Page 9 of Rebound

“I’ll call the extended family. Lord knows there are a lot of us,” Mom says. There are, but we can’t count on most of them. They will agree and not show up. “I’ll call around later. Layla, set the table, and let’s eat.”

“His profile said five-eleven, but I swear he was only five-six because of his shoes. Why do men lie?” I ask Jeannie, sighing loudly. It’s the end of the day, and I’m sitting in her office before we go home. “Then last week, one guy said he needs a woman who can take directions from a man. I asked him if the man in question was directing traffic.” Jeannie giggles. “He didn’t like that. I got my green tea iced lemonade and left. I’m done. I know I said I was done before, but I mean it this time.” I lean back in my chair. “If a man wants me, he'll have to come find me.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll meet him when you least expect it. Or who knows? Maybe you’ve already met him.”

I roll my eyes. Of course, she’d say that. That’s exactly how she met her husband. She met him at a wedding her mom forced her to attend. My mom doesn’t force me to attend anything because we spend all our time either taking care of Gaga or coordinating her care.

“Where would I have met him at? I don’t go anywhere to meet eligible men. I’ve given up on getting with one of the Mischiefs. They’re all dogs, and I’m not about the baller lifestyle anyway.”

“Not all,” she says. “But most,” she agrees. “And the ones who aren’t are taken.”

“I wish someone would take this dang virginity,” I admit. Jeannie is the only person who knows I’m still a virgin. I was toobusy playing sports and studying in high school to date some stupid boy. Besides, I saw how my mom struggled with me as a single parent, and I was too scared of being a teen mom to have sex.

Now, I’m twenty-two and haven’t met someone yet. “You know if I wait any longer, a man won’t want to touch me. They’ll think I’m some freak. One guy last year accused me of being a closet lesbian. I wish I was a lesbian. I’d much rather deal with a woman than a man.”

“Bite your tongue. To each their own, but a man has so much more to offer if you know what I mean.” She wiggles her brows at me. I reach over and put my hand on her belly.

“I guess that’s why Coach put two babies in you at once.” We both cackle.

After talking for a few more minutes, her husband walks into the office. To my shock, Wakowski is with him and has the baby strapped to his chest like always. I look away. He’s such a jerk, but even I must admit he’s good with his baby. He’s always posting videos of the two of them on social media. The cutest is a video of her on a pink baby weight bench. He’s standing over her and encouraging her as she lifts. He seems to take her everywhere with him, even though he ended up as a single dad after he got a random fangirl pregnant.

Jasmine is a beautiful baby. It’s obvious her mother is black with her light brown skin and curly hair. Jasmine yells and points when she sees me. Wakowski takes her out of the baby carrier and hands her to me. I put her on my lap, and she bounces and grins happily.

With so many younger cousins, I’ve always been comfortable with babies. Not only that, but I like them a lot. You never have to guess with a baby. You know right away whether or not they like you, and this one must really like me. She looks into myeyes and gurgles. Then she grabs a piece of my hair and pulls. I bounce her, and when she giggles, I do too.

“How are you so cute?” I give her father the side-eye.

He grins at me, and I look away. The truth is, she does resemble him. She has his long slender nose and his smile. The few times I’ve seen her, she’s always so happy despite how terribly he dresses her. It’s almost as if he’s color-blind. I look down at her and shake my head. She’s in purple leggings and a black tutu. He always puts her in a tutu. Her shirt is red and has a Disney Princess on the front. He tried to give her pigtails, but they are crooked and lopsided. He completed her outfit with green high tops.

“Are you color blind?” I ask him. “Why is she wearing all these colors?”

“I warned you about this,” Jeannie says to him. “We’re coming over this week, and I’m going to put outfits together for you again. I’ll hang them in the closet this time.” He seems unbothered by her rebuke. I move Jasmine closer and inhale her. She smells like baby powder and clean laundry.

“You guys want to go get some dinner?” Seth asks. I know he’s not talking to me. We don’t like each other, and I don’t want to spend time with him, but I’ll happily hold this baby while I can. I tighten my arms around her and feel her against me.

“Can’t,” Jeannie says. “We’re meeting Aid’s sister and her husband for dinner. His parents will probably join us too.” Seth’s face drops a little, and I wonder if he’s lonely. Not that I care, but I’ve never seen him with any friends outside of Jeannie and her husband or Colt and Vickie Chastain.

“Well, we can come,” he insists.

“No kids. They specifically said they were leaving their kids at home for some adult time,” Aiden says.

Wakowski’s shoulders sag.

“Why don’t you go see if Chastain and Vickie are available,” Aiden suggests.

“They’re not home,” he says. He looks down like a kid who’s been told that their friend can’t come out to play. “Maybe I really do need a wife,” he jokes.

At least I think it’s a joke, but when I look at him, he’s not grinning like he usually does. He looks away as if he’s deep in thought.

“Women have enough problems without one of us taking you on as a husband. You do you know you have to keep your pants zipped if you’re married, right?” I ask, horrified at the idea of him marrying a poor unsuspecting woman.

“You’re awfully concerned about what goes on in my pants.” He grins. “I wonder why that is?” He puts his hands on his hips and gyrates.

“In your dreams. Nobody likes community di—” I stop when Aiden clears his throat and gestures at Jasmine.

“Not in front of my goddaughter,” he admonishes.

“Are you under the impression that you’re a woman? I bet you look like Barbie down there.” He gestures at my crotch, and I gasp in disgust. “Don’t worry. You’re safe from me. I don’t’ like plastic.”

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