Bliss
I feel the blush rising in my cheeks as I take a sip of my mimosa. It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m only having brunch with my best friends because they begged me. If it was up to me, I would be back in Cuba’s bed until he forced me to leave, but we plan on staying the night at his place, and driving to class together tomorrow. While I’m here for a gossip session, my boyfriend, yes, boyfriend, is down at the beach playing basketball. Well he called it a pick-up game, with Cam and Ash. Other than being drugged, this weekend is unreal. I’m still waiting for someone to clap and poof it’s all gone in a cloud of smoke.
“You look well rested.” Patrick narrows his eyes at me, but smiles. “How does it feel to be the most hated girl on campus?”
“You mean most envied.” India smirks, stuffing a piece of waffle in her mouth.
That is something I will have to get used to. Dex was pretty popular but he wasn’t going pro or anything. Cuba is the guy on campus, he’s on a whole different level. Only thing keeping my mind from wandering to him possibly cheating is that he barely let me in. He still has a lot of smoke in his past and so far, I’m the only one getting through it. Am I worried about how much attention he gets? Of course. Am I worried he’ll be the one to break my heart? Yes, but I hope like crazy he doesn’t.
“I don’t think I’m either.” I set down my mimosa. “No one really knows me.”
“Yet,” Indi says. “Trust me, these bitches are doing their homework, they’ll find out who finally got Cuba.”
Frowning, I pick at my napkin. “They’ll be very disappointed,” I tell her. “This is college not high school, why does it matter?”
Patrick holds a hand to his chest. “Bliss, baby, these college girls are worse. They are savages. We live in a world filled with wanna be Kardashians, they are looking for a meal ticket or their next come up.”
“What he is saying is all these girls want a one-way ticket to Cuba,” Indi chimes in.
“Thanks guys, you sure know how to make me feel better.” I roll my eyes, taking another sip of my drink. “So, are you saying I shouldn’t be with him?”
Patrick grabs my hand from across the table. “What? Of course not. We are happy for you,” he insists with a smile. “Cuba is an upgrade. He’s the upgrades of all upgrades.”
Then why am I starting to rethink this now? My friends are right, he’s a big deal, and I’m not. He’s going pro and I’m going to be a history teacher, two very different lifestyles. The wheels are now turning, and India knows it.
She nudges Patrick. “Shut up.” She looks to me. “Stop overthinking it. You guys are perfect together. Perfect balance.” She tries to convince me. “No one has seen him have a girlfriend. It will be old news soon.”
The faster it’s old news the better, though I still feel I might wake up and this would have been a dream. I don’t want to spend my dream thinking about the what if’s and the might of’s. If Cuba didn’t want this, or me, he would say it.
I don’t respond to her, I just nod and down the rest of my drink. The rest of brunch, we talk about our classes, except Patrick who just listens to mainly India complain about the teacher aid who is ignoring her. Sometimes I wonder if some guy broke her heart to make her never want to catch feelings or settle down. Indi is my best friend and I find myself wondering so many things about her. I make a mental note to have a girls’ night soon.
My phone vibrates next to my plate, and I can’t help the smile that comes across my face.
“Ugh, you make me sick already.” Patrick throws a bunched-up napkin at me. “But hell, I’d be smiling like a fool too if he was my boyfriend. Tell me, does he have tattoos where we can’t see?”
Now it’s my turn to throw his napkin back at him. “You’ll just have to keep imagining.” I smile, picking my phone up, and sliding my thumb across the screen to unlock it.
Cuba: Where’s my girlfriend?
I do a little dance in my seat, practically giddy as I type back.
Me: Still at brunch. Where’s my boyfriend?
“Did you just do a happy dance?” India purses her lips to keep from laughing. “Oh my God, you are so gone. Could have made him chase you a little more.”
Leaning back in my seat, I lift my refilled drink to my lips and smile. “What can I say. I like my men like I like my weed, sedating, uplifting, dominating, and when you light it on fire, it makes me feel so good.” Lifting my eyebrow, I take a sip.
Patrick chuckles. “Well damn, are you going to pass it along?”
“Nope,” I say, picking up my phone when it starts vibrating.
Cuba: Still at the courts, about to pick up another game. I’m hella dying out here.
