Saving Sunflower (The Sun Series), page 8
“I’m a G, remember?” She winked.
“You right, you are,” he responded quietly. “So, how was your day G?”
“Why do you want to hear about my day?” She looked at him and scrunched her button nose. “I promise you it’s not very interesting.”
“So, let me hear what was so uninteresting about it.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes upward.
“Well... I started my day writing, and it looks like I’ll be ending it doing the same thing.” She groaned and stretched her arms high. “I got kicked out of the library when they closed at two and now I’m here in a study room in my dorm, finishing the rest of my assignments that are due tomorrow by hand. Fun, fun, fun.”
“Damn...”
He heard the frustration in her tone and saw it on her face. He didn’t notice how stressed she looked before, but now it was glaring. The whites of her brown eyes were a deep red and puffy bags sat beneath them.
“Anyway... did you call to hear about my boring day or to give me more work to do? I need to up my price if you’re going to call me at odd hours.” She stuck her tongue out in jest and tucked away stressed Claudette for the time being.
“You never even gave me a price. That’s bad business man.”
They had never agreed on a price for her help, and he had been curious to see if she would ever bring it up. She hadn’t, so he decided he would.
“You’re right, it is bad, but I also have no experience in the music industry and the limited knowledge I do have comes from the lovely library and Google. Give me whatever you think is fair.” She shrugged and went back to her work once again, unbothered by his presence on the phone.
“You take half of whatever I tell you to hold,” he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
She stopped writing and cut her eyes at him. “I am not taking half of your money Dominic, don’t be ridiculous.”
He could hear stressed Claudette coming back out. He wasn’t used to someone else calling the shots, especially not some baby-faced young girl. Silence stretched between them as she wrote and he watched.
He broke the uncomfortable silence. “Can I ask you somethin’?”
She looked at him and blinked, her lips twisted to the side. “Shoot.”
“Do you trust me?”
Her eyes widened. He wasn’t asking her to lay her feelings on a platter and serve them up to him, but it was something he needed to know.
“Dominic, I trust you as much as anyone would trust someone they’ve only known for a week.” She scratched at the curls on her head before pushing them from her forehead.
“Okay... and how much is that?”
“Put it this way, my gut tells me I can trust you, so I do.” Her tone was firm and the look on her face reinforced what she said.
“Good... I trust you too.” He sat up from his position on the bed. “So let me explain somethin’ to you. Never do shit for a nigga for free, no matter how much your gut tells you that you can trust him. You charge those ballplayers you write papers for, right? What’s the difference between them and a nigga like me? Trust?”
She jerked her head back at his words, and her face scrunched, marring her soft features. He didn’t realize how rough his tone had come across, and guilt crept into his conscience. Naivety—fuck, it was the shit he hated and somehow the universe was testing him by thrusting this naive girl into his life.
“Well, thanks for the street lesson. Got anything else you want me to know?” she spat back.
He pictured steam coming from her ears. It wasn’t how he’d imagined their first phone conversation would be. He wasn’t sure how long they sat in silence after their disagreement, or whatever it was, but it seemed like hours. He refused to end the call and she didn’t move to end it either. As time went on, her hand moved slower and she yawned more often. He wanted to tell her she had done enough writing for herself and those stupid athletes she slaved for, but it wasn’t his place. She wasn’t even his.
“Claudette...” He cleared the raspiness from his throat and her head jerked in the phone's direction.
Instead of responding, she hummed and sat up in a sleep-deprived trance.
“I’m sorry.”
If there was one civilized thing that Eve had taught him, it was the power of an apology. She always stressed that real men owned up to their wrongdoings.
“I ain’t mean to talk to you in that way. I don’t take back what I said, but I regret the way I delivered the message.”
He held his breath, unsure of whether his words had registered to her in the state she was in. She looked at him adorably with heavy eyes and smiled.
“Apology accepted,” she whispered, her voice raspier than it normally was. “I wasn’t going to hang up until you apologized anyway.”
He smiled at the newfound layer of her personality that she had exposed to him. She was stubborn as a bull, and he knew it would drive him insane.
“You should never go to bed angry,” she added.
“I wasn’t angry. You were.” He smirked.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t go to bed angry and you shouldn’t go to bed guilty.” She smiled. “Are we partners again?”
“We never stopped being partners. I guess I need to teach you somethin’ about loyalty too.” He rolled over on his side, taking the phone with him. “Real partners never fold on each other, no matter how pissed they get.”
“Noted.” She propped her head on her dainty hand, and for once he had her full attention. “My phone is dying...”
“I guess that means you should call it a night.”
“Maybe.” She let out a soft yawn and packed up her things. “Guess I should save your number, huh?”
He shrugged. It didn’t matter to him if she saved it or not because he already had hers embedded in his brain. He’d memorized the seven digits with ease as soon as he’d gotten them from Roc, simply because they were associated with her.
6
He never smiled.
Claudette lounged in her twin bed and scrolled through Dominic’s Instagram feed while she waited on Autumn to get dressed. Curiosity had finally led her to explore it after he followed her out of the blue, and she wasn’t sure what to expect before she clicked on his profile.
