The blip ended at his workplace. He needed to see for himself. Andre grabbed his skateboard and headed that way. Paradise Express was twenty minutes away. Today was a Saturday. It was also Andre’s day off from work. Zayden was in his room playing games online with his friends. He didn’t like his boss, so he took the scenic route. Half an hour later, Andre was standing near a gaping hole in a wall, in the warehouse where he works.
He poked his head through the hole. He took notice of its size. It was almost perfectly round. It was too small for an average adult. Set low in the wall, barely four feet up. Whoever came through didn’t need much space.
Concrete, insulation, and wall debris from the blast lay inside. Whatever had made the hole, punched through here. Debris crunched under his boots. Torn packages littered the floor. The conveyor line hung twisted and dead. Delivery vans sat crippled in a row—engines gutted, frames crushed. Beyond them, Larry’s reinforced office door stood scarred and bent inward.
Andre ran a finger along the damaged steel door. It was reinforced and very thick. Larry had the office special made last year after an angry employee drove a van through his old office. The damage seemed intentional.
The blip he was tracking had caused the destruction. Andre looked over the mess. The hole was the point of entry.
“The damage funneled in one direction—straight toward Larry’s office,” Andre whispered to himself. “This was definitely intentional,” he murmured.
Andre watched Larry wave his arms frantically while giving a statement to Carrow PD.
“This is going to cost tens of thousands!” he shouted to an officer. “Who’s going to pay for this? How are we going to make our scheduled deliveries tomorrow?”
“Do you have insurance, Mr. Boone?” an officer asked.
Larry was here when the attack happened. Most of the packages had been loaded and were out for delivery before the attack.
“This is going to ruin me!” Larry shouted.
Something slid under his boot. Andre looked down. A crumpled letter stuck to the sole. It wasn’t one of the packages they normally deliver. It was a regular piece of mail. It was addressed to Felix Fennigan. It was a state letter from the department of workforce—employment office, he thought. The letter was a denial for unemployment benefits.
Andre recognized the name. A former coworker recently fired due to a traffic accident. Felix shouldn’t have been driving the van that day. Andre remembered it. Larry gave him a last-minute delivery of undisclosed chemicals from a local company known to cut corners.
I told him Felix didn’t have his 'H' endorsement, and they put him in a van with no partition, Andre thought. Larry and almost everyone else at the station gave Felix a hard time for his appearance. Felix was the shortest worker. He always needed help in one way or another. I helped him whenever I could. Gave him a helping hand. Stopped the others from making fun of him.
Andre’s jaw tightened while watching Larry. He clutched the letter, scanning the scene one last time. The hole in the wall, the damaged vehicles and packages, the broken conveyor line, unusable ULDs, the letter—it all made a direct line to Larry’s office. Whoever it was tried to get into his office. They were after Larry.
Andre flicked his tooth with his tongue. He looked toward Larry shouting at the police.
Yeah… this made sense. Something about it didn’t sit right.
Andre rose to his feet and placed the letter in his pocket. A coworker jogged up.
“Rob,” he called.
“What a mess, huh, Andre?” Rob ran a hand through his hair. “Were you here when all this happened?” Andre nodded toward the destruction.
Rob shook his head. “No, man. I just made it back to the station. I saw all of the cop cars and parked my van in the yard.” He rubbed his neck. “Do they know who did it?”
Andre shook his head. “Don’t know. I just got here myself. Larry called me screaming.”
“Sounds about right,” Rob said. “Say, Andre. When was the last time you went out on a date?”
Andre looked at him.
Rob threw up his hands in defense. “It’s not my cousin this time, I swear. I have a date with Michelle. You remember her. She will only go out with me if I bring a date for her friend.”
“Friend.”
Rob threw an arm around Andre’s shoulder. “This one’s cute, man. She’s new in town and she works with Michelle. Michelle wants me to set her up with someone who won’t dog her out.”
“So naturally you thought of me, Rob?”
Rob led Andre out of the building. “C’mon. Do your best friend a favor? Besides, I think it will do you good. How’s that long-distance relationship thing going for you anyway?”
Andre didn’t answer.
