Chapter 17
“I ain’t ever seen a woman going through a divorce glowing like you are,” my mom commented before I could even get my butt in the booth.
“It’s probably because of that basketball player,” Kendyll added, and I pinned her with a look to keep her mouth shut. She giggled and put her hand over her mouth.
My mother’s eyes ping ponged between Kendyll and me.
I hadn’t had a chance to have a sit down with my mom, so since I was free, we decided to meet at the diner. Kendyll was child free and off from work, so she joined us. I wanted to talk to both of them together anyway because I needed help to process my feelings.
“What basketball player? And how come I’m just now hearing about this?” My mom’s eyes were on me.
I glanced over at Kendyll, and she smirked. I rolled my eyes at her, and she threw her straw paper at me, causing all three of us to laugh.
“Remember Calil from high school?”
“Of course, the first boy to break your heart. You know your father watches his games.”
My dad had been a Warriors fan since the beginning of time, so I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t expect my mom to bring up how Calil hurt me, though.
“I’m not surprised. Well, Calil and I connected when his grandfather was admitted to the hospital.”
“You say reconnected as in friends, or you gave up the booty?”
Kendyll sputtered a loud laugh before covering her mouth, but it was too late for that. A couple of the patrons had already looked in our direction.
I put my hand over my face. “Mom, please don’t say that again.”
My mother shrugged. “That’s what it is. I give up the booty all the time.”
“Oh, God, please make it stop,” I groaned.
Kendyll got a kick out of it and couldn’t stop laughing.
“Okay, for real, Sloan.” My mother laughed. “Tell me what’s going on.”
She stopped laughing and picked up her ice water. I should have told Kendyll to order a drink for me because I already knew how my mother was. That woman had no couth at times.
“Well, Calil and I started talking as friends, but we went on a date. He wants to date me, but he also knows about my divorce. I like him, but I have my reservations for multiple reasons,” I answered honestly.
“And they are?” Kendyll asked before my mom could.
“The fact that he broke my heart.”
My mother sucked her teeth. “When he was a child and still wet behind the ears. What else?”
“I’m just getting out of a marriage with a man who cheated on me with multiple women. What does that say about me?”
I sat back in my seat and took a sip of my water. Two sets of eyes were on me, and they both wore scowls on their faces. Kendyll and my mother looked at each other then back at me.
“Sloan Martin, I better not ever hear you say some dumb shit like that again,” my mother scolded.
“Roy was trash for what he did. It’s not your fault your husband couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.
I don’t know all the inner workings of your marriage, but from what I do know, you were a good wife to him.
He could have easily talked to you if he had a problem with anything.
Don’t put that burden on you. As far as Calil goes, he was a boy trying to find his way in life back then.
What is your heart telling you now about him? ”
I thought about her question. It hadn’t been long, but it felt like Calil had changed for the better. Why else would he say the stuff he said and do the things he’d done so far?
Our recent date on the boat replayed in my mind.
It was the sweetest thing anyone had done for me, and the way he made love to me felt like he was genuine.
He had to have felt the same way I did. It was perfect.
He had access to plenty of women, so he wouldn’t have to do all that just to get some ass.
“My heart feels like it’s real, but I’m also afraid.”
My mom reached across the table and grabbed my hand.
“Dating someone new is scary. Factor in what happened years ago, and I understand it. I say follow your heart as long as you don’t go back to Roy’s dog ass.” She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, trust me, I won’t. That ship has sailed. Roy and I have nothing to discuss but the boys and even that will be limited. They both are old enough to talk to him without me being there.”
My phone went off in my purse, so I pulled it out when I saw a message from Calil.
Calil:
Hey, pretty girl. Just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you. I’ll call you after practice if that’s okay.
A smile spread across my face so wide my cheeks hurt.
Me:
That’s fine. I’m having lunch with my mom and best friend now, but I’ll be free by the time you are done.
Calil:
Bet. I won’t hold you up. I’ll talk to you later.
Before I could put my phone back in my bag, it went off again. My eyes ballooned when I saw Calil had sent me two thousand dollars with a note that said lunch on me . What the hell did he think we were eating for lunch? It was way too much.
Me:
Sir, that is way too much money for lunch.
Calil:
It will never be enough when it comes to you. Get yourself something with the rest. I know how you like to shop. Plus, I want you at my next home game shitting on them hoes, lol.
Me:
Is that right?
Calil:
Yes. Now stop being rude and get back to your mom and friend. Later, pretty girl.
Oh, tell them I said hi.
One night, while we were on the phone, I shared the details about my shopping habits with Calil, and he told me how he also liked to shop.
We didn’t go to the same stores because he had a multi-million-dollar contract while I had a social worker’s salary.
It was decent, but I wasn’t at the high-end stores.
“Ken, did she forget we were here?” I heard my mother say.
“Seems like it.”
I looked up at the two of them staring at me as they talked about me.
“Sorry. Calil just sent me two thousand dollars, talking about it’s for lunch.”
“Well, shit. I like him,” Kendyll said as she laughed.
“That was sweet of him. What the hell does he think we are eating?”
“That was the same thing I said. He told me to buy myself something because he wants me to be at his next game.”
I didn’t have a problem going to his game.
In fact, I enjoyed watching him play. Maybe this time, I could leave the boys with their father.
They might be upset, but I didn’t want them to get too used to Calil’s presence until I knew what I was doing with him.
I didn’t want them to think I moved on quickly from their father, even though I kinda did.