She found that the pictures he posted were an exact portrayal of the energy he exuded in person. His spirit was beautiful, troubled, and angry, and she wondered who had hurt him and hardened his exterior. He posted pictures of himself cradling guns. He posted them with such reckless abandon that it was almost disturbing. It was as if this Dominic was an imposter that had taken the place of her Dominic, though he wasn’t hers. That was something she had to remind herself of.
He didn’t interact with other people on there. It was as if he logged on to post pictures to taunt the thousands of people that watched his every move that he would never follow.
“Ready sis?” Autumn asked as she stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a skintight midi dress and sandals that showed off her manicured toes.
Claudette looked down at the old cropped tank, distressed jeans, and sneakers she wore, pursing her lips.
“I thought we were going to get wings?”
Autumn rolled her eyes and shoved on oversized hoop earrings. She brushed out the bone straight wig she had been wearing for the past few days. Claudette admired the sleekness of the style and the way it complimented her heart-shaped face.
“We are... don’t start with me. You know I’m extra.”
Claudette rolled her eyes. At least she had some self-awareness.
She took one last look at Dominic and closed the app.
“What were you looking at?” Autumn stood at the end of her bed with a raised eyebrow.
“Nothing. You ready?” She jumped down from the bed and went to the mirror to fluff her own curls out.
Her wild mane was the only saving grace to the lackluster outfit she wore.
Autumn looked at her through squinted eyes. She had been giving her similar looks ever since she noticed Dominic followed her on Instagram and upped his following count to two. The only other person he followed was Mo. Claudette still shuddered at the memory of Autumn’s interrogation after she noticed the activity between her and Dominic’s accounts.
Ignoring her glare, Claudette grabbed a wristlet so she could look somewhat civilized for the evening. They locked up their room and headed out to begin their journey to King’s Wings on foot.
They had dinner together every week, no matter how busy their schedules were. Sometimes they could only scrounge up enough money for pizza and sometimes they had a good week and could afford a nice sit down dinner at the Chilis near campus. Tonight they were somewhere in between, so greasy hot wings from the local hole in the wall seemed to be a safe choice.
“You can tell me if you’re talking to him,” Autumn said as they strolled through campus toward the main road that would lead them to the restaurant.
“What’re you talking about?” Claudette kicked at a lone stick on the sidewalk.
“Don’t play dumb Claudette. I know I came off harsh the other day, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep shit from me.” Claudette kept quiet, unsure of what to say. “I just don’t want you to get involved with him and lose sight of yourself.”
“I understand and I’ve told you that won’t happen, but I feel like we’re bordering on mother-daughter territory instead of besties.”
She understood Autumn and knew she had no ill intentions. They both came from two different worlds. Autumn was rough around the edges and could pinpoint gritty guys like Dominic and their motives a mile away while Claudette’s sheltered life with her grandfather prepared her for none of those things.
“Believe me, I’m not trying to be your mamma, but I’m calling it like I see it.”
They hurried across a busy intersection on campus. The sun was setting, and they got some reprieve from the Georgia heat.
“Listen to me—dudes like Dominic live a fast life and you don’t.” She stopped and pulled Claudette’s arm to stop her from walking ahead. “He’s older than you and involved in a lot of shit that you don’t need to be around.”
“I get it...” Claudette whined.
She didn’t really, but she wanted the uncomfortable conversation to end.
After the intense phone call she had with Dominic, she’d been listening to his music ever since. The words he rapped, the theme of all of his music, and the images he shared of himself on social media gave her a small glimpse into the shit Autumn was referring to, but there was no way a guy like him would ever be interested in her. She was getting worked up for no reason.
“I don’t think you do,” Autumn said, walking off and leaving her behind to catch up.
At King’s Wings, they placed their orders and grabbed a booth in the back corner of the restaurant, away from the rest of the patrons that were dining.
“How’s Uncle Kel?” Claudette asked Autumn while fidgeting with the paper she had torn from her straw.
They had grown so close since their first semester that they referred to each other’s families as if they were their own. Autumn was the closest thing she had to a sister.
“Girl, still bitching. Him and his new boyfriend supposed to be going to Cabo for their three-month anniversary, which falls on the same week as our Spring Break.” Autumn rolled her eyes. “If my grades are like they should be, he said I was coming too. If they keep looking like they do now, he said I’m keeping my black ass in Georgia.”
“Well, that means we need to work hard so you can be muy caliente en Cabo.” Claudette did her best salsa moves, and Autumn cracked up. “As your best friend, I better get something back too.”
“If I get to go, you know I got you mamacita.”
Claudette’s eyes lit up.
“Aht! Aht! Let’s speak it into existence. You are going and you will bring me something magnificent back since I’ll be stuck helping George in the garden and delivering food with Meals on Wheels.” She grimaced and balled up the straw wrapper, thinking of her own Spring Break plans.
“Don’t front on George, you know he enjoys your company. He may fuss, but you know you’re his favorite girl.”
