Page 19 of Phase Two

“You don’t have to look out for me, shawty. I’m good.”

“Say no more. How was the wedding?” I raised my brows, and Alise laughed. “I swear I’m not trying to be funny. I love weddings. Just want to know if you enjoyed it.”

“It was nice. They had it outside. There was a violinist playing. It was cool.”

“Oh, I bet that was so pretty,” she sighed.

“Did you have a big wedding?”

“No. I didn’t want a big wedding, but I wanted something nice. He wanted to go to the Justice of Peace because he doesn’t have a lot of friends and family. I wanted some kind of ceremony, so I told him I’d pay for it. My budget was $3,500. So, it was nice enough but not big and extravagant.”

The frown on my face made her jaw slack.

“What?”

“You paid for the wedding? The whole wedding? He didn’t pitch in?”

“No, because I wanted it. He didn’t want to spend money on a ceremony. He was trying to save for a house, and I respected that.”

I stared at her for so long, Alise balled up a napkin and threw it me.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she giggled.

“I’m so sorry you married a fuck nigga. I don’t care what he did or didn’t want. Letting you pay for the entire wedding was egregious. I wish my daughter would marry a man that let her pay for the whole wedding. Simp ass.”

“We live and we learn,” she shrugged one shoulder. “Marriage is about compromise, so I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“You’ll get it right next time,” I winked at her.

“I’m not sure I’m getting married again. That’s one of those things like been there, done that, it was cool, but I don’t have to do it again.”

“If you keep fucking with me, and I want to marry you, you’re going to marry me, or I’m leaving you.”

“Okay Mr. Carter. You run a real strict program. I think I might stay on punishment.”

“I like punishing you, so that works for me.”

Alise blushed, and I chuckled. Yeah, shorty was it for me.

When I left my daughter’s house, I was dog tired. Cleaning out Alise’s car then playing handyman for six hours after getting less than four hours was sleep was crazy. I checked my phone once I got in the car, and I saw two missed calls from Sheree. She was pissed when I left Golden Waters. I figured she’d never speak to me again, but she clearly had something to say. I returned the call and waited for her to answer.

“I’ve been waiting all day thinking you were going to call me with an explanation that really made sense, but you haven’t said anything. You really up and left at midnight?”

“Sheree, what’s the issue? You invited me to the wedding, and I was there for the wedding. After the wedding we went to the reception. What the hell else were we going to be doing that I couldn’t come back home?”

“Spending time together. Maybe talking about us. You know that kind of thing.”

What is there to talk about?” I was genuinely confused. “You told me if I wasn’t ready for a relationship, you would explore other options, and I told you I understood. I can recall calling you once, and you didn’t answer. I still wanted us to be cool, but I assumed you weren’t feeling it, and I gave you your space. So again, what is there to talk about?”

“Hmm I don’t know maybe seeing if this time apart changed anything, or if I’m still only good enough to have sex with. We’re grown, Carter. I’m thirty-nine years old. I’m too old to only be dealing with a man that only wants sex.”

“That only wants sex?” Angrily, I chuckled. “You got me fucked up. I only want sex? Where did we eat for your birthday? That tab came up to $387. You wanted some bundles and a Louis V purse, and I got you that. We also went to New York to see Othello because that was what you wanted. Those tickets were $1,500. We stayed in a five-star hotel, and you didn’t have to pay for a thing all weekend. And your period was on, and we didn’t even fuck. So, who just wants sex? Don’t act like I only call you after midnight, come through smash and dip.”

“Yes, Carter, you treat me very well. Which is why I want more. Are we going to date forever? You that afraid to be with one woman?”

I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. On God, I didn’t. “Sheree, man, listen. You told me you wanted to explore other options.”

“And none of the men that I dated are who I want. I want you.”