“Real estate pays the bills, and it feels really good to watch a couple’s faces light up when they find their home. It’s funny no matter how rich the person, there’s always that moment ofexcitement as the possibilities for that house and their future kind of flashes before their eyes. And I think seeing that hopeful look year after year just made it more apparent I didn’t have anything to be excited about.”
“You have your entire life ahead of you. That should make you excited.”
“Every day giving tours of houses I could never afford. It’s not very challenging. It’s not open heart surgery.
“You’re squeamish.”
“Okay it’s not basketball. You get to wake up each day and do something you’re passionate about. I don’t have that.”
Aldridge hooked his thumb under my chin, bringing my eyes to meet him ensuring he had my full attention. “You can start over at any time. Danessa you are the smartest woman I know. You don’t settle for anyone, not even me. Your drive, your passion that’s what made me fall for you. You used to be Team Never Scared, and now you’re getting spooked by a potential plot twist.”
“You have to say that. You can’t say you know what Danessa, you’re right. Your life is really unfulfilling.”
“Okay first I don’t sound like that.”
“And second?” I giggled.
“If you believed in yourself just a quarter as much as I believe in you, you’d be unstoppable. Life doesn’t always give you what you need, but it will always give you what you settle for.”
“Damn, that was a word.”
“I’ve been attending church virtually every Sunday, so I’m damn near an ordained minister.”
If Aldridge was my man this would be the part where I sucked his dick on the ride home until his eyes rolled back and we veered into oncoming traffic. And then when we got to the house the shit I’d let this man do to every orifice of my body would be obscene.
“Danessa?”
“Yes.” I spoke that word entirely too breathy.
“Did I make you feel a little bit better?”
“Yeah, thank you for listening.”
“Of course.”
He opened my car door. “Aldridge, I missed this. Being able to talk to you.”
“Me too.”
“I’m glad we decided to give the friend thing a go. Are you glad?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, that isn’t a ringing endorsement.”
“My bad. Being your friend is good. I planned on giving you a friendship bracelet the next time I saw you to solidify how dang stinking happy I am to count you as a friend.”
“Okay you put too much on it. Dial it back.”
“Do you remember that big headed doll back when we were kids with the bowl cut?”
“The My Pal dolls?”
“Yeah, I wanted one of those dolls but my dad said, ‘No son of mine is walking around with no damn doll.’ Which was dumb because the kid in the commercial was a boy. And him and the doll were going down the slide together and drinking out of juice boxes?—”
“Get to the point.”
“The point is you’re my real life My Pal doll. Friends till the end.”