“See?” Rob pleaded. “Do this for me, man.”
***
Andre reluctantly agreed to the blind date. Three hours later, in his apartment, he stared at himself in the mirror, holding a tie. He couldn’t decide on formal or relaxed dress. Rob only told him to wear his best clothes.
Andre sighed. Zayden stepped out from the closet holding a plain black turtleneck. “This will go with the dark navy trousers. No need for a tie, Dad,” he said, taking the tie.
Andre thanked him and pulled the sweater over his head. He took another look in the mirror. “This is good. You’re right, Zayden.” He smiled. He grabbed the matching blazer. Zayden gave him a thumbs up.
“Why are you so stiff?” he asked. “Relax, Dad. It’s just a date. I think she’s just as nervous as you are.”
Andre looked at him. “When did you become the sensible one?”
“I just want you to be happy. You don’t get out much anymore. I know it’s because of me.”
Andre placed a hand on Zayden’s shoulder.
“I am happy,” Andre said quietly. “And you are never the reason I wouldn’t be.”
He ran his fingers through Zayden’s hair.
A knock at the door broke their tender moment.
“That’s probably Rob.”
He adjusted his sleeves, then readjusted them again before walking to the door. Rob stood in the hallway. He reminded Zayden to lock the door and not stay up late.
“Open this door for no one,” he pointed a finger at Zayden. “Understood?”
Zayden nodded. “Got it.”
Rob wrapped an arm around Andre’s neck. “Stop pulling on that shirt, Andre. You’re going to like her.”
***
Across town, Michelle waited outside Lila Jean’s bathroom door. There was a notification on her phone. “Lila Jean. That was Rob. The guys are headed to the restaurant.”
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Michelle’s fist pounded the door. “Lila.”
LJ walked out of the bathroom.
Michelle’s eyes widened. LJ’s hair was frizzled. Her heels didn’t match. The one-sleeve dress she was wearing was torn. With tears streaming down her face, she collapsed onto her bed, clutching her pillow.
“Ah’m hideous, sugah. Go and apologize to him for me.”
Michelle rubbed LJ’s back. “Oh, Lila. C’mere. You are not a mess. You’re just nervous.” She pulled a brush out of her pocketbook and began brushing LJ’s hair. “I will not apologize. You are going to dinner tonight. And you are going to have fun.”
LJ turned to her and wiped her eyes. She waved a hand at Michelle. “Don’t waste yah time, sugah. Ah don’t have anythin’ nice to wear. They're gonna think Ah’m some kind of hillbilly that can’t dress.”
Michelle pulled her into her arms. “Nonsense. You are going on this date, Lila Jean Reno. You are going to enjoy yourself tonight. Now we have twenty minutes to get you ready.”
Michelle tugged on her arm, guiding her up to sit on the bed. “Now sit. Let me see what I’m working with here,” she said.
“Ah look like a scared polecat high on caffeine that touched a live power line,” LJ blurted out.
Michelle laughed. “Now, Lila. I have known you only a few weeks, and all you do is work and go home. You deserve to let your hair down once in a while.”
Michelle pulled the strands of LJ’s hair into the center of her head. She leaned in. “Do you like messy buns?” She ran her hands through LJ's hair. “Nah. Your red hair deserves to be seen.”
Michelle walked across the room to LJ’s closet and began pulling dresses off hangers. She tossed a black pair of heels to Lila Jean.
Lila Jean ducked as a dress flew over her head. “What are y’all doin’ in there?”
Michelle walked back into the bedroom with a black cropped leather jacket in her hands. “I can work with this, Lila.”
***
Thirty minutes later, Andre and Rob sat at a table watching the clock. Andre tugged at the turtleneck collar.
“Andre,” Rob pointed a fork at him. “If you pull your collar one more time tonight—”
“Do you think they’re late because my date bailed?” Andre asked.
“Now, sugah,” a female voice came from behind him. “Do you think ah’d spend all of this time getting’ ready and not show up?”
