Pretty Fly for a White Guy: The Complete Series Collection (22 page)

#Chapter2

“I guess it’s time for round two with Loren.”

Nicole

My week went by at a snail’s pace because all I could think about was Kenneth. Whatever work I could get done from the comfort of my home I did. I wasn’t ready to face the world yet and so I only emerged when I had to meet clients. Takeout food had become my sustenance because I needed to go grocery shopping, but that would have required me to have some human interactio
n
.

So needless to say I wasn’t all that thrilled about my friends coming over to see me. I just wanted some more peace and quiet, but Patrice insisted that I’d had more than enough of that. Jasmine was convinced that I was trying to become a hermit. So instead of arguing with them further I agreed to let them come over for a little while. I knew that it was really what I needed anyway and being alone for such an extended period of time wasn’t helping me. However, that didn’t keep me from wanting to strangle my friend for leaning on my damned doorbell. Only Patrice would do some ignorant shit like that.

I buzzed them in and opened my door. I could hear Patrice talking shit on her way down the hall and so I knew that Jasmine was with her. I smiled and shook my head.

“Hush up Patrice, you’re lucky that I even let you in,” I said to her as she got to my door.

“Whatever, you’re just lucky that you opened the door. I don’t think that you want my black ass outside disturbing your white neighbors,” she laughed.

“Something is wrong with you chick,” I said.

“Hey Jasmine, I’m so happy that one of my friends has some damned sense,” I said as I hugged her.

“I think we’re the only people that can deal with her foolishness,” she said as she hugged me tight.

Patrice went straight to my fridge, “You don’t have any food in here? What the hell, you knew we were coming over, and we like to eat.”

I shrugged, “I haven’t been shopping but help yourself to a nice cold bowl of cereal.”

She rolled her eyes, “We’re going to have to go out to eat because this isn’t working for me.”

“Stop raiding her fridge and get over here,” Jasmine said.

Patrice came over and took a seat in one of my chairs in the living area with us, “So what’s going on with you?”

“I’ve just been keeping to myself. It’s no secret that I’m sad as hell about what happened between me and Kenneth. But I’ll get over it eventually I don’t really have much of a choice,” I said solemnly as I drew my feet to my chest.

Patrice and Jasmine gave each other a knowing look, and I groaned, “The both of you already know how I am, whatever you have to say just fucking say it.”

“Well there has been an interesting development,” Jasmine began, “We went to confront Loren a couple of days ago about her sleeping with Kenneth.”

“You did what?” I asked, “What in the hell would possess you to go talk to that bitch?”

“We couldn’t just be quiet about it,” Patrice said, “What happened was absolutely foul, and she needed to know that we didn’t appreciate it.”

“What did she say?” I asked out of morbid curiosity.

“She swore up and down that she didn’t sleep with Kenneth, and we actually believe her,” Jasmine said.

I smacked my lips, “You believe her? She probably just said that because she was afraid that Patrice was going to rip her hair out.”

“No I think that she’s serious,” Patrice said, “You should talk to her and judge for yourself. It’s important that you at least know the truth before you stick to any brash decisions.”

I put my hands over my face and groaned, “I’m just so tired of all of this drama. Why is my life so complicated? Why can’t I just meet someone, fall in love with them, get married, and have babies?”

“Life doesn’t work out that way for a lot of us, not in this day. We have careers, and unfortunately that comes with sacrifices,” Jasmine said.

“Patrice please call her and ask if she would be willing to meet me for lunch,” I said.

“Alright I’ll do it.”

Jasmine and I sat in silence as Patrice talked to Loren over the phone. She then handed me the phone, and we agreed on the location and time. 

“I guess it’s time for round two with Loren,” I said as my eyes widened.

“I don’t think it will be bad,” Jasmine said, “She said that she didn’t sleep with him and so as long as you’re cordial, maybe she will be too.”

I wanted to believe that Jasmine was right, but the truth was that she was just too optimistic. She wanted to see the good within everyone, and some people just weren’t redeemable.

“I guess I’ll catch up with you ladies over dinner?” I asked.

“I can’t tonight but how about tomorrow?” Jasmine asked.

“Yeah tomorrow works better for me too,” Patrice said.

I was suddenly aware that I was the only single girl within my group of friends. I now knew how they felt when I was always out with Kenneth and I felt even worse.

“Okay, we’ll get together tomorrow instead.”

*

I came to the deli a little early so that I would have time to eat before she arrived. I’d finally learned that most of my conversations like this one usually ended quickly, and I probably wouldn’t be in the mood to eat after. Also, that bitch might make me feel sick so better to be safe.

Loren walked in as I was polishing off my sandwich.

“
Wow, so you ate without me?” She asked with a grin.

“I was really hungry,” I said, “However, I don’t mind sitting with you while you eat.”

She shook her head, “I’m just going to order a smoothie, I’m watching my figure.”

I

ignored her comment and dove in after she sat down, “As you already know, I’ve talked to Patrice and Jasmine, and they said that you denied that anything happened
.
”

She shrugged, “Of course I denied it, nothing happened between me and him.”

