Kari declined yet another call. They had been blowing her line up all morning. She threw the grey comforter off of her body. She stood up to stretch and come to her senses.
Once she realized where she was, she immediately palmed her forehead. Flashbacks of the night before ran thru her mind, she caught herself smiling.
She picked her clothes up off of the floor before putting them on and walking downstairs to see Kaason stirring something in a pot.
He was turned away with his back facing the stairs he seemed to be on the phone, they were whispering making Kari clutch her small bag out of awareness.
She cleared her throat to make her presence known, Kaason hurried off the phone and turned towards her.
"I didnt think you were going to get up." He told her. Walking over to the bar that was adjacent to the stove he let the stool out for her.
She accepted before putting her purse in her lap. She thanked him before taking her phone out and putting it on do not dissturb, she was getting yet another call.
"Why did you think that?" She asked scrolling on her phone. Not noticing him come up behind her and wrap his strong muscular arms around her waist;
"I tend to have that affect on women." He said cockily. It took a minute for Kari to catch on to his little jok but when she did she made sure to pinch him on his arm making him wince.
"Boy please, you was alright." She said not trying to gass him. Truth be told, she hadnt had any in a long time, and he gave her just what she needed.
He just scoffed at her. He handed her her plate and they ate, Kari was impressed because the food was good. She had never met food that good cooked by a man. During that time they also had small talk and mostly joked.
"Please stop calling me!" Kari yelled into the phone. She was at home watching tv and she couldnt focus because all she did was constantly ignore calls from her.
"We need to talk, I need answers." Lydia answered. She had been trying to get them from Brandon but she couldnt, so she thought shed take matters into her own hands.
"Excuse me," Kari was a little taken aback by her choice of words and her tone of voice. Kari didnt owe her anything, not a single thing.
"You need to ask your husband for some answers, stop calling me or I will call the police." Kari threatened.
"Youre probably fucking lying anyways." Lydia said. She was being a little too nosey. It had literally nothing to do with her at all.
But she felt like she was being lied to and she had to know as his wife. But she was doing it all wrong, her problem was not with Kari, it was with her husband. But you couldnt tell her that.
"Gir- what the fuck do I have to lie for." Kari was fuming with anger. She hung up immediately and put her phone on the table. Rubbing her hands on her temples she closed her eyes.
Totally overwhelmed with all of the things that were unfolding. She still just couldnt understand why he was out of jail. But she didnt want to talk to him or any of his family.
She picked up her mail off of the table that she picked up after she got home. Flipping through the bills and advertisements she came across an envelope from her grandmother.
Mama Lucy, her moms paternal grandmother, the only person that cared for her and her mom, and she had custody of her once her mother passed.
Kari smiled down at the envelope with a smile on her face. Images of the little old lady filled her brain. Memories of cooking with her and laughing at her foolish humor. Listening to her gossip about the people at church before saying "God I aint talking bout nobody I'm just talkin bout what I'm talking bout." or "You didnt hear it from me." Kari laughed lightly.
She opened the pink envelope pulling out a card that read "Thinking about you." on the front. She opened it and saw a picture of her and her mother. It was the eighth grade dance.
Kari was smiling widely, her mom's face matching hers as they stood on the steps in front of Mama Lucy's house. Kari turned it over reading the little note that was on the back. Her grandmother always wrote something on the back of her pictures, either the date, the people in it or something that happened in that moment.
"Bakari and Sarina, my hearts." Kari sat the picture on the coffee table and looked on the right side of the card at her grandmother's caligraphy.
"I can do all things through him that stregthens me."
But you already knew that. I am very proud of you babygirl. You make me so proud. I love you.
Lucy
Kari smiled at her grandmother's thoughtfulness. They always sent cards back and forth when they were thinking about each other despite the visits Kari would make on Sundays to help her cook at the church. She was the only family that she had and she cherished her.
