Chapter 3

Click! Click! The distant sounds as Janine scrolls through the channels on her screen. Typically she'll pick out a movie on Netflix or maybe Tubi, but now she was trying to find something good on regular tv. Eventually, after failing, she settled for the series The Game on Netflix.  Janine let the series play picking up her phone and scrolling on Facebook and liking a few posts here and there, and commenting on some of her old friend's posts. Now she was watching a video and laughing at how dumb these people were. It was an exercise video, two goofballs, one man turning simple exercises like pushups into acrobatic gymnastics. And the other man complaining or her favorite saying of his, "OH Hell, Nah?"    

Janine laughs, repeating the scene where the man tries to replicate the poll exercise to fall on his ass. When she tries to rewind the third time, the video pauses, and an incoming call appears on the screen. It was an unfamiliar and unknown number, so Janine pressed the decline button and returned to her video. However, as the video loads in, it's again interrupted, and the call symbol appears again the same number. However,r this time,e Janine answered, "Hello?" 

She hoped her annoyance didn't slip through as she spoke. The line was silent for a bit until, "How you've been, Janine?"Janine's eyes widen. It was knowing that she didn't mistake the voice. A voice that left a bitter taste in her mouth and disgusted her to the core. "How the hell did you get my number Larry," Janine questions? The authority and venom were slipping through her voice. However, when it came to this man, Janine didn't care how she may appear. "Aww, come on, Janine, don't be like that. I was calling to check up on you. I heard from some of your friends you started your own Lill business. A décor business if I'm not mistaking," Janine rolls her eyes as she listens to Larry. 

Janine lets out a frustrated sigh before saying, "Yeah, it's a Décor, but seriously what do you want? Your ass ain't just calling to see how I'm doing.  You must have forgot I was married to your trifling ass for years I know how you work the only time you the least bit of nice is when you want something. Damn opportunistic bastard." Janine was now standing up as she paced around her living room. "Can't get anything over you huh," Larry says.  However,  whether or not he wanted a response Janine didn't know and to be frantic she didn't give a damn. 'You once could but not anymore and Never again Larry.' 

She thinks to herself as Larry continues, "So I've been doing some thinking, and during this whole time I've finally come to my senses, and I know this might not mean much to you considering how we ended off, but I want you to know that there wasn't a minute that went by that I didn't think of you. Janine....I'm sorry and if you can find it in your heart to forgive me then maybe just maybe we could focus building back our relationship and you can give me another chance. I will become the man worthy fo-"  "For me," Janine finishes his sentence before laughing and she was indeed laughing. How many years has it been? And he still uses that same fucking excuse the one she had heard him say to many times. "Janine?" Larry questions as Janine ends her laughter of mockery with a few giggles before telling the man, "Do you remember when we first met?" 

The line goes silent for a minute as if Larry compteplated on why she was asking.

Larry confused as to why she asked says, "Yes I do." 

(FLASHBACK 15 YEARS AGO)  

"Janine make sure you finish unpacking these boxes. Don't play you know you always be playing get your work done so we can close this shop up early boss only gonna give you so many chances," Janine hears her assistant manager says as she flicks him off. The boy was also her bestfriend Michael, and she knew even if she didn't finish the work he would do it for her.  Janine looks towards him and smiles as she waves him off. "I got you I'll finish it up no promises though might have a date and old man Kuntz don't mind whish you stop being such a stick in the mud," Janine laughs as her friend glares at her before telling her, "Yeah okay whatever just don't come complaining to me when your ass be out of a job Ms. No promises." Michael mocks her as she frowns. 

