Page 54
“Hiding in the dining room,” I whispered.
“Aw, shit. I already know. She got the Kahlúa with her?”
“Yep.” I giggled.
“Well, let me pour this coffee, so she can give me some too.”
We both stood by the coffee machine, laughing, when Em popped in.
“Y’all in here gossippin’, huh? Gina knows y’all talkin’ ’bout her. Her face red and everything.”
“You don’t know shit. And ain’t nobody talking about that girl. We talking about your crazy mama,” Mr. Elgin said, passing Em his cup.
We all walked into the dining room, and Ms. Ronette was standing by the back door with it cracked. I sniffed the air, and I just knew she was hitting a joint.
“Roni, you was supposed to wait for me.” Mr. Elgin dropped his coffee on the table and went over to Ms. Ronette. “You barely saved me any.”
“Elgin, please! And be quiet before lil’ miss, ‘Oh, the Bible says,’ comes in here and pisses me off on Christmas, in my damn house. Hurry up and hit it.”
He snatched the joint from her, hit it three times, then passed it back. Em and I were cracking up, watching them fuss about who hit the joint too many times. Em gave me my cup of coffee, and I could smell something stronger in it.
I looked at him, brows pulled together. “What else did you put in here?”
“Remy. I ain’t gon’ sit here and act like Gina ain’t gettin’ on my nerves. Shit, Simi won’t sit still. Jumpin’ on Mama’s couch. If she catches him, it’s over.”
Ms. Ronette’s head snapped toward us. “I know damn well that boy ain’t jumping on my couches! Yeah, let’s eat. If she don’t want nobody popping him, Ima pop her.”
She grabbed some Ozium spray from her robe pocket and sprayed all around, making Mr. Elgin choke.
“God damn it, Ronette. You tryna kill me? That’s enough,” he said, fanning the air.
“Be quiet and sit down! This reefer done kicked in. I’m ready to eat. Emery, go get EJ and them.”
I sat down, saving a seat for Em. Ms. Ronette started lifting the lids off the trays, then sat at the head of the table with Mr. Elgin. Simi came barreling through the living room, clutching his dump truck under his arm. Gina and Kinsley were right behind him. Emery and his brother hit the corner next, laughing and whispering about something. When Em locked eyes with me, he smiled, then blew me a kiss like he always did.
He dropped into the chair beside me, grabbed my hand, and kissed the back of it.
He stroked my hair, running his fingers through it. “All this hair, and you cover it up. You gon’ wear it out for my birthday?”
“Just for you to mess it up? No, I will not.”
He pulled me closer and whispered in my ear. “I like when it’s wild and all over the place.”
I rolled my eyes and nudged him with my shoulder. He choked out a laugh, wrapped his arm around my waist, and held me closer. Emery kept kissing my cheek and rubbing on my waist while the food got passed around. I felt eyes on me, and when I turned my head, Gina was staring. Gina made somebody want to smack the fuck outta her. Her husband was sitting right beside her. If she paid more attention to him, she wouldn’t be worried about what me and my man were doing.
“Is there something I can help you with, Gina?” I asked.
She huffed, smoothing out her shirt. “Do you think that much PDA is appropriate while we’re eating? There are children here.”
Em’s arm tightened around my waist as I leaned forward. “So, you don’t hug your husband or kiss him around your kids? I’m confused.”
“Right, my husband. You and Emery aren’t married,” she said with a smirk.
Before I could respond, Ms. Ronette sat up and pointed at her from across the table. “Gina, see, your problem is you don’t mind your damn business. Kinsley is twelve, and y’all have only been married for eight years. Do I need to do the math for you? And I caught your lil’ ass in my house before Kinsley was even born. Stop tryna condemn people because you’re married now. Maybe if you kissed EJ more, he’d be home more often.”
Gina’s face turned beet red. Mr. Elgin choked on his coffee mid-sip, and Emery lost it.
“Come on, Mama. Don’t do that,” EJ said, shaking his head.
