“No. I haven’t seen her in two months. I’ve been with you every day for the last month and a half.”
“Yeah, but you still could be seeing her. You go home every night.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“So, are you still sleeping with her?”
“I told you, Me’shelle. No, I’m not seeing her, sleeping with her; I ain’t doin’ nothing with her. If I wanted to see her, I would. And I wouldn’t be spending all my time with you. All I want to do is be with you, Me’shelle,” Travis said as he reached for her hand.
The waiter returned and they paused the discussion long enough to order. “I’ll have the Seafood Castellane pasta, but hold the roasted tomatoes,” Travis said. Me’shelle ordered the grilled Red Snapper with roasted sweet potato cakes.
By the time their food arrived, they were still at it. “Well, tell me this then: When did she slap you?”
“The day I told her that it was over,” Travis answered.
“Come on, now. You said you haven’t seen her in two months. You’re gonna sit there and tell me that it took her all that time to finally show up to talk about it?”
“I guess so. She’s been callin’ every day, but I don’t answer the phone when she calls, and I don’t call her back.”
“Wait a minute. I’m at your house practically every day. Has she called while I was there?”
“Yes, but I turned the ringer off.” Travis smiled. “So we wouldn’t be disturbed.”
“How many other women call you?”
“None. I’m only interested in being with you, Me’shelle. Please believe that.” Travis paused. “But it hasn’t been easy.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I want to make love to you, Me’shelle.”
“I want you, too, but I told you I didn’t want to rush into that with you.” Me’shelle took a deep breath.
Travis loved it when she did that. The sound she made, the way her breasts would rise each time, excited him. “I love it when you do that.”
“Do what?”
“When you breathe like that. It does something to me every time.” Travis smiled.
Me’shelle took another deep breath. “Stop it, Travis.” She paused. “I won’t make you wait too much longer. I promise. But this feels so right between us, and I just want to be sure.”
“I can understand that. ’Cause it feels right to me too.”
Me’shelle smiled at Travis.
“What?”
“Our first fight.”
“I think we came through it all right. Neither of us got up and left the other one sitting here. But I’ll tell you one thing.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“There’s a whole other side to you. I got to start checkin’ you out a little bit closer.”
Me’shelle smiled. “What are you talkin’ about, Travis?” she asked, but she knew what was coming.
“Well, come on wit’ it then. No, let the bitch go.”
“Okay, so I went ghetto style on her. I can go for mine when I have to. Don’t let these manicured nails and this nice dress fool you. I’m still a Bronx girl from around the way.”
The following week, Travis and Me’shelle planned to go to Cabana Carioca, a Brazilian restaurant on West 45th Street. They were on their way out the door when his phone rang.
“Hello,” Travis answered.
“Travis, this Ron, man. Look, I need a big favor.”
“What’s that?”
“I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m at the train station at Two-fifth Street. I get off the train and all my windows is busted out and all my tires are slashed.”
“Oh, shit! Which woman did you piss off?”
“I’m pretty sure it was this bitch named Pauleen. I know she’s the one who did it, ’cause we was on the phone arguing before the train pulled up here.”
“Do I know this woman?”
“You know Pauleen, Travis. I know you know her. Don’t you remember? You introduced me to her one night at some club we were at.”
“You ain’t talkin’ about Freeze’s girl Pauleen.”
“That’s her.”
“You’re fuckin’ Freeze’s girl? Have you lost your fuckin’ mind, Ronnie? How long has this been goin’ on?”
“About a year,” Ronnie replied.
“You’re kiddin’. Does Freeze know about it? What the fuck am I sayin’? Freeze knows everything,” Travis said, realizing that was probably why Freeze didn’t like Ronnie. It also explained his constant threats to kill him.
“No, no, Travis, that ain’t what I need. Don’t your boy Freeze have his hooks into a body shop?”
“Yeah.”
“And I know they got to have a tow truck. So, call your boy get me the hook-up,” Ronnie said.
“You’re fucking his girl and now you want him to hook you up on the repairs?”
“Yeah. When you really sit and think about it, it’s only fair. It’s his girl that caused the damage. She’s on his card; he should cover the whole bill. But I know that ain’t happenin’, so the hook-up will satisfy me.”
“You’re crazy, but I’ll get it done for you,” Travis said.
“Thanks, Travis. You da man,” Ronnie said and hung up.
Travis called Freeze and got the hook-up on the repairs for Ronnie. He did, however, leave out the part about him being responsible for the damage because it was Pauleen who did it. Travis called Ronnie back and told him to ask for David. “And tell him Freeze told you to call.”
Afterwards, while he went on his dinner date with Me’shelle. She asked questions about what she had just heard.
“Why you want to know so much?” Travis asked.
“’Cause there’s a whole other side to you, Travis. I gotta start askin’ some questions.”
Me’shelle had questions for Travis the whole night. Travis was all right with it because they were all questions he could answer honestly, without giving up more information than he was willing.
While they munched on Clams Bulhao Pato appetizers, Me’shelle asked about Freeze.
“Freeze is a guy I went to junior high school with. He’s a very dangerous man, but I do things for him and he looks out for me when I need things,” Travis answered.
After the appetizers, Me’shelle ordered the Mariscada, a seafood combination in red sauce. Travis had the broiled filet of salmon. Over dinner, Me’shelle wanted to know who his friends were. “Are all of your friend like- what’s his name? Ronnie?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean do they all mess around with your other dangerous friends’ women, who bust out windows and slash tires?”
“No. My only other close friend is Jackie. She’s nothing like Ronnie.”
“She?”
“Yeah, Jackie is a woman.”
“Should I be jealous of your friendship with her?”
“No, you have no worries there. For one, me, her, and Ronnie grew up together, and two, Jackie gets more pussy than I do. Excuse my French.”
“She’s gay?”
“She doesn’t like to be labeled, but yes, she is at best bisexual.”
“You and her ever do it?”
