“Oh, how nice! Tell him I said congratulations.”
I smiled. “I will.”
“How are you and Lamar?”
“I don’t know… Our friendship is good.” I gripped the steering wheel tight. “We had two dates planned, and he had to cancel them both because of work. He told me from the beginning that he was busy, so he didn’t have a lot of time and that’s why he doesn’t invest in relationships. But…”
“But what?”
“I think I’m in love with him,” I blurted.
She made a noise that sounded like her laugh, but different, weaker. “I think so, too.”
“Why do you think so?”
“The way you talk about him. The way you wrote those words.”
“What?” I gasped.
After Lamar had left, I’d emailed half the story I was writing to my aunt. I had more chapters written, but since I wasn’t done, I didn’t want to give her the whole thing. It had been only nine hours since I’d sent it. I’d had no idea she would’ve gotten to them so fast.
“You already read them?!” I exclaimed.
“I did and I loved it. It makes me want to know who did the crime. But it’s no mystery that the woman is in love.” She laughed again. “I just know he’s going to be helping her in more ways than one.”
I laughed. “In the story, yes, that’s how it’s going to go.”
“Not just in the story. It happens like that in real life, too.”
“But in the story, he didn’t tell her he was too busy for a relationship.”
“Yet every time we talk, you’ve seen him or talked to him recently,” she countered.
I opened my mouth and then closed it.
She wasn’t wrong.
“Okay,” I conceded. “But having feelings for someone while knowing it can’t go anywhere is a setup.”
“Tell him how you feel, and find out if it can go somewhere or not.”
“If I do that, either I’m going to get hurt, or it’s going to ruin the relationship we have. I value his friendship, and I don’t want to lose it.”
“What if you’re not alone in this?” my aunt questioned. “What if he’s in love with you, too?”
“Who’s in love?” my mom asked in the background. “Who are you talking to? Is that Jazmyn?”
“I just pulled up at work,” I said quickly. “Tell Mom I said hi! I love you! Bye!”
Aunt Addy let out her weak laugh. “I love you, too.”
I ended the call.
The last thing I needed was my mom psychoanalyzing the predicament I was in. She meant well and I loved her, but I would only tell her something I was solid on. And the situation with Lamar was liquid.
Parking my car, I picked up my phone so I could read Lamar’s messages before entering the school.
Lamar Anderson:I made it home a little while ago. My dick was hard the whole ride because I could still taste you. Leaving your place tonight was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Thank you for letting me stop by and see you. Goodnight Jazz.
