Page 78 of Standing In The Sun
Cooking for Lunar in their home felt good but no matter how much she wanted to bask in that, she was getting antsy. She was young. They were both young and needed to move around the world that way. Lunar spent his days in the studio and his nights with her and Kamari. Ahvi wanted to feel free, or maybe it was Ish’s talk about never needing a man all in her head.
Lunar stood way too close behind her.
“Back up,” she said without turning. “Let me breathe, nigga.”
“I want to be in your skin, Ahvi,” he confessed.
“Go watch TV or something. I don’t need an audience.”
“You do,” he said. “You too pretty not to have some nigga following you around like a lost puppy.”
She cut her eyes at him. “You a lost puppy now?”
“Sometimes,” he shrugged.
She paused. She didn’t say anything, but her shoulders softened. It was subtle, but he caught it.
“You ever think about having your own restaurant?” he asked, grabbing a towel to wipe Kamari down. He was eating solid foods now and making a mess with it.
Ahvi gave him a side-eye over her shoulder. “That used to be the goal. Now, I’m just a personal chef for my greedy baby and my boyfriend. Why?”
“Just asking.”
Ahvi turned back to look at him. “You don’t ‘just wonder,’ Lunar. Your ass be plotting.”
“That’s true,” he said, not denying it. “You’d run the hell outta a kitchen, though.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“It’d have your name on the menu…on the sign…in the city. You ever think about that?”
“All the time,” she said softly. “But I’m just now getting my first big girl job, so I think I need to slow my row.”
“I think you need to open your eyes and see what the fuck is before you. Do I need to remind you who the fuck I am, Ahvi?” He leaned into her, his deep voice brushing against her ear.
* * *
“This shit looks good from the outside,” Pimp whistled as they walked up to the standalone building that looked new, like no one had ever been there. Off to the side you could see the foundations of another building the company was planning to put up soon, to turn the area into a thriving retail area.
The potential restaurant space was two stories and symmetrically aligned on each side.
The outside of the building was brick with a modern glass front and sleek double doors at the entrance. From the photos they’d seen, it had a top-of-the-line industrial kitchen in the back—fully equipped, all appliances included—and a five-year lease agreement. It had potential.
Actually, it was perfect.
Lunar agreed, observing the parking available in front and noticing the sign that stated there was more parking in the back. “I wonder how much traffic run through here.”
Pimp shrugged. “Shit, we can ask.”
Lunar watched Pimp for a few seconds before his intrusive thoughts got the best of him. “You been good, though?”
Pimp looked up, his locs sweeping across his shoulders. “Here you go with that sappy shit.”
“Cause I’m checking in on my brother? Pimp, stop playing with me. You know I been like this.”
Pimp laughed and nodded. “I’m cool…you got me busy with the company while you sit down and fall in love and shit.”
“And that was the best decision of my life. I ain’t know what was gon’ come from me ducking off - couldn’t have imagined all the shit that’s changed in my life. But I don’t want to change none of it either.” Lunar revealed, spilling his thoughts onto the ground. With Pimp they were safe so he never held back. It just felt different finally getting it all out.
