to Red’s tonight to hear Creed play.
Creed was trying out with a band tonight that played at several of the local college bars. He hadn’t come back to the apartment all day, at least while I was there. Going to see him play wasn’t what I wanted to do. However, it was rude to tell Griff I didn’t want to go. I thought about faking a headache.
“Thanks for the food,” Chet called out from the kitchen.
“You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me stay a couple extra days,” I replied.
“Hell, if you want to stay and buy the groceries and cook I am good with that,” he said.
Griff walked back into the apartment then with damp hair and a freshly shaven face. I sighed in appreciation. He was so nice to look at and he was mine. He gave me a wicked grin. “Keep looking at me like that and we won’t get real far,” he teased.
Chet laughed and walked out of the kitchen with a sandwich and a bag of chips in his hands. “At least let me get to my bedroom first.”
Griff saw the food in his hands. “She has us set up I see,” he said then smiled back at me.
“Hold on tight to her pretty boy because I’m in love,” Chet replied.
“You’re going to need to get over it. She’s taken,” Griff said.
Chet made an exaggerated pout. “How will I go on?”
A knock at the door interrupted his teasing. Griff turned around and opened it. A scantily dressed blonde beamed at him. “Hiya, I’m looking for Creed. Tell him Jazz is here,” she said.
Jazz? Was she serious? Who had a name like Jazz?
“Uh, he’s not here,” Griff replied then looked back at Chet.
Chet walked over to the door and Griff moved away then turned and came toward me.
“He expecting you?” Chet asked then finished chewing the large bite of sandwich in his mouth.
“Yes. We are going to the gig together,” she said then added, “I’m the lead singer in Kranx.”
“Ah, okay, well come in and he should be here soon I guess. You might want to text him. Haven’t heard from him in a while,” Chet told her.
“Thanks but I can’t. I’ve got to get going. I’ll call him,” she said then spun around on her red heels and walked away.
Chet closed the door and then turned back toward us. “Jazz seems high maintenance,” he said and rolled his eyes.
Griff chuckled and kissed my head. “I’m going to go get changed.”
I probably needed to change too.
“You might want to eat something before we go tonight. Red’s isn’t known for their menu. It has colon cancer stamped all over it,” Chet told me then took a bite of the banana in his hand.
“Colon cancer?” I asked confused.
He shrugged. “You know fried greasy shit.”
“Oh!” I replied.
He grinned. “I sound like a doc already,” he replied looking smug.
The door to the apartment opened then and Creed came walking inside. Fighting not to look his way was difficult. He was hard to ignore.
“Jazz came by, you weren’t here, she left,” Chet told him then sank down onto the sofa.
Creed nodded but his attention was on the banana Chet was eating. “Where did you get a banana?” he asked.
Chet pointed it in my direction. “Beautiful here went grocery shopping. We have legit food in the kitchen.”
My eyes met Creed’s as he shifted his attention to me. “You’re leaving tomorrow,” he stated. I assumed he was pointing that out because I’d bought food.
“We get to keep her a few more days. Movers are having mechanical issues,” Chet answered for me. I was thankful for that. Talking to Creed after being apart from him for any given time was hard. I didn’t want it to be hard. I wanted to look at Creed the same way I looked at Chet.
Creed said nothing but headed toward his bedroom. When the sound of the door closing behind him clicked softly, I was studying my hands. I didn’t watch him walk. Things always felt awkward. For me. Not him.
“He’s a moody dude,” Chet said from the sofa across from me. “Always has been or as long as I’ve known him he has been.”
That got my attention and I lifted my gaze to meet his. “He’s your cousin,” I stated the obvious.
Chet nodded. “Yeah, but he hasn’t always been. His mom married my dad’s brother four years ago.”
Oh…okay. Thinking of his mother married to someone else was odd. The last good memory I had of his parents, his mother