Page 29 of Fumble Into the End Zone
“Harley, let’s walk Mia to her car,” I said and extended my hands to her.
She came running, and I lifted her in the air. Mia and Kindness hugged each other with a promise to hang out. We waited by the door for Mia, and I opened it as she approached. Instead of walking out the door, she stopped and tickled Harley.
I arched my brow at her, but shook her head. Trailing behind, I glanced at her ass, but I couldn’t stare with Harley watching me. We made it to the silver G-Wagon and stood.
“I didn’t get your number to set up a playdate,” I said, and Mia rolled her eyes upward in a playful manner.
“Really, Marcus?” she asked.
“Yes, Mia. I want to… Well, we want to see you again. Right, Harley?” I said.
“Yep,” Harley co-signed.
Everything about Mia’s giggle and relaxed body language said she wanted to see us again. I licked my lips again as we stood silent until I opened my phone for her number. She snickered and lowered her eyes adding her contact information. After she finished I called it.
“Did you think I gave you a fake number?” she asked.
“You’re a moving target until I catch you,” I said, and she rolled her eyes, but it ended with a smile.
“Whatever. Goodnight, Harley. By the way, I’m giving my number to you, not your daddy,” she said to Harley.
I blocked her from opening the door and raising the handle. We made sure Mia pulled off before I went back to my car. I buckled Harley in and the shy goofy smile on her face made me laugh. Thirty minutes later, we pulled into the driveway and Harley scrambled to get out of her seat belt. She was excited, causing her little fingers and brain to work overtime. By the time I removed my seat belt and exited the car, she was ready.
I pulled the seat up and she squeezed by me and ran up the driveway to the front door. Opening the door, I found my grandmother in the living room fighting sleep. Harley’s eyes widened, but she placed one finger over her lips. I shut the door as slow as possible with the intention of letting her sleep.
“How was it?” she said groggily.
Eddy Allen could hear a snail moving and it hadn’t changed due to her old age.
Harley ran to her chair, and I knew my business was done. “Hi, Granny. Today was fun. I got interviewed by Daddy’s lady friend and she gave me her phone number. I did better than Daddy,” my daughter continued to recount today’s events.
Granny gave me an inquisitive eye every so often during Harley’s retelling. I rested on the couch and listened to the excitement in her voice.
“She is pretty, Granny and . . . and . . . ”
“I’m glad you liked Mia. Go wash up. I got cabbage and cornbread ready to go,” she said.
We both watched Harley speed walk down the hallway. My Granny’s eyes landed on me. “Who is this Mia?” she questioned.
I caressed the short hair of my growing beard. “Hopefully, she will be my wife,” I said.
A slow smile creeped across Eddy’s face. “Well, I need to get a look at her,” she said.
“I’m working on it. She is trying to play hard to get,” I said.
Granny peered over at me. “You don’t have no game. Now, your grandfather? He was smooth. I used to joke about us meeting at the juke on Friday and being married by Monday,” she said.
I chuckled because the man I knew didn’t say much.
After dinner, my daughter couldn’t hang on much longer. She drifted off to sleep with her favorite butterfly book. I removed it and pulled up her comforter to cover her shoulders. Walking down the hallway, I peeked into Granny’s room. The light from the news hit her face, alerting me she was asleep. My two favorite girls were early birds. Harley was accustomed to being in bed by 7:30, and Eddy went right behind her. However, they were up by 6:30 for no apparent reason at all. Propping my feet up on the ottoman, I pulled out my phone to text wifey.
Me
Your beauty is unmatched.
I stared at the phone for several minutes until those gray dots appeared.
Wifey
