“Hey man, you can’t fault me for having eyes that work.” He turned back toward the breakfast nook, but he must have noticed for the first time that it was no longer there. Turning in a circle he took in the destruction that was on the floor around him, his skeptical gaze came up to Gabriel whose back was now leaning against the island between my legs. It almost felt as if he was using his body to separate me from his friend.
I twisted my mother’s ring around my finger as I took in his big muscled back. It felt strange having him relaxed between my legs like this. He folded his arms across his chest, tucking his hands underneath his arms.
“Umm, Gabe did I miss something?” Kenny asked as if he was searching for the best way to speak to a violent silver back gorilla. He took out his phone and began to text someone as he spoke.
“I don’t recall hearing about an issue at the company. If the Peterson’s merger is still upsetting you, you could have called me and we could’ve used our words to talk it through, rather than our anger.” He spoke slowly and calmly without looking up from his phone. I brought my hand up to cover my mouth to smother the laugh that tried to escape from between my lips.
Kenny was funny. The way he was teasing Gabriel made this situation feel not so devastating. It made the man standing between my legs seemed more human than a beast. I like Kenny. Gabe turned his head slightly to look back at me, and for a moment it felt as if he could hear my thoughts because the frown that seemed to be one of his only facial expressions was there.
When he saw that Kenny had made me laugh, he grunted turning back to look at his friend who finished texting and was now sliding his phone back into his pocket.
“I don’t have a problem with the Peterson merger.” His deep voice vibrated through my body causing the lust he had just awakened in me to stir. It coupled with the way he stood between my legs was wreaking havoc on my nervous system.
“Okay!” Kenny said with a placating smile on his face.
“So, tell me, what could have caused you to be so upset that you destroyed your breakfast nook? And look, a perfectly good box of Apple Jacks… gone, and for what? Violence against nutritious breakfast cereals must stop!” He held up his empty bowl and you would have thought an orphan died by the look on his face. I could not hold my laughter. A giggle escaped from between my lips.
When he heard me laugh, he beamed pleased with himself. The kitchen door flew open and Gabe’s other friend rushed in so fast that when he came to a stop he slid a little on his sock covered feet. He looked around as if he was expecting a fight. He was dressed like Gabe. But where Gabe had on a black tank top he had on a white one with his jeans. His sock covered feet testified to his half state of dress.
“What’s going on?” He asked frowning fiercely as he took in a relaxed Gabriel and a grinning Kenny.
“You texted me that he was down here busting up some sh*t!” He said angrily. Verifying my initial thoughts of him—he was rough like Gabriel. Where Kenny was all smooth and charming, Gabriel and this man were not. They were what my grandmother would have called, goons.
Kenny opened his arms. “Look around Mac. Do you see what has become of the breakfast nook?” Mac came further into the kitchen looking toward the corner where the breakfast nook was, before turning to look at Gabriel that was standing there shaking his head in amazement at both of his friends.
“What’s up with this G?” He asked.
Instead of answering him, Gabriel addressed Kenny.
“Why do you always call him?” He nodded toward Mac that was now doing up his belt that had been undone when he first rushed in.
“Let’s just say I lose my sh*t. What he gon’ do about it, outside of putting a bullet in my head?”
Kenny chuckled. “Bruh, you know why I call him. He the only one you’ll listen to when you get like that.” That irritated Gabriel more. I could tell by the way he moved his neck and shoulders in front of me.
“Get like what Kenny? You soft as hell! It ain’t nothing but a little table.” Kenny looked over at the other man.
“You hear this bullsh*t Mac?” He gestured toward the table shards around him. “Nigga, you act like you just broke a leg on this piece. Man, this table busted up like that chair fat Pat sat on at the company’s picnic a few years back.”
I laughed, and once again when Kenny heard he smiled from ear to ear, winking at Gabriel, who I may or may not have heard growl at the man in his throat. Mac’s eyes came to me then. He blinked.
“Who is that?” He used his thumb to point at me.
“Who are you speaking of my good friend, that beautiful little butterfly over there that the boss is guarding like a junkyard dog?”
“Kenny, you got one more time.” Gabe warned. Kenny threw up his hands.
“What’s not allowed here, me telling simple truths?” He nodded his head. “Oh okay, you are gentle as a dove then ahk.” That made me laugh outright. When Gabe turned his head to frown back at me, I brought my hand up to cover my grin, shrugging.
“I’m sorry, he’s funny!” I whispered.
Gabe grunted before turning back to face his friends. What the world was with all the grunting? I guess that was only fitting to