It was true, though it was probably inevitable because she had nowhere else to go after her father’s premature death. With a dead father and missing mother, she felt every bit like an orphan, but George would have a fit if he ever heard her refer to herself as such. They had been stuck together for so long that she couldn’t imagine a life without him.
A waitress slid baskets of hot lemon pepper wings and a bowl of fries onto their table. Claudette’s stomach growled in anticipation because she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Autumn led them in a quick prayer before they eagerly dug in.
“So listen...” Autumn began licking the hot sauce from her fingers.
Anytime she started a sentence off that way, Claudette knew it was trouble to follow.
“I know you have a thousand papers you’re writing and a hundred tests you’re studying for.”
“Okay... and?” Claudette rolled her eyes at her exaggeration and bit down into one of the juicy wings, wondering where she was going with the conversation.
“How about we both take a break and go have a little fun?” she asked, shimmying in her seat.
She knew it would be trouble.
“When you say fun, what kind of fun are we talking about?” Claudette asked. “I mean we can go to the movies; we can go bowling, we can hit up the roller rink.”
She ticked off all of her definitions of fun in between mouthfuls of fries.
“Hell no. We can do that shit when we’re old with kids. Let’s go to Z-Bar. I have the hook up on drinks.”
Claudette rolled her eyes and took a long sip of her sprite. Autumn’s unpredictable nature was something she was still trying to get used to, but she knew a night out with her was a night of guaranteed fun.
“I guess,” she replied with a sigh. “But we’re not staying long!”
And thus, began their night at Z-Bar.
Z-Bar was a confusing place. Claudette couldn’t tell if it was a bar, a club or a restaurant. It was nine o’clock and it was already packed with locals and college students because it was two-dollar Tuesday all over the city.
The DJ blasted local music and shouted out a birthday girl every five minutes. Claudette held onto Autumn’s hand as she dragged her to the bar, ignoring the come-hither eyes and tugs from random guys. They squeezed into an empty spot at the end of the bar, and Autumn signaled for the bartender like a seasoned pro.
Claudette looked around at the crowd while Autumn ordered their drinks. Clubs or clubs that masqueraded as bars were never her thing. Back in high school, her definition of going out was dinner and a movie with a close friend. Hanging with Autumn had thrust her into the uncomfortable arena of clubs, fraternity parties and bars. When she turned back, Autumn pushed a shot glass toward her filled with clear liquor.
“What’s this?” Claudette shouted over the music.
“Just take it.” Autumn grabbed her glass and clanked it with hers. “Cheers to us taking a break from life and school.”
Autumn tapped the shot glass on the bar and then brought it to her lips, chugging it without warning. Claudette followed her lead and threw the shot back with a grimace. The clear liquid burned her chest and warmed her entire body. She hated shots and had learned the hard way that the mini drinks of hard liquor didn’t agree with her body after taking one too many at her first Kappa party with Autumn their second week on campus. It was a disaster that ended with Autumn cleaning her vomit from the carpet in their dorm.
Autumn took the empty glass from her hand and slid it onto the bar. She signaled the bartender for another round. Three shots later they were more than comfortable with loosened limbs and the relaxation that came with consuming alcohol. They had wandered around the bar and landed in a section with a few older guys Autumn knew from campus. They were friendly enough to share the bottle of liquor they had bought. Claudette had met none of them before that night, but they seemed nice enough to hang with for the time being. She trusted Autumn’s instinct and knew that she wouldn’t have them hang and share alcohol with unsavory characters.
Autumn stuck close by her, knowing that bars and clubs were still a new thing for her. Claudette hung onto her arm and the two danced along to Drake’s mellow crooning. They sang the lyrics together in unison, while the group cheered them on and laughed at their silly antics.
The alcohol flowed, and time seemed to slow down. She had forgotten how many shots she had taken, and the DJ’s voice sounded like a chopped and screwed version of his original self. She thought about how much she would regret all of it the next day as she sat in a drunken haze on Autumn’s lap. Getting drunk had not been a part of her plans for the evening.
“Hold up... hold up.” The record scratched at the DJ booth. “I know it’s a Tuesday night, but y’all got this bitch lit. It ain’t even eleven o’clock yet, but we gone keep turning this bitch up. Shoutout to my motherfuckin’ partna Dough!”
A beat dropped, and she hiccupped at the familiar bass. Dominic’s heavy voice blasted through the sound system throughout the club. It was so surreal that she wasn’t sure if she was imagining it all. Even in her drunken state, her body responded to his voice in ways that still amazed her. She squirmed on Autumn’s lap and fought to keep herself in line in her inebriated state. Autumn pinched her side, and she turned to her while rolling her eyes.
“What’s wrong with you?” Autumn slurred in her ear.
Claudette bit down on her lip and shook her head as she tried to control her body’s natural reaction to him. The crowd rapped along to every word of his song with fervor. There wasn’t a soul in the room who didn’t know the words.
“Hold up... hold up... hold up! We got to run that shit back!” The DJ scratched the record, feeling the energy from the crowd.
He started the track over from the beginning and the crowd grew rowdier.
