He’s Nice, She’s Cute

Well I ain’t tryna be your boyfriend or nothing. Dang girl! I’m just tryna get your number so we can talk a little bit more. You seem really intelligent and I’m diggin that. That’s all. Tray knew he had her, he flashed those pearly whites and he knew he had her. At least he knew he would at least get her number. Hopefully she wasn’t one of those tired females who gave dudes the wrong number intentionally. I mean all a woman had to do was say she wasn’t interested. Tray had a feeling that this sister was very interested. They had spent the entire night talking at the bar. He had only come to the club because his favorite artist was supposed to be performing. Luckily for him he was a no show because he never would have met Miss Andee. He was looking for a replacement and she was just the type.
Andee decided to give Tray her number only because she didn’t want to seem like a tease. He had bought her drinks all night. She had laughed at all his tired jokes. She figured it was the least she could do. She could read Tray like a book from the first time he opened his mouth to talk to her. Fancy watch, loud ear rings, bright chain, the man even wore a pinky ring. She couldn’t figure out who still did that but he was cute. Nice conversation, seemed pretty intelligent, and he wasn’t giving off that one night stand vibe. Her girl had left her at the bar and was making a scene on the dance floor so she decided that there was no harm in chatting it up with the brother, even if he did look like a fake 50 Cent. She was bored and didn’t have any one else to talk to so it was whatever. She hadn’t had a conversation with a man in over a year. Well that is if you exclude her father.
Tray parked his new black on black Benz on the curb. He knew Kim would be expecting him but she wouldn’t recognize him in his new car. It was a daily ritual to ride by Kim’s house. He had to make sure she wasn’t trying to replace him. When he was feeling really desperate he would do what he was doing tonight. He let the engine die and got comfortable. There was no way he was going to let Kim go without a fight. He had invested way too much to just let her go. He had been trying to lock her down since high school. He let his mind wander back to the times in college when she had been his women, his queen as he liked to call her. He knew Kim was out of his league so he did everything he could think of to make her happy. Expensive gifts, luxury vacations, he even bought her a new car but he just couldn’t hold her attention. During those last months they were together Tray grew desperate. He intentionally got her pregnant thinking that the baby would make her stay but that only drove her further away. Tray slowly drifted back into the here and now just in time to see him walking out of Kim’s front door.
So, how are you doing Miss Andee? Look I had such a great time the other night I was wondering if I could take you out tonight. No not to no noisy club. I told you I’m trying to get to know you better. Girl you silly. I mean I was trying to take you out tonight. You might as well come on cause you know you ain’t got nothing better to do. You do for real. That’s messed up Miss Andee. Man you play too much don’t be trying to play with my emotions, you know I’m sensitive. So you gon roll or what. That’s what’s up I’ma be through at like eight thirty. If Kim wanted to act crazy he knew how to fix her. Yeah Miss Andee would do the trick.
Now Tiny you know I hate when folks call me Miss Andee. I might have to check him on that tonight. Tonight, you mean to tell me you gon let that G-Unit reject take you on date! Girl you falling all the way off. I saw y’all the other night all cozy at the bar and I just laughed to myself. I said now look at this cow trying to use this man to get some free drinks. I never thought that you would stoop so low. Andee couldn’t do nothing but laugh. It was true, Tray was no where near her type but a sister did enjoy some attention from the opposite sex every now and again. Well Tiny you wouldn’t understand any of this but sometimes a lady does appreciate when a man shows some interest in her. Well you right about that I wouldn’t understand but you are wrong for leading this man on. Just because you haven’t had a man in a while doesn’t mean you have to settle for the first one that comes to you. Dang a few drinks and one date and you got to lecture me on settling. Calm down I didn’t say I would marry the man.
Well, well, well Miss Andee. Girl you sure know how to clean up nice! Naw I’m just playing cause you was looking right the other night to. Well thank you Tray, I mean I try. Well girl if you tried any harder I don’t think I would stand a chance with you. You sure are laying on the compliments but let me tell you something right now, you can sweet talk all you want but I don’t have sex with men on the first date. Well what about the second. Andee couldn’t help but smile. He took her to the finest restaurant, a funny movie, ice cream, and walk around the park. He was nice. She was cute. He had a dull sense of humor. She wasn’t Kim. He was so superficial. She was smart. He was very ambitious. She wasn’t Kim. She hadn’t been on a date in a year, beggars can’t be choosers.
