Sister Girls 2 (19 page)

Damn, if only she had listened.

ELSIE

“C
ome on, girl, one more mile to go.”

Elsie looked at Angel and rolled her eyes.

“You can roll your eyes all you want. You're the one who thought of this. You're the one who called me up talking about you want to do a triathlon.”

Elsie didn't know what the hell she was thinking when that idea popped in her head. Well, actually she did, she figured if she did something physical, something to challenge her body then maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to get this baby thing off her mind.

Well, it wasn't working.

Earlier that morning, Elsie made an appointment with a doctor she read about that specialized in sperm-donor procedures. She wanted to find out more about the procedure and discuss her options. The appointment was scheduled for later that day so until then she was going to fill up the hours by working out and handling business for the center.

“Come on, speed it up,” Angel demanded. “Mind over physical, mind over the physical.”

Elsie stopped in her tracks. “Okay, enough of this shit, let's walk.”

Angel laughed. “Tired?

Elsie stopped, bent over, and caught her breath. “What do you think?”

“Well, you might as well get it together because you are going to finish this last mile.”

Not bothering to respond, Elsie stood up and took off; after all, this is what she paid Angel for, to work her ass out.

Less than ten minutes later they were sitting on a bench, sipping Gatorade. They were deep in a discussion when a woman stopped in front of them. “Elsie?”

Elsie looked up, it was Savannah, the woman from the mall. She was dressed like she'd been working out as well. “So you're a runner?” Savannah asked her.

“It might look that way, but looks are deceiving,” Elsie told her. She looked at Angel and said, “Savannah, this is Angel, my trainer, Angel, this is Savannah.”

“Nice meeting you,” Savannah told Angel.

“Same here.” Angel stood up. “Call me when you're ready for your next appointment,” she told Elsie.

“I'll do that.”

As Angel walked off, Elsie asked Savannah, “Do you have anywhere to be in the next hour or so?”

“No, why?”

“Want to go grab a cup of coffee?”

“Sure, I'd like that.”

They were both familiar with the coffee shop that was a few blocks away. They decided to walk.

“So how's your nonprofit going?” Savannah asked.

“Better than I expected.”

“That's good to hear. Don't forget I'm available if you need me, I didn't give you my card for nothing.”

They entered the coffee shop and stood in line to order.

“So what's your schedule like? When would you be available to come and speak to the girls?”

“My schedule is flexible. I share a practice with three other doctors and we rotate. Just so you know, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my busiest days, so any other day would be your best bet. Just give me some notice and I'll be there.”

“Can I help you?” the girl behind the counter asked.

They told her what they wanted and waited off to the side while it was being made.

“How long have you been running? I haven't seen you in the park before today,” Savannah asked.

“This is a new thing for me. I've decided to try a triathlon.”

“Get out. I do triathlons as well.”

Elsie inconspicuously snuck a peek at Savannah's frame and liked what she saw.

“Well, maybe we can train together sometimes.”

“I'd like that, because whenever you train with someone it's less of a task, less daunting.”

“Your drinks are up,” the cashier called out as she placed them on the counter.

Elsie and Savannah paid for their order then looked around to see if there were any open seats. They spotted a table in the corner and headed in that direction.

As they were sitting, Elsie glanced toward the window and noticed a profile that looked like Summer. She shook her head and wondered if it was a figment of her imagination.

It wasn't. Summer walked in holding hands with another female. Elsie couldn't help but stare and Savannah noticed.

“Do you know them?” Savannah asked.

Elsie could feel the green-eyed monster coming on.

Elsie stood up and unable to control herself, told Savannah, “Excuse me, I'll be right back.” She started to walk toward Summer and her friend. As she took each step she tried to think of what she was going to say.

Damn, Summer still looks fine.
Summer's back was turned, therefore she didn't see Elsie walk up behind her.

“Summer?”

Summer recognized Elsie's voice before she even turned around. “Elsie, how are you?” She reached out to give her a hug.

Elsie hugged her back. She must have done it a little too long because the woman Summer was with had attitude written all over her face.

“How's Winter?” Elsie asked.

“Winter's fine, thanks for asking.”

There was an awkward moment when neither of them said a word. “I've been thinking about you a lot, I've been wanting to call you,” Elsie told her.

Of course, Summer's friend wasn't going to let that comment go. She put out her hand for Elsie to shake. “Hi, I'm Sunny.”

Elsie almost threw up as she thought,
Summer, Winter and Sunny, how cute.

