Dre had his back against the post smoking a cigarette, the carport light flickering over his shoulder.
It was quiet until he heard tires and looked up.
A car backed in slow and stopped, bumper to bumper with his, blocking him in.
The door swung open.
"You should've stayed with her," Kiana said.
She said it loud, loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
Dre didn't move.
"You get out the car to tell me that?"
"I parked in front of you so you could hear what I have to say."
"But you’re not saying anything. You’re just being loud and trying to embarrass me?"
He nodded toward the neighbor's window, where a single blind had just moved up.
"Mrs. Pruitt or her daughter was already watching."
"Let them watch."
Kiana walked around her car with her keys still in her fist.
"You sat out here smoking like you didn't do anything. Like Tasha was crazy and you were just a man minding his business."
"I was minding my business. You came to me."
"Because everybody saw you."
He took a drag and let it out slow.
"Okay. Everybody had seen me, then. And while we're being loud, let's be honest. Aren’t you sleeping with a married man, Kiana."
Her mouth opened, and for a second nothing came out.
"You got that man wife out here thinking he's working late and he’s with you," Dre went on. "And you're out here talking about what I got going on. Wow. They really making the wrong the right thing to do now."
"That's cold."
"It's accurate."
Kiana pressed her lips together.
"I didn't come home to fight. I hate that look you give me when you look at me."
"What look is that," he said quietly. "Yeah I do look at you crazy sometimes, but I just do it where people can't see."
The strong wind blew through the carport.
Next door, the blind dropped back into place, shows over.
"Move your car," he said, not unkindly.
"Dre."
"Move it. We'll talk inside. Just us. No audience."
She stared at him, then walked back to her car. The engine turned over. She pulled over to the side of the driveway in the grass so the driveway was clear.
When she came up the steps, he was already holding the door open.
To be continued…