Chapter 5: Live A Little
Sanai Green
"It's like you caught up in a maze
You keep going in circles girl tryna find your way out
But it's time I put that 'S' on my chest
Girl, I wanna come and save you"
"Sa girl, you just got seated." My coworker, Mya, said as soon as I closed my locker.
I instantly rolled my eyes. How could I just get seated and I literally just clocked in.
"Why does Richard always want to play with me?" I asked referring to the host.
He was a gay guy, about 5'3 that loved seating my section at the most inopportune times. One of these days I was going to cuss him out. After tying my hair back into a low ponytail and wrapping my apron around my waist, I walked out to greet my first customer of the day. Imagine my surprise when I saw that curly blonde hair peeking over a menu as Rome lounged back into the booth in my section.
I quickly spun back around into the employee break room to double check my appearance. Why am I even doing all of this? I wondered to myself. Giving my face one last once over, I walked back out into the restaurant's dining area. One foot in front of the other...Feet please don't fail me now.
"Good morning and welcome to Jackson's Family Diner," I started out with my early morning spiel. "My name is Sanai and I'll be your server today. Can I get you started with a fresh cup of coffee today?"
Rome slowly placed the menu down and looked at me with those beautiful light brown eyes.
"Actually, I would like a cup of coffee. I'll take that with two sugars, two creme's." His full pink lips pulled into a lazy smirk.
I quickly adverted my gaze to my notepad, ready to jot down his order.
"Are you ready to order? Or do you need a few more minutes."
"I think I'll take a few moments to look over the menu. But, I would like to know one thing," His hand lightly grabbed onto my wrist as I began walking away.
I looked down at his hand touching mine and tried to remain unaffected by the motion.
"What's that?" I softly asked.
"Why didn't you show up to work yesterday?" He finally let go of my wrist and looked up at me expectantly.
"You came up here yesterday?" A playful smiled dared to play on my lips.
"Guilty," He lowly chuckled.
"You know that's considered borderline stalking right?" I smirked at him.
"I like to think of it as being concerned," He laughed. "You never told me you made it home after class that night. I just wanted to make sure you were straight."
The sincere look in his eyes was almost too much to resist.
"Well, if you must know my brother took my siblings and I out to eat last night so I got off early." I told him, as if it were truly any of his business.
He slowly nodded and picked his menu back up.
"I think I'm ready to order now. I'll take the pancake breakfast with scrambled cheese eggs and bacon." He handed over his menu after he finished ordering and I tucked it underneath my arm.
"I'll be right back with your coffee."
"I'll be waiting," he winked.
I don't know why, but that gesture alone caused me to burst into a fit of giggles. It was corny, but it made me smile nonetheless.
After placing the menu back in the right place, I went behind the counter to get started on Rome's coffee.
"Soooo," Mya pressed as soon as I turned on the coffee pot.
"So what Mya?" I giggled.
"Don't so what me girl! Give me the details, I want it allll!" She dragged out dramatically as she leaned back against the counter.
"There is nothing to tell," I waved her off.
I clipped Rome's order to the line in front of the kitchen and slapped the bell to notify the cook.
"Order up, Joe. And make it quick, please!" I yelled to him through the window.
Mya walked up to me and bumped my shoulder with a huge grin on her face.
"Oh there's nothing to tell, yet you're asking Joe to rush his order?" She raised her perfectly arched eyebrow. "Sureeee.
"OK, maybe I just don't want him waiting. He appears to be a very busy man." I sighed.
"Mhm, a very busy man that you wanna get busy with!" She laughed with her eyebrows wiggling up and down.
I rolled my eyes, thankful that Rome's coffee was done brewing so I'd have an excuse to exit the conversation. I walked over to the coffee pot and poured him a cup, adding two sugars and creme's just like he'd asked.
"Ohhh, and she knows how he likes his coffee!" Mya exclaimed. She titled her nose up and began sniffing the air. "Is that a crush I smell?"
"Girl bye!" I tossed over my shoulder as I walked off. I wasn't giving her a chance to torture me any longer.
