One Taste by Allison Hobbs Read Free Book Online

Shawna’s anger was disturbing. Cochise felt guilty. He walked over to the bed and rubbed Shawna’s shoulder. She misunderstood the gesture. Thinking he’d had a change of heart, Shawna reached for his other hand, kissing his fingers and the back of his hand with fervent devotion.
    Gently, Cochise withdrew his hand. “I just wanted to tell you,” he said awkwardly, “um, your vagina will shrink back over time. It’ll shrink down to the size of the next man—”
    Shawna flinched as if his words had scorched her ears. “Fuck you, Cochise,” she exploded. “Get out!”

CHAPTER 7
    B lackouts was the name given to new admissions who were fresh off the hellish streets and who were still lethargic from detoxing. The haggard-looking and poorly attired women looked at Onika and her fancy cell phone with the yearning of morbidly obese young girls watching Rihanna prance half-naked across the television screen.
    “I’m out,” Onika yelled to the house manager, who was in the kitchen overseeing the preparation of the evening meal.
    “You got your key?” the woman bellowed from the kitchen.
    “Yup,” she said, jiggling her keys. “See you when I get off from work tonight.” Before bouncing out the door, Onika turned to the dull-eyed blackouts and gave them a triumphant smile, informing them that her world was much better than theirs.
    Mr. Faison and Theo were already sitting in the van when Onika arrived at the corner of Ninth and Central. She eased into the front seat, her unspoken designated spot. “Where’s Cochise?” she asked, turning to the two men in the back. They responded with mumbles and shrugs. She gave Matt a questioning look.
    “I don’t know what’s up with Cochise and his moody self,” Matt said. “But if he wants to stay in this program…”
    Strolling toward the van, shoulders hunched, hands stuffed in his pockets, brows furrowed, Cochise looked mad at the world.Without an apology or explanation for his lateness, he got into the van and maneuvered his large frame into the seat behind Theo and Mr. Faison. His facial expression forbade anyone to question him.
    And no one did. There was a collective sigh of relief among the three workers. Cochise’s arrival assured them of a lighter work load.
    Matt was relieved as well, but didn’t let it show. He demonstrated his disapproval of Cochise’s tardiness by making a wide and screeching U-turn into oncoming traffic. Onika let out a cry and grabbed the overhead handle while Mr. Faison fell across Theo’s lap. Theo pushed the man off and took a quick nip from his flask.
    “Yo, man. You don’t have to try to kill us to get your point across,” grumbled Cochise. “I’m five minutes late, so sue me.” Cochise snapped on his headphones, closed his eyes, and ignored everyone for the duration of the ride to Philly.
    On Fridays, Matt and the crew cleaned a building on Germantown Avenue, a building where a host of black professionals rented space. There was a black law firm, an accounting firm, an optician, a dental practice, and a chiropractor. Matt hated the place. There was always some stuffed shirt, some pompous-ass Negro roaming the premises, following Matt and his crew, pointing out what required special attention. On one occasion, the chiropractor, a wizened old kook who didn’t look like he had the strength to crack anyone’s bones, sauntered up to Matt and pointed out a smudge on the doorknob to his office. Matt couldn’t imagine how a busy professional had the time to inspect a damn doorknob. Now, his white clientele…they left him alone, allowed his crew to work in peace. If they had complaints, they put it in writing.
    For Matt, however, the worst part of cleaning that building on Germantown Avenue was that he had no private time with Onika. And being alone with Onika had quickly become his top priority.
    Matt swung up to the building. “Listen up, fellas. I have a new contract up in the Tioga section. It’s light work, so I