They were almost friends now, she and Big. Kind of—she thinks. They'd seen each other a couple more times with James and Maggie and had bumped into one another the other afternoon at Whole Foods. (In case you were wondering, yes, it is possible to make frozen foods sound dirty if you're walking around the store with Big.) And while he made it his mission to get under her skin by saying disgusting things, she found now that she was more amused by his overtly sexual innuendos than completely repulsed. Maggie and Russell were still not very subtle in their attempts to hint that she should hookup with Big. In fact, they were about as subtle as an atomic bomb, and her constant insisting that she wasn't interested merely fell on deaf ears.
Alisha didn't mind making new friends, but in all honesty, she was still smarting over her ex, Gregory, and the broken heart he'd left her with after she'd walked in on him screwing another girl in their bed. It wasn't that she missed Gregory, because she absolutely did not. She knew she was well rid of that asshole and his cheating, lying ways. But the humiliation she'd felt (still felt) had been a very bitter pill to swallow. She hated him for pulling the wool down so far over her eyes and making a fool of her. For making her doubt her best friends when they suspected something strange was going on with him. But above all else, she hated him for charming her and making her love him so much and giving up her heart so completely, because he'd tossed it carelessly back in her face broken, bloody and mangled. She wasn't sure that she'd ever be able to love anyone that freely again and for that she utterly despised him.
She moved on more every day, but that didn't mean she was a glutton for punishment. Big was undoubtedly sexy and charming, but in a very dangerous way. He was not the kind of guy that would be careful with your heart or even wanted anything to do with your heart in the first place. So it baffled her that her best friends would try and steer her in his direction. At this point in her life, she was content to focus on her career and surround herself with her two amazing best friends. (And maybekindasorta enjoy the almost friendship she was having with the fireman.)
That Wednesday, she spent her day off the way she normally did getting caught up on chores she tended to neglect throughout the rest of the week and enduring the necessary evil that was trainer Hilda. She'd also gone shopping (not just for bad moods) and had her hair trimmed. Tonight, she planned on vegging out on her sofa and catching up on her recorded shows, very much looking forward to a mini-marathon of The Vampire Diaries and the gorgeous Salvatore brothers. (The fact that she's partial to bad boy Damon means absolutely nothing)
She slid into an empty seat on the subway and tucked her shopping bags under her feet, pulling out the rest her newspaper to read on the ride home. Flipping to the style section, her heart momentarily stopped, and her mouth went dry as dust. There, in large black and white, was Gregory and his whore smiling out at her announcing their nuptials that took place last Saturday. Mother fucker!
Alisha kept it together on the subway and during the walk back to her apartment. Once she was inside, she dumped her purchases by the door and walked right back out again. If she stayed there, she'd end up doing something stupid—like feel sorry for herself or shed tears that didn't need to be shed again.
Big was having a pretty decent night. It was about to get a whole lot better now that the brown eyed brunette NYU student who'd approached him at Starbucks (his FDNY t-shirt never failed) was on her knees and reaching for his belt. Just as she was easing the zipper of his jeans down, his cell phone rang to life with Alisha's ringtone.
I love it when you call me big pop-pa
Throw your hands in the air, if youse a true player
I love it when you call me big pop-pa
To the honies gettin money playin niggaz like dummies
He dug into his pocket for his phone and Holli (yeah, with an i…she'd explained that shit thoroughly) looked at him like he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had. Regardless, he flipped open his phone and said, "Larrington—to what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Hi, Big. Are you busy?"
Big smirked at her question. Oh, if she only knew. "Nope. What's up?"
"We're sorta friends now. Aren't we?"
The hell? "'Course we are, Shorty. You drunk?"
"Not yet, though I think that is the plan. Want to come have a drink with me?"
Unexpected, sure, but definitely a welcome surprise. "Sure. Where are you?" She rattled off the name and address of the bar. "Be there in twenty."
"See you then."
He shut his phone and quickly stood, zipping his jeans and fastening his belt.
"What the fuck? You're leaving?" she screeched, scrambling to her feet.
"Sorry. Something better came along," he said, his tone unapologetic.
"Drinks with a guy named Shorty?" She grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and hurled it at him.
Big grabbed his coat off the floor and slipped it on, biting back a laugh. "Something like that." This time he did laugh and had the
