It made me happy to hear her happy. It also made me curious because she was deviating from her multi-man plan.
What changed?I wondered as I listened to her gush.
“How about we focus on the fact that Aaliyah is turning thirty and the three of us will be reunited in a couple weeks,” Nina said, trying to get us off her back.
“It’ll be good to see you guys.” I sighed. “It’s been a long summer.”
We talked for the next twenty minutes. Aaliyah had to abruptly get off the phone because she was being summoned at work.
“Where are you now?” I asked Nina. “It’s almost time for your meeting.”
“I’m in the parking deck across the street. I’m meeting with Sasha in HR at noon. I have ten minutes before I need to head over.”
“Okay, good.” I went and stood by the window. Staring toward the neighbor’s yard, I suddenly got nervous. “So… I have a question.”
“What’s going on?” Nina asked carefully.
We went back and forth for a minute before I asked her what I really wanted to ask her. “Even if you like the person, how do you end it with someone you slept with?”
“Jazz…” She dragged my name out. “Are you sleeping with someone?”
My jaw dropped. “I didn’t say that!”
“You didn’t have to say it!”
“Your meeting is at noon, right? Because you have only seven minutes to get in there.”
“I’m crossing the street now. But back to you—”
“Back to you,” I countered, trying to throw her off my scent. “You stopped talking to the Romantic One because things were changing, but it sounds like things are changing with the Fun One, too. Are you planning on ending things with him?”
“No. Are you deflecting so I won’t ask about the mystery man you’ve been getting busy with in your hometown?”
I let out a dry laugh. “I’m getting off the phone.”
“Well, while you sit in denial, I’m going to give you some real talk. It’s about time you got them cobwebs cleared out. And don’t be more worried about hurting someone else’s feelings than you areabout hurting your own. If it needs to end, end it. But don’t end it just because you’re scared.”
I froze.
My heartbeat was loud as the wordscaredvibrated through my entire body.
“Jazz?” she called out.
I cleared my throat. “I’m here.”
“Don’t be scared,” she repeated.
I bit my bottom lip. “You don’t be scared either.”
“I’m feeling really good and confident about today,” she declared. “Now that I’m here, I’m excited. Oh, I might lose you in the elevator.”
“I didn’t mean about the job,” I clarified. “Have a great first day! You got this! Bye, girl!”
I ended the call and tossed the phone on the bed behind me.
Still staring out the window, I just kept hearing the wordscaredechoing in my head.
Because I was scared.