Me: Yeah right, I bet you’re keeping up just fine. :)
I’m sure it has to be hard on him, coming back to play basketball after being out for about a year. It would be hard on anyone, but I know it’s hard without Jackson being there with him.
Cuba: I didn’t say we were losing, Arrow. Just that I had this sexy girl in my bed last night. I didn’t get much sleep.
I know I’m blushing like a little school girl, I can feel the heat rising,
Me: Well maybe she should stay out of your bed tonight. So, you won’t be distracted.
He doesn’t text back, he calls me. My phone vibrating in my hand. I look to my friends and they look at my phone.
India smiles widely. “You gonna answer that or just look freaked out?”
Rolling my eyes, I swipe answer, and pull the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Don’t hello me, baby.” I can hear yelling in the background and the sound of a ball bouncing. “What were you saying about not being in my bed tonight?”
I shrug, though he can’t see me. “I guess assuming I’m the sexy girl in your bed.” I trail off smiling.
Patrick and Indi make faces while pretending to throw up. Sticking my tongue out at them, I flip them off.
Cuba tsks in my ear. “You’re the only sexy girl that’s ever been in my bed, Arrow.”
“Yeah?” I smirk. “I’m sure you tell all the pretty girls that same thing.”
He laughs in to the phone, and my body shivers from the sound. “Not possible, you’re the only pretty girl I know.”
My heart does a little flip, but I quickly calm her. “Now you’re just teasing me.”
I hear his name called in the background, and I know he’s going to hang up soon.
“You’re the only pretty girl that matters,” he says. “Look, babe. I have to go before Cam has a tantrum. I forgot Ash is having some dinner thing for his birthday tonight. Want to go?”
A public outing with Cuba? I wasn’t exactly sure I was ready for that. Then I remember it’s Sunday, and I usually have dinner with my dad. He hasn’t texted me to change it yet or tell me where to meet.
“Um, I usually have dinner with my dad on Sundays,” I tell him.
“I forgot, Saturday with your mom and Sunday with your dad.” He remembers. “Well, I took you away from your mom this weekend, it would only be fair to take you away again.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling. “I can’t, he’ll actually come to my house to check on me.”
“Fine, but you’ll come over after, right?” He sounds bummed, and I feel bad.
“Of course,” I say quickly.
“Cool, I’ll see you later.”
He hangs up, leaving me there confused. Our conversation went from cute to awkward in a matter of seconds. He’s hot and cold all over again. Great, I don’t even know where I went wrong. Did I say something wrong? Or is he upset that I can’t join him tonight?
I shake it off, putting a smile on my face once I drop my phone in my purse. They want to ask if I’m okay, but they don’t say anything, and are talking about wanting to have a kickback with some friends. We don’t have friends, so it would just be us like always. Patrick suggests that I invite Cuba and his friends, but I told him I doubt they would enjoy bad chick flicks, eating fourteen boxes of assorted See’s Candy, and bottles of cheap champagne. We like to party hard.
“Just ask.” Indi stands up, grabbing her purse. “It wouldn’t be so bad to grow our small circle.”
Patrick and I follow her out of the restaurant.
“And what makes you think I’ll want to be around him all the time?” Because I do want to be around him all the time now.
They both laugh at me like I’m adorable.
India gives me a look like I’m crazy. “Bitch, you’re dickmitized.”
I almost choke on air. “What?” I cough and pat my chest.
Patrick pats my back gently. “It happens to the best of us, baby.”
India starts dancing like a robot in the middle of the parking lot, and I want to die, everyone is looking.
“Dick so good it has you hypnotize,” she raps. “It means you dickmitized, baby, baby.”
Patrick is laughing so hard he’s bent over, and I’m horrified at what is taking place. She had way too many mimosa’s.
“Biggie, Biggie can’t you see sometimes your dick just hypnotize me,” she sings, not caring that people are looking at us.
Patrick is no help, he’s still laughing.
“I hate you right now.” I grab her hand. “Let’s go.”
“Oh my God, are you mad?” India whines. “Don’t be mad at me, B Money.”
Rolling my eyes, I smile. “I’m not mad.” I click my key fob to unlock the doors to my car.
