She turned back into the room and started slowly counting. I stood there for a few seconds, watching her round booty jiggle, remembering why I decided to go along with this ridiculousness in the first place. By the time she got to twelve, I hauled ass out the door. I ran down the spiral staircase and hung a left. I couldn’t believe how giddy I felt about hiding at my age. But as my socks slid against the shiny marble floors, it took my interest to a next level. I glided towards my study, but quickly decided that was too easy a location. I needed to make her search more difficult to end this game prematurely. She’ll get so frustrated that she’ll forfeit her turn and call it quits.
I opened the door to the basement level and ran past my gym, sauna, wine cellar, basketball court, and pool room. I didn’t stop until I got to the storage room where the boiler was. Then I went deep inside the room and hid underneath the small window. From there I had perfect lighting to view the door in case she was smart enough to find me all the way back here.
My damn phone went off in my pocket. Quickly, I jumped to pull it out and switch off the ringer clip. It was a message from Alton.
Coach wants us early Wed morning.
I snorted. Don’t you think he told me dumb ass.
O yeah. I guess so. LMAO. Im just bored as fiduk. What ass u into tonite?
How ironic a question. You mean whose ass I want to be into, but can’t man the fuck up.
Just chillin’ at the crib. I decided on.
U down the road or up the block?
Up the block. I replied.
Shit! Why the fuck did I tell him that? Now, his ass will be over while Zo— “Here you are!” Zoey whispered hard, scaring the shit out of me.
“Muthafuckin…!” I damn near jumped out of my fucking socks.
Zoey held her stomach as she fell over laughing. I was mad as hell. Thanks to fucking Alton, I lost a game of “Hide and Go Seek”…in my house…to a damn girl! Zoey couldn’t stop laughing. She had tears falling from her eyes and could barely breathe. As fuming as I was, there was something about her laughter that nulled my irritation.
“Stent!” I heard like a balloon popping. I found Zoey, whose breaths were now coming in longer draws, looking at me.
“Huhn?” I asked.
“Who was that?” she asked in a tone that told me she was repeating herself.
“Oh! Ummm…Alton’s dumb ass!” I grabbed my phone from the floor where it had landed.
“Well, give him my thanks for making this so easy. You didn’t even hear me open the d-door!” she choked on her laughter.
Yeah, I damn sure will be telling his ass something. Even unknowingly, he put my ass out there.
“Your turn!” she yelled while she headed to the door, still laughing. “You have to count to fifty!”
I glanced down at my phone and found Al’s last message.
Cool. Im cumin thru tomar
Don’t even waste your fuckin time! He’d probably interfere in something else.
Whada fuk crawled up yo ass?
Before I could answer, my phone lit up with a call.
“Yeah, Zeek,” I answered.
“Stent! I’m glad I caught you,” my jeweler damn near shouted in my ear. “I wanted to know if you approved that design I sent over last week. I want to get started on it before the Valentine’s Day crowd, man.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself from being scared the shit out of. I headed towards the door believing it had been at least fifty seconds. As I searched each unlocked room of the basement I spoke about the details of a diamond chain I was having made. Thank god there were just a few unlocked rooms down there; I could have been searching for hours.
I made my way to the main level, going room to room like a damn fourth grader. Midway through the house, I got discouraged, believing my conversation with Zeek was distracting my manhunt. He was asking me to recall details from his sketch.
“Let me go grab that from my bedroom. I’m on my way there now,” I informed as I trekked the steps, two at a time.
“Okay, Stent, man, but it’s on the edge of the cut that I altered. What you were asking for could compromise the security of the diamonds,” he replied, still trying to make his point.
“All right, I see what you mean. I just need to see—”