Talk a Good Game Read Online Free PDF Page B

weekend.”
    “ Uh-huh. Why is it you have to go
outta town to spend time together?” She actually sounded
upset.
    I didn’t know what to
say.
    “ Don’t you get tired of being the
other woman?”
    I looked outside my office door to
see if anyone was close enough to overhear before I said, “He left
his wife.”
    She had the audacity to raise her
voice. “He ’s left her before and for how
long?” She blew out a breath. “Ree, life is too short.
It ’s about to be summertime. Have some fun. Live a
little. We ’ re barely in our thirties so
we’ve got plenty of time for husbands and those got-damn two and a
half kids you wanted so badly.”
    She didn’t understand. I was sick
of dating and being in dead-end relationships. I wanted something
with substance. I was sick of wasting time. And I was crazy about
Rock.
    “ I just care
about you, that ’s all.” She almost sounded
sincere. Don’t get me wrong. There has never been a time when
Janelle hasn’t had my back. She was just so self-absorbed that you
didn’t see it as often as with regular people.
    “ You heard from Gloria?” I asked
changing the subject.
    There was a brief pause and I know
she was sitting there rolling her eyes. Too bad. I was tired of
talking about me. “Yeah girl. She and Pierre are back from the
honeymoon. You know he took her to Cabo San Lucas, right? I hate
that bitch,” she added with a hint of jealousy.
    “ No you
don’t.” I
laughed. “You just hate to see anyone have
what you want.”
    “ That ’s true.” She giggled. “But
it ’s now my time to shine. You’ll
see.”
     
     
    * * *
    I left National Guard headquarters
and headed out and across the parking lot for a dental appointment,
feeling good. I hadn’t spoken to Rock all day, however, we were all
set to head to St. Louis tomorrow evening for the weekend and I
couldn’t wait.
    It was still hard to believe he was finally
mine.
    After the night of the wedding, Rock had moved into
a hotel. He worked as a recruiter for the School of Engineering and
traveled a lot during the week and sometimes over the weekends, but
at least I had him at home in my bed several nights this last week.
There was nothing like a man who could stimulate your mind and your
body. And that man was Rock.
    By the time I had gotten done with
my six-month dental cleaning, I decided to drop by
Rock ’s office and surprise him. I
climbed off the highway at the Stadium exit and made my way across
the University of Missouri campus to the School of
Engineering.
    My mom called as I was turning into the garage.
    “ Hi Mom,” I said as I pulled up
the ramp.
    “ Hello Nyree, I was calling to see
if you were coming to dinner this Sunday.”
    “ No Mom .”
I ’m sure
I’ll never hear the end of it.
“I ’ m going to St. Louis for the
weekend. Why?”
    “ Because I have someone I want you
to meet.”
    I groaned. There was no way I was
going through that matchmaking BS again. “Mom, no.”
    “ Ree,
it ’s just a friend ’s son. ”
    “ Definitely not.” I pulled into
the garage and cussed under my breath.
    “ How do you
expect to meet anyone if you ’ re not even trying?
He ’s really a nice guy.”
    Her nice guy meant he was boring
as hell. “Mom, I ’ m seeing someone.”
    “ You are? ” There was no
mistaking the excitement in her voice.
    “ Yes. I’ve been
seeing someone for quite a while. He ’s amazing. ”
    “ Really?” Mabeline Dawson didn’t
sound like she believed me. “When are you bringing him home for
your father and I to meet him?”
    I blew out another long breath as
I pulled into a parking spot. “I’ll bring him to dinner on
Sunday.” We
weren’t planning on being back until late
Sunday evening, but I was sure if I told Rock how important it was,
he would agree to dinner.
    “ Excellent. I’ll see you
then.”
    I hit End and climbed out the car
and made it almost down to the end of the hall, before I heard
someone say, “Thank you for your service.”
    I