Page 8 of Pulse of True Soulmates

I shook my head before I sprayed a paper towel to wipe the tattoo to get a clearer work area.

“Nah, she wasn’t. She said she has some shit called POTS.

Something about the condition makes her heart rate go up more than other people’s when she does everyday activities.

When it does, she has to sit or lay down to get it down.

I guess her dog, Midnite, can sense the shit and help her,” I told them.

“Did you look the shit up?” Julian asked. He worked on a client in the seat that was right next to me. It was a big piece that he’d been working on for at least three hours now.

When I told him that I hadn’t, Derrick pulled out his phone.

“Let’s look that shit up.” He pressed on his phone screen for a minute or so.

“Alright, this article says that it stands for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Shit, that’s a lot to say.

Yeah, it says that the heart rate increases abnormally from regular shit like standing up.

Damn, I wouldn’t want to have this shit. ”

I lifted the needle gun from Iesha’s foot. I took in what he said. “Is there like a cure, or is it like a forever thing?”

It took him a minute before he answered me. Iesha was still squirming in the seat like someone was killing her. It was almost done. “From what I’m reading, it seem like it’s a forever thing. There’s different kinds and shit.” He looked up at me. “Did she tell you what kind she has?”

“Nah. When we talk, we don’t really talk about that. It must be like bad though since she needs a service dog and shit.” I thought about Midnite and chuckled. “Her dog uses those communicator buttons. He better since she paid twenty thousand dollars to have him trained.”

The buzzing from Julian’s tattoo gun stopped. “Say the fuck what? I know you just didn’t say twenty bands.”

I chuckled. “I did. He a cool lil black lab though.”

“So, we just going to skip over the part when you said that y’all talk? Do y’all text, talk on the phone, or video calls?” Derrick asked.

After I pulled the needle up because I was done, I responded. “We do all three. Why?

“Why haven’t you asked her out yet?” Julian asked.

When I asked him how he knew if I wanted to ask her out, he gave me a knowing look.

“So, are we going to act like I don’t know you?

Declan, you would never do all that calling, video chatting, and texting if you weren’t feeling her.

Stop fuckin’ playing. What’s holding you back from asking her out? ”

He was right. I never wasted time with bitches that I couldn’t see myself being with.

Aeon was cool as fuck, sweet, funny. I could tell from some of the stories she told me about herself that she was loyal.

There was definitely sexual tension between us.

She was a slim girl, but her ass was thick with a jiggle when she walked.

All of that was important when you thought about the woman that you wanted to be with.

If we got to the point where we had sex and that pussy was what I thought it would be, her ass was going to be stuck like fuck with me.

“You right. I don’t know what’s holding me back. ”

“You think that POTS shit is holding you back?” Derrick asked. “From what this shit on here says, it’s manageable. There’re just certain things that she’s gonna have to be careful with.” He hadn’t stopped reading whatever he was reading on his phone.

I finished wrapping up Iesha’s foot before I shifted in my seat to face him. “Nah, I don’t think that it matters to the point that I wouldn’t be with her. I don’t know much about it, but I’m learning now. If I have questions, I know she’ll answer them.”

Iesha swung her legs off the chair. “Well, call her now and ask her out. There’s no time like the present.” She crossed her arms over herself. It was clear that she’d been around my mama too long and too damn much.

I grabbed my phone from the table next to me. There was no need for me to act like I didn’t want to ask her out. I pulled her up on my contact list then pressed the call button. “Hey, Deck,” she greeted with the nickname that she gave me without my damn permission.

“What’s up, Aeon? What you up to?” I looked up at everyone in my damn face. Even the dude that Julian was tatting had tuned in.

There was some shifting on her end. “Um, I’m with Fatima hanging out. Are you at the shop?”

“Yeah, I am. I wanted to ask you ? —”

“Baby, you want another piece of cake?” Why the fuck does that sound like my mama?

“ Um, why does that sound like Princetta? Aeon, where are you and Fatima?” I talked to my mother earlier today, and she didn’t say anything about Aeon and her best friend coming over.

Aeon hesitated, but she responded. “Um, we’re at Mrs. Princetta’s house. She invited us over for dinner.”

“My mama invited you over for dinner, huh? Okay, well I guess I’ll ask you what I wanted when I get there for dinner. I’ll see you soon.” I disconnected the call.

“Yo, my mama does the most. How are you going to invite her over and not tell me that shit. If I didn’t call, I wouldn’t have known. I’ve talked to my mama and Aeon’s ass today, and neither of their asses said shit to me.” I got up to start packing my shit.

Julian started to laugh, then Derrick and Iesha joined in like a little heckle choir. “That man is mad that his mama invited his girl over and didn’t tell him. You better go see about your girl,” Derrick joked.

“Fuck y’all. She’s not my girl yet. Y’all told me to ask her out on a date, so that’s what I’m going to do.

I’m just going to do it in person.” I heard them talking funny shit, but I refused to entertain their asses.

Once I had all my stuff, I chucked everyone the deuces and left them all right there.

Ink Vibing was only ten minutes from my parents’ house in the south end of Charlotte.

How does my mama get to meet the best friend before I meet the best friend?

When I got to the house, it felt like I floated to the front door.

Since Aeon and Fatima were here, I felt comfortable using my key to walk in.

When I walked in, my face tightened. I walked the short journey to the kitchen. They sat at the table in the kitchen while my mother stood at the stove, frying chicken. It was in the middle of the week. My mama only fried chicken on the weekends. “Mama, you frying chicken on a not weekend day?”

She turned with tightened eyes and a hand on her hip. “Boy, I know you didn’t just walk in my house and not greet people. I just know I raised you better than that, Declan Micheal Phillips Jr.”

I got myself together because she was right. “My bad, Mama.” I walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “How are you doing today?”

She showcased her beautiful smile. “That’s more like it. I’m great, baby. Yes, I’m frying chicken because Fatima and Aeon wanted some.”

I pivoted to put the ladies in my sight. “Hello, Aeon. Fatima, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She sized me up as I expected her to do. “Hey, Declan. It’s nice to meet you as well. I’ve heard a lot about you too.”

“Midnite, what’s up witcha?” I asked him. He lay at the threshold of the kitchen. I wasn’t sure if my mother told him not to come into the kitchen or not. He just lifted his head, looked at me, then put it back down.

“Aeon, can I talk to you in the living room really quick?” I asked her. Her rude ass didn’t say shit to me when I told her hello.

“Ok, Deck.” She giggled because every time she called me that shit, I gave her a death stare. She walked ahead of me into the living room, giving me the opportunity to watch her ass.

We both sat on the couch. She looked good and smelled good. “You look beautiful as usual.”

“Awe, thank you so much. You look se . . . handsome. You look handsome today.” Her milk chocolate cheeks lifted and rose over. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

I watched her for a moment. She was so fucking beautiful. “I wanted to know if I could take you out on a date?”