6
“So, how’s Ryan?” I asked, as I sifted through the nail polish on Nicky’s dresser. She must’ve had a hundred bottles neatly lined up next to about two hundred bottles of perfume.
“Good,” Angie said from her seat on the floor. “He’s supposed to be editing some videos.”
I glanced at her. “Supposed to be?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but I keep getting notifications that he’s posting stuff on social media. I swear he’s addicted.”
“Ryan has a huge following,” Nicky offered. “He’s got to keep his fans happy.”
“Ryan has a huge following because he’s Ryan, not because of the memes he posts,” Angie said.
“Yeah, but you have to admit, he shares some funny stuff,” Nicky said.
Angie rolled her eyes. “Your ass is just one of his groupies.”
“I sure am.”
Angie threw her nail file at Nicky who was digging through a drawer in her nightstand, presumably trying to find some CD her latest potential husband had given her.
“Why you gotta be so violent?” Nicky asked through a giggle.
“I’ma do more than throw stuff at you if you keep crushing on my husband.”
“First of all, I’m not crushing on Ryan. He’s my brother-in-law, and I love him as such. But shit, I ain’t blind. Your man is fine, big sis. Exceptionally fine. Hell, I do believe he’s the finest man—”
“Speaking of fine men,” I said, interrupting Nicky before an all-out bloodbath ensued, because although Nicky’s loose behind was playing, I knew Angie would lay her out about Ryan. “I went out on a date last week.”
“Aw, shit. With Robert’s homely ass?” Angie asked, in a tone coated in disgust.
“Fuck,” Nicky mumbled.
“No! Damn, can you two give me a little credit for having an ounce of sense?”
Silence.
I sighed and reclaimed my seat on the floor with a bottle of canary yellow nail polish in my hand. “Whatever.”
“I mean, look at your track record, Nay,” Angie offered. “How can you blame us for thinking you’d go back to him?”
“We’ve been separated for over a year. I filed for divorce. I’ve changed. What he did to me changed me, and I’m not just talking about the twenty-two pounds I lost. I’m not Robert Mattison’s fool anymore. Can’t you two see that?” I tried to keep the tremor out of my voice but failed. My voice almost always revealed my true emotions, and even on those rare occasions when I was able to control my voice, my face would undoubtedly give me away.
I blinked back tears, determined not to cry this time. I was so tired of crying…
“We’re sorry, Nay. We really are,” Angie said, with Nicky quickly agreeing. “You have changed. We know that.”
I nodded. “Do y’all wanna hear about the date or what?”
“I do, and I also wanna know how I missed the fact that you met a man and we live in the same house,” Nicky said.
I stared at her. “Have you gained invisibility or something? When are you ever here, Nicky?”
She heaved a sigh. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“And I’m telling you now. Goodness! Anyway…” I gave them the details on Lorenzo Higgs from my first encounter with him at his home to our lunch “date.”
“So he’s rich?” Nicky asked. It wasn’t surprising that she’d home in on that part.
“And fine? Are you sure?” Angie asked.
“Am I sure about what?” I questioned, confusion evident in my voice.
“About him being fine,” Angie clarified.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Um, well…I’ve seen Robert.”
“Robert is ugly, but you have to admit he has a decent body.”
“Uh, no, because unlike our baby sister, I don’t ogle other people’s men’s bodies.”
“Damn, I’m sorry! It ain’t like I’ma try to screw the man or something!” Nicky shouted.
“I ain’t worried about that. Your ass just needs to show some respect,” Angie countered.
“Are we ever gonna be able to have a sisters’ night without one of y’all acting a fool?” I asked.
They both fell silent and dropped their eyes.
Mama peeked her head in the open bedroom door, and said, “I’m heading out for a bit. Don’t wait up.” Before either of us could say a word in response, she’d disappeared.
“She got a new man?” Angie asked.
I shrugged. “Who knows? I don’t even know who that woman is half the time. I miss my original mother.”
“Daddy destroyed that one. She’s long gone,” Nicky said.
“Yeah, I know,” I agreed. “I don’t understand either of them. I mean, what are they doing? Neither of them has filed for divorce.”
“Wait a minute, it took you more than a year to file. They’ve got forty years of marriage together. That’s got to be hard to let go of,” Angie pointed out.
“But they’re not together. Just doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Look, you know I be playing with you about Ryan, right, Ang?” Nicky asked, shifting the conversation.
“Of course. Same here. I enjoy our little arguments,” admitted.
“But he is fine,” Nicky muttered.
Angie threw a package of cotton balls at Nicky, and they both fell out laughing.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
“Anyway,” Angie said, “so this guy is fine and rich. And you say he’s nice, and it was pretty clever of him to trick you into that date. He must’ve been able to tell you wouldn’t have agreed otherwise.”
I tilted my head to the side. “How do you know I wouldn’t have?”
“Because I know you, Renee Elise Strickland-Mattison. You may be over Robert, but you’re not one to jump from one man to another. Plus, you’re technically still married, and you take your vows as seriously as I do. So I’m actually surprised your ass didn’t leave when you realized it was a date.”
“I started to…”
“But?”
“But you like him, don’t you?” Nicky asked.
I shrugged.
“Are you going to see him again?” Angie asked.
“He seems to think so.”
“Dang, why can’t I find a fine, rich man who’ll jump through hoops to get my attention?” Nicky whined.
“Because you’re a ho’,” Angie reminded her.
Nicky nodded slowly. “Oh, yeah…”