Nice Guy

The conversation took it’s usual twists and turns as the night wore on. What was once looked at as fun was slowly turning to obligation for the group, their numbers dwindling from fifteen to ten to five. The food was delicious and the walk back from the restaurant had provided a much needed break from close quarters and four containing walls. Now, back within the confines of Jessica’s small home, the five drank and watched as the hands of the clock crawled around it’s face - all wondering when someone would call the night over so they could all leave and return to their lives.
“I hate Easter. It’s such a waste of time. I mean, what does it mean to me? I’m not hardcore Christian.” Jessica shrugged and sipped her whiskey. The ice popped and clinked in her glass as she swirled it with her finger to spread the chill. “It’s more for my parents now, really.”
“I hear that.” Michael raised his glass in salute, then drank. He smiled sheepishly to Jessica. He eyed her and hoped she would offer up her bed to him again tonight. It had been so very comfortable the night before.
Rose snarled at her wine glass, leaned forward and slid it back onto the small table before her. “I think that I’m officially past the legal limit. I think I’m done with this for now.” She leaned back and crossed her legs slowly while scanning the room to see if anyone was eyeing them. She knew Michael would, the cad, but she always liked knowing people were watching. “What time is it, anyway?”
“Eleven.” Jon Checked his watch. “Eleven-forty. Hmph. The time got away from me again.” He smiled. “That’s been happening a lot lately. I just kinda...zone out.” H smiled and looked around the room.
Brian walked out of the kitchen juggling some small, plastic water glasses. He moved to the table in the center of the room and put the five glasses down awkwardly. He then passed them out to the group and said, “The cure for a hangover is staying hydrated. If you keep water in your system, you’ll be far better off tomorrow morning.”
Rose grinned and winked. “Always watching over us, aren’t you, Lovely?”
Brian grinned back, his eyes dropping briefly to Rose, her legs and her flashed black panties. It was an instant that Rose was waiting for. A glimpse of Brian being a normal, healthy male. He always seemed so far above it, unlike Michael and his frat boy self.
“Good call.” Jon raised his water glass to Brian and drank deeply.
“I like the headache the next day. It helps to remind me not to drink so much next time.” Michael laughed, but took the glass anyway.
“How’s that working out for you?” Jessica shook her head and sighed.
“Do what you like. You’re all adults...for the most part.” Brian chuckled to himself and sipped his water.
“Such a nice guy.” Rose leaned back and drake her water down. “Always the nice, caring guy. Knight in shining armor type. A true gentleman?” She held her glass empty water glass out. “More?”
“Is that a bad thing?” Brian arched his brow and took Rose’s glass. He took Rose’s glass and moved back towards the kitchen to refill it.
“Not bad, just rather safe, don’t you think?” Rose liked where this was going. She saw the embers of the dying evening spark back to life. She called out towards the kitchen, “I mean, I look at Michael and don’t thing about a gentleman.” She shot a smile towards Michael. “No offense.”
“None taken,” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows and slapped Jessica’s backside.
Jessica tried to look annoyed, but a shadow of a smile snuck in around the edges of the frown as she allowed herself to be hugged by him.
“And Jon, here. He’s a sweetheart, but he has his little dark secrets. Don’t you, Jonny?” Rose giggled and Jon waved a hand at her.
“Oh, Honey, you know it!” Jon laughed and fanned himself.
“But our friend Brian here is so clean.” Rose took the water glass from Brian when he returned. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, M’lady.” Brian smirked and moved back to his spot against the wall. “So, you’re saying that I have to pump up my secrets and be more...like Michael here?” He jerked a thumb towards the snuggling couple. “Rough up a bit?”
“Sure.” Rose shrugged. “Take some risks? Be a little...bad, maybe?” She crossed her legs again and rested her glass on her knee.
“Hmmm...” Brian nodded and thought it over.
Jon said nothing.
“He’d make a good God, you know?” Jessica shrugged out from Michael’s grip to get a little space. “Like Zeus or one of the other Greek Gods. Playing with people’s lives. Making them do things.”
“I’d be a kind and forgiving God.” Brian laughed. “And giving.”
“I bet.” Rose snorted. “We’d all just have to worship you.”
“And build temples to me and things. I think I’d like that.” Brian grinned.
“Would virgins be involved?” Michael laughed.
“A kind and thoughtful God.” Rose eyed Brian and let the wine swirl around in her head with the thoughts.
“I’ve seem Brian be bad before. He’s not all love and gentlemanly qualities, darlin’.” Jon pursed his lips. “He’s not a saint.” He looked over to Brian, smiled and said, “No offense.”
Brian grinned.
“Oh?” Rose perked up. “Do tell.”
Brian sat down on the chair opposite Rose and looked towards Jon. “Sure, let her rip. What’d I do?”
Jon shook his head and sipped.
“Oh come on, man.” Michael motioned for Jon to speak. “Spill it. You can’t just put something out like that and not follow up.”
“Let’s just say that Brian here is more like Dr. Jekyll than Zeus. He has some skeletons. He’s done some shit.” Jon laughed a knowing laugh and looked over to Brian. “Huh, Doc?” He giggled and wiggled his head a bit from side to side.
“Maybe. Maybe.” A slow, wry smile crossed Brian’s face and Rose saw something change within it. Something went slightly dark about his eyes.
“Well? You going to say?”
Brian placed his glass down and crossed his legs. “Maybe not. I think I prefer to keep my little secrets locked up tight with no key in sight. Safer that way. No one gets hurt.”
It was Jon’s turn to snort out a laugh.
Jessica’s smile faded as she thought back. “I think we’re all better off that way. I for one don’t need to see that.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Keep your little secrets locked up and that key tucked away where ever you keep it.” She stared for a moment, then managed to let her smile return.
Rose smiled, but her brows furrowed. “Ok...what’s going on here? What the hell did I miss?”
“Nothing worth going into.” Brian smiled and let his eyes drop to Rose’s legs. He scanned her from ankle to hips to chest then back up to her eyes. He smiled a sly smile and winked.
Rose cocked her head to the side and looked puzzled letting out a nervous little laugh.
“To secrets among friends, huh?” Michael laughed and grabbed his glass. He raised it to his friends and muttered, “No matter how much it creeps everyone out.” He laughed and drank the water down.
Brian raised his glass, looked around the room at his dear, dear friends, and sipped his water.

