Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst

Author:Tembe Denton-Hurst
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

She didn’t spot anyone immediately, so she made a beeline for the food table, where burgers and hot dogs and fried fish and baked beans and potato salad and mac and cheese and ribs and grilled chicken sat waiting, suspended in metal baskets and kept warm with little blue flames. She picked up a plate and began to move through the line, taking a bit of everything. She finished making her plate and moved on to the cooler. She was attempting to balance it all, holding her plate slightly above her head as she bent over, using one hand to root around for an extra cold ginger ale.

“You need some help?” The sound of Tee’s voice startled her, and Mickey sat up too quickly, the cooler closing with a loud thump. She turned around to face Tee, wiping her hand discreetly on her shorts. “You look like you’re struggling.”

“I’m good,” Mickey replied. “I got it.”

“You sure?” Her mouth lifted into a half-smile. She nodded toward Mickey’s hand, wet and empty. “Doesn’t seem like you got what you were looking for.”

Mickey clucked her tongue. “I changed my mind.”

The two fell into silence and Mickey took the opportunity to take her in out of uniform. She still looked good. Too good. She wore an oversized black T-shirt and black mesh shorts, and Mickey couldn’t help but glance over at the scar on her right knee, evidence of the accident that had ended Tee’s career.

On her feet, Tee wore a pair of Nike Dunks that had long been sold out in Lex’s size. Mickey had wanted to surprise Lex with those for her birthday, but they were selling for double, triple the price. A blinding Cuban link chain circled Tee’s neck, heavy and diamond-studded, and Mickey wondered how much that cost, how many hours of cashiering she had to do to afford it. Her locs had been released from their bun, and now they curled around her face, big corkscrews that Mickey could get her fingers lost in. They were so long now . . .

Mickey realized she was drifting into fantasy and pulled herself back to the present. She looked around the party as if she had somewhere else to be and tried to locate Jasmine. Hoped that she would come and save her, separating her from Tee before she got too close.

“Why are you here?” Tee asked.

Mickey turned her head to the side and squinted her eyes. “It’s my goddaughter’s birthday. Why are you here?”

Tee shrugged. “I came for Miss Sharon’s mac and cheese.”

Mickey wrinkled her nose. Mickey didn’t touch Miss Sharon’s mac and cheese, which she always made with eggs.

“So how you been, superstar?”

Mickey allowed herself a small smile. Tee wasn’t even close to correct, but it sounded nice coming from her mouth. Made her feel all warm, especially followed by that grin. “Who, me?” Mickey asked.

“Yeah,” Tee said, mouth still stretched wide. “You.”

“I’m good,” Mickey said with a shrug. “Chilling.”

“Oh yeah?” Tee said. “You still stay up in New York?”

“I do.

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