My chest pinches at Jandra’s statement of truth because I should have never let Kelvin woo me into not obtaining more information about him. For six months, I dated that man and haven’t once been to the place where he lays his head. How the hell did I allow myself to be so damn foolish?
“It’s cool. I can text my cousin Ramzi and have him pick that nigga up on suspicion of being a bitch ass mothafucka. Women all across the state of Ohio should be aware that his snaggletoothed ass lives here and to cross the street if they see him in public,” Paula adds.
“Hell, at this point, I might need to see if I can shoot my shot with Ramzi. Is he still single?”
Girl, you better sit your hot ass down somewhere. This present bullshit should have you putting your pussy in the freezer until it gets frostbitten.
“Trust me, you don’t want those problems. The single men down at RPD are nothing but hos, and I love you too much to set you up like that, friend,” Paula says.
Shrugging, I dismiss the information and take the full shot glass Jandra is extending toward me. “I thought we’re supposed to start off with single shots. This looks like a triple.”
“After last night, we need to forget everything. Drink up, bitch,” Jandra tells me, handing Paula a glass before tossing hers back without another word, prompting me to do the same.
Either I’m immune to liquor or I’m too wound up to care about its effects, because I don’t flinch or anything as it courses down my throat. In fact, I hope it has the ability to calm my mind and body, allowing me to sleep easily tonight.
“Now that we have our first three drinks in us, I can tell y’all about the sexual chocolate that stepped in to either rescue or pity me after Kelvin left.” A lopsided grin upturns my lips, and tingles enter my body at the thought of Zakai.
“Aw, shit. You should have led with that,” Jandra says.
For the next couple of minutes, I retell what happened between Zakai and me from the bar up to my checking out of the hotel this morning.
“Okay. How many damn Fuck It Buckets did you consume that you didn’t realize that man left you high and dry?” Paula asks, frowning.
“Too many, and for that, I’m kicking my own ass because that man was something to behold,” I say.
“I bet, since you’re smiling and shit,” Jandra says, smirking.
I didn’t realize my reaction to the thought of Zakai until my bestie points it out, but I can’t help it. Zakai had been the respite I needed to push through Kelvin leaving with the woman he’s been married to for a decade. Men ain’t shit, and knowing that men selfishly drag unsuspecting women into their mess is beyond trifling.
“Well damn, that switched quickly. Your mind went to bitch ass Kelvin, didn’t it?” Paula asks.
“Yes.” I sigh before rolling my eyes.
I feel like I’ve been hit by a wrecking ball with my emotions because one minute, I’m good, and the next I want to fall into an abyss. I wish somehow we as women had the ability to ignore the stinging in our chest and the hole in our hearts like men seem to be capable of. No one prepares you for heartache or heartbreak, and I think it should come in a pamphlet like I got whenpreparing for puberty. That author felt it necessary to provide instructions and information on becoming a woman, so surely some heartbroken woman should have done the same. Letting another woman go through without a method to overcome is just cruel and unusual punishment.
“I think I’m going to write a book,” I say, taking the full shot glass from Jandra without rebuttal.
“What?” Paula smirks.
Taking the shot, I slam the glass on the island before providing more details to my expectant friends who are watching me closely.
“Mhm. Women need instructions on how to overcome and even avoid getting their hearts broken. At the end of it, I’m going to encourage them to run the lame ass man down with a plow.”
“It’ll be a bestseller too. Do it, bestie. I’ll even add a foreword.” Jandra cosigns before clicking glasses with Paula as they take their next shot.
A light feeling settles within my extremities as the liquor takes shape within my body. This is the cheat code that many women need after dealing with the aftermath of a man’s bullshit. I’m happy that my girlfriends are here aiding me in my recovery like only they can.
A Week Later. . .
“Pinkles, Daddy! Pinkles,” Zakiyah tells me when we enter the ice cream parlor.
“Okay, Kiki. I’ll make sure they put sprinkles on it for you.”
After picking Zakiyah up from day care, I took her home and fed her dinner before making a split-second decision to bring her for ice cream. Work had been busy today, so I only made a small tuna noodle casserole that I had to bribe Zakiyah into eating; the confectionery treat was her reward for indulging me. Unlike most households, Dad is the one who taught me how to cook, so the meal choice was extremely lazy on my part. I didn’t feel like giving anything more thought or time today.
“I’ll take three scoops of butter pecan in a bowl, please.” That voice has my eyes shooting from Zakiyah to the front counter, where my heart skips several beats upon seeing Caziya.
My eyes rake over Caziya’s body, appreciating the way her jeans mold to her thick thighs, and her shirt pushes out slightly, showcasing the plumpness of her ample breasts. Even being fully covered, unlike the first time I saw her, Caziya is a beautiful woman capable of stopping traffic. Or in this moment, stopping my thoughts and all of the noise surrounding me.
