Page 16 of Phase Two

“Golden Waters for a wedding.”

“Who’s getting married?” I cut a kiwi in half.

“I’m not really sure,” he chuckled. “I was invited a few months ago as a plus one. I actually forgot about it until two weeks ago.”

He was going to Golden Waters on a date to a wedding on the exact same day his thirty day fast was over. I wanted to laugh at myself for being so stupid. He forgot he had been invited to a wedding. So, I was supposed to believe that someone invited him to a wedding then dropped off the face of the earth. We were only dating. Not exclusive, and we hadn’t even had sex. It still felt like he was playing in my face, however. I was going to keep it cute though.

“Nice. Enjoy. I love weddings.”

“I haven’t been to one in about ten years.”

Carter’s words began to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. It was noise that I couldn’t comprehend. My heart raced, and I rolled my eyes because why was I having physical reactions to this man’s bull. It was fun on my short trip to the land of delusion, but it was time to head back to reality. Like a dummy, I’d assumed Carter would break his sex fast with me, and he was headed out of town with another woman. Someone that he’d probably been sleeping with all along. What fine ass man chose to keep his dick dry for thirty days just because? Yeah, I was real stupid.

“My son is calling. Let me call you right back.”

“Okay.”

I ended the call so fast it wasn’t even funny. Did I have a right to feel some kind of way? I think I did. We had spent the last three and a half weeks talking every day. We had numerous dates. The man had sent me flowers twice, gave the tightest hugs, and even a forehead kiss. I wanted to take him down so bad it wasn’t even funny, and some hoe was going to get laid in Golden Waters after a wedding. How romantic.

“It’s cool,” I mumbled. I knew it was coming, but it still wasn’t any less disappointing.

The kiwi in front of me was no longer appetizing, and that was when I knew I was out of my mind. I was entirely too old to be losing my appetite over a man. That was what I wasn’t going to do. I bit into the kiwi as my phone rang. I scoffed at the sound, and I didn’t even know who was calling. If it was Carter, I wasn’t going to answer. Glancing over at the screen, I sucked my teeth when I saw that familiar unsaved number. Trey’s ass was getting blocked.

I snatched the phone up, but rather than sending him to voicemail then blocking the number, I answered. “What?” the attitude in my tone was thick.

“You mean as hell, and it doesn’t even make any sense because I didn’t do anything to you. I was calling to ask you if you wanted to go out to eat next weekend.”

My frown deepened. He had to be cut off from the coochie for two months before he got the bright idea to ask me out on a date. I didn’t desire to go anywhere with him. Before I could tell him that, my smoke alarm chirped. “You have a ladder?”

“Um yeah. What does that have to do with us going out to eat?”

“If you come change the battery in my smoke detector, I’ll think about it. My ceilings are high, so you will need a ladder. And if you come, you won’t get any pussy. Don’t come pissing me off,” I warned.

“Damn I have to come do manual labor just to get you to go out on a date with me? You tough. I’ll come though. Give me an hour.”

“Okay. Cool.”

As soon as I hung up, the phone rang again and that time, it was Carter. My entire face scrunched as I placed the phone on the counter and walked away from it. I. didn’t have anything to say to Mr. Carter.

I thought I was dreaming when I heard the doorbell. When my phone rang, my eyes popped open, and my heart was racing because the phone had scared me. Squinting at the screen, I saw that Carter was calling. I also saw that it was two in the morning. The doorbell rang again, and I jumped up and went to the door with confusion all over my face. I had to disarm the alarm system before opening the door and when I did…my God in heaven.

Carter was so fine standing there in a suit I wanted to vomit. “What are you doing here?” my brows furrowed. Maybe I was tripping, but he didn’t appear too pleased to see me.

“What’s wrong with you man?” he stepped over the threshold of my home. “I called you four times. You had me thinking something was wrong. Why you ignoring me?”

Looking in his face was the wrong thing to be doing. Carter was beyond handsome. God did His big one when He made that man. Carter was pure perfection, and I didn’t know if I wanted to curse him out or suck his dick.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Golden Waters?” I chose to ignore his question.

“That’s what this is about? You mad about that?”

“I’m not mad about anything,” I lied.

The comment made Carter suck his teeth. “What was it you told me? You don’t have to lie to kick it. If you’re mad about me being on a date, just say that.”

I didn’t want to admit that I was jealous. I would have rather pulled my eye lashes out one by one. “Carter,” I folded my arms across my chest. “I was sleeping good. I don’t have time for foolishness.”

“You don’t have time for foolishness?” his brows lifted, and the expression on his face was for sure uncertain. Carter was looking at me like he didn’t know if he wanted to knock my head between the washer and dryer or just shake his head and take me as I am.