Reece
I wasn’t going to go out after work. Instead, I was just going to go home and recuperate so I could be prepared for another round of craziness tomorrow; but Jamarcus and Nena insisted that I go out with them to a bar near Suds. So I went home, showered, changed, and met up with them along with Tyler at the car wash so Nena could drive. I was actually looking forward to hanging out with everyone, but I wasn’t going to drink since I still wasn’t one hundred percent, but I wasn’t expecting to see Troy at the bar with a customer. The two were looking pretty cozy.
A little too cozy.
I didn’t know what to think as I watched the woman be all over Troy. She looked pretty desperate with her hand on his thigh, looking adoringly into his eyes. I thought I was going to throw up from the scene, but why should I be upset? I’d told him I didn’t want anything to happen between us. Even that little moment we had in the office was just that. It wasn’t going to transpire into anything else.
My mind flashbacked to that moment, when his hand was around my waist. The look he gave me made me have all sort of feelings, from lust, to excitement, to even a sense of comfort. I quickly erased that memory from my mind as I saw the two leave He gave me a look that made my stomach turn. Troy could do whatever he wanted. I hope his moment of pleasure doesn’t end up biting him in the ass. That alone should be enough for me not to even think about him. Troy’s a man whore, so I shouldn’t even be thinking about him, let alone wanting to touch any part of him.
“Is everything okay?”
I looked around to see Jamarcus and Nena giving me intense stares. Tyler looked lost, like he was wondering what was going on.
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Jamarcus gave me the side eye. “Because it looks like you want to snatch Tracy’s weave out of her head, which I hope you never do because she tips pretty well. Am I right, Tyler?”
“Huh?” Tyler asked as he looked up from his phone. He was oblivious to what was going on.
“Never mind. He doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going half of the time,” he mumbled to me, and I shook my head.
“I’m just saying. He doesn’t.”
I tried to hold back my laughter, but I couldn’t help it. I tried to play it off by coughing, which worked, because no one was paying attention.
“Trust me, I won’t be snatching no one’s weave. I’m not jealous of Troy talking to another woman, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Could have fooled me,” Nena said and smiled.
“Listen you two, I’m in no way thinking about Troy Jimenez. Not at all.”
“It looked as if you were throwing daggers at the two of them,” Nena pointed out.
“I was not. It just that Troy promised me that he wouldn’t be seen with any more employees or customers. I made that clear that he couldn’t so we can rebuild Suds’ image. He’s not even holding up his end of the deal if he’s going around town with her,”
“Does it matter if he’s with a customer? Isn’t it the employees that you should have a problem with? Or is it any woman that you have a problem with?” Jamarcus asked.
I sighed. “I’m not jealous,”
“Then what did I walk in on in the office earlier? And don’t say you two were talking about Suds’ business.”
“What happened?” Nena asked as she leaned in closer to the table.
“Nothing happened, Nena.”
“You two looked pretty intense when I walked in. I think you like him,”
“Why would I like a womanizer? He only wants to use women for his own personal gain. I can’t be with anyone like that. In fact, I can’t be with any man period.”
Everyone looked confused after that last statement. I shook my head and sighed. “I have commitment issues. I always have, but I’m nothing like Troy. I don’t go through men like he does with women. I’d rather just be alone until I can figure out where I want my life to go.”
“Wow, I didn’t think you two had something in common, but you actually do.” Jamarcus said. “What made you have commitment issues, if you don’t mind me asking?”
I shrugged. “I guess I just haven’t met the right man that can keep me interested.”
“Honestly, I think you need to stay clear of Troy. Nothing good would come out of a relationship with him, if you ever tried to pursue one.” Nena said.
“I don’t want to pursue one. I don’t like him, so you don’t have anything to worry about.”
“What about the…”
I gave Nena a heated glance, warning her to not mention anything that I had told her.
“Now I need to know what’s going on. Are you two keeping secrets and not telling me?” Jamarcus asked.
