Free The Next Best Thing by Deidre Berry Page B

the hell?
    Weird little kids pick their noses, not grown-ass men!
    It was like letting all the air out of a balloon. The moment passed and I was back to my senses. I no longer needed, or wanted, to be touched by Colin. The trick at that juncture was how to graciously get his ass out of my condo without him putting his filthy hands on me.
    I tapped Colin on the shoulder and backed far away from him before he had the chance to touch me.
    â€œThere you are,” he said, wiping booger remnants on his pants. “It’s about time.”
    â€œSorry, but there’s been a change of plans, boo,” I said. “My period just started.”
    â€œThat’s alright,” he said, reaching out to embrace me. “Nothing wrong with a little cherry sauce every now and then.”
    Okay, double-ugh!
    Colin came towards me, and I avoided his touch at all costs. I was ducking and dodging, bobbing and weaving like I was in the ring with Holyfield.
    â€œColin, you really need to go,” I said, leading him into the kitchen where I dumped his serving platters and chafing dishes right into his arms.
    â€œMan,” he said, totally bummed out. “I didn’t expect the night to end like this.”
    â€œNeither did I,” I said, opening the door for him and shooing him out like an annoying fly.
    Meanwhile, Colin was trying to set up a second rendezvous where he could hopefully close the deal at that point.
    â€œDo you think we can get together some other time?” he asked with so much hope that I almost felt sorry for him.
    â€œI’ll call you,” I said, waving good-bye. “You be safe now, you hear?” I quickly closed the door in his face and breathed a sigh of relief.
    And to think of all the food I have eaten that he’s prepared. Yuck!
    Colin may be good at what he does, but I definitely have to find a new go-to caterer, ASAP.
    Â 
    Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy.
    â€”Sarah Ban Breathnach
    SATURDAY
    I stopped by Costco early this morning to stock up on Red Bull and energy bars. As I was leaving, I ran into Tammy Hopkins, someone I had to put up with during my years at Jack & Jill, which is a social club for young adults.
    Tammy and I lost contact years ago, so I wasn’t able to send her an invitation to the “wedding,” but evidently she had heard through the grapevine about what had taken place.
    â€œTori, it’s so good to see you out and about,” she said in that annoying, condescending way of hers. “If what happened to you had happened to me, it would be years before I’d show my face in public again.”
    Bitch. As if anybody asked you.
    If Tammy weren’t eight months pregnant, I would have dotted her eye for her real good. Mainly because I never could stand her ass. She was a snarky bitch then, and she clearly hasn’t changed one bit.
    â€œJason is just the best husband in the world, and I know for a fact that he would never cheat, or humiliate me like that,” Tammy said, all self-righteous and sanctimonious.
    I had heard through the same grapevine that Tammy was married to a white man, so I said sweetly, “No, Jason would never cheat on you, Tammy. White men would just as soon kill you as divorce you. I don’t know…if I had my choice, I’d rather be cheated on than smothered in my sleep, then dumped in the Missouri River!”
    While Tammy was looking like she was choking on a chicken bone, I continued pushing my shopping cart in the direction of my truck. You know? Don’t start none, won’t be none.
    But in all seriousness, it could just be the loneliness talking, but I miss Roland. I wish he would just call me, because there is a serious talk that we need to have in order to bring some type of closure to this whole situation.
    Then again, maybe it is a good thing that there’s been no communication between us, because the way I feel right now, if Roland