1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,680 It's one in the morning and I'm in my car waving my hot sexy date goodbye. 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,280 20 minutes ago my tongue had been down her throat and my hands had been seconds away from loosening 3 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:14,080 her bra. Now I'm dropping her off at home after lying about an emergency at my work. 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,840 I'm a doctor at an aged home so my lie is plausible. But really and truly, 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,840 Imani had called saying that her boyfriend of two years had just put her out of the apartment. 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:29,040 Apparently he's seeing someone else, why he chose to do this in the middle of the night 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:35,200 is beyond me. I pull up in front of the apartment complex and there she is, 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:39,920 sitting on the steps with two duffel bags. I get out of the car and approach her. 9 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,200 Want me to go deal with it? How the fuck could he put you out? 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,520 I say annoyed. She tugs my arm when I reach for the door. 11 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:51,200 Leave it alone, I wanted to leave. He has another girl up there. 12 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,560 What? Blood rushes to my head and I'm even more mad about that. 13 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:02,160 Imani darts in front of me, restraining me with her palms. Had it been any other day, 14 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:06,000 a touch like that from her would have been welcomed. A touch like that would have sent 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,720 me off the edge. Now I just want to deal with the fool who thought they could play my girl and get 16 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:16,640 away with it. Rico, please, just leave it alone. Just take me away from here. Please. 17 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:23,520 I peer at her and then at the door. Fine, but this isn't over. We'll deal with this in the morning. 18 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,440 I warned the bastard, told him not to fuck up and yet he did. 19 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:33,360 Get in the van. The drive to my place is quiet. I know the wheels are turning in her head because 20 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:38,240 she hasn't blinked since, only staring through the windscreen. I help her with the bags and 21 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:44,640 she enters my apartment. Imani is small, five-four and thin but ridiculously fit. She hits the gym 22 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:49,520 at least twice a week and can knock you out if she has to. She's like a chihuahua when she needs to 23 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:55,200 be. So when she called me I knew it had to be serious. Imani flings her phone on my recliner 24 00:01:55,200 --> 00:02:00,880 and flops down on my love seat. She's still wearing her pajamas, so she has nothing else to do but 25 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:09,840 sleep. I'll go get my room ready. No, I'm fine out here. I gave her the look and if she thinks she 26 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:15,120 can come stay by me and sleep on the couch then she should think again. I would never let her do that. 27 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:22,560 Not there's only comfort for a queen. Fine. She murmurs. I don't get why you're being this nice 28 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:28,880 to me when I haven't been the best friend over the past year. That is true. She had been ignoring 29 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:35,040 my calls and cancelling lunch dates but that won't stop me from loving her. I love sleeping on the 30 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:41,520 couch. I say over my shoulder. Besides it's a pullout bed. She huffs. I don't care what anyone 31 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:47,840 thinks because Imani has my heart and forever will. I may be considered as a friend in her books 32 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:56,240 but she's my love, my soulmate. Whatever she wants she gets. Right. Your room is ready. 33 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:02,560 You can stay however long you want. More like forever she stands and hugs me tight. 34 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,720 You're such a lifesaver. What would I do without you? 35 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:14,000 I hug her back repeating the alphabet in my head. She smells good. She even feels good. 36 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:19,760 God. I quickly break the embrace because I'm seconds away from getting a boner. 37 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,280 So what happened? She shakes her head and moves back to the couch. 38 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,800 I don't want to talk about it tonight. Imani reaches for the TV remote. 39 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,720 Can we watch a movie until I fall asleep? 40 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:39,840 Sure. I head back into the room for some blankets and return to see her unfolding the pullout bed. 41 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:46,560 She sits and pats the space beside her. I miss moments like these and I may be a bastard for 42 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,600 being glad that she and her boyfriend are fighting but I like the depressed and vulnerable Imani. 43 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:59,040 She opens up to me. She lets me in. Our relationship is platonic, stuck in the friend zone but I love 44 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:03,200 it when she sees me as her safe place. I love it when she can count on me. 45 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,160 I throw one of the blankets at her and she laughs when it hits her in the face. 46 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:12,320 I hop onto the bed and cover up with her too. Let's watch a Disney movie. 47 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:20,000 Anything you want. Gosh and Mason watches nothing that has romance in it. Because he's a punk. 48 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,560 Imani gives a small smile and selects a movie from my subscription app. 49 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,360 We're 10 minutes in and she's so close that her head is resting on my shoulder. 50 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,280 She's half asleep but wants to stay up because when I ask she says she's watching. 51 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,800 I don't mind because it's Friday night and I have tomorrow off but I know she has an early 52 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:46,560 shift at the hospital tomorrow. Her body shakes against me and when I check she's crying. She's 53 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:53,840 freaking crying. Damn it. I'm going to kill this punk. Why would he do this to me? I'm so fucking 54 00:04:53,840 --> 00:05:00,000 tired of him. Because that asshole doesn't know what a gem you are. You're only saying that. 55 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:06,160 I will always say it because it's true. She settles her head on my lap and it's a bad idea. 56 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:13,120 She smells too good to ignore. Too good not to touch. But I can't. I'm her friend. 57 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,040 He brought that girl over and just told me that it's over. Right in front of her. 58 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:24,880 And the bitch had the audacity to tell me to get out. Imani sits upright and shakes her head. 59 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:31,840 We are so over. We're done. I want to believe her but I know her. She says these things about her 60 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:37,120 boyfriend and then jumps right back into his arms when he comes back begging. That's how it has 61 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:43,120 ever been. Imani leans on to me and begins crying again. I thought we were good you know. 62 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:50,880 Sometimes things just happen. She moves to settle on my lap. This time staring at the television. 