It's one in the morning and I'm in my car waving my hot sexy date goodbye.
20 minutes ago my tongue had been down her throat and my hands had been seconds away from loosening
her bra. Now I'm dropping her off at home after lying about an emergency at my work.
I'm a doctor at an aged home so my lie is plausible. But really and truly,
Imani had called saying that her boyfriend of two years had just put her out of the apartment.
Apparently he's seeing someone else, why he chose to do this in the middle of the night
is beyond me. I pull up in front of the apartment complex and there she is,
sitting on the steps with two duffel bags. I get out of the car and approach her.
Want me to go deal with it? How the fuck could he put you out?
I say annoyed. She tugs my arm when I reach for the door.
Leave it alone, I wanted to leave. He has another girl up there.
What? Blood rushes to my head and I'm even more mad about that.
Imani darts in front of me, restraining me with her palms. Had it been any other day,
a touch like that from her would have been welcomed. A touch like that would have sent
me off the edge. Now I just want to deal with the fool who thought they could play my girl and get
away with it. Rico, please, just leave it alone. Just take me away from here. Please.
I peer at her and then at the door. Fine, but this isn't over. We'll deal with this in the morning.
I warned the bastard, told him not to fuck up and yet he did.
Get in the van. The drive to my place is quiet. I know the wheels are turning in her head because
she hasn't blinked since, only staring through the windscreen. I help her with the bags and
she enters my apartment. Imani is small, five-four and thin but ridiculously fit. She hits the gym
at least twice a week and can knock you out if she has to. She's like a chihuahua when she needs to
be. So when she called me I knew it had to be serious. Imani flings her phone on my recliner
and flops down on my love seat. She's still wearing her pajamas, so she has nothing else to do but
sleep. I'll go get my room ready. No, I'm fine out here. I gave her the look and if she thinks she
can come stay by me and sleep on the couch then she should think again. I would never let her do that.
Not there's only comfort for a queen. Fine. She murmurs. I don't get why you're being this nice
to me when I haven't been the best friend over the past year. That is true. She had been ignoring
my calls and cancelling lunch dates but that won't stop me from loving her. I love sleeping on the
couch. I say over my shoulder. Besides it's a pullout bed. She huffs. I don't care what anyone
thinks because Imani has my heart and forever will. I may be considered as a friend in her books
but she's my love, my soulmate. Whatever she wants she gets. Right. Your room is ready.
You can stay however long you want. More like forever she stands and hugs me tight.
You're such a lifesaver. What would I do without you?
I hug her back repeating the alphabet in my head. She smells good. She even feels good.
God. I quickly break the embrace because I'm seconds away from getting a boner.
So what happened? She shakes her head and moves back to the couch.
I don't want to talk about it tonight. Imani reaches for the TV remote.
Can we watch a movie until I fall asleep?
Sure. I head back into the room for some blankets and return to see her unfolding the pullout bed.
She sits and pats the space beside her. I miss moments like these and I may be a bastard for
being glad that she and her boyfriend are fighting but I like the depressed and vulnerable Imani.
She opens up to me. She lets me in. Our relationship is platonic, stuck in the friend zone but I love
it when she sees me as her safe place. I love it when she can count on me.
I throw one of the blankets at her and she laughs when it hits her in the face.
I hop onto the bed and cover up with her too. Let's watch a Disney movie.
Anything you want. Gosh and Mason watches nothing that has romance in it. Because he's a punk.
Imani gives a small smile and selects a movie from my subscription app.
We're 10 minutes in and she's so close that her head is resting on my shoulder.
She's half asleep but wants to stay up because when I ask she says she's watching.
I don't mind because it's Friday night and I have tomorrow off but I know she has an early
shift at the hospital tomorrow. Her body shakes against me and when I check she's crying. She's
freaking crying. Damn it. I'm going to kill this punk. Why would he do this to me? I'm so fucking
tired of him. Because that asshole doesn't know what a gem you are. You're only saying that.
I will always say it because it's true. She settles her head on my lap and it's a bad idea.
She smells too good to ignore. Too good not to touch. But I can't. I'm her friend.
He brought that girl over and just told me that it's over. Right in front of her.
And the bitch had the audacity to tell me to get out. Imani sits upright and shakes her head.
We are so over. We're done. I want to believe her but I know her. She says these things about her
boyfriend and then jumps right back into his arms when he comes back begging. That's how it has
ever been. Imani leans on to me and begins crying again. I thought we were good you know.
Sometimes things just happen. She moves to settle on my lap. This time staring at the television.
Imani and I stay like this letting time pass us by. She's still lying on my legs when she says
I love it when you do that. Do what? She flicks her wrist. Play with my hair.