Andre rose to his feet quickly. He made himself smile. LJ stepped into the light of the restaurant. He was struck by her outfit—a rich, wine-red pinafore dress that cinched perfectly at her waist, its front adorned with a line of delicate, shimmering buttons. The deep color contrasted sharply against her white blouse, her black leather jacket finishing the look. The sounds of forks scraping plates faded into the background, and his eyes never left her.
“Sorry we kept y’all waitin', sugah,” she smiled at Andre. “It was mah fault. Not Michelle’s.”
Rob stood as well. He kissed Michelle on the cheek. “You know Michelle, Andre.”
Andre nodded to her. “It’s nice to see you again, Michelle,” he said. His grip loosened too quickly when she shook his hand.
Michelle gestured to Lila Jean. “Of course, we know each other. I used to work with you two. Andre, this is Lila Jean Reno. She’s new in town. Lila Jean, this is Andre Brooks.”
He already knew who she was, but pretended he didn’t. Andre pulled her chair out a little farther than necessary. “Where are my manners? Have a seat, L… Lila.” He had become used to calling her LJ. He almost did.
“Thank you, sugah."
Michelle gave Rob a look. “Ahem.”
Rob pulled her chair out for her. “I guess Andre’s not the only one who’s forgetting manners.” Rob glared at Andre.
He broke the silence. “So Lila Jean, Michelle says you’re new in town. Where did you live last? What brings you back?”
Andre knew the answer. She had been in prison for the last three years. Apparently, his friend didn’t read the local newspaper. Andre cleared his throat. “You don’t have to answer that, Lila.”
LJ smiled. “It’s okay, sugah. Certain circumstances took me away for a while. As for why ah’m back… my daddy. He still lives in Carrow.”
Michelle took a sip of her water. “Lila Jean works with me at the ‘Night’s End Bar’.”
Andre raised a brow. He looked at Michelle, then at Lila Jean. “NEBs is no place for either of you to work.”
“It’s where most go when they can’t get hired anywhere else,” Rob said.
Michelle stabbed his hand with her fork. Rob winced. “Well, your boss fired me for no good reason. I didn’t have the luxury of waiting. I have a little boy to raise. It’s only temporary until I can find something better.”
“I went to Larry. Told him not to fire you, ‘Chelle. So did Andre.”
Andre nodded.
“You know how that bastard is, ‘Chelle,” Rob rubbed the back of his hand. “He does what he wants and gets away with it.”
***
Andre and Rob waited until the ladies stepped away to the powder room before touching their food. The waiter had taken their orders nearly twenty minutes ago and had just brought it to the table.
“Why are you so nervous, Andre? I think Lila likes you.”
Andre shrugged. Of all the people they would set me up with, why would it be the one person I sent to jail? On top of that… the one person who hates me. Hates Spant, at least.
“I just don’t want to make the wrong impression,” he said. “First impressions and all.”
Michelle walked behind Andre and laid a hand on his shoulder, and whispered, “Don’t worry so much, Andre. She likes you. She just told me.”
Andre rose to his feet, reaching for her chair. Rob pulled it out for her first. “You’ve made me look bad enough tonight.”
Michelle glanced up at Andre. “I hope this isn’t a one-night thing, Rob.”
LJ walked past other dining tables, brushing her dress. Andre raised an eyebrow and grabbed a napkin.
“Lila,” he said, handing it to her. “What happened? Are you okay?”
She took the napkin and began wiping her dress. “Someone bumped into me when ah was leavin’ the ladies room.” She pointed in the direction of a male shape in a long dark trench coat. “Ah’m alright tho’, sugah.”
Andre looked in the direction she pointed.
The man wasn't there.
He pulled her seat out.
His eyes flicked to the front door, then the hallway to the restrooms.
“Are you sure? I can go find him and—”
“Thank you, but ah’m fine. Ah have held up y’all’s night long enough.”
For a moment he considered pursuing, then returned to his seat. She shouldn’t be out tonight—not with Swarn after her, he thought, watching the exit.
“Ah see our food came,” she smiled, picking up her fork. “It looks good.” She glanced at his plate and back at hers.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
She looked at his plate: a cauliflower steak, on a bed of white rice, with a side of mixed vegetables and a sweet roll. “Y’all’re eating healthy. Makes my fried chicken and mashed potatoes look anythin' but.”
