Outcast (7 page)

Endless oil changes, engine tune-ups, and tire rotations filled the lazy summer days. Tirrell explained that he wanted to keep busy while on leave, and what better way than picking up a few hours at Mr. Crawl's garage. He'd made good on his promise to fix Betty's car and get her mobile so that she wouldn't have to rely on public transportation to get her back and forth to work. That made him happy.

There was an easy camaraderie between Tirrell and his coworkers. Sometimes after lunch he, Marquis, and another of the men would sneak off for a few tokes of a joint before returning to work. This did not go without the notice of the rest of the staff, but was only done when Mr. Crawl was not on the premises. Marquis didn't like to indulge as much as Tirrell, but he was always more of a follower than a leader.

Marquis was one of the first to befriend the introverted ten-year-old when he came to live with his grandmother after his mother's death. That early friendship blossomed and translated to Southside High School, where Tirrell's good looks quickly elevated his status. Neither boy participated in organized sports; still, Tirrell had the adulation of his peers (mostly girls). Marquis enjoyed the perks that came along with hanging with someone who was considered one of the coolest kids in school.

“So, you tell Miss Betty yet?”

Tirrell looked up from the engine block he was working on. “No, not yet.”

Marquis chuckled. “You still scared?”

Tirrell rolled his eyes.

“I'm kiddin'. You know my mama had to ask.”

Tirrell glared at him.

“Don't worry. I didn't say nothin' to her. You know she can't hold water.”

“Yeah, well you just make sure you keep that shit to yourself.” Tirrell returned to his work.

“We hangin' tonight?”

“Naw, I told you I'm takin' Tasha out.”

“Y'all been pretty tight since you got back. Things gettin' serious?”

“What? Like marriage or somethin'?”

“You know that's what she wants.”

“She knows I ain't ready for all that. We're just goin' to Bone's for her birthday.”

“Sooner or later you're gonna have to step up.”

“Tasha ain't goin' nowhere. Not as long as I got a hold to that little man in the boat.”

Tirrell held his fingers up in a V formation and snaked his tongue between them. He and Marquis bumped fists and laughed like mischievous school boys.

 

 

“Is that what you're wearing?” Darnell asked, leaning into the doorway of Tasha's bedroom.

“Yeah, what's wrong with it?”

“It's all right if you're goin' to somebody's funeral. I thought you bought the red dress.”

“I liked the black one better.”

“So, you buy your own outfit, then you got to go across town and chauffeur him around, too. Couldn't he have gotten his grandmother's car?”

“He said Miss Betty had to work tonight and he didn't want her to have to take the bus.”

Darnell smirked, folded his arms, and sauntered into the room, examining Tasha as she admired herself in the full-length mirror mounted on the wall. She delicately ran her hand over the beadwork that adorned the plunging bodice accentuating her creamy brown skin. She pulled gently at the hem of the sleeveless micro-mini and ran her hand down her nylon-covered thighs.

“This dress is sexy.”

“I guess it'll do,” Darnell agreed, pumping up the sleeves of his oversized sweatshirt. “You want me to do your makeup?”

Tasha shot him a side-glance and laughed. “I already did my makeup.”

Darnell squinted and leaned in. “I can't tell.”

“It's fine. Besides, the last time you offered to do my face I ended up looking like a drag queen.”

“It wasn't that bad.”

Tasha cut her eyes.

“Okay, well maybe it was a little over the top.” Darnell laughed. “What else is Magnum gettin' you besides indigestion?”

“Darnell.”

“He's been here practically every night for the past two weeks, and you know I can hear you. It sounds like y'all makin' a porno up in here.”

“No, we don't.”

Darnell fell over onto her unmade bed and thrashed around. “Oh, Tirrell. Oh . . . Oh . . . Oh . . . it's so big.”

Tasha grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the head with it. They laughed raucously.

“Stop it,” Tasha squealed, trying to regain composure. “You're gonna make me mess up my makeup.”

“What makeup?”

“I'm serious, Darnell. Stop.”

Tasha turned back to the mirror and fussed with her updo.

Darnell rolled off the bed. “Okay, I'll stop.”

“Thank you.”

“Seriously, you look hot, cousin.”

Tasha turned and stepped toward Darnell. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “Thank you for the earrings.”

“Don't thank me. Thank that tired queen I boosted them off of at the club last night.”

“What?”

“Girl, I'm jokin'. Now, go on and get outta here before your toad turns into a frog.”

 

 

Tirrell hurried out of the shower. He quickly dressed in a dark gray three-button suit that he'd left behind when he went off to basic training; it was a bit more fitted around the arms and thighs than it had been, but not too tight. He rubbed Egyptian musk oil in his hands, over his face, behind his ears, and down his neck as he crooned along with Jay-Z blaring from his CD player. Betty knocked at the door. He turned the music down.

“Come in.”

She stepped into the room. “Well, look at you all handsome.”

“Noonie, I thought you had to work late tonight.”

“I got off a half hour ago. You headed out?”

“Me and Tasha are goin' to Bone's for her birthday.”

“Her birthday? Lord, I forgot all about that. You smell nice.” Betty adjusted the collar of Tirrell's open shirt. “You know, I wanna say somethin' to you. I know this ain't my business; I'm just gonna say it anyway. I like Tasha. I think she's a nice girl. But, I'm no fool. I was young once. I know how these things go.”

“What things?”

“Hear me out. She may or may not be the girl you're gonna be with for the rest of your life. Just be careful. I don't wanna see either one of you get hurt.”

“So, what brought all this on?”

“Like I said, I ain't no fool.”

Tirrell smiled, acknowledging her insight, and kissed her cheek. “I got somethin' for you.”

“For me?”

He took out his wallet and handed her $200.

“What's this for?”

“I got paid today.”

