You Make Me Wanna Read online

“She’s the lady, Gary,” I declared, giddier than he had probably ever seen me.

  “Well now, never thought I’d hear those words come out of those pretty lips of yours,” he said, verging on flirtation.

  Because we had a mutual respect for one another, and because neither of us had a remote interest in the other, we could kid on nearly any level without feeling offended or violated.

  “I wasn’t so sure myself either.”

  “Tell me about her.”

  “Not right now, Gary. I have to finish up the presentation due next week.”

  “Right,” he said with a slap against his thigh. “Well, if she’s still around at Christmas, bring her to the holiday party.”

  I cleared my throat. Christmas . . . he brought it up, so I thought I might as well walk through the door that had been opened. “Oh, yes, Gary, I need to talk to you about that. You know my sister is pregnant, right?”

  “Yes, I sure do. Congratulations to her.”

  “The baby is due December twenty-third.”

  “I see,” he said in a more professional tone.

  “I haven’t been home to see my family since I moved here, Gary. I’d really, um, like to take time to go see them, especially with this being her first—”

  Gary held up his hand. “No need for the soap opera story, Kyla. You work harder than mostly everyone in this office. You work harder than me,” he joshed.

  Maybe he thought I’d laugh that one off with him, but hell, I knew I busted my ass for this company.

  “Go ahead. Go home for Christmas. Just get your forecasting reports together beforehand, and we’ll be fine. Amy can hold down the fort.”

  Amy in charge for the holidays? Was he out of his damn mind? Yeah, she was my assistant, but could she handle shit by herself? The thought terrified me, and Gary sensed my apprehension.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” he assured me with a wink.

  Maybe now he would see how useless she was, just taking up space in the place.

  “Thanks, Gary,” I said as I walked toward his door. “I’ll keep you posted on Asia.”

  “What a beautiful name.”

  “It is.”

  While waiting for Tiffany, I rehearsed my lines. I met someone else I want to be exclusive with. It’s nothing against you, Tiffany. This all happened unexpectedly. No, I didn’t think that would work. It’s not like I don’t care about you, Tiffany. I didn’t expect this to happen.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Tiffany suddenly murmured in my ear, startling me.

  “Hi, Tiff,” I said, turning around to face her.

  Tiffany looked cute, really, really cute, in a J. Crew silk dress with kaleidoscope paisley print and low heels with a small strap and buckle. Her skin shined under a sparkle lotion, and her eyes glowed behind cobalt blue eyeliner and black mascara. One thing Tiffany and me had in common was our love of shopping for sexy, feminine clothing and colorful makeup.

  “I got something for you.” She giggled, holding up a small glossy-pink bag.

  “What’s that?” I asked nervously, not wanting anything from her on this breakup lunch meeting.

  “It’s a little something for an afternoon rendezvous. I thought we could skip lunch and dive right into a mid-afternoon snack. I got something you can nibble on,” she said coyly.

  Damn! This would be more challenging than I thought. I took a step back to distance myself from her. “Tiffany, let’s go grab a smoothie at least. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

  Picking up on my uneasiness, Tiffany took a step back as well. “What is it, Kyla?”

  I took hold of Tiffany’s elbow to guide her toward the food court, but she snatched her arm away.

  “I don’t want a fuckin’ smoothie,” she yelled, causing several shoppers to pause and look in our direction.

  “Not here, Tiffany. Let’s go somewhere to talk.”

  And that’s when it happened. Tiffany threw a temper tantrum right outside of my damn job in front of a crowd of onlookers.

  “You don’t want to be with me anymore? Right? That’s what you’re going to say? How could you do this to me?” she screamed.

  Holy shit. We hadn’t been in each other’s presence more than sixty seconds, and she was making a fool out of herself and attempting to make one out of me. Once again, I reached for her, and she began to stomp her feet, one heel clicking repetitively after the other on the tiled floor.

  “What am I supposed to do with this?” she shouted, reaching into the small pink bag and tossing her new red lace bra and panty set at my feet.

  Without answering, I spun on my heels and furiously walked toward the mall exit. That freaked her crazy ass out even more.

