Page 8 of A Little Kissing Between Friends

Nodding, I turned back to the table to finish unbagging the food, studiously ignoring the way my stomach started twisting in knots the moment she grabbed me. It was only because I was hungry, and it was just pure coincidence that it happened when it did.

I did know how Poppa got when she was in the zone, which was why I got on her like I did. It was one thing to be so wrapped up in your work that you barely remembered to check your phone, let alone remembered to eat. But being reminded and opting out was another thing completely. This was exactly the reason I had to bring her hard-headed ass lunch.

“Mmhm,” I hummed once I finished emptying the bag. “Sit down and eat. You’re gonna need more than five minutes though.” I added the last part, remembering her asking the rapper for a small break.

Her eyes lifted toward the ceiling, but she nodded. “Yes, Mom. Anything else?”

“No, smart ass.” Laughing, I tilted my head toward the food.

To her credit, she didn’t say another word, just sat down and lifted her chin at Hitta. Both hands lifted in the air, he shook his head before she could speak.

“Aye, I heard her loud and clear. You gotta eat and I won’t be the one to argue.” He motioned to the folks on the sofa. “We’re gonna go for a little walk and stretch our legs.” Then he turned to me. “Twenty okay?”

I smiled. “That’s perfect. Thank you.”

They left and Poppa shook her head. “You really think you run the show, huh?”

Sitting down, I lifted the lid on the gyoza. “Girl, shut up.”

Laughing, she pulled the temaki out of the container I’d pushed toward her, and the aroma of the smoked meat and vinegared rice hit the air. Poppa bounced her shoulders and my stomach rumbled.

“This smells amazing.”

I snapped apart the pair of wooden chopsticks Tessa had tossed in the bag and used them to divvy up the gyoza and tempura between the two of us before digging in. Although it sounded odd, I had no hesitations about the gyoza. I completely trusted Tessa and Anna, and when I took a bite of one of the dumplings, I was reminded why. The tangy sweetness of the beans immediately transported me to my youth, when my family would gather together at the park on a holiday and have a cookout. As usual, I was in awe at how Tessa and Anna managed to take two things that I would’ve bet cold hard cash did not go together and marry them in a way that just made so much sense.

We fell into a comfortable silence as we ate, with only murmurs sounding every now and then. I’d missed our mundane moments like this while she’d been away.

“What are you about to do?” Poppa asked once we finished eating. We’d put all of the empty containers back into the bag it had come in and stood up from the table. She’d lifted the bag of trash from our meal off of the table, but I took it out of her hands.

“I’m heading to Sanity for a little bit. I have a meeting with Glenda and then I’m going to try and catch Mercedes’s set.”

Poppa nodded. “You coming by the house after?”

I turned to her, eyebrow lifted. “You asking?”

Her lips spread into a slow grin as she looked toward the booth, shaking her head.

“Man...”

Tilting my head to the side, I propped my hands on my hips and faced her. She always tried to pull this on Thursdays, knowing good and well that I had a standing date with my television.

“No, let’s talk about it, because you know that I’m binging Instant I Do reruns before season four drops next week, and I don’t want to hear your mouth. The reruns started before you left and I’m not giving that up just because you’re back.”

Just as she busted out laughing, the door opened and Hitta reentered with his wife and her sister. Catching my eye, Hitta gave me an expectant look.

“We good?”

Poppa sucked her teeth and dropped down into the executive chair in front of the soundboard.

“Aye man, say man! Don’t be asking her like she the one running shit in here.”

Hitta raised his hands in surrender as me and the other women busted out laughing.

“No offense, Cyn, but shorty definitely give off Big Boss energy.” He shrugged, a sly grin coming across his handsome face. “I mean...she said eat and you sat your ass down and ate, amiright?”

Tossing her head back, Poppa gripped the bill of her cap and cracked up. Watching her laugh made me laugh even harder. It took a minute for her to sober up enough to point toward the booth.

“Man, get yo ass in the booth!”