Page 38 of Certified To Handle You 2

“Hey, handsome,” I said, bendin’ down enough to get closer to his eye level. “So you Justice?”

His smile got wider, and I laughed.

“Ooh, look at you. I know you know you cute.”

Justice let out another excited sound, and Ms. Emoree laughed from behind me.

“He likes pretty women,” she told me.

“Oh, I can tell,” I replied, grinnin’ at him. “He done started flirtin’ already.”

Justice kept smilin’ at me, and I reached out real careful, lettin’ him see my hand before I touched his. His fingers moved against mine, and I rubbed over the back of his hand while talkin’ to him.

“You got your uncle beat, too. Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I’m standin’ right here,” Couture said.

Ms. Emoree laughed again, and when I looked over at Couture, he was shakin’ his head at me with a smile on his face.

It ain’t take long for me to get comfortable.

While Couture stayed with Justice, I followed Ms. Emoree back toward the kitchen and asked if she needed help with anything. She had vegetables that still needed to be washed and cut, so I put my purse down and washed my hands before joinin’ her.

“You don’t have to do that,” she told me as I reached for the vegetables.

“I don’t mind helpin’ you,” I replied with a smile.

“Well, I appreciate it.”

We started workin’ beside each other, and the conversation came naturally without her makin’ me feel like I had walked into some damn interview.

I took the vegetables Ms. Emoree had already washed and started helpin’ her finish gettin’ everything ready. It felt natural bein’ in the kitchen with her.

I took the vegetables Ms. Emoree had already set out and started helpin’ her get everything ready.

“I’m glad I finally got a chance to meet you,” Ms. Emoree told me as she cleaned what was in front of her. “I’ve been hearin’ about you for a while now.”

I smiled ‘cause I figured Couture had already told his mama enough about me for her to know what was goin’ on between us.

“I’m glad I finally got to meet you too. I’ve been lookin’ forward to comin’ over here.”

“Well, I’m happy you came,” she replied. “And I hope you know you’re welcome here.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate that,” I told her, and I meant it ‘cause she had been sweet to me from the second I walked through her door.

From there, the conversation just flowed. We talked while we finished gettin’ the food together, and Ms. Emoree asked me about the things I liked to do, my family and what I had goin’ on for myself. It wasn’t no interrogation and she wasn’t diggin’ into my relationship with her son ‘cause clearly Couture had already filled his mama in on that. She was just gettin’ to know me for herself, and I gladly answered whatever she asked ‘cause I wanted to get to know her too.

The more we talked, the more I liked her. She had a real calm way about her. We could laugh about somethin’ one minute and move right into another conversation without it feelin’ forced, which made me forget all about the lil’ pressure I had put on myself before comin’ over here.

The more time I spent in the house, the more I could see where certain parts of Couture came from. His mama was warm without bein’ all in my business, and she had a way about her that made the house feel comfortable.

Justice had so much personality without sayin’ one word, and every time somebody said somethin’ funny, his face would light up before he started makin’ those happy sounds again.

At one point while I was helpin’ Ms. Emoree with the food, I happened to look over and caught Couture watchin’ me. He ain’t say nothin’ or try to jump in the conversation. He was just sittin’ there with Justice, lookin’ at me with this lil’ smile on his face that made me wonder how long he had been starin’.

I smiled at him and shook my head before turnin’ my attention back to what I was doin’. A few minutes later, I felt his hand touch the small of my back as he passed behind me. He leaned down, kissed my cheek and kept movin’ without interruptin’ me and his mama.

I had gotten so used to those lil’ gestures that I ain’t think much about ‘em until I was standin’ in his mama’s kitchen and realized she was probably watchin’ how her son treated me too.