Ready or Not

15.

Valencia

I stood outside of the Jamba Juice place sipping on my smoothie while humming to myself. I felt odd lingering around in the stores for too long, so I decided to stand out on the sidewalk while I waited. I adjusted the shades against my face and huffed, growing impatient.

I checked the time on my phone again and stuffed it back into my bag. "Where is this boy?"

Then I saw his orange Camaro zip into the parking garage across the street cutting off other cars. I chuckled and sighed. Damn speed demon.

After a brief waiting period, he appeared on foot, crossing the street towards me while holding up his barely sagging pants. I smiled and held my arms out as he embraced me with a hug.

"Dang, late much? I thought you had forgotten all about me." I said with a giggle while moving my straw around in my drink.

Chris chuckled and draped his arm around my shoulder, "Nah babe, I could never. I see you trying to be like daddy though?" He suggested as I looked down at our chosen attires. I had on a black bodysuit and wore an open oversized plaid top with my hunter green Doc Martens. Chris mirrored me with a plain black tee, ripped black jeans and a plaid shirt wrapped around his waist, with a pair of wheat timbs. Though our color schemes were different, I could see where he was getting at. "Coincidence." I stated with a shrug.

I led him with me to a local fabric shop in the same shopping center. In one of my design classes I had a final project due soon and now that I am out of the sketching stage it's time to pick out materials and Chris invited himself with me.

He touched on everything in sight. "Yo babe, make something with leather." he said while holding up a strip of mustard yellow leather material.

I scrunched my face and pulled it out of his hand. "Uh no. Leather costs more than my budget allows and that color doesn't go well with my pattern." I put the material back and started walking toward the back of the store loudly sipping at my smoothie.

He trailed closely behind me picking up stuff left and right like a kid in a candy store. I laughed and ran my fingers over the textures of a few pieces that caught my eye.

He swooped in wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling my body back into his. "My leather looked better." He said while tucking his face in my neck and planting soft kisses on it.

I laughed and playfully mushed his face out of my neck. "Stop hating. You don't understand real fashion." I said mocking this snooty bitch in my design class' voice. She swore because she went to Milan for two weeks that she was Anna Wintour or something.

"Speaking of understanding stuff," Chris said as he turned me to face him. "I don't understand why we not together yet Byrd."

I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes, returning back to my fabrics. I didn't allow him to come with me today to talk about this.

"So you not going to answer?" he asked. I pulled my notepad out of my purse and flipped to my measurements page. Silently I began doing the math of what my totals would come to for my choice fabrics.

"Really?" he asked again. I still didn't answer. Not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't have an answer. I grabbed the different materials and carried it to the register. I offered a smile to the cashier and showed my measurements and they cut everything for me. I paid for everything and collected my bags, all in silence as I felt Chris staring a hole in the side of my head. I dared to not make eye contact with him out of risk of having to answer his question.