  “Wait, Kyla, wait!” She followed me, leaving her purchase behind on the ground.

  A group of young boys, maybe thirteen, scooped up the items and shot each other high-fives like they had just scored their first lay. It was so embarrassing.

  “I’m sorry,” she said when she caught up to me. “I shouldn’t be acting this way.”

  Out went the speech I had been preparing., and guilt and empathy flew right out of the door with it. “It’s over, Tiffany.”

  “Kyla, nooooo!” she said, placing her hands over her ears. “Tell me, what did I do? What happened?”

  Looking right into her maddened eyes, I responded, “I fell in love, and it’s not with you.”

  Harsh, yes. Perhaps it was a brutal statement to make to someone in such a fragile state. It surely wasn’t the delicate manner I had planned, but I needed to smack her with a dose of reality.

  “But I thought you loved me?” she whined, her eyes shining with threatening tears.

  “I’ve never said I loved you.”

  “What about all those nights we spent in your bed? You didn’t love me then?” Tiffany began to cry, covering her face in her palms.

  I wondered if I should comfort her, but there was no need. Within a bipolar minute, her attitude switched from that of victim to victor.

  Smoothing her hair and straightening her overcoat, she said, “If that’s the way you want it, fine.” She vigorously erased the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I don’t have to beg someone to be with me. You don’t know what you’re missing. You’ll be begging me for some of this pussy.” She huffed and walked back into the mall and through the crowd of gawkers who had trailed behind us to witness the finale.

  She caught up to the group of young boys and snatched her lingerie items out of their hands. “Give me my shit back!”

  That is one loony-ass woman. I never would have known. I put on my dark shades and exited the scene of the crime. I immediately used my cell phone and dialed Nakia’s number to fill her in on what had just happened.

  “Girl, stop,” she said at least five times while I was talking.

  “Isn’t that crazy?”

  The more I talked to Nakia, the more I realized I had been ignoring the warning signs about Tiffany’s possessive character. As demanding as she was for my time and knowing my whereabouts, I should have known she’d act a clown when both my time and location were taken away from her.

  “I’ll pray you never run into that girl again,” Nakia said.

  “Me too. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “All right, then.”

  We disconnected the call, and I went to lunch on my own, often peeking over my shoulder and around corners, making sure Tiffany wasn’t tailing me. I was grateful when I made it safely and quietly back to my office.

  Boney James played lightly through the surround sound speakers in the living room while I slid into the role of head chef in the kitchen. My mother had given me her famous cornbread recipe, which served as a side to the baked ham, cabbage, and corn I had prepared. Good food and easy to fix—that worked for me.

  “What’s got you in the kitchen cooking?” my mother asked.

  “You mean who,” I corrected.

  “Oh, I see,” she responded without inquiring further.


  Accepting my lifestyle was still proving to be a difficult task for her. The moment lightened when I let her know I’d be home for Christmas.

  “I can’t wait to see my baby,” she said, sounding tearful.

  I had gotten off the phone with her before she made me cry too.

  Just as I laid the final plate setting perfectly, the doorbell buzzed. Even the buzzer seemed louder when Nakia chimed.

  “Girl, go freshen up,” she told me after I let her in. “It’s five thirty.”

  “Okay, just let Asia in when she gets here.”

  “Yeah, I can’t wait to see this wonder woman who has you ready to burn your little black book.”

  “You’re going to love her,” I stated confidently.

  “Get your lovesick ass out of here,” she joked, with a wave toward my bedroom.

  When I stepped out of the shower ten minutes later, I could hear Nakia laughing with Marlon and David in the next room. Quickly I slid on my cutest, curve-fitting hiphuggers that accentuated the ten pounds I had gained eating out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner five days a week over the past couple of years. David, who always said I had been too narrow, thought my new hips looked good.

  A hush fell over the room when the intercom rang again.

  David whispered, “It’s her,” like the birthday girl had just arrived for a surprise party in her honor.

  “Kyla,” Nakia belted outside my bedroom door.

  “I’m coming,” I responded excitedly.