When I made it to Rome's table he was deeply occupied by something on his phone. I quietly placed the coffee down in front of him and turned to walk away.
"Where you going?" I heard his deep voice call out to me.
"Oh, well you seemed pretty busy so I was just gonna..." My voice trailed off as I hiked a thumb over my shoulder.
He motioned me back over to him, "Come'ere I wanna ask you something. And you don't have to be so shy around me." He smiled at me, causing me to get weak at the knees.
Although my legs felt like fresh jello, I somehow wobbled my way back in front of him. I shifted all my weight to my left foot and appeared to be impatient. I'm sure Rome saw right through it though, because his lips pulled into a smirk.
"Go out on a date with me," He simply said.
Now, I didn't have to feign an attitude, I really caught one.
"Excuse me?" I questioned.
"Go out on a date with me," He repeated.
"Is that how you ask girls out?" My arms folded across my chest as I eyed him down.
He simply shrugged. "Well yeah."
"Well, I'm a woman not some little girl that agrees to date guys that can't even ask properly." I held my ground.
"Sanai, would you do me the pleasure of going out on a date with me?" His beautiful smile never faltered.
I bit my lip appearing to be in deep thought about it. "I'll think about it," I replied before walking away.
I busied myself with other customers until Rome's food came up. Like a true coward I asked Mya to run his food out to him, because I couldn't stomach seeing him. I was nervous, but I didn't understand why. It was just a date, and he was just a guy. What was the big deal?
I successfully managed to avoid Rome until he left the restaurant. Once I was sure he was gone I made my way over to his booth to find a $200 tip. I rolled my eyes and stuffed the money into my pocket. I wasn't going to complain this time, but I really didn't appreciate him throwing his money at me.
I walked to the back to place the tip in my locker, but of course Mama Jackson stopped me.
"Ma'am?" I sighed turning around to face her.
Her hand was placed upon her shapely hip as she leaned against the corner of her desk. I could tell she was disappointed by something I did by the look in her eyes.
"Care to tell me why you spent the last 10 minutes trying to avoid that nice young man out there?" I just knew it was going to be something like this.
I inwardly rolled my eyes. "I just don't care to go out with him. Is that a problem?" I dared to throw a hint of attitude in my voice.
"Yes there is. That's a fine young man who has been trying his hardest to get your attention and you keep shooting him down? Why?"
I sighed and looked away. Mrs. Jackson motioned for me to sit down in front of her. I dragged my feet over to her desk and plopped down in her rolling chair. Honestly, it felt pretty good to give my feet a break.
"I just don't know why he wants to go out with me," I mumbled, playing with the ends of my apron.
"And why wouldn't he?" She sassed with both hands on her hips. "You are a beautiful young lady, you're hard-working, dedicated, and strong. Any man would be a fool to pass that up."
I nodded, "But he could also have ulterior motives. I don't want to be taken advantage of."
"And you won't be," She moved my hair out of my face. "You know this old sniffer can smell a snake from a mile away. I think he's pretty genuine. My hope is that you'll just try it out. You spend your entire life working, going to school, and taking care of your siblings. You deserve some happiness too Sanai."
I slowly nodded while blinking back tears. She was right. Maybe I did deserve to go out and have a good time. I mean how often did a guy as gorgeous as Rome step to girls like me and ask them out? Although I was still a bit skeptical about agreeing to this whole thing. I mean we came from two completely different worlds.
"OK, if I do agree to this..and that's a strong if... I'd rather meet him wherever we're going."
With the look on Mrs. Jackson's face you would've thought I told her I just shot her dog. Her entire face wrinkled up and she looked completely disgusted with me.
"What's that look for?" I whined completely confused.
"That's the problem with your generation!" She fussed. "Just don't know how to damn date anymore. You little girls are out here trying so hard to be the damn man that you have no idea what it's like to be a lady. Let that young man come pick you up at your front door with a bouquet of flowers like he's supposed to."
I just nodded my head knowing she was about to go on a rampage.
"Just backwards is what it is," She continued on. "Talking about some 'I'll just meet him there'." She mocked me in a high-pitched voice. She continued to ramble on about how our generation knew nothing about love and dating, and I just tuned her out.
