Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“Alright.” She crossed her arms and lifted her head high. “What is it?”
“I love a good time with a deck of cards, but I ain’t here to play no games.” Her expression softened. “I’d destroy the bond with my best friend if I intentionally behaved without scruples. Good friends are hard to come by.”
“I want to ask you something, Roman.”
“What’s that?” He picked up his bottle of beer and took a final swig. It was now empty.
“How’d you know that I had been through something if Genesis didn’t tell you? I don’t believe you, by the way—she definitely said something, but I enjoy a good bullshit show all the same.” She chortled.
“I promise you that all she told me was that you’re divorced and have a beautiful daughter. She never said you were suffering or a bitter ex-wife. I figured that you were upset about your divorce because of the way you looked at me when I came in the backyard, and kept a focus on my hands, like a woman who is married and gets approached by married men often, so she looks for a wedding band on his hand. Or a woman whose husband didn’t respect the wedding vows, so she wants to see if he respects his. You do this without even knowing you’re doing it.” Her complexion deepened.
“You saw all of that in just my body language?”
“Yes, and also how you looked at people. You walked around here, smilin’ and being friendly to practically all of the women, but a couple that I could see. One of them was Penny. Most of the men, except for Genesis’ father, you were a little standoffish with. I can tell men aren’t your favorite people right now, and I attribute that to your divorce and other emotional mishaps and interactions with the opposite sex. Just like you were watching and observin’ me, I was doing the same.”
“Why? I’m not dating you or your friend?”
“Because I knew before the night was over, you were going to show your hand. I didn’t even know who you were at first, but there’s always a reason why people knowingly stare at others. You didn’t look at me as if you were attracted to me and wanted to mingle. You didn’t look at me like you recognized me from somewhere but couldn’t place it. It was a look of, ‘I know your kind. I know you’re up to no good.’”
“So, you wanted to set me straight?”
“Nope. You’re going to think whatever it is you’re going to think regardless of what I say, because it takes more than words to win someone like you over, but I was going to say my piece, all the same.”
“You’re smooth. A sneaky, sneaky bastard.” She chortled. “Mmm hmm… I need me a cigar laced with marijuana right about now, ’cause I see why you got my girl on cloud nine, feelin’ super high. You definitely know how to get out of a tight spot,” she teased. To that, he offered nothing but kind eyes. “And you’ve never been married, huh?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Ever close?”
“Close to getting married?” She nodded. “To be honest with you, not really. Now? I would definitely consider it. I rarely saw healthy marriages growin’ up, so it wasn’t something I just felt I had to do or be a part of. Plus, I enjoyed being single more times than not. Genesis is different, and in saying so I’m not blowing smoke up your keister. There are some things about her that make it perfectly clear you don’t meet women like her but once in a lifetime. I have no intentions on blowing this. Funny how she was right under my nose this whole time, but I never saw her.”
They looked at each other for a long while. Smiling.
“That’s interesting how you put that. It is a little odd that all the times you came by their old house, y’all never spoke.”
“We spoke on the phone when she’d answer a few times, but nothin’ more. By the time I was out of the Marines, she was grown and moved out, too. I think, now that I take time to really concentrate on it, things were meant to happen just as they did.”
“I couldn’t agree more. It’s like y’all wasn’t supposed to lay eyes on each other until this year. Love ain’t no children’s’ story, though.” She shot him a withering glance. “Divorce is rough.” She sighed. “You come tellin’ me that I was wearing it like a badge. Here I was thinking I had a resting bitch face.”
He burst out laughing, and she followed suit.
“It’s human nature to feel upset after a divorce, no matter how amicable it may or may not have been. If kids are involved, they make it messier. My parents are divorced. I saw and continue to see how crazy it can get, and that was a long, long time ago. You’ll heal. You’ll meet someone new. Somebody who deserves you.”