That's because I like having you around. She sits up quickly cupping her mouth. Oh my god.
I'm such a bad friend. Was I interrupting something? Huh? I mean it's Friday night. You always go out
or do something. Nah. I lie. Imani squints at me. Funny how she can always read through my
bullshit but can never see her own. Then why are there two empty wine glasses on your countertop?
I shrug. I smelled a woman's perfume when I entered your apartment.
I still don't know what you're talking about. Rico come on. I know you. Who is she? Is she pretty?
I shrug. She's okay. Cute. I want to tell her that she's nothing like her but I'll be overstepping
and then it might just make everything weird. Imani huffs. You're being coy. I'm sure she's hot.
I'm not okay. Yeah she is. She peers over me toward the kitchen. Got more wine?
Don't you have to work in the morning? She waves her hand. No they changed my shift.
I have a six o'clock in the evening. I'll be fine. She won't be fine whenever a woman is torn up
about something and opts for wine. It turns into a drunken scene. I give her a warning look. Boy go
get that damn wine. Half an hour later she's finished the bottle and I've only had one glass.
Imani's laughing at every scene in the movie and it's not even that funny. I know she's hurting
inside. I know she's thinking about that bastard and there's nothing I can do about it. At least not
now. Imani sighs pulling the blanket closer to her chest and uses my shoulder as her pillow again.
Why can't my love life be like that? Like how? She points at the screen. Like that.
Why can't I find a guy that's dedicated to loving me? To see me happy and providing all that he can.
Why can't I have my happy ever after? I want to say that I can be that guy. It's that I can be the one
to love her like the beautiful, sweet and smart princess she already is. But I can't. I need another
glass of wine. At this point I don't stop her because she'll go looking for it if she has to.
I fetch another bottle from my cupboard and bump into her when I turn around.
The wine bottle clinks against the glass in her hand. Shit. What's wrong with me?
Imani is so close that I step away. Bumping into her is one thing but feeling her breasts
against my chest is another. And to make everything worse, she's not wearing a bra beneath her pajama
top. Nothing is wrong with you. Yes. You just stepped away from me. Like you're allergic or something.
I'm not allergic. Dammit Imani. It's only because I bumped into you. Stop thinking like that.
She holds out her glass and I pop the cork and fill it. She swigs the glass and in three
gulps the wine is gone. Why do you keep doing things for me? Because you're my friend. I fill her
glass again and she drinks it stopping halfway. Bullshit. We are friends, aren't we? Friends don't
watch friends the way you watch me, Rico. I take the glass from her hand and pitch the contents in
the sink. Hey. I don't want to entertain the conversation because it will only end badly for
me. Imani is going to do like she always does and ask questions she doesn't want to know the answers
to. She knows that I love her but she always chooses other guys. I get that I wasn't one of
the greatest back in high school and I fucked around with her friends but still. I told her how
I felt back when we were 18. Now we're in our late 20s and she still hasn't given in. She friendzoned
me and I'm perfectly fine with that. But tonight I'm not going to allow myself to have a little
hope because she's going straight back to the guy she said she was finished with. I'm not drunk.
Maybe you should get some sleep. It's late. Almost three. Why are you ignoring me, Rico?
I'm not. She follows me to the couch. Then why won't you answer me? Why do you look at me like that?
I'm not going to go there with you tonight, Imani. You always do this. Why? Do what?
I'm not on games tonight. Please don't do this to me. She reaches for my arm when I walk off.
Rico, Rico, look at me. What did I do? I squeezed my eyes shut. Rico, you start something and never
finish it. You get all depressed when things don't go your way and then you pretend you like me. You
kiss me. Get me all worked up and then the next day it's like you're a stranger. I don't hear from
you for weeks and when I do, you're back with your ex. That's not true. It's tiring. What, what if I say
this time I'm for real? Go to bed, Imani. I'm going to mine. She reaches for my hand stopping me.
Wait, I'm serious. I, I'm finished with him. Yeah, sure, right. I yank my arm away and head for the room.
Rico, look at me. I turn and immediately the blood in my head rushes to my lower region.
She's the devil. A fucking temptress. Why the fuck would she do this to me now?
Imani has stripped off her pajama top, leaving her breasts exposed. I don't have any words.
She has never done this. My heart is racing and I have no idea what the fuck to do.
Is this what you want? She asks. Yes. Fucking yes. Say something, Rico.
Fuck, Imani. Why would you tease me like this? Now it's going to take a lot more than saying the
alphabet to stop myself from fucking claiming her tonight. Well done, Imani. Well fucking done.