“Tirrell.”

“I'm not stayin' here for nothin'. And I'm not gonna leech off of you.”

“Baby, you're not doin' that. I don't want your money. You need to take care of yourself.”

“Please, Noonie. Let me do this.” He embraced her and kissed her again. “After all, it's the least I could do for my best girl.”

“I'm sure gonna miss you when you go back to North Carolina.”

“Let's not talk about me leavin'. I just wanna enjoy bein' here while I can.”

“But we've barely had time to talk between you workin' and my schedule, and all that time you spend at Tasha's.”

Tirrell took his grandmother's hand. “I promise. We're gonna have some time together. Just you and me.”

The look in Betty's eyes melted Tirrell's heart. He wanted to unburden himself, but this wasn't the time. Subconsciously he'd stayed away to avoid saying anything at all—and then there was Kevin.

“I tell you what. I'm off tomorrow. Why don't we go somewhere and do somethin'?”

Betty cupped Tirrell's cheeks in her soft, warm hands and her eyes lit up. “I would really like that.”

The doorbell rang and drew their attention toward the living room. Betty headed to the door and Tirrell lingered behind. He pulled a plastic pouch of cocaine from his pocket and snorted a quick line before shutting off the CD player and following her.

Betty greeted Tasha at the door with a hug. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, Miss Betty.”

“I'm sorry. I forgot. I'm gonna have to bake you a cake or somethin'.”

“Red velvet?”

“Anything you want.”

“The last time I took some of your cake home my cousin ate it before I could get to it.”

“Now that's a mess. You tell your cousin that I said he better behave.”

“I'll do that.”

Tirrell came into the room, sniffing the residue of ecstasy. He grabbed Tasha and spun her around to show her off. She laughed.

Betty smiled. “I like that dress, Tasha. If I was twenty years younger and a hundred pounds lighter I might have to go out and find me one like it.”

“Noonie, where would you go in a dress like this?”

“There are some things you don't know nothin' about, Tirrell Ellis. I used to have it goin' on. I still got a few tricks up my sleeve that I could dust off if I needed to.”

They all got a laugh out of that.

“Y'all go on now.” Betty waved to them as they darted out the door to the car. “Have a good time.”

 

 

The upscale atmosphere of Bone's offered the perfect backdrop for Tasha's twenty-fifth. She ordered a Long Island Iced Tea and Tirrell ordered beer. Tasha glanced around excitedly, looking for the occasional local celebrity who was known to frequent the restaurant. She also anxiously waited for the gift from Tirrell that she dared not hope for.

“You look good, baby,” he said.

“Thank you,” she responded.

A female server approached the table. “Would you care for an appetizer?”

Tirrell glanced at the menu. “How about the shrimp cocktail?” He looked up at Tasha.

She nodded.

“Anything else to drink?”

“Not right now,” Tasha said, sipping slowly.

“I'll have another beer,” Tirrell requested.

The server turned away and Tirrell tried to catch a sly glimpse.

Tasha cleared her throat.

He adjusted himself. “She ain't got nothin' on you, baby.”

Tasha didn't respond.

“I got somethin' for you.” Tirrell reached into the pocket of his jacket.

Tasha held her breath. Her countenance almost fell when she saw the size of the box. She knew better than to expect it, but the box was too rectangular to be a ring. She forced a smile.

“Happy birthday.” Tirrell leaned and kissed her softly.

Tasha picked up the box and slowly pulled at the silver-rose inlaid wrapping. “Did Miss Betty wrap this for you?”

“No. The saleslady at the mall did.”

Tasha smiled as she opened the box to find the diamond tennis bracelet inside that she'd spied as they strolled through the mall together the previous week. It wasn't a ring, but she knew it was all his heart was disposed to give.

“I love it,” she gushed.

They shared another kiss and he helped her snap the clasp around her wrist. She held out her hand to admire its sparkle as the candlelight danced and reflected from it. The server returned with his beer. He promptly sucked it down and excused himself to the restroom.

While Tasha sat gazing at the bracelet, a well-dressed man sidled up to the table.

“Hey, Tasha. What's happenin', baby?”

Tasha gasped when she looked up into his eyes. He flashed a wicked smile and without waiting for an invitation eased into Tirrell's seat. He took her hand and squeezed. She abruptly pulled away.

“Rickey, what are you doin' here?”

“I gotta eat, don't I?”

Tasha nervously looked around to see if Tirrell was headed back to the table.

The man eyed her as if she were an entree on the menu. “Damn, girl. You look good as hell.”

“Rickey, you gotta go.” She swallowed hard. “I . . . I'm here with somebody.”

“Another man? Is that why I haven't heard from you? You know, I must've called and left you a half dozen messages, and I don't do that for most women. I looked for you around the gym, too. Are you purposely avoiding me?”

“No.”

“You know you did something to me that nobody else has ever done.”

“Please. That line is so tired.”

“I'm serious. How can I prove it to you?”

The server returned with their appetizer and saw the man who sat next to Tasha. She arched her brow, noting that it wasn't Tirrell, and smirked. “Can I get you something from the bar?”

“No,” Tasha blurted. “He's not staying.”

“Would you like another Long Island?”

Tasha glared at the girl and she left the table.

The man took Tasha's hand again and continued. “So, who's this buster you're out with?”

“Rickey, I'm not kiddin'.” Tasha snatched her hand away. “You have to go!”

The man scooped up one of the shrimp from the cocktail and popped it into his mouth. “Maybe I should just stick around and see who my competition is,” he teased.

“Dammit, Rickey . . . we . . . I . . .”

“Who the hell is this?”

Tasha jerked and turned to see Tirrell behind her. She closed her eyes and murmured, “Shit.”

“Rickey Hicks,” the man said as he stood and extended his hand to Tirrell for an introduction.