She got the keys and said, “You bring my car back in one piece, too.”

AS SOON AS I hit the road in my mother’s silver Lincoln, I called up Theresa to see how serious she was about watching TV all night. It would be after eleven by the time I could get over there. You could call it her lucky night if she was willing, and she had Geneva to thank for getting me curious and horny. I was just uncertain about whether I wanted to go through with doing my high school friend’s little sister.

“What, you’re on your way over here?” she asked me. She sounded surprised by it.

“Not if I’m not wanted,” I told her. I didn’t want to sound too eager. It was a lucky night for her, not for me. I was still trying to decide if I wanted to do it or not.

She said, “Oh, you’re wanted. I just put my daughter to bed, too. Man, you called at the perfect time.”

Shit, she sounded like a guy. I knew it was on with her.

I said, “Well, since you know I’m coming, I need you to do me a favor.”

After talking to Geneva’s goody goody ass, I needed to get my freak back on.

Theresa asked me, “What’s that?”

“Don’t wear nothing too complicated. Less is best,” I told her.

She laughed. “I know that’s right. Let me take my clothes off right now then.”

I had a pocketful of condoms, and I planned to use them. I was a bad man indeed. So I made it back over to the old neighborhood, and it was more people out at night than it was during the daytime.

Shit! It looked like ten people would see me walk up to Theresa’s front door. At least she had her own place. Then I thought about who else she could have been dealing with. Was she the untouchable girl, or could anybody get it?

At least she only has one kid, I told myself. But she could have a second one from me if I’m not careful.

I thought about bumping into Jerry White at the airport, and his revelation about three baby mommas all came back to me.

Do I really need to do this? I asked myself as I sat there in the car at the curb. I looked up toward her house and saw Theresa peek out the window. At the same time, a group of four of the people who were outside moved farther up the street, and two others walked inside their homes.

Okay, it’s down to four people. It’s now or never! I told myself. I decided to go for broke and climbed out of the car.

Theresa opened her front door as soon as I began to walk up toward her house. I walked straight ahead and never looked back. As soon as I made it inside, she quickly closed and locked the door behind me. She seemed to be as concerned about the perception as I was.