A few hours later, Jazmine had the laundry basket filled up and was headed downstairs to use the laundry room that was attached to the apartment complex. Huey was right on her heels. She thought he was taking a nap slouched down on the couch but apparently not. "You should have told me if you wanted to leave. I would have come with you."
"You ARE coming with me, !" That was what Jazmine used to call him when they were kids.
"You know what I mean. I told you it's dangerous to be out on your own like this. Statistics show that the typical female rape assailant is a male that knows the victim and is generally close by."
"So that makes you…?"
"I'm the guy that protects you from rapists!"
Jazmine sighed as she neared the first floor. "Huey, I'm in an apartment building walking down stairs and walking past several rooms that belong to my neighbors. If a rapist were to somehow attack me we would create too much noise which causes people to turn their attention on us and therefore I will have witnesses to testify against the victim if he is caught. And I'm hardly ever alone. With the exception of yesterday, I usually go out with Cindy, Justin, a friend from school, or one of my coworkers who also happens to live in the building right next to this one."
He eyed her as if he were annoyed. "But what about when you walk home at night? Does anyone walk with you then?"
"Not all the time," she grudgingly admitted. "It's a ten minute walk though. Again there are eyewitnesses there too."
"Ok." She walked ahead of him and felt something poke her on the back of her head. "So let's say I'm a rapist or a mugger and I got my gun on your head because you weren't paying attention. If you make a move or say anything I'll shoot you. What about now?"
"Ask to see the gun."
"And if it's real?"
She was quiet for a second. She couldn't come up with a reply to him. "Dammit, Huey." She finally sighed and relented to his pestering. "Ok so if I'm ever in a situation where there is a gun pointed to my head then I'll have no choice but to give in to the assailant's demands."
"And that's why you should never go out alone," he scolded getting in front to look at her. She just pushed past him and walked into the laundry room.
"I don't think your hand is well enough to handle moving around so much. You might open your cuts up." He sat in a chair and watched her as she separated the clothes and threw some in the washer.
"Fine I won't use my hand. But that means you have to help fold them."
"Whatever." He's back to his brooding and contemplative self. As the washer was starting, she sat by Huey and put her head on his shoulder. "You know why I did that earlier?"
"Because you care about me and don't want me hurt?" He nodded. He wouldn't outright admit it but she knew how he felt. He's always been the type to bottle his emotions and never said anything that made him look or sound weak. That was just her Huey.
"So tell me about this Justin. Can you trust him?"
"Of course I can. He's a sweet guy. We go to coffee shops together, out to eat, sometimes he cooks for me and Cindy. Once we out to a nightclub and he made sure that no one did something they weren't supposed to do. I help him study history and he helps me with math."
"You make him sound like a good guy."
"Because he is a good guy, Huey. He helped me out a lot when I first moved down here."
"I still don't trust him," he grunted.
They were quiet and the only sound was the washing machine. Finally Jazmine worked up enough courage to ask him. "What was your girlfriend like?"
"She wasn't exactly my girlfriend, but she was alright. We just had the same ideas."
"She probably could have been perfect for you."
He eyed her and shook his head. "I don't think so. It probably wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway. Turns out I have a certain type."
She giggled and took out her phone. There were a few messages she hadn't read yet. She texted Cindy and asked how everything was. Justin wanted to know if they could hang out later. Riley was being a brat as usual. Finally her mom remembered what she had forgotten and it was Huey coming down.
The laundry was done in the washer and before Jazmine could get up, Huey was already putting it in the dryer. "You don't have to do that."
"You're injured."
"It's just a few cuts and it's not that serious."
He sighed, "Jazmine just let me do this."
She put her hands up in defeat and let him do the laundry. It's not very often that he was nice to her like this. When they were kids they usually ended up arguing about how he was mean and she was stupid.
Huey was done putting clothes in the dryer and sat down next to her. "So have you talked to Caesar lately? How's he doing?"
"He's fine. He's still making a living free styling in Brooklyn."
"At least he's doing what makes him happy."
"Sometimes happiness doesn't pay the bills?"
"Oh my goodness, is the infamous revolutionist Huey Freeman starting to sell out?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Not even close, woman. I'm just saying that I can't change the system if I can't afford to go to college."
"What about the saying that money can't buy you happiness?"
"I have a theory that the saying originated from a point in time to keep black people oppressed and in poverty so they can't rise about Caucasians and make them the minority."
"Oh Huey. You make no sense as usual."
"And you're naïve and disinterested in your African heritage as usual."
She was about to say something but Huey brought his lips down on hers, softly brushing them against hers as if asking permission to do more. She pressed closer to him and brought the kiss deeper. Damn, this felt good. How can this boy smell so good? She felt her body grow hot again and the swirling of desire shooting down between her legs. She sighed into the kiss and locked her hands together behind his neck to pull him closer. She was ready to fall on the floor and take him with her when they heard a gruff voice clear his throat. They jumped apart from each other and saw an older man looking uncomfortable and trying not to look at them. They did the same and kept their distance apart from each other as the man loaded his clothes into the washer and briskly walked away.
Huey sat with his arms crossed and looking down and Jazmine just tried her hardest not to laugh. It didn't take too long before she giggled hysterically. "What's so funny?" He demanded.
"I just never imagined doing this with you in public. You've always been the type of guy who didn't like to be touched, especially out for everyone to see."
"You never know who is watching. If you show weakness for someone then it's only a matter of ease before you're being blackmailed or faced with a decision concerning that person's fate."
She shook her head, "Oh Huey." She muttered again.
She remembered Justin's text.
Jazzy: What did you have in mind?
Soon she heard her phone vibrate.
Justin: We could go to the Foxxy House.
Jazzy: Sure sounds good! I have a friend I want to bring if that's ok?
Justin: Whatever you want.
She turned to Huey. "Is there anything in particular that you want to do tonight?"
"Not really."
"Good because I just made plans. And you get to see Justin and see for yourself that he's a trustworthy friend."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see," she giggled. "I think you might like it."