bulb of garlic and turned to walk away.
“Impossible that you don’t like them,” said Cedric.
The man stopped and turned around. “I know I’ll like them. Some other day, perhaps. I only have enough money for the apricot jam I need to pick up for the Mrs.”
Cedric smiled and threw the man a bulb. “This is on the house. Come back and see me again.”
“Definitely. Thanks.” The man smiled as if he’d won the lottery.
“I thought you were going to stop doing that,” Tony said.
“There are worse habits to have.”
An older man approached and Cedric waved. “Hey, Joe.”
“Cedric. How’s the kindest man I know?”
“Maybe I should be asking you that.” Cedric handed him a basket of cherries.
“You’ll be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.”
“I already am.”
Tony watched the man walk away with the free cherries and sighed. “Okay, I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that. You could be missing the opportunity of a lifetime with Ellie. Why don’t you give her a chance?”
“Let’s not talk about her anymore. I don’t want to … never mind”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
Cedric knew Tony wouldn’t stop pestering him so he decided to tell him. “Okay. Remember that woman I met at the meet-up for vegetarians?”
“Of course. You said you liked her yams.”
“No. You said that.”
“Yeah, okay.” Tony nodded. “Maybe I did. Anyway—”
“Anyway … after I told you I met her, she never came to the meet-up again.”
“So.”
“The same thing happened with the woman who owned the jewelry shop. I told you about her and then she sold the place and moved to Alaska.”
Tony put his hands on his hips. “So, you’re saying that I’m jinxing you, is that it?”
“I’m just saying—hell, I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“Call her,” says Tony. “Quit being a pussy.”
“I don’t have her number.”
“Where does she work?”
“The library.”
Tony stared at Cedric in disbelief. “God no. Please don’t tell me she’s a librarian.”
“Okay. I won’t.”
“With sexy librarian glasses?”
“She doesn’t wear glasses.”
“It doesn’t matter. Get your ass down there and bang her. I’ll cover for you.”
“That’s not what I want.”
“Have you turned gay on me? That’s every heterosexual man’s dream … a quiet librarian by day, sexy nymphomaniac by night. She sets her glasses on the bedside table, lets her hair down, and BAM! Time to get busy.”
“I told you, she doesn’t wear glasses. Plus, she’s not like that. And youare the reason why women think we only have sex on the brains.”
“If you don’t go down there, I will.”
“Calm down, I’m going there this afternoon.”
Cedric had another training session today, a one-on-one session with a boy. He was looking forward to it, but just the thought of seeing Ellie again made his hands sweat.
“Great. But take it slow and don’t worry so much. If by chance it doesn’t work out with her, I’ve already put Plan B in place for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ll see.”
“Tell me.”
“Okay, I didn’t want to tell you yet, but … I signed you up for online dating last week.”
Cedric froze. “Seriously?”
“Man, you’re popular. You have a boatload of women who want to meet you. I’ve been communicating with them. Two or three hours a night. It’s fun.”
“You’re pretending to be me?”
“Consider me your agent or the middleman. I’m pre-screening them for you … then you can take over.”
Cedric took a moment to mull things over. Now it made complete sense. That’s why Ellie acted that way in the library. She saw his profile online and thought he was dating. No wonder she was pissed off. Cedric paced back and forth, thinking about what Tony did. How could he? He didn’t even ask.
“You screwed me over on this one,” said Cedric.
“What are you talking about? This is a step in the right
“Impossible that you don’t like them,” said Cedric.
The man stopped and turned around. “I know I’ll like them. Some other day, perhaps. I only have enough money for the apricot jam I need to pick up for the Mrs.”
Cedric smiled and threw the man a bulb. “This is on the house. Come back and see me again.”
“Definitely. Thanks.” The man smiled as if he’d won the lottery.
“I thought you were going to stop doing that,” Tony said.
“There are worse habits to have.”
An older man approached and Cedric waved. “Hey, Joe.”
“Cedric. How’s the kindest man I know?”
“Maybe I should be asking you that.” Cedric handed him a basket of cherries.
“You’ll be blessed beyond your wildest dreams.”
“I already am.”
Tony watched the man walk away with the free cherries and sighed. “Okay, I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that. You could be missing the opportunity of a lifetime with Ellie. Why don’t you give her a chance?”
“Let’s not talk about her anymore. I don’t want to … never mind”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
Cedric knew Tony wouldn’t stop pestering him so he decided to tell him. “Okay. Remember that woman I met at the meet-up for vegetarians?”
“Of course. You said you liked her yams.”
“No. You said that.”
“Yeah, okay.” Tony nodded. “Maybe I did. Anyway—”
“Anyway … after I told you I met her, she never came to the meet-up again.”
“So.”
“The same thing happened with the woman who owned the jewelry shop. I told you about her and then she sold the place and moved to Alaska.”
Tony put his hands on his hips. “So, you’re saying that I’m jinxing you, is that it?”
“I’m just saying—hell, I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“Call her,” says Tony. “Quit being a pussy.”
“I don’t have her number.”
“Where does she work?”
“The library.”
Tony stared at Cedric in disbelief. “God no. Please don’t tell me she’s a librarian.”
“Okay. I won’t.”
“With sexy librarian glasses?”
“She doesn’t wear glasses.”
“It doesn’t matter. Get your ass down there and bang her. I’ll cover for you.”
“That’s not what I want.”
“Have you turned gay on me? That’s every heterosexual man’s dream … a quiet librarian by day, sexy nymphomaniac by night. She sets her glasses on the bedside table, lets her hair down, and BAM! Time to get busy.”
“I told you, she doesn’t wear glasses. Plus, she’s not like that. And youare the reason why women think we only have sex on the brains.”
“If you don’t go down there, I will.”
“Calm down, I’m going there this afternoon.”
Cedric had another training session today, a one-on-one session with a boy. He was looking forward to it, but just the thought of seeing Ellie again made his hands sweat.
“Great. But take it slow and don’t worry so much. If by chance it doesn’t work out with her, I’ve already put Plan B in place for you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ll see.”
“Tell me.”
“Okay, I didn’t want to tell you yet, but … I signed you up for online dating last week.”
Cedric froze. “Seriously?”
“Man, you’re popular. You have a boatload of women who want to meet you. I’ve been communicating with them. Two or three hours a night. It’s fun.”
“You’re pretending to be me?”
“Consider me your agent or the middleman. I’m pre-screening them for you … then you can take over.”
Cedric took a moment to mull things over. Now it made complete sense. That’s why Ellie acted that way in the library. She saw his profile online and thought he was dating. No wonder she was pissed off. Cedric paced back and forth, thinking about what Tony did. How could he? He didn’t even ask.
“You screwed me over on this one,” said Cedric.
“What are you talking about? This is a step in the right
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