been this way.”
“Yeah, but now she’s worse and I can’t take it.”
“Okay, then what about ten years ago when she loaned you the rest of the down payment you needed to buy your house with? If I’m not mistaken, she gave you five thousand dollars.”
“But you loaned me the same amount,” Whitney said.
“Yeah, and why did I do it?”
“Because you love me.”
“And Charisse did it because?”
“She wanted something to hang over my head.”
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it.
Whitney laughed with me.
“But seriously,” I said, “you know Charisse cares about you and that she’s always been a friend to you. She’s always been a friend to both of us.”
“Do we have to talk about this?” Whitney asked.
“Yeah, we do. And I’m calling Charisse and telling her that we’ll meet her at the restaurant for lunch.”
“Fine. But if she says anything out of the way to me, I’m leaving. And then I’m not speaking to her again.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Well, come Wednesday, just watch me. If Charisse criticizes me in the smallest way, I’m going off.”
“I’m sure you won’t have to do that.”
“Then, you’d better warn her up front…especially with me not being able to eat like I want to. Shoot, I’m just dying to tear someone’s head off.”
“You’re too much.”
“I’m serious, T, so if I were you, I’d tell her to watch how she treats me.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to her. But in all fairness, I don’t want you scrutinizing every single thing she says and trying to make something out of it. Because you know how you do.”
“Yeah, I can be a trip when I want to, can’t I?”
“Oh, let me count the ways,” I teased her.
“I’m only like that because I’ve taken so much crap from so many people and I’m not doing that anymore. From now on, I’m not trying to satisfy anyone except myself.”
“You know I’ve always told you to do that anyway. I’ve always told you to stop worrying about what other people think or what they have to say. It’s the only way you’ll ever be happy.”
“Well, I’m finally taking your advice.”
“I’m glad. Because you should have done it a long time ago.”
“Better late than never, though.”
“This is true. Well, I hate to cut this short, but I’d better get back to work. I have court all day tomorrow and I need to make sure I’m ready.”
“I need to get going myself, but call me later tonight so I can tell you how my visit to the health club went.”
“I will.”
After hanging up the phone, I worked straight through lunch, stopping only to grab a sandwich from the vending machine. Thankfully, I felt back to normal, because it was now five o’clock and I still felt strong enough to work a few more hours. Cameron and I had made plans to go out for dinner, but it was obvious that I wouldn’t be able to make it.
I dialed his office to inform him.
“This is Cameron.”
“Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself. You getting ready to leave?”
“Actually, no, and that’s why I’m calling. It looks like I’m going to be here for most of the evening.”
“Oh, okay. Do you want me to bring you something?”
“No, I’m fine, but thanks.”
I wanted to ask him why he didn’t sound all that disappointed. But maybe I was just being paranoid because of the way he’d acted on Friday.
“Maybe we can do dinner tomorrow instead,” he offered.
“Yeah, that should be good. I have court, but chances are I won’t be coming back to the office when I leave there.”
“Then let’s plan on it.”
“I’ll give you a call later.”
“Don’t work too hard and, hey, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Cameron.”
I hung up the phone and wondered why I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling I was having about us. Cameron hadn’t said anything suspicious but it just seemed to me that our not getting together wasn’t a major concern to him. It was
“Yeah, but now she’s worse and I can’t take it.”
“Okay, then what about ten years ago when she loaned you the rest of the down payment you needed to buy your house with? If I’m not mistaken, she gave you five thousand dollars.”
“But you loaned me the same amount,” Whitney said.
“Yeah, and why did I do it?”
“Because you love me.”
“And Charisse did it because?”
“She wanted something to hang over my head.”
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it.
Whitney laughed with me.
“But seriously,” I said, “you know Charisse cares about you and that she’s always been a friend to you. She’s always been a friend to both of us.”
“Do we have to talk about this?” Whitney asked.
“Yeah, we do. And I’m calling Charisse and telling her that we’ll meet her at the restaurant for lunch.”
“Fine. But if she says anything out of the way to me, I’m leaving. And then I’m not speaking to her again.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“You don’t think so?”
“No. I don’t.”
“Well, come Wednesday, just watch me. If Charisse criticizes me in the smallest way, I’m going off.”
“I’m sure you won’t have to do that.”
“Then, you’d better warn her up front…especially with me not being able to eat like I want to. Shoot, I’m just dying to tear someone’s head off.”
“You’re too much.”
“I’m serious, T, so if I were you, I’d tell her to watch how she treats me.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to her. But in all fairness, I don’t want you scrutinizing every single thing she says and trying to make something out of it. Because you know how you do.”
“Yeah, I can be a trip when I want to, can’t I?”
“Oh, let me count the ways,” I teased her.
“I’m only like that because I’ve taken so much crap from so many people and I’m not doing that anymore. From now on, I’m not trying to satisfy anyone except myself.”
“You know I’ve always told you to do that anyway. I’ve always told you to stop worrying about what other people think or what they have to say. It’s the only way you’ll ever be happy.”
“Well, I’m finally taking your advice.”
“I’m glad. Because you should have done it a long time ago.”
“Better late than never, though.”
“This is true. Well, I hate to cut this short, but I’d better get back to work. I have court all day tomorrow and I need to make sure I’m ready.”
“I need to get going myself, but call me later tonight so I can tell you how my visit to the health club went.”
“I will.”
After hanging up the phone, I worked straight through lunch, stopping only to grab a sandwich from the vending machine. Thankfully, I felt back to normal, because it was now five o’clock and I still felt strong enough to work a few more hours. Cameron and I had made plans to go out for dinner, but it was obvious that I wouldn’t be able to make it.
I dialed his office to inform him.
“This is Cameron.”
“Hey, you.”
“Hey, yourself. You getting ready to leave?”
“Actually, no, and that’s why I’m calling. It looks like I’m going to be here for most of the evening.”
“Oh, okay. Do you want me to bring you something?”
“No, I’m fine, but thanks.”
I wanted to ask him why he didn’t sound all that disappointed. But maybe I was just being paranoid because of the way he’d acted on Friday.
“Maybe we can do dinner tomorrow instead,” he offered.
“Yeah, that should be good. I have court, but chances are I won’t be coming back to the office when I leave there.”
“Then let’s plan on it.”
“I’ll give you a call later.”
“Don’t work too hard and, hey, I love you.”
“I love you, too, Cameron.”
I hung up the phone and wondered why I couldn’t shake the eerie feeling I was having about us. Cameron hadn’t said anything suspicious but it just seemed to me that our not getting together wasn’t a major concern to him. It was
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