Climb That Man Like A Tree
alyssa
I had my tablet propped open on my desk, while on FaceTime with my sisters who were catching me up on Jersey gossip. Micah was in the living room with his headphones on, completely absorbed in his game. Pasta sauce was on a low simmer in the kitchen and I had my office door open.
I loved this office.
Julian was right. I did need a third bedroom.
This was the smallest room and the one closest to the front door, just off the foyer that opened straight into my living room.
There was something to be said about having a separate space for yourself outside of your bedroom.
He had been right about a lot of things in this condo, which I’d conceded to myself sometime in week three, sitting at this desk, hearing Micah pour cereal in the kitchen down the hall.
Tamika’s voice boomed through the speaker. “So update us on your down-south life. How’s it going?”
“It’s good. Really good. Micah’s settled and work is picking up. I’m loving the area so far. People are really nice. Southern hospitality isn’t a myth apparently.”
“Yeah, yeah, we know all that.” Jada leaned in. “What about your love life?”
I should have seen that coming. “What love life?”
“Exaaaactly.” Jordan looked up from her nails. “That’s the problem. It’s been way too long since you got some good d—”
“Jordan!” I laughed.
“Spill. Any prospects?” Jada asked.
“I’m not looking for prospects.”
“That’s because you don’t have to look.” Jordan came closer to her camera. “Not with that fine-ass Julian around.”
My face heated. “Julian is just a friend.”
Tamika rolled her eyes. “Here you go. If I never hear the word ‘friend’ come out of your mouth again in life, it’ll be too soon.”
“For real, isn’t she so aggravating with that?” Jordan cosigned. “He’s just a friend who helped you get your condo, fixed your car, is a low-key role model to your son, and didn’t you say he’s helping you train for a marathon?”
“That’s just how Julian is. He’s a giver. Likes to solve problems. Can’t help himself.”
Jada chimed in. “Mmhm. Problem-solver who looks like he could bench-press a truck and knows what to do with his hands.”
“And tongue,” Tamika cackled.
“Y’all are terrible.”
“You need to wake up.” Tamika pointed at her camera. “Ain’t no man doing all that for a damn friend, Alyssa. I don’t care what you say. That man wants you.”
“She can’t help it. She’s been single so long her radar is off,” Jada said.
“And been celibate longer than that,” Tamika added. “What is it now? Six years? That thing’s gonna seal shut if you don’t use it soon.”
“Oh my God. Will y’all stop?” I was laughing so hard, my stomach hurt.
Micah appeared in my doorway and held up a package of Oreos. Can I? he mouthed. I nodded. He grinned and disappeared back into the living room, cookies in hand.
“I’m just saying,” Jada continued. “If I had a man that fine helping my kid with homework, taking him to practices, I’d be finding reasons to stretch in front of him. Drop something, bend over real slow in a pair of booty-cutting shorts. You know the ones where your cheeks hang out a ’lil bit?”
“Girl yes!” Tamika hollered, “You could accidentally fall during one of your runs. Right into his arms. Whoops!”
“Or fake a pulled muscle,” Jordan schemed. “He’d have to help you stretch it out. I bet he’s got good hands. You can just look at him and know he strong. Mmph. Yaass, Lord!” She fanned herself dramatically.
I was crying laughing at this point. “Y’all read too many romance novels.”
“We’re just being creative! You need some of that in your life.”
“Some excitement.”
“Come on,” Jordan leaned forward. “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed. You’re not dead, Alyssa.”
I looked at my sisters’ expectant faces. “Okay, fine,” I said quietly. “Of course I’ve noticed he’s attractive.”
“Attractive!?” Tamika whooped. “Girl, that man is fine as fuck, and sexy as hell!”
“Ok, so you’ve noticed... aaand?” Jada pressed me.
“And nothing. I said we’re just friends.”
They all groaned.
“But you think about him,” Jordan said with a knowing look.
“Think about him how?”
“You know how.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“Sometimes. Maybe.”
All three of them erupted in cheers. “There it is!” Jada clapped. “She’s still human!”
“When’s the last time you felt excited about someone?” Jordan asked more seriously. “Like butterflies, can’t wait to see them excited?”
I paused, considering. “I can’t even remember.”
“But Julian gives you butterflies?”
I bit my lip. “A little. When he gives me his half smile. Or when he’s being good with Micah. Or when we’re running and he gets all focused and intense...” I trailed off, realizing how much I’d just admitted.
“Girl, you are spa-rung!” Tamika declared.
“I am not sprung. I’m just... aware.”
“Aware that you want to climb that man like a tree!” Jada stuck her tongue out.
“That’s not what I said.”
“It’s what you meant though.”
