A Love Like This (Book 1) (14 page)

Nickie
 
leans over the table and whispers.
 
 
“
He was probably there entertaining a client.
”

“
Yeah if by entertaining you mean screwing.
 
His tongue was so far down that dudes throat----
“

“
Stop,
”
 
Nickie
 
says starting to tear up.

I glanced over at Sarah.
 
Her head is bouncing back and forth from
 
Nickie
 
to
 
Pookie
 
as they argue.
 
I can tell
 
that
 
she
’
s loving
 
the drama.

“
Look I won
’
t say anything else about Damian and Leila will watch her facial expressions.
 
But I suggest you do a little investigating when we get back home.
 
Now can we please just try to enjoy ourselves?
”
 
 
I don
’
t say anything even though I can feel all eyes on me.
 
I didn
’
t realize how hungry I was.
 
I
’
m shoveling food in my mouth without looking up or stopping to breathe.
 
We all eat our food in silence for a few minutes trying to process the fact that
 
Pookie
 
just oust Damian in a crowded restaurant.
 

Sarah shatters the quiet
by slapping her hands on the table.
 
“
You guys want to see something funny?
”
 

Pookie
 
says,
 
“
Yes please anything to break the tension.
”
 

Sarah looks over at me as I tear into the pancakes.
 
I
’
ve already finished the okra, French toast and oxtails.
 
 
“
Leila
 
have
 
you told
 
Nickie
 
and
 
Pookie
 
about Tucker Bradley?
”
 
 
I swallow hard.
 
My face gets hot and little beads of sweat develop on my upper lip.
 
 
Nickie
 
smiles at me and
 
Pookie
 
belts out a hardy laugh.
 

Pookie
 
says,
 
“
I didn
’
t know black folks could blush.
”
 

I fan myself with the dessert menu.
 
 
“
I
’
m happy to amuse you all,
”
 
I say leaning back in my chair and sliding the waist band of my sweats down over my stomach.
 
It was concave just minutes ago now there
’
s a tiny bulge.
 
 
“
I think I
’
m going to be sick.
”
 

“
So who is Tucker Bradley,
”
 
Pookie
 
says spooning a big heap of cheese grits into his mouth?
 

“
He
’
s just a student teacher in one of my class; well he was until the class ended.
”
 

“
Yeah right,
”
 
Sarah says.
 
 
“
He is not just a student teacher.
 
Other than the economic crisis and a bunch of other political garbage I don
’
t understand, he
’
s all she ever talks about.
”
 

Nickie
 
says,
 
“
I
’
ve never known you to be shy around boys.
”
 

“
That
’
s just it,
”
 
I say pushing an oxtail bone around the plate with my fork.
 
 
“
He
’
s not a boy he
’
s twenty-six, super smart, gorgeous and he
’
s white.
 
I've never dated a white guy before."

“
Hello, I
’
m white and you talk to me all the time." Sarah says with a mouth full of food.

“
Yeah but I don
’
t picture myself licking whipped cream off your ass every time I see you.
”
 
 
Everyone stops eating and looks at me with their heads slightly cocked to one side.
 
 
“
What?
 
It
’
s true I get all squishy every time he stands near me.
 
The problem is compounded by the fact that he has a girl friend and hundreds of groupies.
”
 

“
Aww
 
sweetie,
”
 
Nickie
 
says in a sing song voice then reaches across the table to hold my hand.
 

“
Oh stop being dramatic,
 
that
’
s my job,
”
 
Sarah says.
 
 
“
The only problem is he
’
s still pissed that you went out with his best friend.
 

“
You never told me
,
”
 
I say.
 

“
It doesn
’
t matter. A little jealousy can be good for a relationship,
”
 
Sarah says.

Pookie
 
pays the check and we all set off towards the dorm.

“
I
’
m going to have to meet this Tucker,
”
 
Pookie
 
says with a big smile.
 
“
And
 
Nickie
 
we
’
re going to find you a man that prefers chicks over dicks,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.

“
Or yoni
’
s over
 
cajone
’
s,
”
 
Sarah adds.

“
What the hell is a yoni,
”
 
Pookie
 
asks.

“
Its Sanskrit for vagina or more literally a woman
’
s holy place,
”
 
I say.

“
You made that up,
”
 
Pookie
 
says laughing.
 

“
It
’
s a thing,
”
 
I say.

Nickie
 
forces a smile and slows her pace falling behind the group.
 
I slow down to walk with her while
 
Pookie
 
and Sarah trudge ahead cracking jokes and stopping to talk to street vendors.

“
We
’
re going to have fun this weekend Nick,
”
 
I say wrapping my arms around her waist.
 

“
I
’
ve missed you,
”
 
she says and kisses the top of my head.
 
The best thing about having a big sister is unconditional love.

Once in the room I shower, wash and condition my hair then cover myself in my favorite Satsuma orange body butter.
 
 
Pookie
 
and
 
Nickie
 
take turns flat ironing my hair.
 
It takes nearly two hours for them to yank and fry my fluffy hair into a long shiny main.
 
They say my hair is so thick that I
’
ve given them both carpal tunnel
 
syndrome
 
by the time it
’
s all done.
 
 
Pookie
 
applies a shit load of makeup to my face to achieve what he calls the natural look.
 
Everyone
’
s excited about going out but all I really want to do is take a long
nap after all the food I ate.
 
I know that will never fly so I slide into a tight black knee length dress with some sort of bondage straps across the back.
 
I slip on knockoff Jimmy
 
Choo
 
royal blue suede
 
stilettos and look down at myself thinking if I linger around any corners while we
’
re out tonight I
’
m sure to be arrested for soliciting.
 
 
 
“
I look like a whore,
”
 
I say to no one in particular.

Sarah says,
 
“
It
’
s ok as long as you use your inner whore for good and not evil.
”
 

Pookie
 
hands
 
Nickie
 
a pretty green knee length dress.
 
 
Nickie
 
takes the dress and
 
industrial size make up tubes into the bathroom to change.
 
She says,
 
“
Gay or not it
’
s inappropriate to be naked in front of my uncle.
”
 

Nickie
 
comes out in the dress and my mouth falls open.
 
The green knee length dress has a high round neckline and upon first glance appears tame for
 
Pookie
’
s
 
taste.
 
 
 
However, I look a little closer and see that it is nearly completely translucent.
 
There
’
s a strip of green fabric across the breast and a slightly larger strip around the waist of the dress and not much else.

“
You look beautiful,
”
 
I say drooling over the Roberto
 
Cavalli
 
leopard print stilettos with colorful baubles she
’
s sliding into.
 
These shoes are like art and are clearly not knockoffs.
 
I
’
m not sure how she managed to afford them but I
’
m making plans to slip them out of her bag before she goes back home.

“
She is beautiful,
”
 
Sarah says interrupting my thoughts.
 
 
“
You two look exactly alike,
”
 
she adds.