When he was out of sight, she sat down on a bench a couple feet away. I sat down beside her and put the camera on my lap.
“You can keep it on,” she said.
“You sure?”
She nodded her head, so I propped the camera back on my shoulder. She started talking almost immediately.
“Okay, ladies, let’s get real for a moment. I’m not perfect. No one is. However, I feel like we’ve gotten too accustomed to letting men walk all over us. What I learned from my relationship with Vance is that if a man cheats it is not your fault. It’s his. Never let a man use you as an excuse for his own infidelity. Never let him make you stoop to a level you promised you never would. You’re worth more than the crap you put up with. I know sometimes, we convince ourselves that it’s not as bad as it may seem, but do yourself a favor and recognize your worth before you end up losing sight of yourself. You don’t want to stare at your reflection one day and wonder what happened to the woman who used to believe in love and happily ever after’s. Life is far from a fairytale, but she’s still there, inside you … waiting for you to remind her that good men still exist, but sometimes you just have to find them in a sea of deadbeats.”
Once she was finished, I turned off the camera and placed it back on my lap.
“You good?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I’m good. Our relationship wasn’t the best, but Vance always had a flair for the dramatic.”
“Seems like he’s a lot of things, but I’ll keep my words to myself because this is about your journey, not my journey.”
Her eyes met mine. “Have you ever been cheated on?”
“Yeah. More times than I’d like.”
“Really?” she asked in surprise. “But you’re sexy as hell. I find that hard to believe.”
I laughed. “You’re sexy, too. Yet, people fuck up no matter how you look.”
Her eyes widened. “You think I’m sexy?”
“You said I was sexy first.”
She smiled. “Because you are.”
“And you are, too.” As a matter of fact, the more time I spent with her the harder it was to ignore her sexiness. “In my experience, sometimes it’s the most beautiful ones who are so ugly on the inside that they believe the way they look should give them a pass to shit on other people, when really, it’s just an excuse to show their true colors.”
“I hate to sound so cynical,” she added, “but I agree. A zebra can’t change its stripes. And a person who is ugly on the inside cannot change their true core.”
I was learning that there were layers to Meeka that I hadn’t known about before. Struggles that explained a little as to why she’d turned out to be the person she was. She’d been through some shit in her past. Some mistakes were hers, some her exes, but like she’d said to the camera … no one was perfect.
But don’t forget that this is still the chick who was snooping inside your house before your blind date. Meeka and I may have been getting along, but we’d already met two of her exes, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say both meetings had reminded me that I needed to tread lightly with her.
Chapter 6
Friends call you out on your bullshit.
Best friends slap you first.
~ Madame Social ~
MEEKA
After the week I’d had, I desperately needed a night out. Which meant, I’d happily accepted Kelani and Z’s invitation to their house warming. When I’d heard there was an opening in my River North condo building, I’d thought it would be perfect for Kelani and Z since I knew they were trying to live on their own and do the couple thang. Now, they only lived a few floors below me in one of the renovated units.
“Hey, girl,” Kelani said, opening the door after I knocked. “Layla just arrived, and we couldn’t wait for you to get here so you could update us on the project.”
I gave her a quick hug. “Oh my goodness, please tell me there’s something else y’all want to talk about. This week has been crazy enough. Don’t think I want to relive it.”
Kelani paused at my words. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Of course I am,” I said with a laugh. “I’m dying to talk to both of you about this mess I’m in.”
“That’s my bitch,” Layla yelled when I rounded the corner. I shook my head, loving that I’d finally found a girl who shared my crazy. Yeah, I was extra with it, but Layla had enough sass to make grown men cry when she put them in their place.
Kelani used to work with Layla at an interior design firm before she decided to branch out into a different entrepreneurial path and turn her Etsy shop into a full-time business. Although I’d rather not think about that fateful night when I stumbled into Tone’s apartment, the best thing to come out of that night was briefly meeting Kelani. Not sure what made her want to get to know me more, but she asked Z to officially introduce us and we’d been close friends ever since.
“Z said everyone should get here in forty minutes, so you have to talk fast.”
“Damn, Layla,” Z exclaimed, coming from the bathroom and into the kitchen where we were seated around the island. “Forty minutes isn’t enough time for Meeka to tell you what her and Tone been doin’?”
“What?” Layla and Kelani exclaimed.
Layla grabbed my arm. “What is he talking about? You and Tone finally got together?”
I puffed out my cheeks shooting Z the how-could-you look.
“What?” he said. “I thought they knew Tone was the cameraman for your project.”
“Tone is your cameraman!” Kelani looked at Z. “Babe, you don’t tell me shit.”
Once again, Z shrugged. “My bad, baby. Tone told me before the project started and I figured Meeka tells y’all everything.”
“Not this,” I said. “I was waiting to tell them in person. Besides, it’s not that big a deal.”
Kelani shook her head. “Sis, this is definitely a big deal. Your assignment was to interview five of your exes and figure out why your relationships ended. Yet, Tone, the man you’ve had a crush on for two years, is accompanying you on all these meetings. Girlfriend, you out here winning and losing at the same damn time.”