"I'm gonna go call Rome and tell him I accept his offer." I told her, standing up from my seat in the rolling chair.
"That's the smartest damn thing you said all day!" She yelled out to me.
I laughed out loud, before walking back into the dining room. Walking toward the restaurant's exit, I pulled my phone from my back pocket to call Rome. Just as I placed it up to my ear I heard someone call out to me.
"Looking for me?" Rome smirked hanging out the driver's side window of his truck.
Only he could make leaning out of a car window look attractive. I laughed to myself and hung up the phone.
"Why are you still here?" I asked as I walked up to him.
He climbed out of the truck and shut the door behind him.
"I knew you'd change your mind," He smiled.
"Oh really?"
"Really. So, pick you up at 8? Say, Friday night?" He grabbed my hands into his and softly kissed them.
"It's a date," I smiled bashfully.
>>>
Kingston "King" Green.
Mason and I walked down the sidewalk headed home after basketball practice. I dribbled the ball in between my legs just lost in my own thoughts. Our first game was coming up soon so I knew scouts would be showing up to see how I handled the pressure of opening night. We had to win this game and I couldn't fuck up.
"What you so deep in thought about over there?" I heard Mason ask before I was knocked off balance.
I quickly tossed the ball to him and he reacted just in time. He started pretending like he was crossing over an invisible defender in front of him. He tossed the ball into the air and caught it while making some wack ass celebratory noise.
"Nothing fool," I finally responded. "Just thinking bout the first game of the season." I admitted.
"I don't even know why you trippin' dawg," He smacked his teeth. "You know we bout to take home this dub and colleges from all over gone be begging for yo ass to come play for them."
I shrugged his words off. Not that I wasn't confident in my game, I just felt a lot of pressure knowing everyone expected for me to make it out. I would feel like such a huge disappointment to my entire family if I didn't live up to my full potential.
"See," Mason pushed me again. "I see that look on your face. Quit doubting yourself man before I have to punch yo ass in the face." Mason laughed, but I knew he was dead ass serious.
I just nodded and pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind as we continued our way home. As we neared our block an unfamiliar truck creeping along the street caught my attention. I gripped the basketball tighter while giving Mason a wary glance. I knew we were both thinking the same thing--run. I wasn't strapped and neither was he so this was a lose/lose situation.
The passenger door opened and I swear my heart stopped beating right then. My face flushed red and I could feel my ears heating up. Java climbed her fast ass out the passenger seat and leaned back over to give the driver a kiss. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a closer look at who was driving the vehicle. That bitch ass nigga Ace was fighting at the house party. Now I knew Java did some stupid shit, but I ain't think she was dumb enough to fuck with ol boy after Ace clearly told her not to.
"Java Aniya Green!" I yelled across the street.
Java stopped dead in her tracks like a deer caught in headlights. She wasted no time running across the street to me. She knew I meant business when I used her full name.
"Please tell me my eyes are deceiving me and you ain't just get out of the car with that fuck nigga?"
"King," She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child anymore. I don't have to listen to what you and Ace say. I can make my own decisions and I can make my own friends."
"Not when yo friends are 19-years-old, and they got yo 16-year-old ass out here acting hot in the ass!" I yelled.
In typical Java fashion she stalked in front of me and threw a fit the rest of the way home. I dapped Mason up and told him I'd holler at him later, before jogging behind Java into the house. I was so relieved to find Ace chilling on the couch.
"What the hell y'all arguing for now?" Ace sighed, not taking his attention away from whatever he was watching on tv.
"I just caught Java getting out the car with that nigga from the other night," I told Ace. Yeah, I snitched on her ass, but that's cause Ace was the only one of us that could get her to act right.
"What nigga from the other night?" He sat up on the couch and looked over at Java.
"The nigga we drew down on at the party on the Eastside."
Ace stood up from the couch and walked over to Java. I smirked to myself cause I knew he was 'bout to rip her a new asshole.
"You still fuckin' with that nigga after I told you not to?" He asked in a even tone. Although his voice was steady, the look in his eyes let her knew he wasn't playing anymore.
