“Shut up.” I whine. “She’s just going through a roughtime.”
“Yeah, thanks to you, and your Olympic sperm.” An older womanin a chair across from us gives me a sour look.
I shakemy head, putting my phone back in my pocket. “Anyone ever tell youyou’ve got a big mouth?”
Heignores me. “She’s got dinner plans that don’t include you, man.Read between the lines.”
“You know nothing about women, clearly.” I argue under mybreath. “What do y’all think she is…she’s going to go through whatshe just did, and not two days later, she’s going on a date? Ireally don’t think so, man. You really need to get your head out ofyour ass.”
I raisean apologetic hand as the woman sticks her nose in the air at myuse of a curse word.
“It could happen.”
“Besides, I don’t really buy that she’s got dinner plans,anyway. I just think she doesn’t want to see me is all.”
“And that’s better?” he scoffs, teasingly.
“I don’t know why I even talk to you, man. It’s no wonderyou’re still single.”
“I wasn’t when I was in school.”
“Bullshit.”
Thewoman tuts and I shake my head, exasperated.
“I’m serious. I had me a girl for a while.”
“What, did she dump you for your mouth?”
“Naw, she…ah, never mind.” He waves.
“Well, out with it now. You mentioned her. Ain’t no turningback.”
“It don’t matter, Maverick.” He smirks, staring at hisfingers. “It’s over.”
“I take it she dumped you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Then why’d you bring it up, stupid.”
Gunner’sname is called. I rise, relieved. But I still want to dig into thisso-called girl that he was seeing while he was inschool.
Thedoctor gives Gunner a referral for a physiotherapist, and tells himthat his plaster cast can come off in another week, but that he’llhave to wear an air cast for some time after, and we leave. “See,that wasn’t so bad, was it.” I comment.
“I suppose not.” He agrees. “Hey, why do y’all think Ellie’streating you like this?” he asks, and for the first time, I thinkhe’s actually being serious.
“Wish I knew.” I shrug. “Could be that I’m a constant reminderof what didn’t happen is all.”
“But if that’s true, shouldn’t you feel the same way,man?”
“No. I don’t feel like that at all. I mean, it was so earlyon. Not saying that I’m not disappointed. The idea of having alittle one tickled me, but it wasn’t meant to be is all. There’s noexplanation for some things in life, I suppose.”
“Are y’all going to ask her why she’s pushing youaway?”
I thinkabout that for a moment. “I think if I ask, it’ll make it worse. Inthis case, it’s better just to give her space for awhile.”
“I wouldn’t leave it for too long, man. If you really loveher, she needs to know it.”
