Walking into my house, I groan annoyingly at the phone ringing. Seeing it is Lorin, I pick it up, knowing if anyone can make me feel better, it is her. “Hey, girl,” I say, changing my clothes.
“What are you doing right now?”
“Nothing. Just got in from work. Why, what’s up?”
“Get dressed. We are going to the bar.” Nope. Not doing it.
“Yeah, I don’t feel like going out tonight, Lorin. I’m sorry. I just want to curl up with the latest ChaShiree M. and M.K. Moore books in the Vanished Series and drink wine.” Reading is how I escape my reality, and my two favorite authors have new books out, and I have been dying to read about girls getting kidnapped and falling for their captors.
“You have been moping for the last week, Karcin. It’s enough. You are going to put on some tight jeans, a too-tight shirt and meet me at the bar in twenty minutes. Bye.” Well, shit. When she gets like this, there is no backing down.
Twenty minutes later, I walk through the door of the Tap Bar and see her sitting at the bar. “You look hot, boo.” She slides my glass of gin and tonic across the bar.
“Thanks, so do you.”
“So, do you want to talk about it?” she asks me, munching on some of the peanuts on the counter.
“Nothing to talk about. I had no choice.” She frowns at me and shakes her head.
“Hey, ladies. What are two fine things like you doing here alone?” Oh God, really. Guys are so lame.
“Well, obviously, if we are alone, we don’t want to be disturbed. Now, why don’t you…get lost.” Lorin dismisses whoever he is, and I hide my smile when he realizes how serious she is.
“Wow. Are you on strike or something?” I ask her. She is usually the flirtatious one out of all of us. Seeing her turn someone down is weird.
“Nah. First of all, the girl code states that when my girl is down and sad, dick can wait. Second, I am done with meaningless make out sessions. I want something real, Karcin. I want a husband and kids and security, you know?” I nod, shocked at her admission and envious because she has a real choice that won’t impact others. “Shocked you, huh.” She smiles and sips her Cuervo. The bell indicating someone has come in rings, and I can’t stop myself from turning to the door, hoping it’s Manny.
“Soldier,” My father says when he comes over to me. I try to smile, but I fail at it, and I know it when his smile also doesn’t reach his eyes as he looks at me.
“Who is this?” Lorin says, giving my dad the side-eye.
“Oh right. You two have never met. Lorin, this is my father, General Adams. General, this is my friend, Lorin.”
“Where has my daughter been hiding you?” He kisses her hand, and my stomach physically revolts. I watch in some sort of horror as my friend's face turns red as her heels, and I want nothing but to run out of there and miss what the hell is happening right now.
“Uh, so dad, what are you doing here?” I ask him, trying but failing to get his attention away from my much younger friend. “Dad!” I shout a bit to get his eyes on me.
“The fellas are here watching the game and asked me to drop by.”
“Oh well, wouldn’t want to keep you.” He raises his eyebrow at my dismissal at the same time that Lorin kicks me. I am suddenly overwhelmed. I have no idea what is happening, but then the same guy that asked me to dance when I first walked is walking back over to me.
“So you ready to…” I am about to tell him once again to get lost when the chance is taken from me.
“Fuck off, Private.” The voice from my dreams says from behind me.
“Delgado, what are you doing here?” My father turns and addresses him. I find myself looking up at him like the love-sick puppy I am. He doesn’t answer my father right away. He looks at me first, asking me if I am going to choose him, and I smile, tears forming in my eyes. His thumb wipes one away before he wraps his arm around me, lifting me to my feet and in front of him.
“No disrespect, General, but I am here for my woman, and it is none of your damn business.” I hear the gasp, and I don’t know if it is from my dad or me, but my mind can only comprehend the possessiveness in his eyes that mimics how I feel. “Are you ready to choose us, baby?” I was a fool for not doing it in the first place.
“Yes. Yes, Manny.”
I was lost without him, but now I feel whole again.