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)
“Now that’s different! I’m willing to be your test dummy!” Axel grinned.
“I know you are, and I’ll definitely take you up on that as I get the menu together. I remember one time my Aunt Andrea, my dad’s sister, came to visit us in Portland, all the way from Puerto Rico. She cooked the entire time she was there. My father was sick in those days. He recovered, obviously, but she’s passed on now. I’ll never forget her, or that delicious food she made. It inspired me, man. I remember sittin’ in the kitchen and watching every damn thing she did. It stuck with me. She taught me and Melanie a little Spanish, too.” He smiled to himself, thinking about those two weeks of culinary bliss and happiness. I learned the rest of my father’s first language later in my life on my own, with Melanie’s help. Aunt Andrea was a good person… He wished he’d gotten to spend more time with her. “Well, thank you for ridin’ out here with me.”
“You ain’t gotta thank me. That’s what we do. Support each other.”
“I’m going to put in an offer today, soon as we get back to my apartment. With the money I saved up, I’m payin’ for school, and I also have enough to do this. I can swing my bat at this opportunity.”
“Legend, you did it. Look at you, man. You’re thriving. This is the Legend I know… the one I remember. The goal-getter. The fighter.”
He began to chase after his dogs, playing and tussling with them, then stopped when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his pocket and noticed a text message from Desiree.
What? She’s inviting me over again?
He quickly texted her back, accepting the invitation.
Hell yeah, I’m coming over tomorrow night…
His lips curled as his fingers practically beat his phone keyboard to death.
“A! Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?” Axel interrupted his thoughts.
“Huh?” Legend quickly hit send, then slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“Don’t ‘huh,’ me, sneaky bastard.” Axel laughed. “Man, you were grinnin’ so wide, it almost looked obscene. Good news, I take it?”
Legend had been avoiding this conversation for a long while. It was going to go one of two ways. Axel would tease the shit out of him, because he spoke so badly about women and relationships the past couple of years ad nauseum, or he was going to try and get all into his business, make him spill his guts and confess he was a hypocrite. Hell, it was more realistic that it would be a combination of both.
“Since the time we were kids, Legend, only three things can make you grin like that—money, food, or pussy. Which is it?”
“Okay, check it. Hear me out, Axel. What I’m about to ask you is going to sound childish, but it’s been so long since I’ve felt like this, man, that I don’t even remember how it’s supposed to go.”
“Remember what?”
“I’m tryna tell you. So, before you were actually in love with English, when y’all were just datin’ and getting to know one another, when did you realize that, uh, there was somethin’ special between you? A spark? What tipped you off?”
Axel shifted his weight from one leg to the other, and his complexion deepened. Then, there it was—a seedy, all-knowing grin.
“I don’t want to be in a relationship, Axel, so stop lookin’ at me like that. I’m just asking because—”
“You lyin’ sack of shit. I wasn’t looking to be in a relationship when I met English, though I wasn’t opposed to it, either. Now here I am, three years later, married to the love of my life, and we got a son. Oh, shit… Mr. ‘Fuck Love’ stuck his foot in his mouth.”
“Axel… don’t start.” Legend held up his hand, and began walking in the opposite direction, trying to avoid direct eye contact.
“Who is she?” Axel hollered after him. “You’ve been keepin’ secrets, you fucker!”
He could hear the man running after him as his dogs jumped all around, excitedly playing with one another and causing a big fuss. Axel’s laughter echoed throughout the vast area, coming from all directions as he jogged away from the inevitable. Axel caught up with him, just like many things as of late, and as they looked at one another, they both burst out laughing.
Legend caught Trigger hunching down and taking a dump. Well, that pretty much sums it up. I’m in deep shit. Axel patted his arm, his eyes keenly on him. “Come on. What’s up?”
Legend took a deep breath, sorting his thoughts.
“I’ve been in school for a minute now, and, uh, there’s this girl. This woman.” He rubbed his hands together, feeling nervous for some reason. “I like her, man. We’ve been talkin’ a lot. Spending time together. We’ve got crazy chemistry. She said she only wants to be friends, but her actions, her words, everything else says otherwise. Normally I would bounce if a woman is playin’ games, being hard to get, but I think she’s just scared of getting hurt.” Axel nodded in understanding. “She’s feelin’ me. I can tell. We’ve got this almost magnetic connection. Finish each other’s sentences… she can understand me, and I can understand her. She didn’t judge me for my past, or rule me out. It’s like; she understands without me havin’ to explain everything. She makes… she makes it easy for me to just… talk.”