"Y-yeah," Java looked down at her feet.
"Don't get all shy now. You had hella lip when you was outside arguing with King. Fuck you still messin' with that nigga for Ja?"
She shrugged, "I don't know... I like him."
"Like him?" Ace yelled. "You don't even know him girl! See I try not to put your ass on lockdown like Sa do, but it's apparent yo hardheaded ass needs to be taught a lesson. Take ya ass to yo room and don't come out that bitch 'til I say so." He pointed down the hall to her bedroom.
She looked at me with fire in her eyes. Grabbing her stuff up off the floor, she stomped to her room. "I swear I hate both of y'all! You or King ain't my daddy and Sanai damn sho ain't my mama! Fuck all of y'all!" She screamed before slamming the door.
I rubbed a hand down my face and sat down on the couch next to Ace. Letting out a much needed breath, I snuck back into the couch. Java knew we hated when she said shit like that. Our parents were a touchy subject for all of us. See, our Mama died when Java was really young, so she barely knew her. I, on the other hand, had a few memories of her. Ace and Sa knew her the most though. Sometimes when we were younger they would tell us stories about her, but it all really became too much for us to bare.
Our father, if that's what you wanted to call him, was a completely different story. He took care of us until Sanai was about 17, and then he just went off the deep end. He had always been on drugs, but it got really worse around that time. He decided that he no longer wanted to raise four kids by himself, so he succumbed to his addiction. The last time we saw him he was downtown begging for a crack rock. Sad thing is, he ain't even recognize us. Looked us dead in our faces like we were some fuckin' strangers and straight up asked us for money to buy drugs. That shit still messes with me to this day.
"You know you gotta watch out for Java, right?" Ace finally broke our extended moment of silence.
I slightly nodded, "Yeah I know. She thinks I'm just doing it for shits and giggles though."
"She's 16, bro. She's at that stage where she thinks she knows everything, but I promise you in the long run she's gonna be happy that you've always had her back. I just hope she don't get herself into some shit she can't get out of."
Hell yeah, I thought about that all the time. "Me either, which is exactly why I'm always on her. You know Java's a hot head and she got a smart mouth. She stay into some shit at school. I don't want her to run up on the wrong person."
"Well if that happens you know what you gotta do lil bro."
"Yeah, I know," I smirked and dapped him up.
Ace and I had been fighting since we were little jits. He taught me everything I knew about street fighting, shooting, and anything that required self-defense. He built a soldier and I was grateful for that.
"What's up with you though? You straight? I know the first home game coming up 'nshit." He picked up the remote and began flipping through channels.
"Yeah, I'm aiight," I mumbled.
He stopped flipping and tossed the remote on the couch.
"Don't start that doubting shit. Get your head in the game, King. You were built for this. You've been working your whole life for this. You just need to get focused, that's why you're doubting yourself." He stopped and looked at me sideways. "It's that chick ain't it."
"Man, I don't know what you talkin' bout."
He shook his head and pushed me. "Don't even think about losing yo focus to no broad! Pussy is pussy, King. You know that!"
"She ain't just no pussy though," I argued.
"You can worry about her ass after the season is over. You know what your focus is, getting scouted by schools. That love shit is for the birds." Ace preached.
He was always a fuck bitches, get money type of nigga. I just sighed and picked the remote up from beside him.
"I hear you nigga, I hear you." I mumbled.
"Yeah you hear me, but is yo black ass listening." He shot back.
I just rolled my eyes and continued channel surfing, "I'm listening."
I actually think I found a girl I was interested in and Ace was telling me to leave her alone. I knew he was just looking out for me though and I should listen to what he was saying. She was throwing me off my game and making me nervous. That was something I couldn't afford right now. I'd just have to put Tiani on the backburner until I got my mind right.
>>>
Sanai in the mm.
How did y'all feel about this chapter?
Is Sanai too busy worrying about her family that she's forgetting to enjoy herself?
Do you think Rome's intentions are genuine?
Is Ace wrong for telling King to stop tripping about Tiani?
How y'all feel about Java getting caught with Duke?
love always,
Nalani <3