“So, what’s on the agenda today?” I asked.
“If we’re not playing any more games, I do have some action flicks I’d like to catch up on.”
“Are they gruesome?”
“No.” He shook his head as he took a sip of his juice. “But considering what you watched the first night we got here, you should be able to more than stomach the movies I have in mind.”
“Okay, then I can pick the next activity.”
Stenton rolled his eyes, adorably. “What would that be?” He feigned annoyance.
“Teaching you how to cook.”
He paused his chewing and gave me a blank stare. “Cook?” he mumbled with a mouthful. “For what?”
“Because we should all at least know how to fry an egg…successfully.”
“I don’t need to learn how to cook, just work to pay someone else to do it for me,” he garbled before swallowing his food.
I shook my head. “You need to know how to cook to fend for yourself in the event you’re without a cook, like now.”
“But you’re here and you can cook.”
“What if it wasn’t me? What if I couldn’t cook?” I challenged.
He held his glass to his mouth as he replied, “Zo, no other female alive could get me to drop everything and come up here on the fly. So I knew like hell you could cook or else we’d starve.”
“But you assumed I could cook. You shouldn’t do that, Stent. I don’t mind cooking. I love it actually, but everyone should know how to cook. You could find yourself stranded with another woman who can’t cook. Just look at it as an added skill.” I shrugged again and turned my attention to my plate. “Some girls like men who cook.”
From my peripheral I could see Stent frozen on his stool. I don’t know why I had to mention him being with another woman. He was with me and that’s all that should have mattered. Then why was I going the jealous route? I’m never jealous.
Does sex do this to women?
No! I will not be that woman.
“Okay,” I heard him murmur. I braved a glance up at him. “You can teach me how to cook.”
The doorbell rang, stealing our attention. Stent grunted and mumbled some expletive-filled phrase before standing to get the door. I was left wondering if learning how to cook for women was his motivation for consenting.
Silly girl!
I heard mumbling outside of the massive kitchen. Then clear words grew louder just before Alton turned the corner and entered. He was wearing a black goose, sweats and Timberland boots.
“Noooooooooooooo!” he sang, almost in a tormented fashion. My brows knitted. Alton’s upper body slammed down into his legs, bringing his athleticism to life, as he continued crying out the word.
He was not the only person surprised. No one knew Stenton and I were friends. It was our secret. In my deluded mind, I was still afraid of Angela finding out and feeling betrayed. So what she’d slept with Alton enough to forget her strong attraction to Stenton. This wasn’t good for me…at all.
Alton continued with his melodramatic antics, throwing himself into the wall next to him. Falling into the counter, holding his chest. “I can’t believe this shit! Why ain’t nobody tell me?” He turned to Stenton and cried, “Are you serious, Stent? I thought we were bro-besties, man!” Then his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Fucking Angela lied again! Zo ain’t no damn virgin, I see!”
I gasped at not only his brashness, but his knowledge of my virginity. Stenton’s neck collapsed and he covered his face with his hand. I was mortified.
“Did she tell you that?” I asked, aghast.
“Yeah, but I kinda believed her. You do come across a little Virgin Mary-ish, Zo. I mean, church girls lose their virginities before their asses are even baptized. Y’all are the best pieces of ass…all freaky and shit! Trust me, I know. Angela was my latest conquest.”
“Aye, man!” Stenton growled. “Don’t come over here with that bullshit.”