Free So Gone by Jennifer Luckett

about a week ago, after he came tip-toeing in the house at
the crack of dawn. Don’t worry about that; he’s not coming back over here,
especially not since you’re around.”
    I turned the alarm
system on to further dispel Leesha's worries. We told the kids we loved them
and were out.
    On the way to the
concert, while listening to the smooth blend of R&B love songs, Leesha
reached over in her bra and upped half a blunt. I waved my hand from side to
side in objection.
    “Un uh, Girl, you
can’t smoke that mess up in here. We may get stopped by the police.
Furthermore, I don't want the smell of it in my clothes.”
    “Hush. I got this.”
She waved me off, reached in her leather black Gucci handbag, pulled out a
lighter, and fired it up. “Crack your window. That will help so that the smell
won’t absorb in our clothes.”
    I reached over and
pushed the button, and the window slowly glided downward. She took a few puffs
and fumbled around in her handbag. I looked away, taking in the scenery as I
drove down I-85. 
    Atlanta was my
favorite city and living here had been an absolute dream. The city was
obviously doing something right because it was growing at a rapid pace. I could
be so happy here if I had the right person to share it with, I thought.
    Leesha sprayed
something up in the air. I sniffed in its gritty scent. “That smells good,” I
told her as I zoomed past a SUV.
    "You like
it?"
     “Yes, what is
that? The new Black Friday perfume by Nicki Minaj?”
    She looked at me
sideways and twisted her upper lip. “Hell nawl, this is that new Apple Mango
Tango by Febreze. I stole it out of your bathroom. I ain’t gon’ be squirting my
expensive shit out to cover up the weed scent. No, ma’am. I save my good shit
for my body.”
    I thought to
myself, Well, damn, that’s where I recognized that scent from.
    I pushed into the
parking lot of The Atlanta Civic Center. It was packed from one end to the
other with ticket holders. Females were getting out of their vehicles with the
fresh dos and banging outfits. A few couples walked towards the building
holding hands. Parking lot attendants directed traffic.
    A black BMW rolled
along in front of us at a snail's pace. The driver of the Beemer was instructed
by one of the attendants to park next to a red truck. I rolled my window down,
and we were directed to park in a vacant space not far from the BMW in front of
me.
    We stepped out of
the car and walked up to the entrance, where Leesha spotted Fabian in front of
us walking with some skinny brown-skinned woman who looked to be in her mid
thirties. She was wearing a dark blue halter dress. Fabian turned his head and
our eyes briefly met. He jerked his head back around so fast it's a miracle
that it didn't go flying off his neck.
    I shook my head,
wondering why he was acting like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie
jar. He could have mentioned when we talked earlier that he was attending the
concert with a friend I would have understood. It wasn't like he was my man.
    Leesha whispered,
“Chile, that’s the best he can do? And no that bitch didn’t leave the house
looking like a stank ass hoe. That trick skinnier than an ant’s dick.”
    I shook my head and
tried my best not to laugh at the nutcase. Skinny Minnie was obviously doing
something right because at least she had a man.
    We made it to the
auditorium and showed our tickets at the door. The inside of the place was
huge. Fluorescent lights hung down from the ceiling, casting a festive glow
over the concertgoers. Nearly all of the four thousand seats were already
occupied, although forty-five minutes remained before show time. We found our
front row seats and settled in.
    Forty-five minutes
later the curtains opened and Keith Sweat swaggered out on the stage with the
microphone in his hand singing his throw back song, ‘Nobody.’
    I could hardly
breathe while watching him sing. He glanced down at Leesha and smiled.
    “Yo’ smile is so
pretty you can