“She let you?”
“There wasn’t much she did or could do to stop me. So, I got on the block, and you know…”
“Sold drugs?” Sabine whispered as if someone would hear.
“Yea man,” Adair laughed. He figured if she could tell him something so deep about her life, he could return the favor to make her more comfortable. “I had to do what I had to do,” he shrugged. “But that’s how I decided I wanted to be a lawyer.”
“Really? How?”
“Well, I got a lot of friends and some of them are still out there. They used to hate when I would play the block. They always said it wasn’t for me because I was good in school, and I never missed a day before deciding to step up for my family. The homies always said, take your ass back to school so you can get a education and get us off if we catch a charge…”
“Oh my gosh, Adair,” Sabine laughed. “So, you’re getting a law degree to defend?—”
“What? Criminals? Drug dealers?”
“I’m sorry…I…I didn’t mean to imply?—”
“I know, it’s all good. I’m not wanting to be a lawyer for that specifically though but…if they were to ever need me, you better believe I’ma look out for the cookout. Shit, they the ones who inspired me from rip to do something more with my life, if it wasn’t for them, I probably still be on the block.”
“No,” Sabine shook her head. “I see you as a kingpin.”
“What?!” Adair hollered. “The hell you know about kingpins?”
“Enough…shoot, everybody has seen American Gangster. I wouldn’t snitch though.”
“Oh really?” he laughed. “You woulda went out like a G?”
“For sure.”
“Fa sho,” Adair corrected her slang.
“You know what I meant!” Sabine playfully shoved him. “I appreciate you for sharing that with me though.”
“I appreciate you for sharing with me too. I didn’t want you to feel like you the only one who come from some fucked up shit. I ain’t perfect, Sabine but I’m trying my best to do better. That’s why I’m here, every day fighting against stereotypes, a system that wants me to fail, poverty, these white girls, the urges for fast money…all the outside noise.”
“Me too…I…I don’t want to hear the outside noise in either.”
Adair slid closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “We can block all that out together.”
NOVEMBER 19, 2010
“Keep up!” Adair huffed as he effortlessly jogged on thetreadmill. He worked out nearly every day and since he couldn’t go much time without Sabine, she too now exercised.
“I can’t…” she stopped the machine, placing her hands on her knees. “I feel like…my chest is going to fall out my butt.”
Adair laughed shaking his head and continued his run. Sabine grabbed her water bottle stepping off and took it to the head. She stood to the side watching his sweaty body contort as he ran with perfect stride. His tight hard abs were glistening in sweat, dripping down into the shorts that stretched around his toned thighs. He had every woman in the gym ogling with no shame.
“What time your class?” Adair asked, running as if he were training for a marathon.
“Ten.”
“You wanna get lunch afterwards?”
“Sure,” Sabine shrugged. She looked over at the girls who were boldly staring at Adair with lust while she was standing right there.
They hadn’t made anything official, but they were definitely dating. That didn’t mean much though because wherever they went, he was noticed, and women went out of their way to speak to him flirtatiously right in her face.
Sabine felt slightly insecure especially when she learned who he’d actually slept with in the past. Adair was very lowkey about his dealings but there were many and she was the complete opposite in every way. So sometimes she wondered what he saw in her. What made him so interested in her.