Hey Miss Andee. Girl don’t you start with me you know I hate when people call me that. Well you don’t have a problem when your boo call you that. Tray is not my boo, he is my boyfriend. Girl please stop with that mess. I still can’t believe you been with that lame for five months now. Wake up! Smell the roses! Smell my feet smell something that’s gon wake you up! Tray is a nice man. He’s cute, he’s funny… He’s as boring as me taking a nap, Andee please. You give that same tired rehearsed speech whenever you talk about your boyfriend. I’m your girl and I’m just trying to look out for you. Let me be real with you for a second you know deep down in your heart that the only reason you’re with him is because you haven’t looked for a man that you actually connect with. And I’m sorry Andee but everybody knows that Tray is still obsessed with his baby mama. You two need to quit faking the funk.
Tray it’s five in the morning, are you outside your mind coming up in here at this time. My bad Andee me and the dudes just got a little carried away. I am so sorry I completely lost track of time, my bad baby. Andee lay in the bed and began to wonder what swayed her to actually move in with Tray. They had been dating for two years now. They were practically living together anyway. She would cook him dinner when he got off and he would spend the rest of the night at her place. The only time he wasn’t there was when he would leave early in the morning to go home and get ready for work. She enjoyed his company, he was good to her. He was cute and smart and had a job. And who was she kidding, she wasn’t getting any younger.
Tray was tired of lying to Andee but he couldn’t help himself. He loved her and all but the truth was he was still fighting his feelings for Kim. He would spend the night with Andee and leave early in the mornings so he could sit outside of Kim’s house. He would sit there for hours and imagine how his life would be if he were on the inside. If he was waking up to Kim cooking him breakfast while he played with their son before leaving for work. Then the guilt would creep in, disturbing his utopian fantasies about what could be, about what he wanted to be. His mind would drift back to the day before, to all the time he was spending with Andee. She was a great cook, great with his son, she was nice and cute. Andee was not Kim.
The two women huddled together in the ladies room trying their best to be discrete. That was like mission impossible because the two were flat out drunk. It was a wedding reception and people never miss a chance at free liquor. Girl now you know that I know that we know that this whole thing is a mess. Girl I know. Tray still got a thing for Kim. Unh huh girl you see how he was all on her on the dance floor. And that poor Andee, she just got caught up in this mess and didn’t know how to say no. Girl please would you turn down a brother like Tray. He only got one kid, that he take care of. A fire car, nice job, own home, go to church, please stop me when I mention why any black women nowadays wouldn’t kill her mama to get a brother like that. Well you did forget to mention how he is still obviously in love with his baby mama and the fact that Andee is only with the man because no body else made a play for her first. You know she always had a problem meeting men. The two women giggled. Girl for some time I thought Tiny had turned her out. The two women were cackling by now. Tiny burst open the bathroom stall. She was so pissed she didn’t know what to do. It was Andee’s wedding and she didn’t want to cause a seen by wooping these two tired cows. She gained satisfaction from the fact that her presence had put a halt to all their foolishness. As Tiny stormed out the bathroom she didn’t know if she was more pissed that those two cows dared to talk that nonsense at her girl’s wedding or the fact that she couldn’t help but agree.
It was their tenth anniversary. Ten years of martial bliss. The silence in the room suggested otherwise. They sat on opposite ends of the table. The house was beautiful, their kids were angels, and their lives were perfect. But after ten years together there was nothing left to say. No more empty I love you’s. No more hollow kisses. Dull laughter. Strained smiles. It had all come to a head after ten years. They just could not for the life of them find anything to say, discuss, or debate. After ten years they were just too exhausted to be imaginative. They couldn’t even pull it off for the anniversary dinner. Just the night before they shared a light hearted conversation about a silly tv show. But not tonight, maybe it was the significance of the night that held their tongues glued. Lips stapled together. He racked his brain for a compliment but tonight it seemed he’d said all the nice things to her he could create. She searched her heart for a loving phrase to sum up how happy the past ten years had been. Her heart wouldn’t let her mouth lie tonight, maybe yesterday but not tonight. Just as things were getting really strained they both said. You just aren’t Kim. I was so lonely. They just sat there as the truth penetrated their minds. The food had turned cold as they realized that they had just lost ten years. The candles were burned out before they concluded that too much time had past to just let it go. They had a family, car notes, joint checking, and a mortgage.