Phoenix Mating

August

Courtney

"Courtney speaking," I said, picking up my phone.

"You want to explain to me why I have money sitting on my desk with a note saying call me?" Marcus asked. I chuckled under my breath. Earlier today when I got off work I washed the clothes and returned them so I could give Marcus his money back.

"Well because we were moving too quick, I decided to give you the money back for the outfit, I can't really refund you for everything else, but I figure that was a good compromise."

"Courtney are you upset that I stopped kissing you that much?" Marcus asked.

"I'm not upset, I just..." I started. How do I explain that I wanted it to work with him, how do I trust to put myself out there to this man who I don't know. "I'm just trying to do this right okay?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means just that, I don't want to mess things up," I explained plopping down on my couch.

"How exactly would you do that?"

"I... could we talk about something else," I said. I noticed familiar trends opening up too early.

"Are you doing anything this Saturday?" he asked, letting it go. Thank God.

"I am not, I'm off from the bar this weekend."

"Would you like to go out with me to dinner, me and my friends are going to meet up and I don't want to be the fifth wheel," He said with a laugh.

"I mean sure, but I'm going to be outnumbered."

"It's alright sweetheart, I got you covered."

"What's with all this sweetheart business?"

"I'd much prefer to call you baby, but sweetheart is what I will use for right now."

"Aren't you something. I... I'll let you go with sweetheart," I settled. If he called me baby I wouldn't know how to act. That's one of my favorite pet names.

"Okay so is 12 a good time for me to pick you up? It starts at 12:30."

"That's cool, I wouldn't be doing anything else anyway so it works perfectly fine for me."

"Great, I gotta go. I'm going to visit my grandmother but we'll talk on Saturday."

"Okay. Have fun with your grandmother," I said, hanging up to answer the Facetime call from my mother.

"Hello," I said after listening to rustling in the background for a good thirty seconds.

"Oh you answered," was her response once she put the phone to her face. It took everything out of me not to roll my eyes, I always answer when she calls me.

"Wassup?"

"What you doing?" my mother asked, distracted, doing God knows what on the other end.

"Waiting on my food."

"You ordered something to eat?"

"Yeah I ordered some crawfish and crab."

"How you gonna waste money on food when you have rent to pay?" I moved the phone away from my face to roll my eyes this time. I got up going into my kitchen to pour myself a drink of Vodka because clearly this conversation required a heavy dosage.

"Did you need something?"

"Yeah, when are you coming back to Jersey, you've been gone for a long time."

"I've been gone for three months, that's hardly a long time."

"Yeah but I miss you and who's going to take care of me when I'm sick?"