Realizing how rude she was being, Summer apologized. “I'm sorry, Elsie this is Sunny, Sunny this is Elsie.”

 

 

From the way Sunny raised her eyebrows, Elsie wondered if Sunny recognized her name. She hoped so because if she did, it meant that Summer still spoke of her and if she talked about her, she thought about her.

“Nice to meet you,” Elsie lied.

Sunny didn't bother to fake the funk. “I have to go to the ladies' room, I'll be right back.”

The second Sunny was out of earshot, Elsie asked, “Is she your lover?”

Amused, Summer crossed her arms and nodded her head toward Savannah, who was sipping her coffee and patiently watching the interaction. “Is she yours?”

Why Elsie decided to lie was beyond her but she found herself saying, “she's someone I'm seeing.”

The next thing she knew, Summer started walking toward the table. “I'd like to meet her.”

What was Elsie suppose to do now that she'd stuck her foot in her mouth?
Shit, shit, shit.
When they reached the table, Savannah put down her cup and greeted Summer.

Instead of introducing herself, Summer said to Elsie, “I see you still have good taste, she's a beautiful woman.”

Savannah looked at Elsie but didn't say a word.

“I'm Summer.”

“Savannah.”

 

 

Elsie tried to think of a way to get out of the situation before her lie was revealed but no such luck because Sunny walked up and greeted Savannah: “Dr. Matthews, how are you?”

As luck would have it, Savannah was Sunny's doctor.

“Isn't this a small-ass world? So you know Elsie's date?” Summer asked.

Sunny was stunned by this news because as far as she knew Savannah was married. She wondered if this was one of those “down low” situations.

Savannah finally caught on and before she could decide what to do or say, the cashier called out to Summer and Sunny.

Elsie watched them walk away. Her gaze was interrupted by Savannah saying, “So, we're lovers, huh?”

Embarrassed, Elsie sat down and placed her head in her hands. “I'm so sorry about that.”

“She's your ex?”

“Yeah.”

“You still love her?”

Elsie answered honestly, “sometimes.”

Savannah touched her hand. “Girl, don't sweat it, but know this. Your ass owes me big-time.”

“Just let me know how I can pay up.”

Savannah winked and told her, “I'll think of something.”

Elsie wondered what was up with the wink, what was behind it. Was she flirting? Fuck it, she decided to find out. “Are you gay?”

Savannah smiled. “I've dipped and dappled a few times.”

Elsie looked down at Savannah's hands. She noticed a wedding band. “It looks to me like your married.”

Savannah leaned in and said, “and?”

Elsie was not one to play with fire or to have casual affairs with women, but for Savannah, whom she found extremely attractive, she just might consider throwing caution to the wind. She was tired of being an uptight, frustrated, undersexed lesbian.

It was time to rock the boat.

FAITH

F
aith had just finished a session with the girls at the center and she was fumbling with Siddiq's card. Her intentions were to throw the card away but she never did because there was something about him that intrigued her. She was definitely captivated by him.

Faith believed that and she also believed that when a man says
let's be friends
that what he meant was he was willing to be a little more patient than the average man.

Maybe, just maybe, Siddiq would prove her wrong. She was willing to give him that chance.

Faith looked at the card and dialed his number.

“Hello? Siddiq Bradley speaking.”

Feeling flustered, Faith almost hung up. She felt like a teenager calling a boy she liked for the first time. “Siddiq?”

“Yes?” Of course, he had no idea who he was speaking with.

“This is Faith. I don't know if you remember me, but we met the other night, at your house, your sister's party.”

“I don't need to be reminded of who you are. You're my new friend.”

Faith laughed. “Oh, is that right?”

“As right as can be.”

“So how are you?” Faith asked.

“It's all good. I'm shocked you called me. I didn't think you would, I wrote it off as my loss.”

“Oh, so you wrote me off, huh?”

“Well, you were trying to give me the cold shoulder.”

He was right and Faith told him so. “I know, it's just that I'm—”

“Married.” He paused before asking, “are you reminding me or yourself?”

“Both of us,” Faith told him.

Siddiq was impressed with her honesty. “So tell me, what kind of things do you like to do with friends?”

“Why? Is there something you would like to do?” Faith relaxed in her chair and propped her feet up on her desk.

“Is that a trick question?” Siddiq did not want to play himself and speculate that she was teasing him.

“No, it's not.”

“It depends on the person I've befriended.”

Deciding to be adventurous, Faith asked, “Well, what are you doing this evening?”

“Are you asking me out?” Siddiq wanted to know.