They both seemed to be handling things a little better.
They knew they could see or talk to their father whenever they wanted.
Kendyll snapped her fingers. “Okay then.”
The three of us laughed. I was so busy messaging Calil that I hadn’t realized the server had brought our food to the table. Since I knew I would be a little late, I had my mom order my food for me.
“Enough about me. What’s going on with you, Ken?”
Kendyll smiled and told us how she and her husband were working on baby number two.
I was happy for her, not just because they were trying for another baby, but because her husband was good to her.
Yeah, my husband was trash, but that didn’t make me that jaded to where I couldn’t be happy for my friend.
Roy might have bent me a little, but I wasn’t broken.
I wasn’t sure when, but I knew I would find love again.
It was already knocking at my door with Calil.
The three of us stayed at lunch for a while until Kendyll had to leave to meet her husband and daughter at the mall. My mom said she had to go home to fix dinner for my dad. I went home to shower and relax before the boys got home from school.
A few hours later, I sat on my back porch listening to an owl hoot with a blanket covering my legs.
It wasn’t cold, but there was a chill in the air.
The boys were in bed, but I was on the phone with Calil.
We briefly talked after he had practice because he had some other obligations, but he assured me he would call as soon as he was free, and he did.
“Did you end up going shopping after lunch?”
“No. I wanted to go home and relax before the boys got home. I did do a little online shopping, though.”
I still had money left over because I had only gotten a couple of pairs of jeans, new lingerie, and some new underclothes. I threw out all the lingerie I had accumulated over the years with Roy. I wasn’t going to bring old shit into a new situation.
“That’s what’s up. And there is nothing wrong with getting a little relaxation in. Are the boys any better?”
“They are. Thanks for asking.”
“No problem. Are you going to model your new clothes for me?” His voice lowered, and my stomach tightened.
I bit my bottom lip and looked out into the yard. “Maybe.”
Calil chuckled. “I hope you do. I can’t wait to see you.”
“I can’t wait either.”
“How are you feeling? I know I ask you every time we talk, but I really want to make sure you are good.”
I picked up my glass of wine from the table near the chair and took a sip.
Some days, I wondered how I felt for real.
At times, I thought I should have been more heartbroken over my marriage ending, but I wasn’t.
I’ve cried over it when no one else was around, but I couldn’t live my life being sad.
I had a thriving career and two growing boys.
There was no time to sulk, but I did allow myself process my emotions when I needed it.
“I’m good, and it gets better every time I talk to you.”
“That’s cap.” Calil chuckled. “Nah. On some real shit, mine gets better when I talk to you as well. Your voice soothes me after a long day.”
“Aww, Lil. That was sweet.”
“It was the truth.”
The wine had crept up on me, so I yawned.
“You ready for bed?” Calil asked as he let out a yawn of his own.
I shifted in the chair and pulled the blanket up further even though I should have headed in the house.
“Not yet.” I pulled the phone away from my ear to check the time. “I think I can make it another hour if you can.”
I heard Calil moving around in his background. “Yeah, I can. I do think you should go back inside the house, though. Get in your bed and get comfortable.”
I drank the last of the wine I had left in the glass then got up. Going inside the house was a good idea because the last thing I needed was to fall asleep on the back porch.
“You’re right.” I stood then grabbed the blanket and the glass. “Tell me about practice while I go into the house.”
As I entered the kitchen, Calil told me about practice and the team he had to play next.
I quickly washed my glass and made sure the house was secure.
Before I went upstairs, I dropped the blanket in the laundry room to be washed.
Once I got upstairs, I checked on the boys.
They were both knocked out. They had practice that day, so they were tired.
I walked down the hall to my bedroom and closed the door.
While Calil talked to me about one of his teammates, I changed into my nightshirt and got into bed.
“That’s crazy,” I stated when he was finished.
“They be doing some wild shit.” He laughed. “Are you in bed yet?”
“Yes, sir. Nice and comfy.”
“Good. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
I turned the television on to have some background noise and light. Reruns of What’s Happening were currently playing, so I left it on that.
“I noticed I never saw anything about you in the blogs over the years. That’s strange, ain’t it?”
“Not really. You don’t keep up with sports, and nobody ever knows about my private life.
I managed to keep everything I did a secret because it wasn’t anyone’s business.
There had been a rumor or two going around about me years ago, but again, I kept my business private, so there wasn’t anything for them to talk about. ”
“I guess that’s a good thing. I know how people talk. If you were to get married, would you keep your wife a secret?”
“Nah. I’m not going to keep you a secret, Sloan. That doesn’t mean I’m just going to go around broadcasting things because people are ruthless for no reason. I won’t hide you, though.”
I glanced at the television then closed my eyes. This man talked like we were close to being married already. The ink had hardly dried on my divorce papers.
I nervously laughed. “How do you know I’m going to marry you, Calil?”
“Because I feel it in my heart and soul, Sloan.”
What could I say to that? Did I want to be married again? I think I did. I wanted to love again, but could Calil be that guy for me? I didn’t know.
“Get out of your head. You’ll see when the time comes. It’s late, and we both have an early day tomorrow.”
I stretched then yawned. I grabbed the remote and set the timer for the television.
“You’re right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“You sure will. Good night, Sloan.”
“Good night, Calil.”
I hung up the phone. It took a while for me to fall asleep, even though I was sleepy. Calil’s words and the confidence in them kept me awake for far longer than I wanted. Could this all be for real?