63 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:58,000 Imani and I stay like this letting time pass us by. She's still lying on my legs when she says 64 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:05,280 I love it when you do that. Do what? She flicks her wrist. Play with my hair. 65 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:12,400 That's because I like having you around. She sits up quickly cupping her mouth. Oh my god. 66 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:20,880 I'm such a bad friend. Was I interrupting something? Huh? I mean it's Friday night. You always go out 67 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:28,080 or do something. Nah. I lie. Imani squints at me. Funny how she can always read through my 68 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,440 bullshit but can never see her own. Then why are there two empty wine glasses on your countertop? 69 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,080 I shrug. I smelled a woman's perfume when I entered your apartment. 70 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:45,520 I still don't know what you're talking about. Rico come on. I know you. Who is she? Is she pretty? 71 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:53,200 I shrug. She's okay. Cute. I want to tell her that she's nothing like her but I'll be overstepping 72 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:59,200 and then it might just make everything weird. Imani huffs. You're being coy. I'm sure she's hot. 73 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:05,280 I'm not okay. Yeah she is. She peers over me toward the kitchen. Got more wine? 74 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:11,280 Don't you have to work in the morning? She waves her hand. No they changed my shift. 75 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:17,200 I have a six o'clock in the evening. I'll be fine. She won't be fine whenever a woman is torn up 76 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:23,920 about something and opts for wine. It turns into a drunken scene. I give her a warning look. Boy go 77 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:30,080 get that damn wine. Half an hour later she's finished the bottle and I've only had one glass. 78 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,960 Imani's laughing at every scene in the movie and it's not even that funny. I know she's hurting 79 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:40,800 inside. I know she's thinking about that bastard and there's nothing I can do about it. At least not 80 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:47,360 now. Imani sighs pulling the blanket closer to her chest and uses my shoulder as her pillow again. 81 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:55,680 Why can't my love life be like that? Like how? She points at the screen. Like that. 82 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:02,400 Why can't I find a guy that's dedicated to loving me? To see me happy and providing all that he can. 83 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:09,840 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 84 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:16,000 to love her like the beautiful, sweet and smart princess she already is. But I can't. I need another 85 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,960 glass of wine. At this point I don't stop her because she'll go looking for it if she has to. 86 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:25,920 I fetch another bottle from my cupboard and bump into her when I turn around. 87 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:32,240 The wine bottle clinks against the glass in her hand. Shit. What's wrong with me? 88 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:38,240 Imani is so close that I step away. Bumping into her is one thing but feeling her breasts 89 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:43,760 against my chest is another. And to make everything worse, she's not wearing a bra beneath her pajama 90 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:51,600 top. Nothing is wrong with you. Yes. You just stepped away from me. Like you're allergic or something. 91 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:56,960 I'm not allergic. Dammit Imani. It's only because I bumped into you. Stop thinking like that. 92 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,320 She holds out her glass and I pop the cork and fill it. She swigs the glass and in three 93 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:09,360 gulps the wine is gone. Why do you keep doing things for me? Because you're my friend. I fill her 94 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:18,560 glass again and she drinks it stopping halfway. Bullshit. We are friends, aren't we? Friends don't 95 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:24,240 watch friends the way you watch me, Rico. I take the glass from her hand and pitch the contents in 96 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:29,920 the sink. Hey. I don't want to entertain the conversation because it will only end badly for 97 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:35,200 me. Imani is going to do like she always does and ask questions she doesn't want to know the answers 98 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:40,000 to. She knows that I love her but she always chooses other guys. I get that I wasn't one of 99 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:45,440 the greatest back in high school and I fucked around with her friends but still. I told her how 100 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:51,440 I felt back when we were 18. Now we're in our late 20s and she still hasn't given in. She friendzoned 101 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:56,240 me and I'm perfectly fine with that. But tonight I'm not going to allow myself to have a little 102 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:01,840 hope because she's going straight back to the guy she said she was finished with. I'm not drunk. 103 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:08,560 Maybe you should get some sleep. It's late. Almost three. Why are you ignoring me, Rico? 104 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:15,120 I'm not. She follows me to the couch. Then why won't you answer me? Why do you look at me like that? 105 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:21,760 I'm not going to go there with you tonight, Imani. You always do this. Why? Do what? 106 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,600 I'm not on games tonight. Please don't do this to me. She reaches for my arm when I walk off. 107 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:36,080 Rico, Rico, look at me. What did I do? I squeezed my eyes shut. Rico, you start something and never 108 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:40,960 finish it. You get all depressed when things don't go your way and then you pretend you like me. You 109 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:46,000 kiss me. Get me all worked up and then the next day it's like you're a stranger. I don't hear from 110 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:54,320 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 111 00:10:54,320 --> 00:11:02,800 this time I'm for real? Go to bed, Imani. I'm going to mine. She reaches for my hand stopping me. 112 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:11,680 Wait, I'm serious. I, I'm finished with him. Yeah, sure, right. I yank my arm away and head for the room. 113 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:18,800 Rico, look at me. I turn and immediately the blood in my head rushes to my lower region. 114 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:23,200 She's the devil. A fucking temptress. Why the fuck would she do this to me now? 115 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:30,240 Imani has stripped off her pajama top, leaving her breasts exposed. I don't have any words. 116 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,960 She has never done this. My heart is racing and I have no idea what the fuck to do. 117 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:43,760 Is this what you want? She asks. Yes. Fucking yes. Say something, Rico. 118 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:50,560 Fuck, Imani. Why would you tease me like this? Now it's going to take a lot more than saying the 119 00:11:50,560 --> 00:12:00,560 alphabet to stop myself from fucking claiming her tonight. Well done, Imani. Well fucking done.