Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

the floor. Laughing. Us all getting silly. Eventually the baby went down to bed and we played this drinking game Dee knows called the Pope Is Russian before we all went to sleep ourselves.
    My mouth knew to skip over these things, though my mind didn’t.
    The next morning, he was on me before I was even awake. Hungry. Needing. Full of love. He finished and we went into the kitchen and I made biscuits. I felt happy, calm. It had been so nice that Bird and Dee got along the night before, that he was in such a good mood. We ate together, tired and bleary but laughing. Dee went to the gym and Bird and I cleaned up, got Jamelee ready so they could go out shopping with Bird’s grandma Rose and auntie Melora. I gave the baby a bath so that Bird got some time on her own. And I let myself get a little dressed up too, thinking about what Dee and I might do together, by ourselves.
    When Ms. Rose and Melora came to get Bird, I saw Dee pullingup along the curb too. I expected him to come in, but he didn’t. Just Bird’s auntie and grandma, without knocking. They stood in the kitchen telling me I should come with them, but I said I was having a special weekend with my boyfriend instead. I saw Melora give Bird a look, but Ms. Rose shook her finger at me in a sly way and laughed. Dee finally got out of his truck as we all came out of the house. He had some kind of overnight bag in his hand, which I know he didn’t have when he left. It wasn’t the same thing he put his gym clothes in, either. I wondered if we were going to a hotel somewhere.
    Bird and them all said hello to him, polite, but he didn’t smile much back. As they drove off, Ms. Rose hollered out the window to Dee, “You take her somewhere nice.” He lifted his hand, watching them. I was glad I’d had time to put on one of my cute tops and made sure there were plenty of condoms around. As I stood next to Dee in the driveway, everything felt very . . . special.
    I didn’t say nearly all of that either. Mostly just that Dee got back from the gym as Bird was leaving. That I knew they’d be away all day.
    As soon as they were gone, he asked me did I have those wigs he asked me for before.
    â€œWe going to a costume party?” I was feeling light and sassy. But he just scowled, so I told him they were in the closet.
    I’d ordered the two wigs, special, from the salon weeks ago: one short brown—almost like a man’s—and the other a long flowing red one. I didn’tknow why he needed them. These exact styles. All he’d said when I asked was, “I gotta do something.”
    I brought them to him. He nodded and took them off their foam heads. He stuffed them into his bag, which I could see had clothes in it, most of them black.
    I asked him what was up.
    â€œIt’s a surprise.” He kind of smiled. “Let’s go.”
    I asked him where we were going.
    â€œJust on a drive.”
    When I locked the door behind us, I saw him looking at Bird’s car.
    â€œHow long’s Bird gone?” he wanted to know.
    â€œProbably all day,” I told him. I put my arms around his waist and rubbed my face between his shoulder blades. Let my hands move down toward his belt buckle. I wanted to go back in the house, restart what we had going on this morning.
    â€œLet’s take her car, then,” he said.
    I thought he was right, Bird’s car would be more exciting, but that we should check with her first. Maybe on this occasion, since it was special, she’d be okay with it.
    He put his hand on my wrist as I reached for my phone.
    â€œBaby, you know she don’t like me.” He was smiling down at me. Sexy. Winking.
    I told him okay, but we had to get her some gas while we were out.
    I skipped over the parts about the wigs and the clothesto the police. I didn’t want them to know he’d been planning it, thinking ahead. But everything about Bird’s Mustang I made sure