Chapter 5 #3
“Poor bastard.” She reached for one of the full glasses of water on the table and thought twice, pulling her hand back.
“He can take care of himself.” I placed my untouched glass of water in front of her.
“So I see you’ve taken my advice.”
“Which is?”
“Getting out and experiencing Vegas.” She took a long sip.
I scratched my beard. “Something like that. So what do you do for fun?”
“Not the clubs.”
“I know you’re not acting uppity?”
“Clubs are great for special events. But every weekend is madness.”
“I agree with you there. Most people don’t know when to hang it up.”
“Exactly and that’s when you get the Uncs in the club doing the Cabbage Patch or some other ridiculous shit.”
“Watch out there now.” I tried to imitate one of my uncles.
“Don’t hurt yourself.” Danessa mimicked in a raspy voice. Fuck matching my freak, I needed a woman who could match my funny. A person who got your sense of humor made even the most mundane day memorable.
“So were you just up jonesing for waffles, or what?” I wanted to know if she was already out when she got the call.
“I’m used to Anika calling me in the middle of the night. I’m like her unofficial designated driver.”
“You could always hit her with the do not disturb.”
“Have you met me? I’m a pushover for that woman. She’s my big sister and I still idolize her even though I recognize she is deeply flawed.”
“Sounds like me and my dad.” I didn’t idolize him, that ship had long passed. But I did still seek his validation even if I wished he was dead every other business day.
“Have things not gotten better?”
“He sees me as a threat to his manhood. So no.”
“Well, it’s the father’s job to provide but your dad seemed content to defer to Duane and you for financial support.”
“He tried.”
“Did he?”
“I am too hungry and sleep-deprived to have this conversation. Let’s just call it a tie, we’re both simps for our family.”
Anika and Dante returned, and they looked disheveled like they got to groping one another in the restroom.
When I pictured hanging with Danessa in the Waffle House, I didn’t include Dante and Anika who both just said the first things that popped into their brains.
There was no assessing the table and deciding maybe you should save the story about the time you got an anal plug stuck in your ass and had to be taken to the hospital.
Mind you, that was Dante sharing this story.
I was all for sexual liberation and God knows I’d tried all manner of sex toys, but gotdamn that was an image I could do without.
By the time the food arrived I was starving. I got the lumberjack special with pancakes, bacon, sausage, ham, home potatoes and scrambled eggs with an added slice of cheddar cheese on top.
“So when are we going to get tickets to a game?”
“Baby the season hasn’t even started yet,” Dante said in between forkfuls.
“I believe in staying on ready.”
“I guess your seats will depend on you.”
“Really what do you want me to do for them?” I was convinced Danessa and I were invisible because Dante and Anika were acting as if we weren’t there.
“I could think of a few things. Do you want me to name them?”
“Do tell, daddy.”
“You two are ruining my appetite. Some things don’t need to be shared,” Danessa said.
“Sounds like you need to work through some of that pent-up energy. I could talk you through it.”
One minute you’re enjoying your cheese eggs, and the next white hot rage had you shoving Dante out of the booth, knocking him to the floor. Towering over him, I screamed, “Do you think I was joking when I said don’t fucking overstep?”
Dante’s hands were up indicating surrender. “Aldi, chill out I was just playing.”
“Save your jokes for your motherfucking momma.”
“Now why does his mother gotta be a motherfucker?” Anika said.
Dante stood up, fists clenched, his eyes narrowing at the corners.
If we got to bustin’ in the Waffle House, it wouldn’t be the first time this place saw that kind of action.
And if I’m being honest, I had a ton of pent-up energy I could easily unload on his face, one punch at a time.
Normally, I didn’t care about shit. You could say whatever and it would just roll off my back.
But I did not play about Danessa, not now or ever.
You would find your ass airlifted to the hospital over her.
“Bruh, you’re tripping. Order a drink or something to mellow the fuck out.”
“I already told you I do not play like that, so stop pushing me.” I was yelling and everyone in the restaurant was staring at us, cameras were out, TMZ had probably already been contacted, but I didn’t care. If Dante couldn’t catch a clue, we’d for sure end up on the local news.
“Aldridge, I’m not offended. It’s cool. Let’s just enjoy our waffles.” This was Danessa always the voice of reason. I was already on ten, so it would take very little for me to dial it up to fifteen and squabble up.
