Rason & Eliza - Cee Bowerman Page 0,7

I shook my head at her and furrowed my brow. “Smarty pants.”

“He sounds hot,” Mesha admitted. “Served some time in the military, so he’s good with hard work and structure. Takes care of his teeth, so that points to good hygiene which will probably roll over into a clean living environment. What do his hands look like?”

“I think he’s a mechanic. He’s got oil around his cuticles even though his hands look clean,” I mused, remembering how his hand felt in mine when we introduced ourselves. “I think he’s part Vietnamese. He’s growing a plant from there and needed a book on how to get it to produce fruit.”

“One or both of his parents is Vietnamese then,” Jayla deduced.

“So you’re just pining for him, or are y’all going to go out? What’s up?”

“A while back, he came in with this woman. I found out today that her name is Robin. Anyway, she got mad at him about something and had a fit the last time they were here. I mean, toddler in the cereal aisle fit, complete with arm waving and foot stomping. I was embarrassed for him, honestly.”

“Robin?” Jayla asked, her head tilted.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “He’s been in a few times without her, but they were together today. He treated her like an annoying little sister or something though. Definitely not like they were dating. Before she showed up next to us again, he asked me out for coffee.”

“So he has a girlfriend and tried to pick you up while she was in the store? This is going to require something bigger than a kitchen disposal.” Mesha was sitting up next to Jayla now and shook her head slowly. “Men are fucking pigs.”

“No, that’s not it. I heard him tell her they weren’t dating, so that’s why he wouldn’t take her to his parents’ house.”

“Okay, so why was she there with him then?”

“He said he’d explain it to me if I’d give him a chance, so that’s what I’m considering. Do I give him a chance to explain or assume he’s an ass that has a revolving door of women?”

“What did the girl look like?” Jayla asked. “Robin, right?”

“She was maybe 5’8”. Brown hair with highlights, lots of mascara, and a whiny voice.”

“Did she look a little crazy around the eyes?” Jayla motioned toward her face and Mesha looked over at her like she was the crazy person.

“You know, yeah, she kind of did.” I laughed. “That’s so mean of me to say, but I could see the crazy. Especially after that fit she threw on her last visit.”

“I think she’s a nurse. Different departments, but she works on my floor sometimes. I think she’s a floater.” Jayla looked over at Mesha and bit her lip for a second. “Remember I told you about the girl that got crossways with Cindy? They took her out of Cindy’s department because of the argument they got into when she told a lie.”

“Oh, I remember that,” Mesha recalled with wide eyes. “Didn’t Cindy accuse her of keying her car?”

“Yeah, but there wasn’t any proof, so the hospital administrators wouldn’t get involved.”

“I can see her doing something like that.” I nodded. “There’s just something about her that feels unstable.”

“I’d give the coffee date a chance,” Mesha advised. “It sounds like he’s treating her like a human being even though he doesn’t want to date her, and that says a lot about his character. Just make sure that he’s honest with you. We can have him checked out if you want. Cindy’s husband is a cop.”

“Let me see if he even calls first.” I laughed. “Then you can start the background checks.”

“Look at you two... big sister giving advice, little sister reining in her paranoid streak. It’s cute,” Jayla teased.

“It is kind of nice having a big sister watching out for me.” I smiled at the two women. “I like it.”

“Remember that you said that when she bitches at you for doing something stupid or making a huge mistake,” Jayla warned. “That’s what big sisters do sometimes.”

“Yeah, I dole out realism, not fantasy. If you want someone to blow smoke up your ass, call the Marlboro Man.”

I laughed at Mesha’s joke and Jayla just shook her head.

“So he’s growing a special fruit. That’s some dedication right there. He must really like it.” Jayla sounded a little uncertain, but at least she was supportive.

Mesha on the other hand stuck to the realism she’d warned me about. “Or he’s practicing so he can start growing weed.”

3.

“What