“No one’s here judging you, Lila,” Andre said.
“Good. Cause it’s been so long since Ah’ve had fried chicken. Ah can hardly wait to dig in,” she smiled, tearing at the chicken with her fork.
“That’s a nice accent, Lila. Where are you from?” Rob asked, stuffing a forkful of mac and cheese into his mouth.
Almost in unison, both LJ and Andre answered: Alabama. His fork stopped halfway to his mouth. They all looked at Andre. He took a forkful of the cauliflower steak and bit it. Idiot.
“How did you know she was from Alabama, Andre? I didn’t tell Rob where she was from,” Michelle asked.
“Ah’d like to know that too, sugah.”
He chewed slowly and swallowed. “Her accent.”
“What about it?” Rob asked.
Andre swallowed a sip of water. “My parents were from Alabama. It’s ingrained in my memory.”
“That’s right,” Rob said, taking another bite from his plate. “I forgot you are from there.”
LJ’s eyes widened. “Y’all’re from Alabama, sugah? Ah never would have guessed it. Y’all don’t talk with a southern accent.”
“It didn’t stick,” he smiled. “They moved to Carrow when I was young.”
“Alright. I bet you can’t tell what part of Alabama Lila’s from, Andre,” Michelle grinned.
Andre answered before he could stop himself.
“Dick’s Creek.”
Michelle nearly choked. “Where the hell is that?”
“Somewhere in Macon County,” Andre replied.
“Stop it, sugah. That’s downright uncanny.” LJ dropped her fork onto her plate. Rob leaned in, mouth open. Michelle stopped chewing.
Andre shrugged.
LJ stared at him. Her mouth opened like she wanted to say something, then closed, taking another bite of her food.
***
The band began to play a slow song. Michelle nudged Rob on his arm, begging him to dance with her. LJ watched them walk away, then glanced at Andre. He was watching the exit again. Rob, with Michelle in his arms, bumped Andre’s chair as they passed and shot him a mean stare. He tilted his head toward LJ. She was quietly eating her food.
He stood and pulled her chair out. “Can I have this dance?”
She looked up at him and smiled. “Only if you want to and not because your friend bumped you?”
“You saw that, too?” he asked, smiling despite himself. He extended his hand. “I really want this dance.”
She placed her hand in his. “Ah must warn you. Ah’m a disaster on the floor, sugah. Ah don’t want to embarrass you,” she said, pulling back. “Ah’ll ruin your shine or trip us both up.”
Andre looked down at his polished plain-toe shoes, then back at her with a grin. “Then don’t worry about the floor. Stand on my feet instead.”
“Mah heels will scuff them to pieces.”
“A small price to pay,” he murmured, pulling her closer. He nudged the tips of his shoes beneath hers. “Step up. I’ll be the floor.”
As he began to move, LJ caught a glimpse of Michelle watching them with a knowing smile.
“Tell me if ah’m too heavy for you?”
He looked down, met her eyes. “Lila, the day you’re too heavy for me is the day something’s wrong with me.”
She exhaled and laid her head on his chest. The scent of apples from her freshly shampooed hair lingered around him.
***
The night ended with Andre escorting LJ home. She turned down a ride from Rob and Michelle, wanting fresh air. She tried and failed to convince Andre she didn’t need him to walk her home. A few times, he nearly gave away that he already knew the route she always took home.
“How did you know this is the way ah go home?”
“It’s the safest route a woman would take at night. The streets are more lit.”
Andre held her purse as she opened the door to her apartment. They said their goodbyes, and she went inside. Before she could kick off her heels, there was a knock at her door.
Andre stood scratching the back of his neck. “Lila Jean? I’d like to take you out again.”
She smiled. “Ah’m off again in a few days. Ah’ll call you, sugah.”
“You don’t have my number.”
“Ah got y’all’s number from Michelle when you and Rob were in the restroom.” She smiled slyly.
She leaned into the doorway, studying him.
“Sugah… ah got dibs on you,” she said, eyes sparkling. She stepped inside as if she owned the night—and him.
***