Chapter 8
Atlas
“Atlas, can you go to the store for me?”
“What do you need?” I had no problems grabbing anything she felt she needed. Right after I brought her here I went to the store and picked up underwear, bras, socks, nightgowns, t-shirts, and sweatpants, along with pads, and Midol.
“Well, you don’t have anything in this room,” she states matter of factly which causes me to look around at my bedroom.
“I don’t know what you mean, there’s a bed, dressers, nightstands, a tv, a work desk with multiple computers, a sofa, table, refrigerator, and an ensuite, what more do you want?”
“Something to do,” she replies. “There’s nothing to occupy my time while you are gone all day and I’m tired of watching tv.”
Oh, I think. I guess she’s right. The only thing I ever needed was a bed, bathroom, and computers. “What can I get you?” I ask.
“Do you have an e-reader around here? Perhaps I can download some books, board games, and playing cards? I don’t know anything.”
I just blink at her, I have never had or done any of those things if it didn’t involve getting to Victor then it didn’t serve a purpose in my life. “Um, I’ll see what I can get for you,'' I say as I grab my keys and head out to dig up the stuff she’s asked me for. I stop at Target and once inside I grab an associate about Skai’s age and tell her what I’m looking for.
I walk out of the store looking at my receipt and shaking my head. I came for three or four things and instead I have four bags full of stuff and I’m over $500.00 poorer. How the hell did this happen? This store is of the devil. I grabbed at least six different games, an e-reader and the girl made sure she opened it, set it up, and downloaded at least 20 books from various authors like Sonja B, Red Scorpio, S.Frost, Tamika Brown and Ellie Merlin, and more, fuzzy socks, blankets, snacks, and god knows what else.
I set the bags on the foot of the bed once I make it back home and watch as True sits up to go through them.
“I only asked for a couple of things, Atlas. What is all this? Why would you buy so much stuff?”
“I went to Target,” I replied.
“Awww, enough said.”
No, it wasn’t enough said, she said that like everyone who goes there comes out with more than they went in for. Is that a thing with that store? Well, they won’t get me again. I'm never going back. She pulls out all the stuff and she looks like a little kid on Christmas morning admiring her gifts.
“Will you play with me?” she asks, and my mind goes straight to the damn gutter.
I clear my throat before I answer, “Sure, which game do you want to play first?”
“This one,” she says as she holds up the box.
An hour later I am pushing two little cars around the board and I say two because I have so many children I need two cars to fit them all in, meanwhile, she only has herself. I narrow my eyes at her, I think she’s cheating but she won’t let me see the instructions to prove it.
“I won!” She yells pulling me out of my internal thoughts.
“Now wait a damn minute,” I yell “how did you get there from way the hell over here,” I demand.
She is sitting criss-cross applesauce in one of my t-shirts and some boxer briefs in her size, smiling at me, and not for the first time I admire her beauty.
“Let me see those damn instructions.”
“Nope,” she says and begins packing up the game.
“I demand a rematch and this time I hold the instructions,” I tell her.
“Ok if you can find them,” she says.
“Want to play another one?”
“Sure,” I say and she sets up another game but this time I grab the instructions before she can horde them.
“You cheated!” I yell again.