Sweet Thang [COMPLETE]

Can U Get Away?

Suzette
Monday Morning

"Hello?" I answered my ringing cell phone groggily and Sammy chuckled in my ear. "Good morning Sweetness. I'm surprised you wasn't up already." I sat up holding my head. "I had a rough night."

"Oh yeah? Anything you wanna tell me?" I shook my head like he could see me. "Naw, not really. It was just a migraine. It's still here actually."

"Sue you know I hate to know you hurtin' like that. Why don't you come over? I can give you somethin' to take your mind off that pain." I almost laughed as I shook my head. "Really Sammy? I told you... I don't mess with them pills like that no more." "Who said I was talkin' 'bout a pill?" "No you didn't," I responded in shock even though I knew I probably shouldn't have been. Last week Sammy realigned my spine like he was a damn back doctor in my dreams. After that sweet kiss he laid on me the pain in my head knocked me out like a light and I dreamt that we went rounds, rounds, rounds.

He laughed. "Well just come on over. I got somethin' I wanna give you anyway. I'll see you soon?" I took a second to decide if I really wanted to spend more time alone with Sammy.

Even though our friendship had been strictly platonic on my end for the last twenty five years, Sammy's flirting never stopped. And that always left me hesitant to hang out with him because I didn't feel like getting sucked back in. Even though my husband could be a real jackass... I gave that man my heart and for a good while I was so deeply in love with the man I married— with him and all his bullshit. So I didn't want it all to go to waste over a blast to the past. Sammy wasn't making up his feelings for me. We did have something real at one point. But I wanted to be an honest wife. Even with all of my effort, my honesty never seemed to be enough to soothe my husband's insecurities.

All these years I'd been avoiding simple thoughts about what was because I didn't want what we had to get in the way of the future I thought I could have.
But when I caught wind of Sammy's divorce by way of my nosey sister Erykah eight years ago, my mind definitely went there... right back to us. My imagination took me back to a time where you couldn't see me without him and vice versa. Like the times we skated at Cascade until we was practically kicked out by the closing crew or when he'd pop up at one of our family functions like he belonged there just to see me when we were still in high school. Hearing that Sammy was newly single took me back to the night he turned me out in a way that Cortez never had and unfortunately for me, he never would. Just the memories of how Sammy once made me feel felt so dangerous that I worked harder to push them away than I did ones that honestly could never compare. But I won't lie... knowing that Sammy never got serious with anyone else after his last wife left me wondering if he was waiting for me every now and again. Even though the thought would cross my mind from time to time I knew that fantasy was probably far from becoming my reality.

Besides, I got Cortez and these kids to take care of. Ain't no way. "SuSuuuu," Sammy sang, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Fine. But no funny stuff man," I insisted and he chuckled. "Ight. I can't wait to see you Sweetness," he teased before hanging up. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling before getting up and stretching. I left my bedroom to hear the TV playing from the den and I entered to see Shayne asleep on the couch and Zaya playing with her favorite Barbie on the floor. "Good mornin' Lil Nugget." Zaya smiled and jumped up to hug me. "Good morning Nana."

"Did your Mama feed you?" I asked, causing her to nod. "Uh huh. Yogurt and a 'nana."

"Ight, well when she wakes up tell her I went to auntie Erykah's. Okay?" She nodded and I kissed her forehead before getting my medicine out of the kitchen. I went upstairs to see our bedroom empty but Cortez hadn't made the bed. I just shook my head and made it before cleaning up behind him— throwing his night clothes into the hamper and pouring out the half full glass of water in our bathroom sink before brushing my teeth, showering, and straightening out my long behind hair.