| HANDYMAN |

XVII: Issa Wife

Kimberly

We were in my car, on our way home from Tennessee. We weren't talking much, Jermaine was exhausted and I didn't want to bother him too much.

"Aye...Kim." Jermaine said sleepily.

"Yes?"

"Remember what we were talking about in the room? Before the nurse came in?" He asked me, barely awake. Not only did I remember, but it's all I'd been thinking about. I was waiting for him to bring it up again.

"Yeah, I remember."

"So like...what do you wanna do? You wanna be...together?" He asked stumbling over his words. My heart began beating fast, this is exactly what I'd wanted..yet I didn't know how to say yes.

"I...yeah- I mean-"

"If that ain't what you want it's ok-"

"No I do. I'd love to.." I brought myself to say. The car was silent and he said nothing else. I glanced over at him, wondering why he didn't respond. He was sound asleep.

I wondered if he'd heard me say yes, but right now there was no way to tell.

Jermaine

I woke up to Kim tapping me lightly on my shoulder, I hadn't even remembered drifting to sleep. I looked up and realized we were in the parking lot of her place.

"Uh I stopped by here to grab my my other charger because I needed my gps...unless you wanna stay here for the night." She smiled and grabbed my hand.

"...Can I?"

"Of course! I'm gonna grab you're crutches, you sit there."

--

She helped me walk to her place. When we walked in she led me through her living room and back to her bedroom. She sat down on her bed and motioned me to do the same.

"You can sleep in that guest room if you want..or you can sleep with me."

My eyes widened, caught off guard by her offer.

"Sounds like a plan."

Kimberly

I'd just gotten out the shower and was waiting for Jermaine. Even though we wouldn't be doing anything, I was excited for him to be sleeping with me. It would be...intimate. Not sex intimate, but romantic intimate.

My thoughts were interrupted when Jermaine limped back into my room. He was shirtless and there was water dripping from his curls. It was quite the sight to see.

"You ain't got a shirt in here, do you?" He asked me. I could barely concentrate.

"I might have one of my exes old shirts..buuut-"

"Oh nah I'm straight. We ain't finna do that." He said making his way to my bed and laying down.

"Fine by me." I mumbled to myself

"I heard that. Don't be lookin at my bod." He joked, covering up his chest.

"Jermaine I catch you looking at my 'bod' all the time." I said crossing my arms.

He laughed nervously, "Ha ha let's change the subject.."

--

Jermaine

It was getting late, me and Kim were in her bed watching some show about building houses on TV.

I was beyond tired from this medication, but I still had to bring up me and her making things official. I recall asking her before, but for some reason I can quite remember what her answer was..or if she'd answered at all.

I didn't want to make it too obvious about what I was asking her, because I didn't want it to seem like I was pestering her, but I was tired of waiting for an answer.

"Kim, I don't remember if we've talked about this or not..but uh I was wondering if uh.."

She looked away from the tv, and our eyes met with each other's.

"Wondering..?" She asked, urging me to continue. Now that we were making eye contact, asking her felt a million times harder.

"Wondering if you wanted to...you know, make this a little more serious."

"Yeah." She said casually.

Although this was the answer I was looking for, it felt anti-climactic. I didn't expect some melodramatic answer like "oh yes of course I do Jermaine you're amazing! blah blah blah"

"Oh..good."

"You're probably thinking I like..don't care but that's not it. It's just that you've asked me already, and I already said yes." She said laughing. I immediately felt embarrassed that I'd gotten the slightest bit disappointed.

"Oh, damn."

--

Kimberly

The next morning

I woke up to Jermaine's arm wrapped tightly around my waist. I'd forgotten that he'd even slept over.

I planned to cook breakfast, I tried to sit up but he pulled me closer.

"Jermaine I'm tryna cook let me go."

He mumbled something that I couldn't possibly make out. I eventually escaped his grasp and went into my kitchen. I pulled out a carton of eggs, turkey bacon, and a couple other breakfast items.

Just a few minutes after I'd started cooking, Jermaine stepped into the kitchen and took a seat on the bar stool by the counter.

"I see you whippin in the kitchen. Issa wife."

"Pshh niggas been sleeping on me."

a/n:

SORRY VERY SHORT CHAPTER IK IK. THE NEXT ONE WILL BE LONGER.

aye but while you wait check out my new book TUTOR I'm publishing tonight 🤷🏽‍♀️😉