“Who? Aivery and ‘nem? She’s tight as hell about Samantha and Jerome being here.” She rolled her eyes. “They’ll be a’ight! Tori know how to deal with them when they act up anyway. Did you hear about how she whooped that Russian girl’s ass from USC?” She mimicked a fighter throwing air punches, cracking me the hell up. Hell yeah, I knew about last week’s fight. I watched it live from the sports complex. The University of Southern California had slept on Tori. “She ate that bitch up!”
“Where is she?”
“Tori? I ‘on’t know. She was playing pool downstairs.”
“Okay. I’ll get up after I get settled in.”
“Alright, love!” She continued downstairs.
I pushed open the door on the side of the house, trying to remind myself to chill. This wasn’t the Blakewood campus. Discretion needed to be on one thousand out here. But fuck getting settled in. I hadn’t seen Tori since I returned to Blakewood from Indianapolis when we celebrated for a day and a half, and made up for my withdrawal after being confronted by Trisha. She skipped out on classes that day, staying holed up with me at my apartment, overdosing on Margherita pizza and makeup/celebratory sex.
I may not have been able to spend much time with Tori this semester, but word got around. DJ Paulie had been calling himself sniffing up her ass. They’d gone out on a few dates since last month. Tori and I didn’t waste much time talking about him or them. I didn’t even trip when I learned he was following her ass here for spring break. But now that I’d touched down and hadn’t seen her, it fucked with me.
Where in the hell was she?
Outside near the wooded area on the side of the house, I walked a narrow pathway until I heard a low voice. It was definitely Tori’s: one word answers, not many sentences. Her backside came into view with flip flops, dark pink bikini bottoms, and a netted, hot pink hood over her bikini top. She was being modest. I’d picked out and purchased every stitch of clothing she was wearing and knew the netted hoodie didn’t go with the bikini.
“So, when’s that appointment?” Tori was alone, talking on her Blackberry. “Okay.”
I stopped once a few feet away.
“But she’s good, though. Right? Okay. Yeah. Cool.” She ended the call and dropped the phone near her thigh.
Tori gazed out to the not so beautiful, undeveloped vista.
“What’s wrong?”
She turned my way, freezing at my presence. “When did you get here?”
“That ain’t answering my question.”
Tori sauntered over, her arms wrapped around me in a needy embrace. “I missed you.”
“That don’t answer my question either.” I returned her embrace, feeling how tense I was up until this point.
My palm gripped the side of her back when Tori’s nose grazed my neck. I could feel my dick awaken. Then she withdrew her head and peered over my shoulder to be sure we were alone.
“Everyone seems to be at the beach. Now, tell me.”
Tori shook her head. “It’s not a big deal. My mother’s been sick for a few months now. They’ve been sending her from doctor to doctor. This last one finally gave her a diagnosis.”
“What is it?”
She shrugged. “MS. I never heard of it, but told her I’d do some research and get back to her. The doctor gave her a whole bunch of pamphlets on it, but she ain’t reading none of that shit.”
I whispered, considering it, “Multiple sclerosis. My high school coach’s wife had it.”
“Is she still alive?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard otherwise. How’s your mom holding up?”
“I don’t really know. She didn’t say much besides she’s tired. My aunt told her to file for disability.”
“And how do you feel about the news? You need to process that shit.”
Her eyes gazing up at me said it all. “I don’t feel like being around a lot of people. I wish…” She moved closer, falling into me. “Christmastime in an upstate New York village. Champagne—or even rum.”
“Am I included in that fantasy?” Tori’s fro ponytail bounced when she nodded. “Say no more.” I exhaled over her head. We were on the same page of needing an escape. “I’m with you. I can get us a flight out of here. Anywhere you wanna go.”
Her head lifted, looking me dead in the face. I wanted her to see how sincere I was. On second thought, I realized Tori knew how dead ass serious I was.