Free Brothers and Wives by Cydney Rax Page B

New shirt, new shoes. Hell, I’m wearing new boxers, too.”
    “Mmm, I heard that. Well, how do I look?” She twirls around in a circle.
    “Nice
. Okay. You get your ticket yet?”
    “No,” she says mildly hurt. “I waited for you.” She wishes he could have gone into more detail about her appearance.
I spent a lot of time making sure I look good and he barely notices
.
    “That’s just as well. Go ahead and get your ticket. I’m right behind you.”
    Jaw rigid, LaNecia goes to the box office and buys a single ticket, then glances at Scottie. “Go on,” he calls to her. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
    Well, fuck, I might as well come to the movies by my damn self
. Disappointed, yet happy that Scottie showed up, LaNecia reasons,
If things go my way, by the time the movie is over, I can put it on him the way I know he likes it. Seduction is one of my strong points, if only he’d let me seduce him
.
    LaNecia forgets about Scottie and rushes to go sit inside the last theater, located at the end of a long, dim hallway. The auditorium is one-quarter full, and the previews haven’t begun. LaNecia takes a seat in the first chair on the row closest to the back of the theater.
That way he can’t help but see me when he finally gets his ass on in here
.
    On each row throughout the theater, several eight-foot-long wooden tables are mounted in front of the theater chairs, giving all the moviegoers space to write down their order, plus eat and drink. LaNecia picks up her menu and squints as she browses the selection of finger foods, salads, sandwiches, and beverages.
    “Hey there. Sorry,” Scottie says. He squeezes past her knees and sits in the empty chair on her left. “You order for me yet, kiddo?”
    “Yeah, right. In case you forgot, we’re going dutch tonight. But next time, guess who’s paying for my ticket and food?”
    Instead of answering, Scottie quickly scans the menu and picks up a pencil to scribble his selection. He slides the tiny sheet of paper between a thin metal bar so the waiter can see that he’s ready to order.
    Curious, LaNecia snatches the paper from the metal slot and reads his writing:
    1 Diet Coke
    1 chardonnay
    1 large popcorn
    1 fried pickles
    1 Philly cheesesteak w/waffle fries
    “Dang, you are one greedy-ass bastard. No wonder you don’t have enough money to pay my way.” She starts cackling. He doesn’t.
    “Hey, psst!”
    Startled, LaNecia turns around in her seat and sees Dani entering the theater with her leather satchel flung over her shoulder. She stops in the aisle right next to LaNecia.
    “Um, excuse me; I need to squeeze past you.”
    “W–why are you here?”
    “Are you going to let me by or what?”
    Stunned, LaNecia moves her legs to the side and Dani says thanks. She smirks and glances down at LaNecia’s chest protruding from her halter top. “Girl, it’s cold as fuck in here and I don’t know why you’d dress in that skimpy shirt.” She takes a seat on Scottie’s other side and squeezes his hand.
    “What took you so long?” he asks.
    “Ladies room. Fashion emergency. My button popped off my shirt and I had to ask someone for a safety pin.”
    LaNecia stares straight ahead, her face burning with anger and humiliation.
How can he do this to me? He doesn’t know who he’s fucking with. He promised me a date, and, dammit, I’m going to have me a date
.

— 6 —
S COTTIE
Hurricane LaNecia
    In the second week
of September, the National Weather Service predicts that a hurricane may hit the Gulf of Mexico. So far, the effects of Ike have been devastating, leaving millions of dollars of damages and dead bodies along the way. Haiti was hit hard, the storm causing over seventy deaths, a third of them children. Houston hopes to avoid the same fate, but the Category 4 hurricane seems bent on doing more destruction.
    Neil begins preparing for the unknown by wasting precious gas driving to every Home Depot around, trying to find plywood in case he needs to