  David, Nakia, and Marlon stood side by side like cutout paper dolls when I entered the room, each of them grinning broadly like I was on my way to my first prom, glowing in my formal gown.

  “Where’s MJ?” I asked Marlon as I ran to the mounted intercom.

  “He stayed at the sitter’s through dinner. She’s dropping him off at eight.”

  “Okay, good. I want Asia to meet him,” I said before heading out to greet her at the elevator.

  When the doors opened, she stood smoothing her eyebrows with a compact mirror in one hand, while trying to balance a bottle of red wine in the same hand.

  “You can’t go springing up on a girl like that.” She laughed and put her compact away.

  “Hey, gorgeous.” I took her in my arms for a tight hug and kiss on the lips.

  “For you,” she said, handing me the bottle of Leonetti Cellar Merlot.

  “My favorite! How did you know?”

  “It’s my job to know all the things that make you smile,” Asia kissed me again.

  Had I died and gone to heaven? That time I did pinch myself.

  Asia was dressed cute and casual, in white wide-leg jeans with a cuffed hem and a peony puffed-sleeve V-neck top.

  When we walked into the apartment, the gang was playing busy by adjusting the already smoothed napkins and rearranging the carefully placed glasses on the table.

  Marlon quickly walked to Asia like long-lost friends reunited and gave her a big hug. “I’m sorry for tricking you,” he said.

  “Tricking me? You two really thought you pulled one on me, didn’t you? I knew what was up the second Kyla happened to show up for coffee at the same time I did. Come on now, Marlon, how long does it take to brew a pot of coffee?”

  “You don’t seem mad by our little stunt,” Marlon said.

  “I’m far from mad, or I wouldn’t be here now.” Asia winked in my direction.

  “Asia,” I said, leading her by the arm, “this is my good friend Nakia.”

  Ever since my “breakup” with Tori and Vanessa, I vowed never to call another woman my “best friend.” We may get along marvelously and share a lot in common, but my “best friendship days” were over. When I looked at Nakia, it was obvious she was drawn to Asia’s alluring presence as much as I was the first day I saw her.

  Nakia mechanically shook Asia’s hand without ever taking her eyes off her.

  Asia met her gaze confidently. “Nice to meet you, Nakia. I’ve heard lots about you.”

  “Likewise,” Nakia replied, just above a whisper.

  Marlon, David, and I all glanced at one another in question. Nakia spoke a word that didn’t automatically trigger an uncontrollable furrow of the eyebrows from her thunderous voice? What was happening?

  Asia freed her hand from Nakia’s grasp and reached for David. “Good to see you again, David,” she said, giving him a warm hug.

  David welcomed her into his arms as if accepting her into the family. “You too, baby,” he replied, giving me a thumbs-up behind Asia’s back.

  “The food is ready,” I announced. “We can eat right away.”

  “Don’t hurt us, Kyla,” Nakia bellowed, released from her Asia trance.

  “If it’s not right, you have to take it up with Gladyce,” I joked.

  “Girl, just because you tell a pig how to fly doesn’t mean it can,” Nakia roared, clearly amused with herself.

  “All right, Kia, don’t act like you’ve never had my cooking before.”

  Nakia waved a hand at me, dismissing my comment. “I’m just playing with you,” she said, eyeing Asia like a piece of cake. “I know you went all out to impress this beautiful lady.”

  “I’ll open the wine,” Asia said, trying to seize control of the moment before I could respond to Nakia.

  And if my eyes weren’t deceiving me, after we were seated, I thought I saw Nakia lean in toward Asia’s breast as she bent to pour Kia’s glass of wine. David’s “take-a-look” slap against my thigh proved that I was indeed not blind.

  “Mmm, what perfume are you wearing?” Nakia asked, her nose lingering in the path Asia walked.

  “It’s just a body spray I picked up at the drugstore,” Asia answered with a confused glance into my eyes.

  “Really? It smells like a bottle of the finest fragrance on you,” Nakia said.

  David looked at me like, Will she shut the fuck up already?