“Good,” she says sliding into the back seat. “It’s not my fault he abracadabra you with his dick.”
I slam her door close. “India, shut up.”
Once I’m in the driver’s seat, I glare at Patrick, who is red from laughing, then to India through the rear-view mirror. She swings her index finger in the air like a freaking wand. I can’t help but laugh.
“You are so annoying,” I tell her. “If I didn’t love you, I would leave your ass here. No more mimosas for you.”
She just laughs, and Patrick follows suit. I swear, they make me so mad, but I love them. They get me, they are my people. Even if they embarrass me in public.
My dad surprises me with where we’re going for dinner. Lately, we have been going to these fancy places and, while I enjoy a good steak and wine, I could also go for a margarita and a burger. So, when he said we were meeting at Island’s Burger, I was not complaining. Also, I don’t have to dress up, I can actually wear jeans tonight. So, when I slide on my favorite stretchy distressed jeans, I’m in heaven. Perfect for dinner then going to Cuba’s after.
I haven’t talked to him since earlier, and I think he’s still pouting. He’ll get over it.
After pulling a soft cream thin pull over on, and sliding into my sparkly chucks, I finish packing my overnight bag, hoping I don’t forget anything. I rarely stayed over at Dex’s, and he barely came to my place. Our sex life was already dead, maybe that’s why he cheated. I’m going to try and not think about that.
Once I have my bags in the back seat of my car, I send my dad a quick text letting him know I’m on my way. Then I debate on texting Cuba, I might as well in case he changes his mind on me coming over. I toss my phone in my cup holder after sending him, a quick text.
Thankfully, the location my dad chose wasn’t too far from me, which makes me think he’ll actually be going home and not back to the office. He needs to meet someone, I have told him this, but he just waves me off and says he’s fine. Same with my mom, she won’t date either. I wonder why they really got divorced when they are still hung up on each other, but they’ll deny it.
When I pull up the restaurant and park, I pick up my phone with one text, my dad, saying he has a booth, but nothing from my boyfriend. I’m not going to deal with this tonight. This weekend was amazing, and I felt we covered some ground, but now he’s back to how he was. He’s closing up.
If he doesn’t text back by the time I leave then I’ll just go home, and we can go back to being what we were before. Nothing.
Checking my face in my compact mirror, I take a deep breath. I don’t want my dad to pick up on anything that might be wrong. I was going to tell him about Cuba tonight, but I’ll wait, since he is radio silent. No point of saying anything when I could possibly be single tomorrow.
The hostess directs me right to my dad and gives me a funny look. I’m used to girls falling over my dad, he looks young for his age so there are times people think we are dating. It’s really disgusting.
“Hey, Dad,” I say loudly enough to make the hostess blush as she scurries away.
My dad laughs. “Hey, baby girl.”
I slide onto the bench across from him. “Thank you for choosing somewhere normal for once.” I pick up the menu even though I know I’m going to order the same thing as always.
“Yeah, I figured I deserve a burger.” He smiles. “And I knew you wouldn’t turn it down.”
“Never turn down a free meal,” I say before the waitress comes to get our drink orders, and since we already knew what we wanted, we put our order in at the same time.
“So, how is your case going?’’ I ask once the waitress is gone.
He winces and chuckles.
“That bad?”
“It could be worse, but you know I got this, baby girl,” he assures me.
“I’m sure you do, dad.” I never doubt him.
He starts to ask about school and if I’m still planning on tutoring in my free time. I’m about to answer him when I see something in the corner of my eye. I can see the door to the restaurant open, with a bunch of people cramming through it, loudly laughing, a few girls giggling. Then I see three very familiar faces, one of them that is clearly ignoring my texts. My new boyfriend is here with Ash, Cam, another guy, and three girls, the curvy redhead looks very taken by him. My eyes narrow at her hand that is running down his arm then smile when I see him shake her off. Still, he’s ignoring me.
“You okay?” My dad asks breaking my gaze and I blink, looking back to him.
“Yeah, just saw someone I know.” No way am I going to tell him that my boyfriend is here with a bunch of skanks.
When I look back, they are gone. Now I’m going to be distracted knowing he’s here and not talking to me.