Changing Seasons

My body moved.

Mind vacant.

No thoughts.

No worries.

No stresses.

No judgment.

Just me.

I stopped spending money on gym memberships years ago. Like most of the world, I made that bold decision to get in shape every January first. Locked myself in a contract and obtained yet another keycard for an exclusive gym determined to stay in shape no matter how many donuts I scourged on during my busy weeks. I gave that up about two years ago when I looked at my monthly finance report and realized I could’ve spent the gym monthly fees on some ridiculous diabetes drink from Starbucks. Besides, all I ever did at the gym was get on the elliptical, Stairmaster, and treadmill. I wasn’t too daring to try anything else. With the way people were quick to record your failures than assist you, I wasn’t taking that chance to become a viral circulation meme on Twitter.

However, the good thing about social media is the opportunity to run across pages of businesses you never heard of like Flex Squad Step Aerobics taught by Bowflex Barbie Fit TV on YouTube. Listen, Bowflex Barbie is heaven-sent. Between her and Janekate Fitness, my body was doing exactly like Meg Thee Stallion said in her song – I ate it up and gave it back, honey!

These workouts were tough as hell and I was drenched after each one but most of all I learned to fall in love with my body all over again each time I turned my tv on. In the confinements of my home, I exercised for me. I did what I wanted to do on my time, and it felt damn good. Reese and Jalonie paid over two hundred dollars a month for Orange Theory to stay in shape. I stayed in shape for free. Well, I guess when you add in my monthly fee for electricity and internet it became a bill, but it was much lower.

Anyway, that’s how I let go and escaped from the world. My method is to not think and live in the moment. My method of breathing and exhaling my air is not attached to the stresses and demands of everyday life. An hour in my living room dancing and twerking while burning a good sweat – who could argue with that?

I’d just finished Janekate’s new booty challenge when a series of knocks knocked on my front door. Only one person was up at this hour knocking like that. Reese always arrived at her florist shop hours before it was set to open. She loved walking around and speaking to her flowers. She said it was a reminder of her humble beginnings. A time when she spoke to God and thanked him for not letting her get stuck in the same cycle of sameness as her family.

“I hope you have a cup of…Kameron? What are you doing here?” Poking my head out my door I looked up and down my street. My subdivision of townhouses was fairly new having been built within the last two years.

After I graduated from grad school, I knew going back to Charlotte was out of the picture, but I didn’t want to leave North Carolina at the same time. Luckily, I got a job with a hedge fund in Raleigh and had been there up until two years ago when I took a big leap of faith and started my own business – PI Financial Services – and moved back to Charlotte since that’s where a lot of my clientele lived.

How ironic.

Giving me a sheepish grin, Kameron extended a hand holding a Starbucks cup with a brown bag with the same green logo on the cup dangling from his fingers. “I came bearing gifts in hopes of taking up a few minutes of your time.”

I hated when the universe decided to play tricky games. Since I’ve been back I haven’t had a run-in with Paxton at all. The day I found out he got married is the day I tried to erase him from my life. The day he decided to break my heart is the same day I did all I could to not think of him. There was no need to look him up and follow his life online when I had hundreds of pictures in my personal stash to remind me of the love I once knew.

Out of all the Reid’s I’ve only run into Kameron whose always been a sweet gentle soul to me. He and I clicked over our artsy minds, as Paxton liked to say. I lived in bright colors and Kameron lived according to his own rules. You know how in most families there’s always that wildcard child who colors outside of the lines? That’s Kameron all the way. When he told me he was working for the family company it shocked me. He always sent me postcards from wherever he was traveling around the world. He’d send me gifts that I still cherished. I just never got the vibe that he wanted to be tied down to anyone’s rules but his own.

Crossing my arms over my drenched sweaty shirt I looked from him to his crocked car in my driveway. “I want to ask how you know where I live but I won’t waste my breath so how about starting with why you are here on my doorstep at six in the morning.”

For thirty whole seconds he and I stood there waring off in glares until his pink and brown lips curved against his chiseled face and my cheeks warmed in return. His smile would make a nun sin and he knew it too.

“Fine. Come on in since you brought breakfast. I hate to see good food go to waste.” I snatched that Starbucks bag so quick, leaving him to lock up behind me. Walking past my living room I veered off to my kitchen and hopped up on my counter and stuffed my face with banana bread. And it was still warm.

He did not come to play.

Sitting on one of my yellow clear acrylic bar stools, Kameron looked around with a smirk until those pretty eyes found me. “I love your place. It’s all you and nothing but you.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled with a mouth full of bread.

“I’ll get straight to it. Junior, I need your help.” My brows arched shooting straight up to my fuzzy baby hairs. “Our finances are all screwed up. Like fucked up big time.” His eyes dropped as he started massaging his neck. There was more to it and he was nervous. “We tried to correct it ourselves but this is beyond our skill point and paygrade. I’m talking years of inconsistencies and I’m pretty sure someone is stealing from us too. It’s just a lot of bullshit going on that I’m not qualified to fix. Kandon is too lax for me since Paxton…” he cleared his throat trying to take back what he said but it was too late.

I heard the name.

All of this is interesting, especially the little slip regarding his brother.

Hmm.

“Question.” I’m such a glutton for punishment. Let it go, Jacolby. Let him go. “Will I have to interact with…with…him?”

Oh, all of a sudden you can’t say his name?