Heating up the Kitchen 6

“Monkey?” Maleek asked into the Kitchen.

“Don’t call me that!” Gina said as she was mixing the ingredients for the pasta salad together.

“Why not?” Maleek asked as he chuckled about her reaction.

“That was my father's thing.” She replied.

“Mark?” Maleek asked.

“No, my real dad,” Gina said.

“You don’t talk about him,” Maleek said.

“Honestly, I tried to forget him,” she said as she looked up into his blue eyes.

“Why?” Maleek asked.

“He didn’t really want kids, Maleek. he wanted things. He was always high. Always.” She said.

“What about your mom?” he asked.

“She didn’t even stay in the hospital after I was born. She left me and signed her rights away a few months later. We all have different moms. Reena&rsq