A Girl Named Sue

She was a beautiful redhead with curly hair and laughing eyes. Her name was Sue and she was lovely. When I looked at her, I wanted to scoop her up and hug her. I wanted to stare into her blue eyes forever. I wanted to tangle my fingers through her hair. My heart raced when I saw her and was sad when she left. I was young and reckless and silly then.
A friend was pursuing her, as I recall, and I had to have a heart to heart with him before I moved towards her. It was peaceful enough – his advances had been rejected one too many times and he was done with the chase.
“Would you mind if I asked her out?” I remember the statement being awkward, but well accepted.
“No, man. Go for it. Really – I'm done with trying for that.” He laughed and wished me luck. It was a funny laugh, too – somewhat bitter and resigned.

I asked her out that very day and we met that weekend. The date itself was nice enough. Nothing too robust or intense. I think it was a simple lunch and wandering day. It was quiet and low key with plenty of time to get to know each other. I remember walking her home in the warm, summer sun and drinking lemonade with her.
Her house was big and open with sensible art on the walls and a rather plain feel to it. It was a warm, bright day and I was smitten with this freckled, sweet girl. We were young and awkward and interested in each other. We chattered on the sofa and got caught up in small silences where we would just stare into each others eyes until one of us would look away with a laugh.
Sue grew serious and looked like she was contemplating something grave. She looked down to the floor and said, “This is stupid, but...Well, my parents are a little...I don't know.” She wrestled with the words in her head. “Well, they have stupid ideas.” I remember seeing this sadness behind those laughing eyes. I knew something was lurking.
“Like,” I said, still trying to charm her. I wanted to kiss her, not talk about her parents.
“Well...they don't like...black people.” She swallowed the words like bitter medicine. Her face fell slightly and her brow furrowed as she waited for my response. Being a light skinned, African American person, I wasn't thrilled by the news to say the least.
“Oh, I see.” I smiled and shrugged. “Well, we can see how it goes.”
But, it wasn't going to go anywhere. I knew it. She knew it. Racist parents make it hard to date anyone but who they deem acceptable. I knew that I'd never be liked by her parents even though I was a well spoken, upper middle class and respectable person. This was all too clear when I met them later that afternoon.
I introduced myself and shook their hands. I smiled and was polite. I was the sweet kid most parents wanted their daughter to date.
They didn't smile. They just stared blankly. I could tell that they wanted to ask why I was there. They wanted to escort me out as quickly as they could. I left shortly after, excusing myself and walking out without making it look too desperate. Sue apologized and we hugged goodbye.

I called Sue, but she was never able to speak for long. She wasn't able to meet for dates. Wasn't able to arrange a time for meeting in the future. I wasn't able to continue the effort and gave up much like my friend had earlier.

A month or so passed and so did the heat of the summer. Leaves fell at my parents house and needed to be swept away. A perfect job for a teen living at home with a day off. As I worked the broom back and forth across the stained wood, a car drove up the street and pulled into my parents parking area. The engine stopped and I heard chatter and laughter coming from inside the vehicle as four girls bounced and shoved each other inside.

The door opened and Sue emerged. Her short, copper hair caught the sunlight and her pale, freckled skin looked like cream. She smiled, waved and made her way down to me as her friends laughed and stared down from the car.

