INSIDE THEIR MINDS

Life With Her

DEREK

Did Alex know who she was planning an engagement party for? Had she ever even met Erica? Well now obviously she has but does she know that that Erica is the Erica?

I couldn't help myself but to take one of the invitations that sat in a loose bundle on the box inside the trunk of her car. I brought her clothes quickly back to her and let her dress. I then insisted I needed to head to work, which was partially true, and here I am now, staring at the invitation sitting atop a small brown side table propped up just enough so I can see it while having my first appointment for the day.

I read it over and over trying to let it's true message sink in.

You are cordially invited to the engagement party of Benjamin Turner III And Erica Winston. Please arrive promptly at 5pm on Saturday the 23rd. Formal dress attair required.

The words swirled and curled over the obviously expensive invitation somehow lightening my frustrations.

Then a million questions bombarded my mind at once: how long as she known him, was she cheating on me with him, how much money does he have, why is everything moving so fast. The question that I deamed most important though was one that I desperately wished that I could have the answer to sooner rather than later. It rang loudly inside my mind blocking out the dozens of more dumb questions about Erica, WHY DO I CARE?

Why do I care who Erica is with, or who or when she marrys them? Why do I think about her and let her cloud my mind sometimes even with Alex sitting beside me.

"Um can you go a little deeper?" The younger muscular gentleman, one of my regulars name Tarek, asks through the headrest.

"Sure, no problem." I say while pressing into his shoulders a little more.

"No offense but you seem a little... off today." He says as I feel his muscles beneath me tense up, again.

"Just woman drama." I say now trying to put real effort into the massage.

"I get ya, well I know it's usually me talking your ear off but if you want to, I mean, you can talk ya know bro to bro"

"I mean I don't..."

"How many guy friends you got?" He asks me finally letting his muscles relax.

I rattled my brain for an answers and I came up short.

"Does a brother in law count?" I ask now moving to his middle back.

"No" he answers with half a laugh.

"Boss?"

"Dude no wonder you have drama you're around a bunch of women 24/7. You need some serious bro time. How about you meet me over at THE BLUE later tonight say around 7 I got some people you should meet everything about Erica and Phil about "almost" being a father then about Alex and my feelings toward her. Everything was pouring out of me I guess I've kept things pent up for long it became harder and harder to deal with or talk about.

"Dude you do know what your doing right?" He asks

"Im rubbing your arms?"

"No, dude, with your women."

"There aren't my women."

"Dude, you probably banged them right where I am laying, I just hope you changed the sheets."

I actually stopped massaging him, his words catching me off guard.

"Kidding." he said turning his slightly towards me.

"You don't miss Erica, who sounds like a bitch to be honest, you just miss the life that you thought you were going to live." He says his face now back in the face craddle.

"That makes sense." I say as I rub his neck the way I know helps him with his pain.

"Mmmm, You just need to put that life behind you and from what you have told me Alex seems like a wonderful girl, is she who you want?" Can you see a life with her?