  Five minutes into dinner, I regretted having placed Nakia and Asia next to each other at the table. Nakia stroked Asia’s hair, pretending to be retrieving a piece of fuzz stuck between strands. Then twice she dropped her napkin and bent down to grab it, her head nearly lying in Asia’s lap.

  “Oops! My napkin fell again.” She laughed.

  Three times she offered Asia food from her fork, like the meal on her plate was different than Asia’s.

  “You want to taste my ham?”

  “My cornbread is so warm. Want some?”

  “You sure you don’t want some of my cabbage?”

  Asia declined every offer.

  Throughout the entire meal, Nakia hung onto Asia’s every word as if Jesus himself was reciting the gospel. Marlon, David and I tried our best to divert Nakia’s attention from Asia, to no avail. Nakia found any and every reason to relay any story to Asia.

  Whether Asia purposely raved over the food to boost my ego, or truly delighted in the meal, I wasn’t sure at the time. But a second and third helping preceded her final motion, which consisted of leaning back in her chair, a rub to her belly, and a barely audible burp under her breath. Asia’s down-to-earth manners were surprisingly pleasant.

  Thanks to Nakia’s excessive thirst, three bottles of wine circulated the table, and by this time, she was drunk and louder than usual. I felt another unexpected friendship explosion brewing and I wasn’t prepared for that.

  Nakia blurted with a lopsided grin across her face, “I like a woman who can eat.”

  Asia, ever so swift on her feet, replied, “I like a woman who can hold her liquor.”

  Nakia smiled. “Beautiful, smart, and sarcastic—I like it. You sure Kyla deserves a woman like you?” She laughed.

  Confused and hurt, I stood to start clearing the table. “Nakia, can you come help me in the kitchen please?” I asked.

  In response, Nakia rose unsteadily from the table, bumping her chair into Asia and almost hitting Asia in the forehead with her hand. Fortunately, Asia was quick enough to duck out of the way of Nakia’s swing.

  Nakia slowly followed
me into the kitchen, carefully balancing herself with each step.

  “What’s going on, Kia?” I asked, once we were inside.

  She leaned on the counter, apparently unable to stand on her own. “I’m just having a good time, Ky. Come on.”

  “What’s the deal with Asia?

  “What do you mean?” she asked, her thick speech a clear indicator that she was quite inebriated.

  “Why are you all up in her space? What’s going on?”

  She shushed me with a wave of her hand for the second time that night. “Like I said, I’m just having a good time. You invited me to meet your new girl, so here I am.” She said it like I’d brought this on myself by inviting her.

  She was pissing me off, acting like she didn’t know what I was talking about. “Exactly—my girl—so what the hell is up with you?”

  “Girl, please,” she said, wobbling out of the kitchen.

  David, forever my protector, joined me in the kitchen just after she left. “What kind of stunt is your friend pulling out there?”

  “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but it doesn’t make any sense to ask her now. She wouldn’t know what in the fuck she was talking about anyway. And I can’t kick her out in that condition.”

  “It’s a good thing you’re still being a friend, honey, ’cause she sure as hell isn’t right now.”

  “Just wait until we get to work tomorrow.”

  The intercom buzzed again.

  “That must be Carlotta, the sitter,” David yelled through the connecting swinging door. “You can get that, Marlon.”

  “This is such bullshit.” I piled empty plates into the dishwasher. “I thought I could trust her. She’s not even into women. I don’t get it.”

  “Has she ever said she wasn’t into women?” David asked.

  “No, but damn! How long have I known her? You’d think it would have come out by now.”

  “You and I both know that it’s not always easily revealed,” he said calmly.

  “You think so? But why tonight? And why Asia? I told Kia how crazy I am about her,” I said, starting the dishwasher.

  David held the door open for me. “Apparently she wasn’t listening.”

  The scene on the opposite side was as if my worst nightmare had manifested. My dinner guests were all standing, Marlon looking petrified, Nakia appeared instantly sobered, and Asia’s naturally cool demeanor seemed shaken. Two more steps into the room and a better view of the entranceway uncovered the reason for the restive atmosphere.