Page 107 of Don Caselli

“Auntie said you did. Said you were quiet for like ten minutes.” She cackled again.

“Not too much.”

“Reasons I’m celibate and enjoying it. I’m not opening these legs until I’m married. Even then, that man has to prove that he’s worth me even giving him my hand in marriage.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get enough dick for the both of us.”

We both started laughing, as she tossed the hand towel at me. “No for real… you need to stay off one another. Me and Beans were playing cards by the pool and y’all were going crazy.”

I shrugged. “Making up for lost time. Antwan was away at college, and even when he did come back home, we never had sex like that. Even when we did… it was never like this.Never, Greene.”

“I get it, bitch… damn. You and Don are both freaked out… got it.”

I tossed my blending sponge at her, as she came and sat on the second sink. “Just because you’re torturing Beans don’t be like that.”

“He is used to having any woman he wants with a snap of the finger. I can tell he had to go into his room and have a moment. I came out in my bathing suit, and he almost swallowed his tongue.”

I laughed. “And your body is sick, so I know he was struggling. Was it the pink one?”

“Yep… cheeks were out, and I took a few thirst traps, too.”

“Would you ever get serious with him?”

Greene shrugged. “I’m taking whoever takes me seriously – serious. I don’t have time for games with a man that wants to play games and pretend. Can’t be giving myself to these men that don’t want what I want.”

“Which is?”

“Marriage and eventually children. I want that life with the picket fence and a backyard big enough for our family to come over and hang out. My job affords me enough money to be comfortable. The Casellis’ make sure of that, but when I’m donefor the day, I want to pull into a driveway and know my husband is waiting for me, or at least on his way to our home.”

I rubbed her arm. “You will have that, Greene. Nana always said to talk about what we want out loud… talk like it’s already done.”

“I look at Menace and Stevie, and I can’t help but smile. Outside to the world, even to me, he’s this presence, andthathe is, but when he’s with his wife… his new baby… it warms my heart and makes me want the same. If he could have that, then it should be a piece of cake for a normal person.”

“Not you saying that man isn’t normal.”

“Girl, he’s not normal and he’s fine with it, too.” She chuckled. “I guess I should listen to Nana more.”

“Woman is smart, and not because she’s our grandmother.”

I started talking about the things I wanted out loud a year ago. While watering my plants, playing Sims, or just reading a book and relaxing or yearning for something I read. I spoke about wanting a relationship where I felt seen. Where the person saw who I was, not who I used to be. I spoke about wanting to feel taken care of in my next relationship, and not financially. It was easy for a man to spend money on you, but did he know when your nervous system was out of whack? Could he take one look at you and know something wasn’t right with you?

Those were the things I asked God for, knowing that my current relationship would be ending. Did I expect for Antwan to literally break up with me?

No.

I guess God knew I would continue to drag it out, and he decided to have him do it. “Yeah. I’m just having a good time right now. Benard is a good time, and I can tell that if things even became serious, he wouldn’t fuck around with me.”

“Benard?” I cracked up laughing.

“Not too much on my Beanie Weanie.”

“Girl, stop calling him that.”

We both had tears in our eyes as we laughed about her nickname for that grown ass man, that I’m sure killed people for a living. “Whatever. Are you gonna tell Antwan, since you know…”

“Absolutely not. He will make everything about him and try to force me to keep the baby. I didn’t plan on telling either of them.”

“What made you change your mind?”

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