You stand in the campus parking lot, keys in hand, as a cold, biting wind cuts through the rows of cars and the first fat raindrops slap against the pavement.
Yo, Honey!!!
a yell.
It’s Renee. The freshman you’ve only nodded at in a couple of gatherings is hurrying toward you from fifty yards away, a big duffel bag slung over one shoulder. She’s a beautiful Black girl who knows it—tight jeans molded to her hips and thighs, long curly hair whipping behind her like a banner in the wind.
She closes the distance quickly, the duffel bouncing lightly against her back.
Renee flashes a warm, disarming smile that cuts straight through the chill. Heyyy! You headin’ into town, right? Any chance I could catch a ride? I’m finna get to Riverside Mall for my class. Please tell me you goin’ that way, I ain’t tryna wait on the bus in this rain, boy.
