Ight. Stay safe. Ion need yo ass on the news, Tinko. And I mean it."
"Love you," I said firmly.
(Keris)
(Sagittarius)
(Fem)