Page 44 of Definitely Not a Thing

I… knew I should’ve stayed in my damn apartment.

I stood there for ten more minutes, listening to Arthur cuss and fuss at me, the bolt, the building itself, the government, the weather, and whatever else he could think to rant about.

And then he finally got that damn bolt out.

Held the two rusty-ass pieces up like they were a prize. “You see that? Sixty-two years of experience, that’s what that is?”

“Sixty-twocan’tbe right, for one. And for two, are youreallygoing to just gloss over?—”

“Here,” Arthur interrupted, shoving the broken bolt in my direction, with an equally rusty washer added to the mix. “Run up there to Cooper’s and grab me a replacement. Make sure it’s the same size. Don’t bring me no three inch bolt, you hear?”

I scoffed. “Why can’tyougo get what you need?”

“I’ve gotta stay here and make sure nobody gets hurt.”

“You don’t think asignwould suffice?”

“If I thought that, I wouldn’t be asking you to do it.”

I pulled back, chuckling. “Didn’t seem like you wereaskingto me. But… whatever. I could use the fresh air anyway,” I agreed, slipping the bolt pieces and washer into my pocket. “Any other requests?”

“Just to hurry it up – I got shit to do!”

“Like what? Ignoring maintenance requests until the worst-case scenario?” I quipped, they headed out the door, leaving him behind to cuss.

It would be so easy to justnotfuck with Arthur, but honestly… there was a good chance this would be the most entertaining part of my day.

So usually, I just rolled with it.

Why not?

The walk over toCooper’s– which was actuallyHeights Hardware & Lumber– was only a few blocks, so it was a good opportunity to stretch my legs without being too much. Especially on a day like today – a bit of cloud cover but still sunny, a little breeze in the trees.

As such, everybody was outside.

Or at least, felt like it.

It wasn’t that people in the neighborhood didn’t know who I was – again, I wasn’t a superstar like some of my Brawler teammates, but for a fan, I was recognizable.

Most people just left me alone.

Thiswasn’tthe court – I was in my neighborhood, at home, I didn’t want to be mobbed, inundated with questions, none of that. It was nothing to return a wave, grin at a double-take and nod, dap up a group of teenagers on the sidewalk.

I crossed the street to avoid passing too close to the greenspace on this end – there were basketball courts, and I wasnottrying to get sucked in.

It didn’t take long at all to make it to Cooper’s, and once I did, I headed straight for the fastener aisle. I’d only been there a moment, hunting down the section I needed, when I heard heavy footsteps coming toward me.

I was already turning in that direction when the source of the footsteps yelled, “Crossover!” and hit me with my own “signature” on-court move – a quick fake to one side, thencutting back to the other before the other person even realized what was happening.

Notsome shit anybody would be alert for or expecting in the middle of a damn store.

So… he got me with it.

Bad.

“Inbootsnigga?!” I huffed as I caught myself to keep from falling over my own feet. “You trying to kill me?!”

“Oh shit, my bad,” Marquis cackled, holding out a fist for me to bump with mine. “I announced it and everything though, you losing your handles or something?”