Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“That’s not true of all men. Many? Probably. But not all.”
“I don’t care about the ‘Not all men,’ excuse.” She rolled her eyes. “If the majority of women were brain-eating zombies, would you care about me telling you about the 2% one hundred miles away that won’t eat your brains? No you would not.”
“I’m in the not all categories, and I can only speak about myself. I don’t represent, look like, or act like, the zombies, so to speak, so what you call an excuse, I call logic. You want me to denounce or vouch for individuals that I don’t even know personally. Think of us as a monolithic group. I can’t do that. I’m me, and that’s all I can be.”
“Smart motherfucker sitting across from me, tossing my word salad.” They both burst out laughing. “As wonderful as you were, and maybe still are, Lennox, you’re still a man. Men have egos. Could you handle being friends with a stripper? I imagine you disapprove. Takin’ off my clothes and dancing real slow under dim lights would ruffle your feathers.”
Lennox leaned back in his seat and placed his arm along the back of the booth.
“Did I ever tell you that before my parents got married, my mother was an escort?”
Her chewing slowed and her eyes narrowed. “Hell no… I would have remembered that.”
He nodded, leaned forward, and picked with his macaroni and cheese. “According to the rumor mill, she was great at it, too. Made a lotta money. My mother had some challenges in life. She wasn’t perfect. None of us are, but she was a good person. A great person even, and even in death, she’s a great mother to me. One of my best friends. She stopped escorting, when she met my father.”
“I do remember you speakin’ about her a lot… in a good way. About how nice and loving she was.”
He nodded then scooped a spoonful of yams onto his spoon.
“I hope you’re not offended by this question, but was your father one of her tricks?”
“Nope. Met ’er at a grocery store. He said it was love at first sight. Said she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.” They were quiet for a bit as ‘Strawberry Fields,’ by the Beetles serenaded them. “Nadia, you mentioned that men have egos. You’re right. So do women, but having something doesn’t mean we have to let it rule and control us. Now that you’ve presented your warning label,” he chuckled as he popped the spoon inside his mouth and chewed the food. “You must know deep down what I might be getting ready to say, right? I mean, you immediately started tellin’ me all of your so-called flaws and defects. You understand what this is all about, don’t you?”
She slathered butter on her cornbread, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t want to guess wrong, so humor me.”
“This second time around, I don’t want to be just your friend, Nadia. I want to get to know you on a different level. A more intimate level. That’s what I meant by I wanted to speak to you about business.”
She finished buttering her cornbread, cool as a cucumber. No expression registered on her face.
“This isn’t what I expected.” Her voice shook, betraying she was more affected by his words than she made it seem. “I had no idea you liked me like that. You’d be great at poker. This is… wow.”
He polished off his water then dabbed a napkin on his lips. “I had a bit of a crush on you back then, Nadia. It was more than a crush, actually. The only reason I didn’t say anything is because you were going through a lot, and then you were off to college. It would’ve been wrong for me to bring that up and possibly confuse you. When you love someone, even if it’s just as a friend, you want what’s best for them. You needed to leave Texas at the time and pursue your education. To better yourself. When I saw you last night, the first thing that crossed my mind was, ‘Holy shit. This is my second chance.’”
A soft gasp escaped her mouth. She stared at him. “I’m… surprised. Uh, I don’t even know what to say…” She placed her knife down and sat straighter. “You know what, Lennox? If you’re anything like how you were back in the day, and it sounds like you are, you’re amazing, but, I gotta be straight with you. I don’t have time for a relationship right now. I just had—”
“Like you, I’m not trying to hear any excuses. Also, it wasn’t a question or request. I’m not askin’.” He shook his head, then waved the waitress over, quickly letting her know that he was ready for the bill. “I’m tellin’ you that this is what I want. This is what we need. And this is what you’re going to get. ME. It’s time.” He stood and slipped his jacket on. “I may be a day late and a dollar short, but I caught the next train, and I paid off the invoice. With interest.”