69 Blacktop Obsession
"Hey Blondie." Roman sat beside Kaidyn, looking smug.
"What's up Ro?" She asked, her focus watching Letty and Jesse, not looking at Roman.
"You still owe me for that lemon. Come drink with me." Roman requested.
"Stop being dramatic, you can't still taste the lemon." She rolled her eyes. "I'm just chilling. Did Tej send you over here?" She asked.
"No, why would you ask that? I haven't even talked to him." He said with a typical Roman grin. "Come on, Blondie? What's up fo real?" he asked, turning serious. "Come on, look ol Romey Rome in the eyes with them big blue eyes of yours and tell me what's up." He coaxed with a big smile, making Kaidyn smile. She loved his mischievous smile.
"What do you mean?" Kaidyn asked, looking at him finally. "I am fine." she assured him, shaking her head.
"My spidey senses are tingling." Roman held up his hands, moving his fingers around.
"You sure those aren't just hunger pains?" Kaidyn asked, making Roman look offended which made her laugh.
"Girl, you really be hurtin my feelings. Come on, come party with us." Roman asked, grabbing her hand.
"Maybe in a bit." She promised. "You should go get you a plate and start eating." She nodded to the table where Shayde was in the process of setting stuff on the table, Dominic helping her.
"Time to eat." Shayde called at the perfect time.
"Let's go Blondie. You're waiting to drink until you eat, let's go get our eat on." Roman said, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder making her giggle.
"I thought you said you hadn't talked to Tej. He's the only one I told that too. Mhmm." Kaidyn's eyes narrowed as he put her down. She knew he had been lying to her. "I don't care for liars, Mr. Roman Pearce." She warned.
"I was just taking a lucky guess." He said with a shrug.
"Okay, sure. Let's eat. You first." She smiled mischievously.
"I should wait for them all to sit." Roman said.
"Oh Shayde doesn't care. Dig in." Kaidyn said, folding her arms and sitting back to enjoy the show. She knew he would get called out by Dominic.
"Roman, since you grabbed the food first, you can say grace." Dominic nodded at Roman, making Roman stop and look at him.
"Me?" Roman asked, pointing to himself.
"Yup, that was you that reached in there to grab the food, wasn't it?" Brian grinned.
"Well, I mean, Kaidyn…" He started.
"Kaidyn what?" Shayde asked, folding her arms.
"Nothing." He said. "Okay, grace, I got this. Dear, ugh, heavenly father, thank you for all this, um, food and for Shayde's cooking and um please help get revenge on those who have wronged me. Amen." Roman coughed, not liking everyone being so quiet so he could talk.
"Good job, Ro." Hector laughed, shaking his head.
"Now we can eat." Shayde nodded.
"Kaidyn, I am gonna need a word with you later." Roman said quietly whispering to her. "I thought you said they wouldn't care." He rolled his eyes.
"I said Shayde wouldn't care." she whispered back, her eyes glistening from laughing so hard. "I never said anything about Dom, now did I?" She laughed.
"You set me up! You set me up, Blondie!" Roman accused, looking shocked. She shrugged.
"What is going on down there?" Hector asked, looking at Han.
"Just another day of them being the dynamic duo." Han shook his head.
"I still don't think Kaidyn is acting quite right." Hector shook his head.
"She's been a bit different today. Think she's okay? I am hoping this doesn't mean what I think it means." Han replied, watching her while eating.
"Yup, I have the same thought." Hector nodded, knowing Han was worried a flashback would happen.
"Rome, it's cold out here. Can you please go get me a jacket?" Kaidyn asked, shivering.
"Me?" He asked as everyone looked at him. "Why not Tej?" he asked. "He's your man." He complained.
"Man, just go get the girl a jacket like she asked." Tej shook his head, giving him a kick under the table.
"I guess." Roman got up, looking exasperated.
"Thanks Tej." She smiled gratefully.
"No problem, I got you." He nodded. He shook his head and laughed when he saw her pull out some lemons and squeezed the juice out of them all over Roman's plate.
"I hope you do. Can I sit on your lap? I bet you are warm." She batted her eyes at Tej.
"You messed with his food, I don't know if I can protect you but I will try, babygirl. Come here." He said, putting his arms around her.
"Think I went too far?" She asked, snuggling in Tej's embrace.
"Kaidyn, haven't you terrorized that poor boy enough for today? Messing with food, that's low, girl." Han said, shaking his head.
"It's not that bad, right?" She asked, as though she was losing her confidence.
"I'm thinking he might flip this table." Brian warned. "No one gets between Rome and his food." Brian shrugged.
"Maybe I should go and hide." Kaidyn said, second guessing her prank now.
"I got you." Tej whispered in her ear. "You'll be okay." He promised, making Kaidyn smile.
"You didn't need no jacket I see." Roman said, bringing back a jacket and throwing it to Tej.
"She's pretty cold, bro." Tej said, rubbing Kaidyn's arms. He put the jacket around her.
"OH HELL NO!" Roman said, looking at his food after taking a bite. He stood up and pointed at Kaidyn. "You did this!" He accused her.
"Did what?" Kaidyn asked, batting her eyes, wrapping her arms around Tej's neck.
"Homegirl, I am not stupid. That boy won't be around all the time, you got some payback coming. I got some hot sauce with your name written all over it." he promised with a nod. "I am not doing this. Nope, here you are eating every bit of this." He said, switching his plate with hers.
"Fine, I will. You lemon hater." She rolled her eyes. "Big baby." She laughed, scooting the plate over to her and Tej.
"Every single bite, Blondie." Roman said, motioning to the plate. "Uh huh, why don't you have your little boyfriend feed you because you ain't leaving until it's all gone." He said,
"Ro, that's too much food on here." She complained.
"Ain't my problem." He shrugged, grabbing a roll and eating it aggressively.
"Kaidyn, give him time. He needs a long time to get past things. He still holds grudges against me." Brian laughed.
"Shut up, Brian." Roman shook his head, shoveling food in his mouth. "Shay, I swear you can cook girl." He said. "This is good." He complimented her.
"So you want to eat all things lemon next week, huh?" Shayde asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, your cooking is so good. I might still eat it." Roman grinned, making them all laugh.
"See how cute they are together." Shayde whispered to Dominic and Letty at the other end of the long rectangle table.
"Not a bad choice." Dominic said in agreement.
"Oh so you approve of him but you could never accept Carter?" Shayde asked, still talking quietly.
"It's different." Dominic grinned, shaking his head. "To be fair, he was involved in a lot of stuff that put you at risk." Dominic said, taking a drink of his Corona.
"Yeah and I was into my own stuff putting myself at risk too, you just didn't know enough about my family at the time." Shayde countered.
"I thought he wasn't good for you." Dominic said, still defending himself.
"And you think Tej is clean and golden?" Shayde asked, not letting it go.
"I don't know. We will have to see. I have worked with Tej enough to know him by now. I didn't have that chance with Carter." Dominic said, not giving up either. "Time has changed and I understand things now." Dominic said, knowing there were cameras and microphones all over the house.