Irving is a subject that is never changing it seems. I don’t want to see him or talk about him. I don’t want to think about the fact that I fell in love with a woman who has lived a very similar life to my mother’s. Except my mama had my father in the first part of her life and Irving in the second.
Tulip had her Irving already in Joey and she’ll never have a lazy piece of shit again, because she’s only going to have me and I’ll work my entire life to make sure that she doesn’t regret being my woman.
“Is she… what kind of girl is she?”
My lips twitch. I know my mom, she’s always wanted me with a good girl, a girl who would take care of me and who wasn’t in the public eye the way that I am. She wanted someone down to earth, sweet.
“You’ll like her.” I nod.
“I just want you happy,” she says.
I grunt. “Yeah, that’s all I want for you too, Mama.”
My mom nods, then without a word, she closes the distance between us and wraps her arms around me. I hug her back, pulling her against my body and just hold her. I love my mom. Her decision making when it comes to men is awful, maybe because she’s still in love with my father, I’m not sure, but I wish that she would love herself more. I can’t make her do that though. I fucking wish that I could.
“We won’t go to the fight, but maybe brunch the next day?”
“Dinner and you got a deal.” I smirk, knowing without a doubt that I’ll be celebrating my win into the early morning hours and I won’t want to move from my bed until at least dinner.
“The normal place?” she asks.
The normal place.
I almost snort at her question. It’s where Irving likes to go because he knows that I’ll pay. He orders his two-hundred-dollar Tomahawk ribeye steak along with several sides, salad, cocktails, and dessert, all on my tab.
“I’ll make the reservation tonight,” I grumble.
My mom lifts my hand and cups my cheek. “I can’t wait to meet her. I know that she must be really special if you’re this serious.”
“She is,” I agree.
Her hand falls and I watch as she turns around and walks out of my front door. I hate how things have gone. That she’s going back to Irving. I hate that she’s not doing what I know could make her happy, in favor of not being alone.
At the end of the day, her personal life with him isn’t my business and as much as I want to demand that she do what I want, that wouldn’t be fair.
Grabbing my phone, I search for Tulip’s name and touch call. The phone only rings twice before she picks up.
“Hello?” she calls, sounding as though she’s smiling.
“You okay, baby?” I ask.
There’s a moment of pause and I hear the background noise slowly die down. “I was just finishing up the dishes and watching television,” she states as her answer.
I don’t say anything else, waiting for her to tell me if she’s okay or not. She sucks in a breath and then I hear her sweet whisper.
“I’m okay, Louie,” she breathes.
Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. “You get all unpacked?”
She explains that she did and also tells me about her plans to go to the school tomorrow, the store, Headlights, and then finally to Laurie’s to raid her closet for a dress.
“Why don’t you just go buy one?” I ask. “I left an envelope of cash at the house, if you need more money, just let me know.”
Her breath hitches before she speaks. “You did, why? Where?”
“Wanted to make sure you were okay. It’s hidden,” I say as my answer.
Neither of us says anything right away, I wait for her to speak and I’m glad that she does. “I’m borrowing Laurie’s dress because I don’t need to buy one, not when I’ll never wear it again. I’ll probably buy shoes though.”
Smiling, I lean my head back against the couch. “Okay, Tullie. You use my money to buy the shoes, yeah?”
“I’ll use my own money. I don’t have to pay rent anymore and I’m going to talk to my boss at the store about my hours, with school I’m going to have to cut back.”
“We’ll talk about that after the fight. Why are you going to Headlights?” I ask.
“I’m going to talk to my boss and pick up my last check.”
“Good. Hated that you worked there, but fuckin’ loved how you looked up on that stage.” I chuckle.
And that is how I spend my evening. Talking to my woman on the phone for hours. I learn more about her in those few hours than I have in her presence, mainly because I can’t taste and fuck her from the phone.
It’s nice, innocent, fucking beautiful and it makes me wonder why the fuck I allowed her to come here four days after me and not with me.
Chapter Thirty-Two
TULIP
I’m jogging away from Headlights, my second to last stop before I meet Hutton at Laurie’s house. My boss was great, a little too excited to see me go. I think he was just tired of some of the drama that had started to swirl around me and to be honest, I’m tired of it too. I hope that everything has calmed down now.
After stopping at the bank, I go toward the grocery store. The meeting with my new school went beyond better than I could have ever imagined.
I’ll be able to start next semester, full time. I didn’t know what the hours would be like, but it looks like I won’t be able to continue working at the store unless I work nights and weekends.
Once I park my car, I bite the corner of my lip at the idea of working nights and weekends when Louis is back home. I don’t want to do that. My savings isn’t as healthy as I would like it to be. I’ll be able to just pay for tuition for the school, but nothing else.
As if on cue, my phone rings and I smile as I glance down at the name on my caller ID. “Hey, Louie,” I say as soon as I slide my thumb across the screen.
“How did it go?” he asks.
“They said I was as good as in. I filled out all the applications and everything.”
“Why do you not sound as happy as you should?” he asks, his voice dripping with concern.
I stare at the entrance to the store through my windshield and I can’t help but feel a bit sad about the prospect of leaving. I’ve been working there since I was in high school.
It was my first job and the only place that would give me a chance. It kept me from being homeless. The store kept me alive and I feel like I’m turning my back on it.
“The school is full time. I would have to work nights and weekends at the store,” I explain.
Louis grunts, a reaction that I fully expected from him. “And if you don’t work at all, if you just focus on school?” he asks, his voice soft and almost hesitant.
Pressing my lips together, I close my eyes. “What I have saved, it will pay for tuition only,” I breathe.
“Let me take care of everything else, Tullie. You have worked hard for this school, I want you to enjoy every fucking moment.”
Smiling, I shake my head even though I know that he can’t see me. “You want me to be home on evenings and weekends with you,” I say.
He grunts. “Damn straight I fuckin’ do.”