“I’m not really understanding what the problem is?”
“What it is is disrespectful.” I spat the words out. “And that’s all you need to know.”
Anika chimed in, “Dante he’s not gonna do nothing. Danessa’s his ex and he feels a way about—”
I turned to Anika, she could catch my wrath too.
“Feels what way? I don’t feel shit.” Turning back to Dante, I continued, “This is about the fucking principle of the thing. My friend … and I use that term real loosely … should not be trying to push up on my ex-girlfriend. Negro, this is simple bro code.”
“I didn’t know she was your ex, damn. Now that I do, I’ll move differently.
” Dante wasn’t a punk and if it came to it, I knew he’d get a few licks in.
An altercation was not worth the headaches that would follow, both online and from the Ramblers organization.
I could hear Coach Justus now. “Boy you ain’t been in town for two solid weeks and you’re already showing your ass. ”
“That’s all the fuck I’m asking.” Did I just have a temper tantrum in this late-night diner? Yes, yes I did.
“And this is exactly why I don’t do the Waffle House at three in the morning.” Danessa chugged her Diet Coke.
In the parking lot, there was a bit of confusion about who was going where. Dante was my ride but he was too preoccupied with Anika. “You still driving me home?”
“Umm, my girl is hot and ready and I’m not trying to let that simmer.”
“Wait Anika, I thought I was driving you home,” Danessa said.
“No, I didn’t need a ride home, I needed someone to split the blueberry pancakes with.”
Danessa released an agitated breath. “Anika, I was at home, in bed before you called.”
“I know, isn’t this so much better?” Anika flashed a glance at me before grabbing her sister’s face and planting a kiss to her cheek. “I love you both. And welcome to Vegas Aldi.” She claimed Dante’s hand and the two didn’t look back.
Fake fucking friend.
“I’m going to have to drive you home aren’t I?” Danessa asked, irritation laced in her voice.
“I mean I could order a RideX, but what if my driver is a stalker fan who ends up locking me in a warehouse and cobbling my feet so I can’t get away? How would you live with yourself?”
“Ugh, get in but absolutely no comments about my driving.”
“You won’t hear a peep out of me, Speed Demon.”
I climbed into her passenger seat, relishing the role of passenger princess.
The seat was positioned all the way back from the last time I rode in it.
Which was a good sign, if you know you know.
Danessa exited the parking lot and turned onto the street.
At the light she said, “Dante’s a character. ”
“This was my first time hanging out with him outside of work and will probably be my last.”
“Well, it’s not all bad. Seems like Anika and Dante made a love connection.”
“That ain’t love. That’s pure unadulterated naked lust.” I opened her glove compartment, not looking for anything in particular. I was just nosy.
“I mean that could be fun too.”
Flashing her a quick glance, I said, “I’m sorry we pulled you out of bed for an X-rated peep show and fist to cuffs.”
“You really were going to beat Dante’s ass?”
“Absofuckinglutely.
“Anika didn’t surprise me. When she’s near a rich eligible man, I don’t exist. But you, caught me off guard. You might want to slow down on the vodka cranberries.”
“I did that shit sober.”
“Principle, it that what you claimed?”
“Yep, without order there is chaos. So when someone is talking grimy to your ex. You might need to realign shit with a tap to the jaw.”
“You know if push came to shove, Anika and I would’ve had your back.”
“She’s selfish that’s for sure, but at the end of the day if anyone fucked with you she’d rip their throat out with her teeth.”
“She would.” Danessa chuckled.
“Anika is that for you and Duane is that for me.”
She nodded. “Duane was always so proud of you. I imagine that hasn’t changed.”
“Yeah, when he’d call from prison the one thing he’d always say before hanging up was, “Don’t end up like me Aldi. You’re better than me.”
“He was right.”
“Nah, I was never better, I just had some lucky breaks.” Having a big brother was like having a blueprint of what to and not do.
Duane made all the fucked up choices before I could with varying success.
Duane stood up to his bully, so when I was in second grade, I did the same.
People knew not to fuck with the Mosley brothers.
Duane got a job selling drugs. I opted for food delivery.
Duane got his sixteen-year-old girlfriend pregnant.
So, I wore a condom every time in high school.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty about that.”
“I know. Rationally I know, but I still do.”