“You need to do something about this,” Jordan said. “Life’s too short to wonder what if.”
“Like what? Walk up to him and say ‘hey, want to help me break my multi-year dry spell?’”
“Why not?” Tamika shrugged.
“Because that’s insane. He probably doesn’t even think of me like that.”
I heard Micah’s voice calling out, “Thanks, Mr. Julian. Mom’s in her office!”
My blood turned to ice. I heard heavy footsteps in my living room, and my phone was still very much on speaker with my sisters’ faces grinning back at me.
“I gotta go!” I blurted, clicking the hang-up button just as Jada shouted fast: “Remember what we said about stretching!”
The screen went black.
I walked out of my office and Julian was standing right there, holding what looked like Micah’s football gloves.
“Hi,” he said, voice easy. “Brought these by. Micah left them in my car.”
I made a small sound. It was not a word. My heart was hammering so hard I was sure he could hear it. I cleared my throat. “Oh. Thanks for bringing them by.”
He stared at me I thought I caught the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes. “Your sisters?” he asked, nodding at the tablet in my hand.
“Uh, yeah. They were just... we were just… catching up.”
“That’s nice.”
The casual way he said it made me wonder how much he’d heard, but his expression gave nothing away.
“Well,” he said, handing the gloves to me, “I should let you get back to dinner. Smells good in here.”
“Thanks,” I managed. Any other day I would have invited him to stay for dinner. But I needed him out of my house before I disintegrated in front of him from sheer mortification. I followed him to the door.
He paused. “Don’t forget practice is canceled tomorrow.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
After the front door closed behind him, I stood there with my face burning.
“Micah!” I called.
“Yeah, Mom?”
“When did you let Julian in?”
“I don’t know.”
“WHEN, Micah?! How long was he here?!” I asked again desperately.
“Um… he knocked when I asked for a snack.”
I damn near imploded. “Why didn’t you tell me he was here, Micah!”
“I had to pee.”
“What?”
“I had to pee. I said hi and then I had to go really bad. Was I not supposed to?”
That had to have been five minutes. Five minutes meant he had been standing in my foyer, right by my office, during climb him like a tree. My damn sisters and their big damn mouths.
Oh. My. God. Julian Wade had heard everything. I just knew it.
I was never leaving my house again.
later that weekend
It was Zaria’s birthday and Simone’s house was loud the second I stepped in. Kids everywhere, balloons, the smell of fried chicken, grown folks yelling directions over each other.
I stood there for a second, taking it all in. Zhaire was laughing, Micah already chasing after him.
Julian was posted up in the living room with Zion and Tre, arms crossed, looking all calm and collected. He saw me. And I panicked. I ducked behind a group of parents near the gift table, nodding fake-enthusiastically about what a beautiful day it was, like I actually cared about the weather.
When they moved, I made a beeline for the hallway, telling myself I’d just check on Micah, except Micah was outside, screaming happily about a water balloon fight. So then I retreated to the dining room, grabbing a stack of paper plates, pretending I was helping.
Simone caught me, side-eyeing me. “Girl, what are you doing?”
I pasted on my best fake smile. “Just...keeping busy.”
Simone smirked. “Uh-huh. Everything’s handled. Go mingle.”
Everywhere I turned, there was Julian, never far from me. I felt like a high school girl dodging her crush. I dipped into the bathroom for no reason except to catch my breath.
Pull it together, Alyssa. He’s just a man. It’s fine.
When I came out, Julian was waiting right there in the hallway, leaning against the wall like he’d known exactly where I’d run off to.
“Hi,” he said.
My stomach did a full flip. “Hey.”
I tried to step around him, but he shifted slightly, making it clear he wasn’t moving. He tilted his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“You ever think about volunteering to coach defense next season? You move faster than half the team.”
Despite myself, I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Funny.”
His face softened. “Come take a walk with me?”
I hesitated, but he nodded toward the sliding patio doors. “Please?”
I decided to stop calculating escape routes and sighed. “Fine.”
We stepped through the sliding doors to Simone and Raschad’s backyard.
The late afternoon was cooling off, kids’ voices carried from the side yard where a water balloon fight was still in full swing.
The yard ran deep, and at the back of it, past the swing and fire pit, there was a little white gazebo, where the grass ran out into the tree line and the noise of the party shrank to something far off.
I stepped up into it after him. It was small, and standing inside it put us close enough I had to lift my chin to meet his eyes.
“So. About the other day,” he started.
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
“No? You’ve been treating me like I’m contagious all afternoon.”
“I have not.”
He gave me a look.
“Okay. Maybe I have. But can you blame me?”
“For your sisters caring about your life? No.”