Kari stared at the picture for a second trying to lock in her mom's face. She hated that everyday it was like memories of her got blurrier and blurrier. She wanted to constantly think of her so that she would never forget her.
ding, dong
Kari's eyebrows furrowed because she wasnt expecting anyone. Getting up she past the ounter dropping the picture on the edge of it. She went to the door and looked through the peek hole. Rolling her eyes she opened the door and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What you doing here, again?" She said putting emphasis on again.
"I told you I was coming back, a nigga was bored. And I brought food so you gotta let me in." Amir held up the bag from chickfila and the drink carrier. Kari's face lit up at the sight of chickfila.
"Please come in, come in." She snatched the bag from him as he walked through the door. She wasted no time closing the door behind him and opeining the bag. She frown when she saw it was just a bag of cookies.
"Nigga, wheres the food?" She asked walking into the kitchen. She was confused as to why he only brought desserts.
"Didnt you cook yesterday? I just brought dessert and drinks, i figured we would make a meal." He said nonchalantly. He saw no problem in his offer.
He thought he was being smart and thoughtful, yesterday when he came he could smell and see that she was cooking, so he decided to go and get something to go with it, it was saving money to him, she didnt have to get anything sweet or to drink and he didnt have to spend money on food. Win, win.
"Niggas, I swear the lord skipped a step when he got to your brain." She mumbled shaking her head. She walked to the refridgerator to get her leftovers.
"What was that?" He asked.
"i said why the fuck are you here bothering me?" Kari fake yelled at him. Amir only laughed he put his phone down and looked around. He spotted what looked like an old picuture. When he realized it was Ms. Rina and Kari he smiled.
"Damn I remember this day. Your grandma kept drilling me cause I didnt have a corsa." He laughed recalling the first time he saw the most important people in Kari's life.
"It was a corsage, and she was only testing you." She said softly. She was waiting on the microwave to go off.
"I forgot how much alike yall looked, like twins almost." He looked at the picture in awe. He always admired Kari's beauty, she was truly a goddess a true masterpiece. And now he realized where she inhereted it from.
"Yea, me too. My granny sent me that picture today." She smiled.
"She was beautiful." he commented looking down at the picture then up at her.
"I know, I wanna get that framed and hang it up somewhere." She thought out loud. When the microwave went off she got the plates out and sat them on the table. amir thanked her before getting up to wash his hands.
Kari cleared the counter off and put her picuture in her bedroom.She then washed her hands at the sink. She sat down and waited for Amir to come back before she began eating. When he did she started.
"So what brings you in town?" Kari asked curiously. She knew he lived and worked in Atlanta.
"Well I'm guest hosting at a club tonight and I had a couple appearances to make." He sipped from his lemonade.
"Oh really, what club?" She said before slurping her noodles up like a kid. Amir laughed at her childishness before answering.
"Euphoria, you should come and bring a friend." He suggested. Kari only laughed at him.
"Nigga please, I am not going to no club with all those thirsty ass people." Kari ranted. She hated clubs, she'd much rather go out to dinner or something. She wasnt a homebody she just didnt like clubs.
"I promise I'll get yall vip." He said. He really wanted to get her out of the house. He could tell she hadnt been herself lately and just wanted her to have fun. Kari looked at him sternly still not moved. She also didnt want to be arguing with no bouncer about knowing august either.
"I'll get you a driver too, the whole package. You dont have to worry about anything, but what to wear." He informed her. Kari was thinking hard about it. All of her work was done and she didnt have any orders to fill.
"How come Charmaine didnt come?" Kari asked trying to change the subject, she already knew the answer to the question she asked. Amir flew and Charmaine was not about to get on a plane. Amir side eyed her.
"You know she wasnt gonna come. You're easier to persuade than her." He said.
"Oh really?' Kari laughed. He nodded.
"Ok fine I'll go." She sighed. She began to text Ansley to ask if she wanted to come. She instantly replied yes in all caps.
"thank you bestie!" He forced her into a hug and kissed her cheek.