Danessa reached for my hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
The contact was brief but enough to get my heart to accelerate.
It’s weird how something once second nature, a hug, a hand squeeze now felt foreign to us both.
“I’m excited to report I think I’ve found some pretty good homes for our next outing. ”
“You’re batting O for two right now. So, you’ll have to really bring it.”
“I plan to.”
“Don’t get me wrong, hotel living has its perks like twenty-four-hour room service.”
“I’d imagine. Once a month I wake up in the middle of the night craving pork dumplings. It would be so nice to just press a button and have it delivered to my door.”
“The pros of being in transit.”
“Is Ashley going to make the move to Vegas?”
“Why do you keep bringing up that woman’s name?”
“She’s your girlfriend. It’s a fair question. It may impact the types of houses I show you.”
“Ashley and I have been broken up for months now.”
“Oh, my bad. I didn’t know. I mean that’s not what people are saying online.”
My brows hiked up my forehead. “Online? Have you been Googling me?”
“No, I mean yes. But only because I was trying to check out your home in Kansas City. For research.”
She was full of shit.
“So your research led you to my past girlfriends?” The side of my mouth ticked upward.
“No, not all of them. I mean I didn’t come up. Look my bad, I didn’t know Ashley was a sore subject.”
I hated it when people put twenty on ten. At no time did I hint at being upset about my split from Ashley because I wasn’t, and any suggestion to the contrary only pissed me off. “Who the fuck said that?”
“You’re getting defensive.”
“Yeah, because I don’t like people making assumptions. Sometimes relationships end and it turns out to be the best thing for all parties involved.”
Her eyes quickly landed on me with irritation. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know Danessa. You broke up with me and claimed it was for the best. Do you remember that?”
“I’m not doing this with you.” She turned her attention back to the road ahead.
“Doing what?”
“Relitigating the past.”
“I didn’t bring up the past you did. With Ashley this and Ashley that.”
“I was just trying to make conversation.”
“Well don’t.”
Danessa’s features turned sour as she turned up the music to drown out the awkward silence.
Leaning back, I focused on the billboards zooming by me.
If I was ever in need of a lawyer, Vegas has me covered.
My favorite sign was for Big Greg Esquire “Call me before your ex does.” A lawyer who went by the name Big Greg would never see a dime of my money.
Glancing at Danessa, whose mouth was in a tight wad, I turned back to the window.
I was on one tonight. But you can’t have shit both ways.
We’d been over for a long time so she didn’t get to ask me questions about who I was dating, fucking, or entertaining.
And why did she care? One of the last things she said to me was, “This has been fun, but you can’t seriously think it’s a forever thing.
” Maybe I was dimwitted because I didn’t see any of the signs that our relationship had run its course.
Loving Danessa was my endgame. It was the ace in my back pocket.
No matter how hectic our lives would get with her in law school and me playing in the NBA, we would always have each other to keep us grounded.
A T-Pain song came on and I couldn’t help but tap my fingers against the center console.
When he started singing about the bartender, Danessa joined him and in spite of myself, I couldn’t help but sing too.
Do you know how hard you have to be to stay mad when a T-Pain song comes on? It’s impossible.
Danessa’s body grooved from side to side. “You’re an idiot,” she casually said in between shoulder shakes.
“Yep,” I agreed as we belted out the chorus at the top of our lungs.
After exiting the freeway, Danessa took a back street I didn’t even know existed to avoid the traffic on the Strip. Pulling into the hotel valet and drop-off area, she placed her car in park.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“My pleasure. I love pretending to be a taxi driver on a busy weekend.”
“Well if you want I can give you some gas money like we did back in college.”
“Back then you didn’t have a car.”
“And gas money was my way of paying it forward.”
“It’s on the house. I might not have signed a multi-year contract for millions of dollars, but I’m doing alright for myself.”
Exiting the car, I squatted down so I could see her through the passenger window. “Text me when you get home so I know you made it there in one piece.”
“You’re acting like my mother.”
“You and I both know that’s a lie.” When it came to maternal instincts, Danessa’s mother was hit or miss.
“True, my mom is more likely to call me and say don’t wait up.”
“From one latchkey kid to another, text me to confirm you got home.” I placed my hand over my heart. “As a courtesy, please.”
“Okay.”
“Goodnight, Miss Danessa.”
“Goodnight, Aldridge.”