Even while Elliot wore shorts and a T-shirt sans the shoes, he still sweated when he walked downstairs to grab his mail. He knew he needed to go out to run a few errands, but the summer sun kept him in the A/C. Despite the hot day, he had an urge to have a little fun. Work could wait. Charmaine hadn’t encouraged him at all, but he hadn’t given up on her. The fact that she wasn’t mad at his condom idea bolstered his hope. She would be his before long. He walked into his closet and pushed his feet into a pair of flip-flops then dug out a ball and a spray bottle. For a moment, he lamented the fact that he hadn’t moved into a building with a community pool. Maybe he should join the local rec center. In the hall, he paused outside Charmaine’s place and rapped on the door. She answered right away, and he detected a note of excitement at seeing him. “I’m—” she began. He cut her off. “I was wondering if you minded Amaya coming out to play.”