“It’s nothing,”
“Even I want to know this,” Tyler said. I glanced at him, wondering how did he get into the conversation.
“It’s nothing important. In fact, it was just some stupid dream that I had that didn’t make any sense about me and Troy.”
“You seriously had a sex dream about him? I can’t.” Jamarcus said as he shook his head.
“It was a random dream. I spent the night at his house after I got drunk at Lucinda’s. He actually took care of me,”
“So that’s what he didn’t want to talk about. You spent the night at his house?”
“Only because I left my purse at the restaurant. My keys were in there and Vanessa was spending the night at her parents’, and Mark had to stay at the restaurant.”
“And nothing happened? I’m shocked.” Jamarcus said.
“Troy was actually a gentleman that night. He was nice,”
“Regardless, just stay clear of the man. Just continue doing what you have been doing and that’s being alone until you meet the right person,” Nena suggested.
“What if I want to have some fun? I mean, I haven’t had sex in almost a year,”
“Okay, can we talk about something else now? This conversation is getting uncomfortable,” Nena said.
“I have to agree with Nena. I don’t want to hear about you, Troy, and sex in the same sentence.” Jamarcus mentioned.
I sighed. “Yeah, we can talk about something else. What about this event that I’m planning for the car wash? Since I have you all here, maybe I can piggyback on some suggestions.”
“I was thinking we could have live music. That could bring people out,” Jamarcus suggested.
“Good idea,”
As the four of us were giving ideas, I took a deep breath, wishing I could forget about what I’d just said about Troy and the fact that I have commitment issues. I’d never really told that to anyone, except Vanessa, but she’s my cousin, so of course she figured that out before I could mention it.
The image of Troy leaving with Tracy was still on my mind as I looked out the window. I shook my head, realizing that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. In fact, I should just let it go.
***
After hanging out with the three for a little while longer, we decided to make a night of it and go out to the club. I hadn’t been to a club in ages, so this might be fun.
As we went back to the car wash, we noticed Troy’s car in the parking lot. He was coming out of the store as he glanced at the four of us.
“What are you all doing here?”
“Didn’t you notice our cars parked here?” Jamarcus asked.
“I really wasn’t paying attention. I just came here because I forgot my sales binder.”
“Doing business on a Friday night?”
“I don’t have anything else going on,”
I glanced at him as he stared at me. “Where are y’all going anyway?”
“We’re heading to the club. You want to come?” Tyler asked. Jamarcus jabbed him in the side, telling him to shut up.
“You all go on. Just be at work on time tomorrow.”
“If you want to come, then come. It’s not a big deal.” I suggested.
He looked unsure, “Are you sure? You seemed as if you don’t want me to come.”
“Why do you think that?”
“How you’re staring at me. Is it because of what happened earlier at the bar?”
I folded my arms across my chest as Troy smirked. “Tell the truth, Reece. Were you jealous that I left with her?”
“Seriously,” Jamarcus mumbled. I stared at Nena as she rolled her eyes.
“I wasn’t jealous. You can’t help who you are, and that’s a man whore.”
“Damn,” Tyler mumbled.
“Listen, I’m off the clock, so I can do whatever I damn well please. We both agreed that I wouldn’t associate with anyone during work hours, so you can’t be mad at what I do on my own time.”
I laughed. “So now this is about me. You know what, fuck you.”
“You wish you could, baby.”
“Okay, you two, stop it! With you two arguing, you’re ruining my going out vibe,” Jamarcus said.
He glanced at Troy before speaking. “Now are you going out or not so we can head out. The club we’re going to is free before ten.”
Troy looked at me with that damn smirk again, which I wanted so badly to rip off his damn face.
“You know what, just to piss you off even further, I will go out.” He said while looking at me.
I continued mean mugging him as Tyler pulled out his phone to invite some more people. I rolled my eyes, wondering if this night could get any worse. But if I was thinking that, why was my heart thumping against my chest at the thought of being around Troy tonight.
What the hell?