“KeKe!” I nodded toward Z. “Maybe refrain from spreading rumors while said topic of discussion’s best friend is in the room.”
Kelani rolled her eyes. “Rumors? How about I’m spitting facts.”
Z raised up his hands. “I’ll pretend like I didn’t hear anything and get some work done in my office until folks arrive. But if it’s any consolation, I think Tone likes you, too, MeMe.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah right. He hates me.”
“Nah, he doesn’t hate you.”
My heart fluttered a little, but I pushed that feeling aside. “Oh, please. Yes, he does. In meetings, he never agrees with anything I say. Outside of meetings, he always has some smart shit to say. And I’m pretty sure helping me with this assignment will go down in history as the worst project he’s ever had to complete. My life is insane, and because of the network, I basically invited Tone over to my house and told him to come in and join the foolish fun.”
Z laughed. “My boy can’t get over the shit that happened with y’all blind date, but trust me, the nigga can’t help but be into you. He’s always liked his women a little crazy, and no offense, but you got that shit in spades.”
I laughed out of nerves. “Whateva. I know I’m extra. You guys should have seen Tone’s face when he met my first ex, Jeff.”
Kelani placed her hand over her mouth. “Not the one who talked you into joining that cult?”
“One and the same. And Jeff is even worse than he was years ago. Tone was looking at me sideways, probably wondering how I managed to date someone with a God-complex.”
Z shook his head. “Wrong again. I talked to Tone on his ride back to the office, and even though he felt like buddy was arrogant as hell, he said that he was glad you got rid of that dude. It took all his energy not to hit his ass for the way he talked to you.”
&nb
sp; Layla wiggled her fingers together. “And the plot thickens.”
Ugh. Didn’t Z know the type of woman I was? You didn’t tell a stage-five clinger anything that would make her get attached. Once I went down that road, there would be no turning back. “Not that I don’t appreciate this insight, but weren’t you going to do some work?”
“I changed my mind,” Z said, getting comfortable. “Girl talk seems more fun.”
Kelani walked over to Z and kissed him on the cheek. They were one of the cutest couples I’d ever met, and a part of me couldn’t help but get jealous at the fact that I’d never had that. I tried to hold onto the idea that there was a man out there for me, but digging up ghosts of my past were making me question everything.
“I need more juice,” Layla stated. “Do you like him more or less since you and Tone have been getting to know each other more?”
“Girl, we aren’t getting to know each other. It’s not like that. It’s strictly business between us. All I can think about is finishing this assignment and moving on with my life.” My rant went on for a few more seconds, but the silence made me take note of my friends’ bewildered expressions.
Kelani pursed her lips and let out a slow, “Wowww. You in deep, huh?”
I snorted. “Uh, don’t know what you mean.”
“Yeah you do,” Layla co-signed. “I mean this with love, but, hunny, you know damn well you out here checkin’ for Tone. Yet, unlike how you usually are when you’re feeling a guy, you haven’t even admitted it to yourself yet. Which means, things are probably already hot between y’all.”
“Oh my god, you both are too much.” I continued to argue my point as the guests started to arrive. And by guests, I actually meant Tone since he’d been the only one at the door when Kelani went to answer it.
“Tone, man. We were just talking about you.”
Tone looked from Z to the rest of us, his eyes landing on me last. I blinked for much longer than the norm because he’d only been in the kitchen for thirty seconds and already, his presence was making me horny. Not getting sex on the regular was making me look at Tone in a whole new light.
Ha! Girl, please! You’ve been looking at Tone with lust-filled eyes since you fell into his window. It really wasn’t fair for him to look so beautiful in his fitted gray sweater, medium-washed jeans, and gray Timberland boots. Once again, his dreads were pulled back into a ponytail and his five o'clock shadow made me want to rub my face against his. I was a sucka for the scruff.
“Hey, everyone,” he said, breaking our trance, which was great because I hadn’t been breathing the entire time he held my gaze. Our friends greeted him, but their eyes flickered between the two of us.
“What did I miss?” he asked.
“We were discussing the project you’re helping Meeka with,” Layla answered. “In your opinion, how is it going?”
My heart started beating fast. Tone and I had barely discussed these visits, so I wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Imagine my surprise when the next words out of his mouth were, “I’m proud of Meeka. She’s been holding her own and she’s not letting past situations deter her from completing this assignment.”
“Thank you,” I told him.
He smirked. “Nothing to thank me for. It’s the truth. A lot of women—hell, a lot of men, too—, wouldn’t be able to do this assignment. I’m not sure I could. Yet, you are handling what you told Madame Social you would do and getting the job done well. Only thing we probably need to add are a few scenes of you talking directly to the camera a little more about the lessons you’ve learned. That part you did after Vance was a great addition.”
“Actually, I think it may be better if I do that at the end,” I suggested. “That way, I can go through each ex and reflect on the experience as a whole.”
“Whatever works best for you is fine with me.” Tone sat down on the stool next to me that Kelani had vacated. “After the visit with your last ex, I thought long and hard about my past relationships. It’s probably time I do a little soul searching and figure some of my shit out.”
“Like what?” I asked curiously.
