“We made a good team. I carried your ass, but we did good,” I said.
“Do you take medication for lying or is it natural for you?” Marquise asked, and I leaned to the side in laughter.
“What time is the game?”
“In a few hours and you better watch,” he said.
“Marquise, I don’t have to watch you flop all over the court,” I said.
From these brief interactions, I knew he was going to need road etiquette training. He’s trying to insert a dictatorship, and it wasn’t happening. He liked to be in control, and I needed to keep us within the lines to make this friendship work.
“Yes, you do. Best friends support one another.”
“Are you serious? You didn’t support me at work a minute ago. I’m turning my phone off and disconnecting my tablet,” I said, as I stood and paced around his large room.
“Erin, what are you talking about?”
“Marquise, you want me to respect your job, but you don’t respect mine. You cannot demand my time while I’m at work. I hope you get dunked on tonight,” I said.
“For you, I’m dunking on everybody, bestie,” he said.
I regret introducing the word to him. He says it with such disdain as if it hurts to release the -ieat the end.
“Speaking of which, why are you playing the game with me? Denver doesn’t have any attractive women?”
A silent pause stood between us. I armed myself for whatever was getting ready to exit his sarcastic ass mouth.
“I’ma try this. Can I be honest with you?” he asked, and the playfulness left his voice replaced by a deeper, seductive tone.
“I’m listening.”
“I did meet up with a woman, but it didn’t go as planned. Right now, the only woman I want is your thick, sexy ass. You’re fucking up my sex life.”
I swallowed hard at his confession as I scrambled my words. Marquise already tried to cross the boundary line.
“Uh. No. Don’t blame that on me. The reason why you can’t have sex is because meaningless sex no longer fills the void,” I said.
I wanted to crawl underneath the bed as the words slipped from my mouth. Sex meant nothing to him, judging by the way he used women. But our friendship wasn’t in a spot for me to highlight it without offering support. Marquise required me to think on my feet, but I should’ve thought this one out more.
“I’m sorry, Marquise. I was out of line. That doesn’t make my statement less true, but I was out of line,” I said.
He sat in silence for longer than I would have preferred. There was a small sting of guilt settling within me.
“My method for filling the void was working fine then you showed up freeloading. Until I get you off the brain, it’s me and you,” he said.
“What do you mean, it’s me and you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest waiting for his explanation. Surely he wasn’t suggesting friends with benefits. I was not joining his roster of women waiting to please his every need.
“Erin, sometimes I wonder about you. What do you think I mean? If you keep interrupting my coping method, our dynamics are going to change,” he said.
My mouth parted as I searched for words to tell him what he suggested was never going to happen.
“Maybe the more you get to know me as a friend, it will wear off. I’m not this innocent cookie-cutter girl you think I am. I’ve burped in front of a guy before,” I said.
“And? What else do you got?” he questioned.
When I remained silent, he filled the space. “If I don’t get over this drought, I’m coming to you,” he said.
