Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
English had gifted him an amazing book showcasing famous chefs from around the world, including full-gloss photos of them in action, holding or preparing one of their signature dishes, and captions of where they were located and what restaurant they worked at, or in some cases, owned. He placed the full ashtray back down and flipped through it, loving the smell of the glossy pages. Motivation. It reminded him of the book that Ms. Florence had given him so long ago. An updated version.
Not wanting to lollygag any further, he got back to business. Picking back up, he washed the few dishes in the sink, took the trash out, and clipped Tank’s nails. They’d grown so long, the sounds of the beast clicking and clacking against the linoleum drove him crazy. His cellphone rang, and he noticed it was a number he wasn’t familiar with, so he left it alone. Spam callers were getting out of control. After a short while, the voicemail notification on his phone lit up.
“All right, go on.” He pet Tank on the head, dismissing him. The big baby galloped away, tongue wagging. Grabbing his phone, he replayed the message as he leaned back on his couch.
“Hi, Legend, this is Tina. Gimme a call when you can, baby.”
He recognized the voice, and the name. It was his soon-to-be mother-in-law. The woman had never called him directly on the phone before, though he was aware she had his number.
I wonder if something is wrong with Desiree?
A bit concerned, he quickly called Tina back.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Ms. Washington. It’s Legend callin’ you back. Everything okay?”
“Yes, baby. Everything is fine. I just hope you can do me a favor. I need a few groceries. I ain’t drivin’ yet, don’t have a car, and Desiree and my other chirren can’t help me right now because they’re workin’ or busy. I will Cash App you the money in advance. Do you mind pickin’ me up a few things? It ain’t much.”
Legend looked at the time, but knew damn well he wasn’t going to say no, despite just wanting to stay home and chill for a bit.
“Sure, I can do that.” She didn’t live too far from him. He’d been at her house a few times with Desiree, so he knew exactly where she stayed.
“What’s ya Cash App, baby?”
“Oh, Mrs. Washington, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“All right, baby. Want me to text you what I need, or you want to write it down?”
“Text me. That’ll be best.”
“Okay, I’ll do it right now.”
Legend ended the call and within seconds, he saw a few simple items on the list:
Gallon of milk, bag of white sugar, Jiffy cornbread mix, wheat bread, head of cabbage, eggs, bacon (any brand), breakfast sausage links, turkey luncheon meat, 12 pk Cola, and brown mustard.
Easy enough. Let me hurry up and get this shit outta the way.
He put his sneakers back on, grabbed his keys, jumped in his Tundra, and headed to the nearby Kroger grocery store. Getting past a small crowd of people blocking the front automatic doors, he entered and was immediately greeted by the sounds of soft instrumental jazz. Regardless of the relaxing music, he hated this particular Kroger and typically avoided it, but with him being short on time, it would just have to do. Per usual, it was a bit dirty, and many of the shelves were empty.
As he glanced down at his phone, he noticed a security guard in his personal space. Ignoring him, he grabbed a cart and began shopping. Within minutes, he had placed the milk, eggs, bacon, sausage links, and the luncheon meat in the cart. He headed over to the produce section, checking the list on his phone again, and grabbed the cabbage. Since apples were on sale and he knew Ms. Washington loved Honeycrisp ones, he picked up a couple, put them in a produce bag, and placed them in the cart as well. As he got ready to head to the bread aisle, he almost bumped into the security guard again. The man was so close to him, he could barely make a full circle without hitting the bastard’s arm.
They stared at one another for a good long while. It was strange—more than that, downright unnerving. Legend put on an impassive look, despite the flash of rage that coursed through him when he realized the man had the same exact eyes as Major Greenwald.
“Why in the fine frog hair fuck are you all up on me, man?” Legend barked.
“Now, there’s no need to use that type of language. I’m just doin’ my job is all.”
“If y’all have a theft problem in this dirty ass store, start by stealin’ some Mr. Clean your damn self, and wash down these floors.”
“If you have a problem with this store, you don’t have to come here.” The man rocked back on his thick-soled shoes.