Page 32 of 7 Miles High
I give her a pointed look that requires no further explanation.
“Okay, okay! I promise not to call you that in front of her. Does she know about us, our history?”
“She knows we dated.”
“Dated. Yep, we did that. Then there’s the whole engagement thing.”
My unblinking eyes find hers.
“It wasn’t an engagement and you know it.”
“Well we were talking about marriage. Don’t deny it.”
“Shit, Nia. Don’t start anything. We didn’t work out. That’s it.”
Her face is hard to read. I know that look though. She’s about to say something provocative or funny.
“You broke my mother’s heart, you know.”
“I’m sure she bonded with your next boyfriend.”
“Eventually. But in her mind you were a hard act to follow. She was actually mad at me.”
She is not exaggerating. Her mom loved me and I still miss the white enchiladas she used to make. They were always the best, unless she had too much to drink. Then I’d never know what the enchiladas would taste like. One time they smelled of whiskey.
Those days were becoming more frequent by the time Nia and I broke up. So was Nia’s drinking. Like mother like daughter. I’d heard she was busted on someone’s set for drinking before a big stunt, I always hoped it was just gossip.
“Let her know I said hi,” I say.
“I will. Maybe she’ll finally believe the whole breakup was your fault, not mine.”
Nia was always a stoic person. Not one to be prone to hysterics or meltdowns. There was a time I thought she wasn’t even capable of deep feelings. But I came to realize she had just seen too many dramatic moments coming from her mother.
I don’t think I ever saw her cry in the entire time we were together. But she has a big mouth sometimes, and rarely holds back what she wants to say. What started out as a positive trait in my eyes morphed into a negative. My own idiosyncrasies landed squarely in the negative column for her. It was a lose/lose/win/win in the end.
When our relationship died she fought for it to be revived. But when it’s over, it’s over. She tried to convince me otherwise, but eventually saw the light. I guess that spirit is what drew me in the first place. It just wasn’t enough to keep me.
Luckily, we hardly ever see each other. The occasional film. A daily on a TV series. That’s it.
As we reach the table, Nia leaves her cap on the seat between Ty and Kinnie, and heads for the buffet. I motion for the girls to join me so we can do the same.
“Hungry?” I say to Natalie.
“I’m starved. I can’t believe the choices,” Jenna says, taking her place behind Nia.
“What about you, baby?”
Natalie smiles sweetly. “I could eat.”
There’s no anger or questioning expression, but I can read her face like a book. This is a look every man has come to know. It’s the ‘I’m pretending everything’s alright, but we will talk about this later’ face. So I address it head on.
Leaning in, I explain myself. “I know what you’re thinking. And yes, Nia and I dated. I would have told you earlier if I’d have known she was going to be working today. I had no idea,” I whisper.
The truth seems to satisfy her. In my experience with women even the truth is sometimes suspect. But none of them were Natalie. She doesn’t even look at Nia. Okay. Crisis averted.
Maybe I spoke too soon because Nia turns and faces Natalie.
“Hi. We didn’t get a chance to chat.”