I looked at her in disbelief, “Why are you sticking up for him? He and I are over and so you really don’t have anything to lose, I won’t tell him that you told me the truth.”

“Girl please, I don’t have any reason to lie,” she responded.

“Then why are you doing it?”  I asked.

There was a controlled anger brewing beneath her well-kept surface. She looked as if she could fly across the table at me at any moment. She was probably thinking about how I ‘accidentally’ spilled wine all over her cute dress.

“Nicole, babe.... If I slept with your man, I would have told you myself just so that I could see that stupid look on your face when you found out.”

I pursed my lips and nodded my head up and down to keep myself from acting out of character. Our conversation was going to get ugly really fast, and there wasn’t any way around it.

“Furthermore,” she continued, “I’ve been waiting on the day that I can wipe that smug ass smile off of your face. You think you’re all that because you have…oh, I mean 
had 
the hottest guy in Atlanta. Funny, how you can not keep him though...”

My mind went through all of the things that I wanted to do to her, but none of them were legal. To prevent being escorted out of the deli in handcuffs I rose from my seat and prepared to leave.

“
Thank you for your time,” I said and I walked away. I was proud of myself for not ripping her hair out, slapping her, or throwing a drink in her face. I was growing up.

#Chapter3

“I do feel like a character in someone's cruel drama.”

Nicole

“
Okay girl, don’t just sit there like we’re not here for a reason.” Patrice said impatiently as she sipped her sweet tea.

I rolled my eyes, “I swear you become more insufferable the older you get.”

We were finally at dinner, and so she was right about me holding out. I had carefully avoided the subject so far, and we had dinner and were eating dessert. Jasmine looked at me with an expectant look, but she was too nice to say anything.

“Alright, the both of you were correct. I don’t think that he cheated on me with Loren. It sucks because I’ll have to be the one to apologize, especially since he thinks that I cheated on him.”

“Damn, I don’t even know how to feel right now,” Patrice said, “It’s like you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”

“I feel so guilty because we’re the ones that brought you that bullshit. We thought that Joshua was a good source of information,” Jasmine said.

“Yeah, turns out that fucker is a lot meaner than any of us expected. I’m really sorry about the way that we went in on him at the ball. Everyone saw it, and I know that it had to embarrass the hell out of him.”

As I dipped my spoon into the molten lava cake, Jasmine’s boyfriend Cedric popped up.

“Hey ladies,” he said before he kissed Jasmine on the cheek and scooted into our booth.

“Hey Ced,” I said and Patrice echoed my greeting.

“So now that Cedric is here, that means he’s coming to steal Jasmine away. Before we end our evening can we all agree on my decision to apologize to Ken? I’m hoping that we can work things out.”

Before either of them could agree Cedric interjected, “Oooh, I’m sorry and I’d hate to break it to you but I heard that Josh and Kenneth had a huge blow up. Kenneth left town to stay with his brother in New York for a while.”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

I don’t know why I didn’t expect Ken and Josh to fight about it, but the idea never entered into my head. They were always so close, and they usually got through anything. They were boys until the end, and they never let a woman come in-between them. Ken would probably be back soon, and they would be as thick and thieves again.

“
Yeah, I’m serious. I’m not sure what the fight was about though.”

“That’s because he found out the truth about I bet,” Patrice said bluntly.

“You all should look at his Facebook update from last night,” Cedric suggested.

I quickly pulled out my phone and went to his page, and it was a picture of him with a cocktail.

His update read, ‘Just sipping a Manhattan in Manhattan. Loving it out here #ChangeIsGood..”

I closed my eyes to prevent tears from flowing down my cheeks. He had a huge grin on his face in the photo, and he looked genuinely happy. Could he really be that happy without me?

“What if he doesn’t come back?” I whispered.

“He’ll be back; he can’t live without the heat of Atlanta. I give him a week or two before he’s hightailing his butt right back here. Then you can sort it all out.” Jasmine said. 

“You can’t blame him for needing a temporary change of scenery for a little bit,” Patrice said,

“Things did get really out of hand. He just needs a little time to himself.”

I wanted to run to the airport and to apologize to him so that we could get over all of this crap. But I decided to sit tight and wait until he came back to work things out.

“
Oooh, what if he sees that skank Amelia while he’s there. It would be a perfect time for her to pounce,” Patrice said absentmindedly.

Jasmine gave her a look that said to shut the hell up. I looked at her with disgust because now wasn’t the time to feed into my insecurities.

“But, New York is a big city, and it’s unlikely that they’ll meet up,” she backtracked.

“Don’t make me get violent at this table,” I said lightheartedly in an attempt to change the mood.

“Don’t let her off the hook Nikki, what she said was downright messy,” Jasmine said.

“For once in your life, you’re right,” Patrice said to Jasmine.  I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that to you and there is no excuse for it,” Patrice said to me.

“
I appreciate the apology. All of this is just out of control, and it’s hard to be politically correct. Shit, with the way that my life is going, that may be a real possibility. I do feel like a character in someone's cruel drama.” I admitted.

“Amelia is trash,” Jasmine said, “And everyone knows that. Kenneth knows better.”

I gave a weak smile, and I hoped that Jasmine was right for the second time in her life.