Midlife Woes

20. Jolene

Damon Kincaid. That was his name. He finally walked away to greet other guests, and I finally got my chance. “What the hell is big dick energy Sheila?”

“Money looks and a big fat dick. And he’s got them all. Whoo, child.”

A couple servers came over with trays of food, wings, mozzarella sticks, fried green tomatoes, fried okra, and a whole lot else that I couldn’t see into the baskets.

“Now, that man’s done sent everything on the menu to this table and he keeps looking over here. He knows I’m married and that Sheila is married. I wonder who all this is for?”

“How do you know he’s looking over here, Maeve?”

“You must’ve forgotten because your kids are grown, but I’ve got a three-sixty visual on this bitch. Come here a minute. I said come here.”

I was already feeling self-conscious in this getup and now she was making me stand. I walked over to her, and she beckoned with her finger for me to lean in closer. “There you go; I just wanted to give him a shot of that ass. Yup, he just swallowed his tongue. Sheila, we need a bathroom break.”

“I don’t need the bathroom.”

“Bitch, neither do I, but she needs to walk across this floor in those fuck me heels that make her ass pop. Get your ass up.”

I looked at Sheila with pleading eyes, which she ignored again. I’m gonna have to rethink this friendship. “You ain’t said nothing but a word, sis. Let’s go. Walk slow, Jo.”

“How do you walk when you know someone is looking at you?”

“Like Loretta Devine walking away from Gregory Hines in Waiting to Exhale.”

“Oh hell no, I can’t do that.” I know exactly what she’s talking about because Sheila made me watch that movie on repeat when she was in her killing phase earlier in my divorce.

“You two walk, one in front and one behind.”

“Fine!” I should’ve known the way Maeve said fine was not to be trusted. She waited until we were directly in his line of vision to decide she needed to ask Sheila something.

There I was, standing in the middle of that club, feeling like there was a spotlight on me, showing every pore in my face and feeling the heat from his gaze. Don’t look, Jolene, just don’t.

I looked, and looked right into his eyes. Mercy!

“Good, merciful heavens, was that a smile, a smirk, or a threat? You’re married, Maeve, you’re happily married with a hundred damn kids. Keep walking, ladies. Jo snap out of it. We’re gonna make him work for this shit, and you fixin’ to just give it away already.”

She wasn’t lying. I was mesmerized by his stare, and he wasn’t shy. Most men of my acquaintance would’ve looked away once caught, but he didn’t even blink, not even when he raised his bottle of beer to his lips.

Sheila ended up having to frog-march me to the bathroom, where the line was not bad considering the size of this place. That’s because there were a lot of stalls, and the bathroom area was a thing of art.

There were attendants waiting there with baskets that held every amenity you could want, and the stalls themselves had a free dispenser for sanitary products. There was also a phone with a direct line for security in each stall, which I didn’t understand until I read the notice above.

Did he do this? If so, he was very thorough and very thoughtful. The phones were for anyone who felt like they were in danger or anyone who saw something they found suspicious. I don’t know how to feel about the man himself, but all I could think about was my Savanah finding herself in a situation where she might need help and having something like this at her disposal.

The three of us met up at the sinks, and that was all we could talk about. I guess when you get older, you see things differently, and for some reason, his thoughtfulness was hitting me somewhere deep.

He wasn’t standing where he was when we came out of the restroom, and I felt a little disappointed when we walked back to our spot. Five minutes after we sat, I saw Maeve’s eyes open wide as she sat across from me, and then I felt something or someone at my ear.

“Let’s dance.”

Sheila had to kick my ankle to get me out of my stupor. He didn’t even wait for my answer; he just reached around, took my hand, and helped me up and around until I was standing beside him.

He didn’t say a word as he held my hand and walked over to the DJ booth. “Wait right here.”

He was gone for less than a minute, and when he returned, he seemed to find the darkest corner in the building, and just as we reached it, One In A Million You started playing.

He pulled me in close, though even with heels, I barely reached his chin, and as the strains of the music filtered through the air, I think I got lost. First, in his scent, then the feel of his hard chest against mine.

“Do you know why I asked him to play this song?” I shook my head because although I knew the song and actually adored it, I couldn’t remember a word of it. I just knew it was a beautiful love story.

“Because I never forgot you after that day we met. I asked around and learned about your divorce. I won’t say I’m sorry about that; that would be a lie, but I am sorry that you felt that heartache.”

“You thought about me?”

“Yes, for a very long time. I didn’t know anything else about your divorce and couldn’t find any information, though the girl who was attacked swore you did it because she stole your husband. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to ask. Does your ex have a brain tumor?”

I don’t know why that made me laugh. “I’m serious; they say sometimes people act out of character when they have those and don’t know it.”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“And, do you want to try to patch things up down the line?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?”

“No, I don’t want to.”

My heart was beating so fast that I felt like I was going to pass out. “But, I should tell you, I’m not into casual flings.”

“Do you even know the words to this song? Should I ask him to play it again?”

* * *

DAMON

* * *

Unbelievable,and to think I wasn’t planning on coming here tonight. I can’t believe she’s here. I hadn’t planned on seeing her again; divorce is a tricky thing, especially one that’s relatively new. I’ll have to take it slow and give her time to heal.

Is she even ready for anything casual, let alone serious? I pulled her in closer without realizing, my thoughts sending messages to my arms. I knew she would feel like this, the perfect fit. I wanted this, but I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t expect to see her here tonight, and I thought I had already settled it in my mind that I wouldn’t go there.

But as soon as I saw her, all the walls I’d built up in the last few weeks just seemed to shatter. She looks amazing, though my image of her will always be that relaxed she had, fresh from sitting by the pool, her hair not exactly neat and just a softness that called out to me.

“What are you feeling right now?”

“Like I can’t breathe. Like the world is moving too fast.”

“Have you ever felt that before?” She shook her head, and I looked into her eyes, trying to read her. She was scared out of her mind.

“I know what you’ve just been through, so we can do this, or not do this, at your pace. But just in case there’s anyone who’s been waiting to snatch you up as soon as the ink dried on your divorce, I’m putting in my bid. I want you.”