"Okay what's with the attitude Mike? Is it Devontae again," Janine questions noticing how the mention of her bestfriend boyfriend name  put a sour scowl on his face. Janine gets up out her seat and walks to her friend side who was now angrily assorting the straws. Michael would place them down so hard that they would bend. Janine puts a hand on his shoulder as he tenses but relaxes after she rubs his shoulder blade. He let's out a frustrated sigh and the creases between his eyebrows slowly fades. "I'm trying to be understanding Jani, but there's only so much I can take. No I'm not being insensitive I understand that its hard to come out especially when you a street nigga or just black in general already we're a community that's oppressed  by the color of our skin, but to come out as gay the oppression would become ten times more worse. Now it's not just our skin we could get attack for its our sexuality too and I'm-," Michael cuts himself off taking a deep breath. "I'm just so tired, but I love him so I stick by him but I want to be selfish for once and think about my own happiness," he turns to Janine on the verge of tears, "Am I a bad guy for wanting more?" 

Janine sighs as she hugs her friend rubbing his back as he cried into her shoulders, "No no no. Never! You're not a bad guy. You're the best and if Devontae ugly ass cant see that drop his ass. That nigga ain't worth stressing over. You can find you a man that cherishes you boo and you always know that I'm your number one supporter. Or maybe before you walk away sit down and have a talk with him let that nigga know how you feel. Devontae isn't the brightest but he show hell isn't dumb and if he really loved you he'll come to his sense and realize that there's more to life than walking around and worrying about what everyone has to say," Janine releases  Michael as she steps back looking towards his face as he lifts up his arm wiping away tears. 

Michael smiles, "Thanks girl. I needed that pep talk." Suddenly the doors of the café open and in walks three guys. They were all good looking two of them light skin and the middle one which Janine couldn't stop herself from staring at was dark chocolate. He was an average looking male wouldn't say he was the type of male that look too good to be on the cover on the magazine. however what really struck to Janine was his eyes. They were a teal green she had never seen a black boy with some pretty ass color like those. The three men walk towards the counter still laughing  as Janine gets behind the counter preparing to take their orders. 

"Hey ma let me get umm. Let me get a umm," Janine rolls her eyes. "Let you get umm. Umm what? " Janine mocks scoffing as the light skin looks at her and continues to comp template on what he wants. 'Just order your damn food or drink and get the fuck on out I have shit to do!' 

"Yo man order your damn food already so we can get the fuck outta here we got shit to do," the negro she had her eyes on said and Janine could've sworn the nigga was a mind reader. "Yo man chill and wait. I'm still thinking on what I want to order," The light skin with the bleach hair tells the guy. "Nah nah fuck all that. Say ma let me get a cup of grape Fanta with one of your double chess burgers," The guy then turns his attention to Janine giving her a smile after saying his request. 

After taking all of their orders the other light skin who really didn't  say anything except his order paid for all the food.  Janine fixes the grape Fanta, but strangely she could feel someone's eyes on her she look towards the side, but Mike was fixing the food.  Janine puts the top on the soda and grabs a straw turning around, and to her surprise the guy from earlier was still at the counter she'd thought he had went outside with his friends. And surprisingly he was staring at her smiling with those pretty whites. She could feel her face warm as she handed him the drink he ordered. "Here you go," her voice came out even softer than her normal voice as the man looked her up an down. "Thanks... What's your name ma, and what's a pretty thing like you slaving away in old man Kuntz shop," the man asks. 

"I umm just need to make some extra cash and a summer job is the best to pay for my college tuition. I'm Janine uhh Janine Hawkins," Janine says playing with one of her braids something about this guy intimidated her and she had no idea if it was in a good or bad way. "Oh okay I'm Larry Johnson," he say,s motioning for her to sit down next to him as he took a sip of his grape soda. Janine was nervou. Shee had spoken to a few guys after her lasrelationshiphi,p but she never made it to a relationship level with any of them. Janine looks towards Michael for assistance, but he was busy smirking at her. Janine glares at him turning her attention back to the man. She walks over and sits down as they start talking, and for the first time in a while, besides Mik,e she had found someone she had genuinely connected with. "Let me swoop you off your feet ma become a man worthy of a beauty like you."