CONNECTED

51.1

Tae.

"It sure is good to see you this Sunday, Mr. Taelor." I smelled the White Diamond perfume before she could even finished walking up on me. She placed her hand on my shoulder causing me to turn around, seeing her smiling down at me.

"Nice to see you again, Sister Rose." I fake smiled back as she walked away, going to greet others that were sitting in the Church.

"That's your girlfriend." Nicole whispered to me, smirking like a Clown. "I told you she has a crush on you. You only missed one Sunday this month and she noticed, then-"

"You jealous of an old woman?" I was amused. "She don't be speaking to you when I'm around though."

"Exactly!" She whispered. "She don't like me because of you." She grabbed her purse from beside her as we stood from the pew we were sitting in. Korea and her girls, Mama Yo, and Mr. Lenard had long gone but we had to sit around and wait all day on my fucking Mama while she talked to everybody in the Church.

I woke up in a good mood this Morning, so I offered to pick her up and treat her to Breakfast before Service— big mistake. All she did was talk the entire time, the rest of us couldn't even enjoy our food. Nicole was the only one engaging in her pointless conversations, but I did hear some valuable information. The Church was putting aside a Love Offering in memory of Deacon Emory, which was going towards hiring some Personal Detective or Investigator one of the other Deacons mentioned. Apparently he was the real deal and could trace back basically anything. It honestly irritated me a little bit that they all hadn't let the shit go by now. It'd been a little over eight months, yet they still were talking about it. Let the man rest in peace for fuck sake. Other than that, I still wasn't too worried.

"Y'all must be ready to go?" My Mama chuckled as she walked up on Nicole and I. "Why the long faces?"

"Yeah, we been ready to go." I mumbled, picking Troi up again since we finally were leaving. "We been in here for almost three hours."

"You can never spend too much time in the Lord's House, Son." I rolled my eyes, holding one of the wooden double doors open for them to walk out ahead of me.

"Tell him again!" Nicole encouraged her, smirking at me.

"Fuck you" I mumbled under my breath.

"What you say, Son?"

"Nothing, I was talking to Nicole." I lifted Troi higher up on my hip as she hummed something to herself. "I'm dropping you off at Home?" I interrupted Nicole and my Mama's conversation. They walked along one another towards the parking lot while I trailed behind them with Taejin and Troi.

"No, I'm riding with y'all wherever y'all going." I rolled my eyes internally. "Remember?"

"No, I don't remember. Don't you gotta go home and change?" She had a nice ass BMW that she could drive herself anywhere she wanted to go in.

"I brought another Dress with me for Sunny Dinner." She repeatedly pulled on my door handle, being irritating.

"You still don't wanna go home first and freshen up?"

"Taelor, if you don't open this door." Nicole complained. "It's hot out here."

"Nobody told you to pile all that glue on top of your head." She pressed down the front of her baby hair. "You could've and should've drove your own car too." I finally hit the locks after taking my time pulling my keys from my pocket.