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"So…you came all the way to Florida, and conveniently forgot to tell me you were coming? What’s really going on?" she asked with a playful attitude.
"I have some business to handle with MOCA, and that’s why I’m here. In the meantime, we can get together and have a few drinks.”
“Did you say drinks? I can definitely use a drink, after the week I’ve had,” she said.
“Can you meet me at the Embassy Suites by the airport at six?"
"Embassy Suites at six. Yes, ma’am. You already know I'm there. They have that free happy hour, too... I am so there. Where are my shoes?" I heard her snap her fingers for emphasis.
I imagined Tasha frantically searching for her shoes and shook my head. My kinfolks were something else.
"Ha. See you then, girl. Love you," I said.
"Love you too, sis," she replied before disconnecting the call.
I entered the hotel and checked into my room. The first thing I did was go to the bathroom, freshen up, and put on something comfortable.
As soon as Tasha arrived at six, we headed down to the bar area. I was so happy to see her, but I had to force a smile when I thought about the fact that it should have been Jacob with me. Once Tasha and I had our first round of drinks in hand, we found a table to sit and relax for a while. It was then that she gave me a suspicious once-over.
"So, are you going to tell me about this guy, or what?" She shot me a “and don’t lie” look.
"What are you talking about?" I almost choked on my drink.
"I’m talking about this guy that has my cousin a thousand miles from home on a Friday night, acting uptight and, if I could call it, a bit sad at the moment."
"What do you mean, Tasha?"
"Look, I know that you love me. I also know you didn’t travel into town a day early for a Saturday meeting, just to surprise me with free drinks at your hotel. You're a planner and you’re cheap. You would have called me to stay at my house, unless you had other plans."
"You think you know me, huh?"
"Like a book. You plan your business so that every minute is accounted. If you wanted to hang with me tonight, we would have had a game plan. You might as well go ahead and spill your guts. You sounded a bit pathetic when you called me, too." Tasha tilted her wine glass toward me and continued. "Go ahead and give it up. Give up the who, what, when, where, and how about this gentleman. If my gut feel
ings are correct, you may need a coochie intervention."
"A coochie intervention? You know what; I'm not even going to chase that one." I ran my fingers around the rim of my glass, while deciding what I wanted to share with Tasha. I could have lied and said there was no man involved, but what was the use? We grew up in the same house, like sisters. Tasha knew when my emotions were all over the place, even though I was trying to hold it together.
I remembered when I was a little girl and I took my first five-finger discount. It was a bag of chips from Red and White’s grocery store. She looked at me with crumbs all over my face and said, "You didn’t have no money for that."
I finished off the chips and threw the bag in the trash.
"Yes, I did! Grandma gave it to me," I answered, before swiping my tiny hand across my lips to wipe away the crumbs.
"‘Who, what, when, where, and how did Grandma give you money and not give me any? I'm gonna go ask her. And you better not be stealing." Tasha stomped back to Grandma's house, just as aware then, as she was sitting across from me at the bar, of what was going on with me. Whenever I was messing up, she would say who, what, when, where and how. I hated that her second-grade teacher taught her the five "Ws."
"Well…" I looked around the serene dining area. I had to give her answers, but how could I admit my situation? My heart swelled, and a tear threatened to roll down my cheek. "I think I'm in love."
CHAPTER SIX
DESTINY
Opposing Magnets
After telling Tasha how Jacob made me feel alive, I told her about his family business, the fact that he was a very affluent white man, how we met and continued to communicate for the past month. In Tasha, I had an outlet. She didn’t judge me. Eventually, she would give me her honest thoughts and keep it real, but she simply listened.
“Is he at least fine?" she asked, and my eyes glazed over thinking about how sexy Jacob was.
I felt remnants of his touch all over my body as I remembered every inch of him. I was never the type to fall so hard, so fast. It was unusual for me to be in love with a man I had only known a month.