"Eww, i dont know where yo lips been." Kari cringed wiping her face. He just smirked making a face, confirming what Kari already knew.
"Nasty ass." She mumbled. He just threw his head back in laughter.
_______________
"Girl you got us a driver, what the fuck?" Ansley held her mouth open. She was truly suprised and curious on how Kari got these connections all of a sudden.
"Ansley calm down just get in." Kari laughed. Ansley slid into the black Range. Kari got in on her side and fastened her seat belt. She gave the driver his cue to pull off once Ansley was situated.
"Girl, I knew you fucking with them scamming niggas." Ansley whispered to her. Kari just laughed at her assumption. Kari loved her sense of humor even when she was wrong she knew her intentions were only to make you laugh.
"If you must know, my friend is hosting the club tonight and wanted me to come." Kari admitted honestly as she put on her lip gloss. Ansley nodded her head as she looked out the window.
"That was sweet then, for them to send a car. Must be a special friend." Ansley implied. Kari screwed her nose up. Kari screwed her face up in disgust. It was all a front. The thought of a relationship was not that vague in her mind and she in fact did think about it a lot. But for the sake of the facade she was trying to keep.
"Eww, not." She cringed looking away trying to convince herself more than anything. Ansley could see right through it, but it wasn't any of her business. She picked her phone out of her blue purse. She started to record herself.
Once the girls arrived to the club they were sent to VIP. The vip was cut into sections. they all had cute booths with LED light that covered under the table making it look like it was glowing. It also had a built in hookah hat was right up Ansley's alley. It was just them two in their section which was good because people be crazy these days. They made sure to stay with each other the whole time. August made surety have one of security people there to make sure they were ok as well which was appreciated.
"Girl why is we sitting down come on lets dance." Ansley suggested. Kari just eyed her sipping on her mixed drink.
"Girl come on, one dance." She bargained pouting her lip out, it always worked with her son Aaron.
Kari sighed because she knew she wasn't going to stop until she went with her. She drunk the last of her drink before taking Ansley's hand to the dance floor. Megan Thee Stallion and The City Girls filled the club making Kari's hip move because she loved this song.
"See look at you girl." Ansley hyped. Kari continued to rap and sing to the song. They were both feeling the song and dancing enjoying themselves.
"Aww, fuck nigga Ion wanna hear it, ain't talking the bag I cover my ears." The song said making everybody get hype including Ansley and Kari.
"What's taking our food so long." Kari said before she sucked on the hookah and blew out the smoke. She looked around for the woman to that had took their order over thirty minutes ago.
"This nigga." Kari said as she saw Amir come up the stairs with the tray he probably stole from the waiter.
"This why our food so late?" Kari asked irritated. Amir waved her off and sat it down. Ansley thanked him after she passed her travel hand sanitizer to Kari.
"Scoot girl." Amir bucked at Kari. She held her fist up before sliding over so he could sit next to her. Ansley laughed at the two.
"So are yall enjoying yourselves?" He asked as he tried to take a fry off of Kari's tray but she slapped his hand away.
"Nigga, dont they give you free food, better gon somewhere." Kari said crankily. She was tired and hungry and it was showing.
"Yes, I enjoyed myself. I needed this break." Ansley expressed.
"Me too." Kari said with a mouthful of food. Amir shook his head at her.
"Big ass kid." He mumbled.
"So Amir you gon sing or sum?" Kari quizzed. She was curious.
"You gon sing with me?" He asked her. Kari made a face at him and scoffed.
"Hell nah. I'm a guest." She laughed.
"So next time." He said nodding his head. He only heard what he wanted to hear.
"See what I deal with?" Kari said to Ansley pointing at him.
"Girl,I'm just looking at how cute y'all are." Ansley cooed. Both their heads snapped and they cringed at each other.
"Eww." They both said at the same time.
Ansley just shook her head.
To Be Continued...
thanks for reading
-breeee