“Maybe.”

“How about we do something different and spontaneous.”

“Like what?”

“Go to Seaside Heights.”

“The beach?” Faith asked.

“Yep.”

Faith hadn't been to Seaside Heights in a long time, since Raheem's kids moved out. She would take them there to get on rides and to play in the ocean and sand.

“I'd like that,” Faith told him.

“How are we going to do this? Are we going to meet somewhere and ride together or do you want to meet me there?”

Finding a parking spot in that area was difficult, finding two was going to be even more a challenge, so Faith told him, “Let's ride together, we can meet at one of the rest stops on the Parkway and go from there.”

“I'm looking forward to it,” he told her.

“Yeah, me too.”

Together they picked a time and a spot.

“See you soon,” Faith told him.

 

 

Later that evening as Faith waited for him to pull up in the rest stop, she questioned her true motives. Was she really just trying to be friends or was she attempting to be more?

She spotted him right away. He told her he would be driving a white Lincoln Navigator. So when she saw one pull up, she climbed out of her car and started walking over to where he was parking.

Before he turned the engine off, she knocked on the driver's window, causing him to jump. She could hear the music playing outside the truck and watched as he turned it down.

“Mmm, I see you like your music,” she teased.

“That I do,” he answered back while taking her in with his eyes. “Get in, beautiful.”

Faith walked over to the passenger's side and climbed in. She put on her seat-belt, adjusted her seat, and leaned back.

Siddiq watched her every move. “Comfortable, are we?”

“Very.”

“All right, here we go.”

On the way to Seaside Heights, they talked about everything except her marriage and that was fine with Faith.

“Let me ask you something,” Faith began. “Do you really think a man and woman can just be friends?”

“Yeah, actually I do.”

“What about if they're attracted to one another?”

Siddiq looked at her and asked, “Are you asking me that for a reason?”

She was but she wasn't going to tell him that. “Let me ask you something else.”

“Go ahead.”

“When a man tells a woman I just want to be your friend, is that a slick way of getting the woman to sleep with you?”

“Maybe for some men, but not for me. I don't play games like that. If I'm trying to sleep with a women I come right through the front door, I don't hide my intentions.”

“Mmmm.” Faith wondered if he wanted to sleep with her.

“Also,” he went to say, “right now, I'm practicing celibacy.”

Faith leaned toward the door and looked at him with skepticism. “Yeah, right.”

“Why you say that?”

“Celibacy? Come on.”

“I speak only the truth. I've had enough sex to last me a lifetime. I'm looking for someone to love, honor, and cherish. I'm a Harlequin romance novel waiting to happen and if it means getting to know a female outside before knowing her insides, than so be it. Not to mention all the diseases that are spreading. You have to be extra careful with who you deal with.”

Faith knew just what he was saying. As much as she thought about it now, she didn't really know how she would be able to handle dating. Maybe that's why some people stayed married when they didn't really want to because it was easier than being on the hunt for a mate.

 

 

That night they relived their younger years, got on rides, ate hot dogs and cotton candy, and laughed up a storm. They didn't take their being together too serious. They just decided to take it for what it was, a good-ass time.

As the night came to an end, Faith wondered if he would try and kiss her. If he didn't, she had to admit that she would be disappointed.

 

 

They were back at the spot where they met and were still sitting in the truck.

“So, did you have a nice time?” Siddiq asked.

“You have no idea,” Faith told him. “I had more fun with you these past couple of hours, than I had in years.”

“I did too,” he told her.

For a couple of seconds neither of them said a word, that is until Siddiq asked, “Am I going to see you again, or was this just a one time thing?”

Faith had already made up her mind that she would be seeing him again. “Yes, yes, you will.”

Siddiq turned in his seat to face her. She turned to face him.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

“Yes.” Faith was honest.

“Why?”

Faith decided to be honest again. “Because I want to kiss my new friend.”

Siddiq leaned over so that their faces were almost touching. “Do you think that would be wise?”

Faith brushed her lips against his. “No.”

Before either of them could stop themselves, they started kissing.

Faith felt herself get moist within a matter of seconds and pulled away. “I guess being celibate doesn't include kissing.”

“No, kissing is not included,” Siddiq told her.

“I have to go,” Faith said. “I'll call you.”

“You do that,” Siddiq responded.

 

 

Siddiq watched her get into her car and pull off. As Faith drove home she thought about Siddiq and how connected she felt to him just from spending those couple of hours together.

She knew he was someone she could fall for, hard and fast.