I decided to change the subject and I did this by asking, “What are you doing here anyway?”
“I came to find out what’s goin’ on with you and Mitch seein’ as one day Bray tells me you’re makin’ Mitch your barbeque chicken pizza, which was news enough considering he’s been into you since you scraped off that jackass and he spent years lookin’ for an in that you didn’t give him. Then you disappear off radar and the next thing I know you’re drinkin’ wine at his place, he’s actin’ like you’re the finest piece of crystal in the whole wide world and he’d go direct into smackdown should anyone threaten to break you and I’m bringin’ over your shit to stay awhile. And since you ain’t answerin’ your phone, I had to haul my black ass all the way out here to get the scoop. But I’ll tell you what, I sure am glad I did. I can’t wait to tell Bray and Brent you slept in Mitch’s bed with Mitch.”
“No!” I cried, reaching out again to grab her arm as the phone rang. “Don’t tell Bray and Brent.”
“Are you high?” she asked, her eyebrows shooting to her hairline. “There is no way I’m not sharin’ this. This is huge. Half the single women in the Evergreen moved to the Evergreen because Mitch lives there, silly bitches, since he does not dip his toe in his home pool. Derek told me he has a strict rule, no Evergreen babes. He doesn’t need to be bumpin’ into old booty calls every time he goes to the gym. Now, he’s hooked up with you and you’re right across the breezeway. The whole Evergreen is gonna be all over this.”
I felt my heart slide into my throat and my lungs started burning as I heard Roberta say, “Pierson’s Mattress and Bed, how can I be of help?” Then she went on to say something that made my heart swell in my throat so it started choking me, “Well hey there, Mitch! How the heck are you?”
I turned woodenly to her to see she was staring at the counter and grinning ear to ear.
“Yeah, she’s right here and I gotta tell you, you called just in time. She just had another customer hit on her,” Roberta informed Mitch and my hand flew out to curl around the edge of the counter as I stared at her aghast. “Happens all the time,” Roberta shared. “See, he may come back, sometimes they do, and I hope you don’t mind but I fibbed a little, told the customer she was dating a police detective who never missed a workout. You don’t do you? Ever miss a workout?” she asked curiously, settling in with a hip to the counter like she was going to gab with Mitch all day and I heard LaTanya giggle. “Right, that’s what I thought,” Roberta muttered, her smile going broader but her eyes getting a little glazed then she snapped out of it and finished, “So anyway, if he comes back, I can tell him she’s on the phone with her man, is that cool with you?”
That was when I found my voice but just barely so it came out as a whisper when I demanded, “Bobbie, give me the phone.”
“Oh great, glad that’s cool with you,” Roberta said to Mitch.
Oh God!
“Bobbie,” I said louder. “Give me the phone.”
“What?” Roberta asked. “Sure. You too. Hope to see you later.” Pause then, “Bye Mitch.” Then her head came up, her shining eyes came to me and shared, “He never misses a workout just as is suspected.”
LaTanya hooted with laughter.
I snatched the phone out of Roberta’s hand, glared at her, pushed in front of her and gave both my friends my back as I put the phone to my ear.
“Mitch?”
“Hey sweetheart,” he said softly, I could hear laughter in his voice and I felt that familiar whoosh in my belly.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“It was, until your friend told me a customer hit on you. That happen a lot?”
“Um…”
“It happens a lot,” he muttered.
“Uh…”
He was back to sounding amused when he remarked, “Good to know your girl’s got your back.”
“Um…” I mumbled then pulled myself together and asked, “Why are you calling?”
“Wanted to give you a brief. Got the kids. We’re at the Station. They looked through some photos. The good news is, it isn’t the Russian mob. The bad news is, we have no clue who it is. Showed the kids some photos of your cousin’s known associates, nothin’ sparked. Bud’s workin’ with a sketch artist now.”
“Is Billie helping?” I asked.
“No, she had a rough night and followed that up with a rough morning. Showed her mug shots but that’s as far as I wanted to take it with her. Hank, a friend of mine, came in with his woman. Now Billie’s drawing in an interrogation room with Roxie.”
“Thanks, Mitch,” I said softly. “I think that was the right thing to do.”
“Yeah,” he replied just as softly then asked, “You’ll be home around seven?”
“Just after,” I answered.
“I’ll get the kids fed. You got a taste for something for dinner?”