Tears on a Sunday Afternoon - Michael Presley [60]
“I agree,” she said with a sexy smile that made you want to holler out her name.
“I don’t know what happened with Julie. We were doing so well. Now she doesn’t even want me to touch her. Do you think she’s seeing someone else? I know she isn’t like that but something’s going on with her.” Brian looked to me for answers.
I drank some more of my Hurricane. “I don’t know what’s going on with Julie. I know she’s preoccupied with the planning of the robbery, but that’s about it.”
“But, Donald, that shit ain’t right. You can’t go from being all over me to not even wanting to be near me.” He seemed extremely frustrated. “You’ve got to talk to her for me. You guys go way back. She’ll tell you what’s going on.”
I was the last one to talk to Julie. Even though I felt sorry for Brian, I was glad that Julie wasn’t sleeping with him anymore. “Do you think Julie will open up to me, knowing that you and I are friends?”
The waitress put Brian’s drink in front of him and he took a long gulp. “Yeah, you’re right. She won’t tell you anything. She knows you’re my boy and you would tell me about it.”
“What you need is a woman to get your mind off of Julie; a little thing on the side. Don’t let a woman stress you. Did you see the waitress?” I asked.
Brian looked at me like I had cursed his mother. “Donald, I don’t want anyone else. I want Julie. I’ve had my share of waitresses. A phat ass don’t mean shit to me. There comes a time when a woman flips you over. Julie’s done just that to me and I’m not giving up that easily.”
“Take my advice, Brian, don’t fight for a woman’s feelings. It’ll only fuck you up,” I said.
“That’s easy for you to say. You’ve never loved a woman in your entire life,” he stated angrily. “I can’t live like you, Donald. I need more.”
“You obviously didn’t learn from the past. They say whoever doesn’t learn from the past will be punished by the future. In less than a week, you’ll have some serious cash that you can use to see your daughter. I suggest you think about that instead of the emotions of a woman.”
I looked at the time. Brenda should have been there at any moment. Even though it was her father’s restaurant, I told her I would pay for dinner. I asked her what her parents thought about her dating older men. She said they were cool with it, because it was better than her bringing a thug home.
Brian put the glass to his mouth and swallowed the rest of his drink. “Donald, I’m sorry if I was a bit harsh, but Julie is fucking with my head. I don’t know what to think. Do me a favor and keep your ears open for me. I want to know if there’s someone else in the picture. Here’s your young thing.” He stood. “She is fine.”
I reached out to shake his hand and sat down, my back to an approaching Brenda. She had called me a few times before. I returned her call and agreed to meet with her. When she walked over to the table, I stood to acknowledge her presence.
“You’re looking good,” I said. She had on form-fitting jeans and a white shirt. Her shiny black hair was combed out so that it dropped down close to her shoulders. She had on some unnecessary makeup because you could tell her skin was spotless below.
She sat down. “Not enough for you to return my phone calls.”
I deserved that so I didn’t reply along the same line. “What have you been up to?”
“Staying away from the South Street Seaport.” She looked me directly in the eyes. “Because good memories are hard to forget.”
“Okay, I admit I deserve that, but can we get past it?” I asked.
“If you promise to go with me to Puerto Rico next week, we can.” She again looked to me for answers.
“How much time do I have to decide?”
“Not much. I have my ticket. I could buy yours tonight,” she said.
The waitress returned with her pad in hand. She looked surprised when she saw Brenda. “Good evening, Miss Jackson, can I help you with something this evening?”
“Donald, are you ready to order?” Brenda asked.
I looked through the menu and ordered the house salmon special. Brenda ordered the steamed lobster. The waitress took our menus and left.
“How often do you