“Like the fact that my last girlfriend didn’t take our relationship serious enough. A part of me thinks I know the answer, but that other part …”
“Isn’t so sure,” I finished.
He met my gaze. “Yeah. Pretty much.” He glanced up and down at the deep green sweater dress and thigh-high boots that I’d chosen to wear today. “You look nice tonight.”
“Another compliment this week,” I teased. “I hope you know that I’m not doing your laundry.”
He laughed. “I didn’t expect anything. I was just joking about that laundry comment by the way. Your ex, Jeff, was too damn much, so I was trying to make you laugh before that long drive to the office.”
Wow. Just when I’d convinced myself not to overthink this Tone thing, he said something sweet that hit me square in the heart. “I appreciate that, and thanks for the compliment. You look good, too.”
His eyes briefly dropped to my pink, mahogany matte-covered lips, causing my breath to catch. Oh shit. He wants to kiss me. I knew the signs. Could feel the sexual chemistry floating between us. But in the back of my mind, I also knew he’d never do it. Tone was calculated. Tone was precise. He didn’t do anything without thinking it through.
So I couldn’t explain why he’d leaned closer, lightly grazed my right cheek, and dipped his head to mine, capturing my lips in a sweet kiss that caught me completely off guard.
Hmm … My moan was immediate and I didn’t even care if he heard it or anyone else in the room because I’d always suspected that Tone’s lips were soft and delicious. Yet, experiencing them in real life was so much more rewarding. When he slipped me his tongue, I literally buckled in my seat from the pleasure that settled in the pit of my stomach.
Meeka’s shield is falling down. Falling down. Falling down. Meeka’s shield is falling down. Ahhh … fuck the rest. I couldn’t even concentrate on my little ratchet rhyme because the way Tone moved his mouth was everything. Like a birthday present I wanted to open every damn day to taste and sample just to make sure my mind wasn’t making this up.
It took me about thirty seconds to register that he was groaning, obviously turned on like I was. I placed my hand on his thigh to lean closer, when the sound of someone clearing their throat made us break apart.
Tone studied my eyes, fire reflected in his, before we both looked up to find that we were apparently the main show for the night.
“Don’t mind us,” Layla said. “We’re just sitting here eavesdropping on your conversation while watching that sexy lip lock.”
I rolled my eyes while Tone shook his head.
“Did you guys forget we were here?” Z asked.
“Nah,” Tone said. “I just didn’t care enough not to do what I’d been thinking about doing all day.”
My eyes widened. What? Tone had been thinking about kissing me all day? Or maybe he was just talking about seeing me? Or maybe the thing he’d been thinking about was shocking our friends? Girl, stop overanalyzing this! He was talking about kissing you, duh!
I tried to think of something clever to say back, but came up short. This was new for me. Typically, I was the first one to kiss a guy, but Tone had taken charge, not giving a damn if our friends were all in the room or not. Don’t forget, Meeka. Ease up on the crazy. Don’t let her out just yet. Even warning myself to act chill was as useless as number forty-five in the White House. Anyone who knew me knew I didn’t know the definition of chill.
Z walked over to us and placed a hand on Tone’s shoulder. “See, I told the ladies that you’ve always had a thing for women with drama. Glad to know that’s still the case.”
“Whateva, man.” Tone shrugged off Z’s hand. “You worse than a female with the not-so-subtle hints.”
“Watch yourself,” Kelani warned.
Layla motioned for me to lean closer to hear her, but she might as well have shouted her next w
ords since she couldn’t whisper worth a damn. “Y’all should just fuck and get it over with.”
“Layla!” I gasped. “Seriously?”
“I’m being for real.”
I gave her the death stare. “I was asking rhetorically.”
She innocently lifted her hands. “What did I say?”
Laughing, I asked Tone, “Can you believe them?” However, my question wasn’t awarded with an answer. He was too busy giving me that I’d-fuck-you-on-this-counter-if-people-weren’t-around look, which of course made me give him the do-it-and-don’t-hold-back look.
But this was reality, not my fantasy world. In my mind, he was already fucking me on the kitchen island, but frenemies didn’t sleep with each other in public with folks watching. Well, I’m sure some did, but that was beside the point.
Luckily for me, more people arrived at the housewarming, giving me a chance to figure out if Tone kissing me was a fluke or if it would happen again. And if he didn’t plan on kissing me again, how could I make it happen again? Ugh, so annoying. Didn’t he understand what kissing me like that did to my state of mind? Hey, sex-deprived Meeka. Nice of you to join tonight’s insanity. I poured myself a shot of tequila because even my inner thoughts were annoying me.
Chapter 7
Never interfere with a woman on a mission.
You might end up with one less testicle.
~ Madame Social ~
TONE
Meeka was probably ready to kill me. That much I knew for sure. You see, I knew damn well what I was doing by ignoring her for the past two days because women hated to be ignored. Especially the clingy ones.
In her defense, she hadn’t done anything wrong the night of Z and Kelani’s housewarming. I’d meant what I said. I had wanted to kiss her. Wanted to see if those lips were as soft as they looked. Was too mad that I hadn’t kissed her on the bench after that meeting with ex number two.
Single AF: Social Experiment Series Page 5
