“For the last time . . . I’m fine,” I said. “I haven’t been in the mood to take on any clients.”
“Lisette—”
“Give the client to Aida.”
Marlene was silent for a moment before sighing and saying, “OK.”
“I’m going to go back and enjoy my Friday night now.”
“Are you listening to your song again?”
“Of course.”
“Can I ask you something?”
I pressed down on my eyeballs with the middle finger and thumb of my free hand. I exhaled. “What?”
“That song . . . it’s about love. Why do you like it so much?”
I opened my eyes and looked toward the living room. The breakdown in the song was coming again.
It was a valid question.
I didn’t believe in any of the song’s lyrics, yet the song resonated and stoked a fire inside of me more than anything else had. It didn’t make sense.
“I don’t know, Marlene,” I said. “I just do.”
“Love is possible, Lisette. I know you’re jaded and don’t believe in it, but it is possible. Trust me, after all of the bullshit with Steve, I was prepared to swear off of it forever too, but just when I was ready to do that, Michael came into my life.”
I groaned. I really didn’t want to hear any of her sappy shit.
“Marlene . . .”
“I’m just saying, Lisette, what you do . . . the men you trap . . . not all of them are assholes. There are some decent ones out there. As much as you think there not, if you try to leave your door cracked open just a little bit, you’ll see the right guy can come along and it could be a beautiful thing.”
I clenched my jaw. Friend or not, I’d had enough. I said, “I don’t do love, Marlene,” and then I ended the call and turned my BlackBerry off. “Shit.”
The bath water had grown tepid. I’d missed another replay of “Amado Mio.”
I was irritated.
I turned the hot water faucet on, leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and put my focus back on the song that had no real relevance in my life. At least not in my current one.
“Amado Mio.”
A song about being in love forever.
I breathed.
Listened to the song.
And as hard as I tried not to, I went back to a time I’d let go of a long time ago.
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In Too Deep Copyright © 2007 Dwayne S.Joseph
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In Too Deep Page 19