“Hi,” she said as she descended the wooden stairs. She wore a loose blouse and tight jeans and my heart skipped in my chest for a moment as I struggled with something to say.
“Hi. What brings you down this way?” I leaned on the broom, keeping it between us.
“I just came by to say hello. See if you were around.” She smiled that ice melting smile of hers. Her freckles were more pronounced. Her eyes were bright and playful. “We were driving around.” We both looked up towards the car which sent the three girls inside into another bout of laughter.
“They are a happy group.” I chuckled and looked back into Sue's eyes. Something was different there. Something was less magical.
“Well..maybe we can hang out sometime? Go see a movie or something?” She reached out and pushed my shoulder softly. Her small hand felt like a bird landing on my shoulder before flittering off again. “You should call me,” she purred.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiled a wide, scared little smile, moved towards me, and grabbed my shoulders. Leaning up on tiptoe, she pressed forward and kissed me gently on the lips. She blushed and smiled wider, before turning to head back up the stairs. “Call me, ok?” She made her way to the car, climbed in, and the car came to life again. As it passed, all four girls waved and laughed little squealing laughs – mission accomplished.

I never called.

Curry

The smell of Indian spices filled the air and the bright lights aimed at key spots on the walls provided a soft glow that was pleasing on the eyes. . The chill of the outside was held back by the massive grills and the flames they gave off. Chefs cooked, the wait staff brought dishes out and the customers chatted and ate away at their meals.
The restaurant was packed. Tables were tight and the self-services area staged clashes between those waiting for chai tea and those trying to get utensils and glasses.
The tall, thin, dirty-blonde returned to her table with two cups of chai in hand. “Place was packed over there.” She wore spandex pants with a large sweater over them. A colorful scarf rested around her shoulders.
Her companion glanced over her shoulder, took the proffered cup of chai. “Thanks for braving the crowd.” She smiled and smelled the cup.
“Sure.” The woman sat and sipped her chai. She blurted out, “Thomas – he has real issues with this, of course - strong, assured women.”
Jessica had to think for a moment, then remembered the conversation that took place before Stephanie had left to go get the chai. “Oh, the game, right?”
“Yes indeed.” She smiled wide. “He had major issues with the game. He had to Lord over us – claiming that he was the best player and the most skilled.” She rolled her eyes. “Real issues there.”
Jessica nodded. “Seems so?”
Stephanie tapped the table with her forefinger. “He has problems with strong women. He can’t handle having a powerful woman in his life.”
“A lot of men can’t.” Jessica tore off a hunk of naan and dipped it into her sauce. She paused. “Did he say that to you?” She popped the bread into her mouth.
“Of course not. No, see, this happened when we went out the other night. I told him that he needed to turn off his iPhone. He was checking it and I didn’t want to carry on the conversation without him being present.” She sipped. “I said that he needed to turn off the phone.”
“Did he?”
“After a minute – yeah.” She laughed. “But, he made a stink over it. Said that it was something about work and people needed him or something.” She snickered. “But, he just had an issue with me telling him he needed to do it. Real woman issues.” She shook her head and picked at her food.
“Still seeing him?”
“Tomorrow.” She sipped. “We’re supposed to go out.”
“Well, that’s something.” Stephanie dragged another bit of naan over her plate.
“See, it all stems from his family.” Jessica leaned back in her chair. “He was an only child, right? His family was one of these “lovey dovey” families where the dad was making cakes and things and he put so much love into it that Thomas thought the world was like that. The whole family went around LOVING each other all the time. He thought that everyone he met was going to be as loving and nurturing.” She giggled. “Like some lamb?”
“No thanks.”
Jessica didn’t miss a beat. “So, here I am and he freaks out. He can’t handle a woman with power. Someone who’s not going to just sit and look pretty for him.” Unconsciously, she ran a hand over her face. She felt the wrinkles on the over tanned and rough skin there and her hand fell to her cup. Somewhat oily, her hair dropped over one eye and she brushed it back behind her ear.
The man at the table next to them smiled to the girl across from him and asked if she would like more chai. She asked for water and he excused himself and took his cup over to the chai container.
Jessica glanced around the room, then looked back to Stephanie – searching for something to say. She was somewhat frantic, feeling that the space left by the lack of words was going to swallow her up. Shove her back into some dark place.
“How was the party other than the game incident?” Stephanie blinked and waited.
Jessica smiled. “Fine, really. I mean, Thomas was Lording, like I said. But, other than that, things were fine, I guess. I mean…” She frowned.
Stephanie raised her eyebrows. “What?”
Jessica looked into Stephanie’s face – searching. Something flashed in her head.
Thomas wasn’t going to call her on that iPhone of his. She was sure of it. The party, the last words, and the promised call tossed away like some used tissue. It dawned on her out of nowhere. She felt defeated. A smile played at the corners of her lips as she looked at Stephanie.
“You ok?”
Jessica smiled. “You know what?” She slapped the table lightly. “I’m not calling him back. Not going out with Thomas again. He can keep his issues and his phone.”
“Oh?” Stephanie cocked her head to the side.
“No. He if has a problem with me being a strong, confident woman, then to hell with him. I mean, who needs that, right?” She laughed. “Not me. I’m not going to stop being who I am, am I?”
“Well, you shouldn’t have to. “ She glanced at the man returning with the chai and water, then looked back into Jessica’s bright eyes.
“Yeah, I don’t need that in my life.” She managed a smile. “Wanna go?”