“Damn. That’s messed up.”
I shrugged. “It’s what she wanted, I guess.”
“Yeah. I haven’t talked to, seen, or heard anything about my ex since he dumped me and I walked out of his apartment.”
“That’s not a bad thing.”
“Not at all. Don’t get me wrong, though. That nigga broke my heart. I thought everything was good, and the breakup was unexpected. I had too much pride to ask him what went wrong. He said we weren’t working anymore, and it was best to cut our losses before we wasted any more of each other’s time.”
“After two years? Damn. That’s cold.”
“Tell me about it. I was shocked, but my mama would beat my ass if I let him see me break. I simply said, ‘Okay,’ got up, and left with my head held high.”
“Good for you.”
“I was proud of myself, but when I got in my car and drove a few blocks away, I pulled over and broke down. My brother and his wife, Yandy, came to my rescue. Blaine gave me a pep talk, reminding me who the fuck I was, told me he was a lame as nigga anyway, and I had until daybreak to get all my tears out. Yandydrove me home, spent the night with me, and let me cry on her shoulders. By morning, I was all cried out and ready to move on.”
“That’s a helluva story. I’m glad you didn’t let it keep you down for long.”
“Me too, but what really pissed me off was how right Blaine was. Harlan was really a lame ass nigga, and I don’t know what made me give him two years of my life. But like you said, life has a way of working things out in our favor. Whoever is meant for me is meant for me, and clearly, he wasn’t.”
“Hopefully, his loss will be my gain, but enough about our exes. I want to know more about you. Tell me something you’ve never told anyone else.”
“What? I don’t know you well enough to share something like that.”
“I promise I won’t tell a soul. You can trust me.”
I watched as she contemplated sharing.
“My whole life, I’ve been getting compliments on my voice. So much so, that for a small period of time, in my early twenties, I thought about trying to be a narrator or voiceover actress.”
“Wow. Did you ever pursue it?”
“No. This is literally the first time I’ve said it out loud, and you’re the first person I’ve told.”
I touched my chest with my fist and nodded.
“I feel honored.”
She shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”
“I think it’s a very big deal. You don’t think about it anymore?”
“I didn’t for years until I lost my job, but as you can see, I went in another direction.”
“It’s never too late to try something new.”
“I know, and for now, being a flight attendant is the new thing I’m trying.”
“Understood. Thank you for sharing. I still want to know more. Tell me your favorite things . . . color, food, movie, TV show, book, flower . . . everything.”
She paused as she lifted a forkful of salad to her mouth.
“Are you always this nosy?”
“Not in the least. I don’t usually care to know much about people, but you’re different. I want to know any and everything you’re willing to share.”
“Okay.”
