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AYOLUWA BEING GONE wasn't anything new.
Even though she had been home for two weeks, she was usually off working.
And that left Joshua alone.
A lot.
A tiny part of him regretted not taking her up on the flight home but an even bigger part of him was glad not to have her nagging him or doing something that would annoy him.
Joshua was sitting on the bed that he shared with Ayoluwa, scrolling through Twitter on his phone.
A call from the contact named 'T' came through and Joshua smirked.
Letitia had won the drinking contest that had occurred a few days before rather easily.
And the secret that she had wanted?
His phone number.
"Yo?" Joshua answered.
"Jay! Are you busy?" Letitia's voice came from the other line.
"Depends on what you're about to suggest." Joshua replied in a smug tone.
"Come meet me in Sunset Park." Letitia said.
"Sunset Park?" Joshua scrunched his eyebrows, a bit confused.
"Brooklyn. All you have to do is catch the train."
Joshua laughed a little nervously, "The subway? Ion know..."
"Oh, come on, Hollywood. Don't tell me you're afraid of the train. You can't live here without a metro card." Letitia laughed.
"Actually, I can. Taxis are great." Joshua shot back.
Letitia kissed her teeth, "Aight, Hollywood. Whatever. Just come meet me outside of the bar for once."
"Wha-." Joshua started to say but then Letitia hung up the phone.
"But I'm mysterious? Okay." Joshua shook his head as he stood up to begin getting ready.
After an almost forty minute cab ride to Brooklyn, Joshua got out and rubbed his glove covered hands together.
One thing he didn't like about the east coast was the cold weather.
Joshua zipped up his coat a little further as he looked around the graffiti covered Brooklyn street.
"Too fucking cold to just be standing out here." Joshua muttered, his eyes bouncing around at the snow on the ground under his boots.
Despite the time of day, the street was empty and across the street was empty as well.
"Boo!" Letitia's voice sounded behind him.
Joshua simply smiled and turned around to look down at the green eyed girl, "What's up, Tia?"
Letitia was dressed in a deep eggplant colored sweatshirt with the words 'NYU' in white under a simple black puffer jacket and brown Timberland boots that matched his own.
She leaned up for a hug, Joshua hesitated then reciprocated the embrace.
"That didn't scare you at all?" She asked as she brushed some of her hair back.
"No. You're not intimidating." Joshua smirked at her as the two began to walk down the empty street side by side.
Letitia pouted a little, "Whatever."
"Where are we going? Why'd you wanna meet over here?" Joshua asked.
"Eh. I figured that seeing each other during the day would be better and I was right," Letitia smiled at him, "You do look better during the day."
Joshua almost stopped walking at the blatant compliment.
He couldn't remember the last time that Ayoluwa had given him a compliment like that...
"Jay?" Letitia called to him.
Joshua looked up to realize that he had indeed stopped before a crosswalk and hurried a little to catch up, "My bad. I was thinking about something."
"Like what?" Letitia asked.
Joshua simply peered down at her for a second and remained quiet, not wanting to answer any question that could lead to any thought of Ayoluwa.
Letitia let out a sigh at his silence, "So, I'm gonna have to drink every time I want an answer to my question?"
"Maybe." Joshua shrugged.
"I'm gonna get alcohol poisoning fucking with you," Letitia playfully nudged Joshua's ribs.
Letitia stopped strolling and extended her arm in front of Joshua's midsection to force him to stop too.
Joshua gazed at a playground that was painted varying shades of green in front of them, "A park? I took an expensive ass cab for a park? You know there's parks in Manhattan, right?"
Letitia elbowed him, "Get a metro card and stop complaining and I knew that. But this is my neck of the woods, my job is in yours and I wanted you to see mine."
Joshua scoffed as he stared at the empty playground, "My neck of the woods is on the other side of the country. And if my job needs me to move, I will be packing so fast."
Letitia shook her head, "New York isn't bad. You're just dramatic, Hollywood. Now come on."
She grabbed Joshua's hand and began to pull him towards the swings.
"Hold up, hold up, hold up." Joshua said in protest, "What are we doing now?"
"You're pushing me on the swings," Letitia said in a 'duh' tone, "Come on, Hollywood. Keep up, now."
Joshua chuckled at her attitude but did as she wanted, getting behind Letitia as she hopped onto a midnight colored swing and beginning to push her.
"This is so silly." Joshua laughed but continued to press his hands into her back repeatedly, "You're pushing me after."
"Whatever you want, Jay," Letitia giggled, "Whatever you want."
