Clooney for the sheer number of women to whom he gave the “you can’t lock this down” speech. No matter what it seemed like he was showing me, history always reminded me that he wasn’t mine for the taking. He’d get bored eventually and my heart would be broken. So I played it cool.
“Well?” Cadence prompted.
“I…it just can’t be Ellis.”
“Why not? Give me three good reasons why it can’t be?”
“Who’s the judge of the level of good?”
“Stop trying to derail Devorah Nicole and answer the question. I know he’s got The Zing.”
The Zing was a term Cade and I came up with to describe that intense chemical spark that happens between two people who are destined to spend the rest of their lives together. It was a silly high school creation that I’d spent most of my adult life chasing. I dated man after man, hoping that one of them would possess The Zing. There had been plenty men with whom I had off the charts sexual energy, but beyond the bedroom were a bore. Or men, who challenged me intellectually, but were a snoozefest in bed. In these few months of screwing, Ellis had not only shown me The Zing, but he’d made me rethink a lot of my long held philosophies about life, careers, and dating, honestly. But I couldn’t completely go there with him.
“Biiiiiiiitch, he’s got the zing, zap and zow!” I sighed.
“So again I ask you…what the prollem is?”
“The problem is Ellis .”
“Who you’ve lusted after ever since you learned the proper definition of the word. Still waiting on three good reasons.”
“Fine. Three good reasons—one, he’s never been serious about anyone in his entire life. I’m tired of playing the dating game and tryna put marriage on my menu. I can’t go all in only to find out he’s been using me as a plaything. Two—I’ve fucked his brother. Three—if whatever we’re doing implodes, it could possibly destroy our mothers’ friendship.”
Rolling her eyes, Cadence held up three fingers and replied, “Debunking in reverse order. If you and Everett breaking up didn’t mess up Auntie Im and Auntie Randi’s relationship, nothing else would. You didn’t fuck Everett. Y’all tried; he barely put the tip in before y'all gave up. Unless you're a dirty liar who has kept the secret of who really took her virginity from her bestie since the womb. Also…you said Everett didn’t have The Zing, so that attempt at sex doesn’t count…”
“That’s not how body counts work, sis,” I interrupted.
“Don’t interrupt your elder when she’s speaking.”
“Cade, you’re a day older.”
“And a day wiser, ho. Don’t you forget it. And finally , you know what Ellis’ intentions toward you are. I can tell you this ain’t no fly by night shit for him. And you know that. Which is why your ass is running scared,” Cadence said, picking up her glass, taking a long sip of water while she stared at me pointedly.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Devorah Nicole, dumb doesn’t look good on you, sis.”
“I hate when you do this though. You obviously know something I don’t.”
Because she wasn’t romantically interested in either of the Taylor brothers, Cadence had always had a different bond with both of them than I did. She and Ellis were especially close and if I’m being honest the shit drove me insane. Prior to dating, Everett had been one of my best friends. That changed slightly after he and Cass got together. It was a natural progression and we were still fairly close now, but Ellis and I had never really connected on more than a superficial level. Until now.
“What I know is you’re being foolish and need to stop playing.”
I toyed with the strawberry garnishing the rim of my mimosa as I contemplated Cadence’s words.
“So you’re saying I should go all in?”
“I’m saying at the very least you need to have an adult
“Well?” Cadence prompted.
“I…it just can’t be Ellis.”
“Why not? Give me three good reasons why it can’t be?”
“Who’s the judge of the level of good?”
“Stop trying to derail Devorah Nicole and answer the question. I know he’s got The Zing.”
The Zing was a term Cade and I came up with to describe that intense chemical spark that happens between two people who are destined to spend the rest of their lives together. It was a silly high school creation that I’d spent most of my adult life chasing. I dated man after man, hoping that one of them would possess The Zing. There had been plenty men with whom I had off the charts sexual energy, but beyond the bedroom were a bore. Or men, who challenged me intellectually, but were a snoozefest in bed. In these few months of screwing, Ellis had not only shown me The Zing, but he’d made me rethink a lot of my long held philosophies about life, careers, and dating, honestly. But I couldn’t completely go there with him.
“Biiiiiiiitch, he’s got the zing, zap and zow!” I sighed.
“So again I ask you…what the prollem is?”
“The problem is Ellis .”
“Who you’ve lusted after ever since you learned the proper definition of the word. Still waiting on three good reasons.”
“Fine. Three good reasons—one, he’s never been serious about anyone in his entire life. I’m tired of playing the dating game and tryna put marriage on my menu. I can’t go all in only to find out he’s been using me as a plaything. Two—I’ve fucked his brother. Three—if whatever we’re doing implodes, it could possibly destroy our mothers’ friendship.”
Rolling her eyes, Cadence held up three fingers and replied, “Debunking in reverse order. If you and Everett breaking up didn’t mess up Auntie Im and Auntie Randi’s relationship, nothing else would. You didn’t fuck Everett. Y’all tried; he barely put the tip in before y'all gave up. Unless you're a dirty liar who has kept the secret of who really took her virginity from her bestie since the womb. Also…you said Everett didn’t have The Zing, so that attempt at sex doesn’t count…”
“That’s not how body counts work, sis,” I interrupted.
“Don’t interrupt your elder when she’s speaking.”
“Cade, you’re a day older.”
“And a day wiser, ho. Don’t you forget it. And finally , you know what Ellis’ intentions toward you are. I can tell you this ain’t no fly by night shit for him. And you know that. Which is why your ass is running scared,” Cadence said, picking up her glass, taking a long sip of water while she stared at me pointedly.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Devorah Nicole, dumb doesn’t look good on you, sis.”
“I hate when you do this though. You obviously know something I don’t.”
Because she wasn’t romantically interested in either of the Taylor brothers, Cadence had always had a different bond with both of them than I did. She and Ellis were especially close and if I’m being honest the shit drove me insane. Prior to dating, Everett had been one of my best friends. That changed slightly after he and Cass got together. It was a natural progression and we were still fairly close now, but Ellis and I had never really connected on more than a superficial level. Until now.
“What I know is you’re being foolish and need to stop playing.”
I toyed with the strawberry garnishing the rim of my mimosa as I contemplated Cadence’s words.
“So you’re saying I should go all in?”
“I’m saying at the very least you need to have an adult
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