Whirlwind

11

[Lamarr]

"Fam, she really got you out here taking premarital counseling?"

I shuddered just at the sound of that shit. I found Melanie's strategies for a secure and long lasting marriage quite odd but didn't dare argue against it. I just rolled with the punches when she listed all the reasons we needed to follow through with her 'suggestion' because happy wife, happy life, right? 

Mike was propped up against my brand new kitchen cabinets, eating my brand new box of Apple Jacks and on top of that, cracking mad jokes on me for even agreeing to go through with this. I ain't really have choice though, she had already scheduled the meetings and in almost two hours, we were set to meet with some black Dr. Ruth. I bet money Mel's friends put a battery in her back and told her this bull would be beneficial and as we all know, no man wins against a woman's girlfriends.

"Yeah man, like who the fuck besides white people do shit like this?"

"Well, in that case that's why she did it. Nigga, you're half white." he teased before swallowing another handful of cereal.

"You got jokes, I see. But at the end of the day I'm a black man with once glance so forget that, and really, I'm just not sure about this, dawg. Besides we been together, for what? Almost 11 years now, we know enough about each other to know what marriage between us will be like."

"Alright but remember Lamarr, you haven't always been a saint. I'm sure just like most women, Melanie wants to make sure the man she's marrying, regardless of how many years, is really ready for this. Marriage is a huge step, man. Just a few months ago your ass was creeping with that one chick we went to college with. Weren't her and Mel friends?"

He really just tried to play me.

"Aight, first off I wasn't creeping with her. She wanted to catch up and I thought it was a good idea since we were all friends back then, which includes you too." I reminded him.

"But what man in his right mind, that's engaged might I add, does that?"

"We didn't do anything though. It was fun conversation I entertained until I got bored."

"See, that's a problem. Have your therapist attack that shit head on." I sucked my teeth and continued to scroll through a long list of emails collecting dust in my inbox. "Oh and let's not forget you're meeting up with a woman you were falling in love with later today."

"Leslie texted you back?" Mike's remark instantly grabbed my attention, causing me to look up from my screen and see him nodding with a smirk plastered across his face.

"She did and she told me Riley is willing to talk but it has to be at a restaurant or bar of some sort. I'm assuming so she can be distracted enough not to curse you out."

"Aight but tell me Mike, why are you doing this for me?" He finally closed the box of cereal sitting in his lap and put it aside. I bet that shit was half empty the way he was gobbling it down.

"Because, I believe you're not completely satisfied with your life and how it's been for some years now. I think if you spoke with Riley and got some closure or just an honest conversation out and in the open, maybe that'll be enough to get your mind right and spark that old Cole. You know, the guy who everyone liked to be around."

I thought it was interesting one of my friends was supportive of this while the other was damn near crucifying me for it. Ib would be sick if he knew Mike and I were spending time on the side to, in some sense, amend a broken relationship. One that he swore was toxic simply because after it ended I wasn't myself anymore and that altered everything else around me for the worse. My drinking increased, my attitude was nasty and my outlook on music and my life choices were poor. Shit, I just didn't give a fuck anymore. I didn't feel I had a reason to.

Unlike Mike, when all this shit happened, Ib quickly took sides and chose Melanie's which only left him to put all the blame on Riley, never once looking at it as my fault. I allowed myself to get close to someone else. I opened up to her and left room in my heart to care for her essentially more than I did for the person I was in a relationship. Ib and I never discussed what his real problem with Riley was but him having more favor towards Melanie seemed to be the only plausible one. Truth or not, I just wish the nigga was a little more open minded but then again these were my relationships, so it didn't concern his opinions anyway.

"Well, I guess that's a good enough explanation."

"It is," he stated while hopping down from the counter. "In another life I might even say my real reason is to get you two to work this shit out and you to call off this wedding. I mean, I love Melanie and all, she's like a sister but it don't take a rocket scientist to see that your heart was bound to be with Riley since the day you met her and it's been with her ever since she left. That's just my opinion and again, something I would've said in another life. But you know in this life, I'm not that type of person."

I stood up straight from the counter, forbidding myself from laughing as he started his way toward the door. Sometimes I admired Mike's bluntness but at this moment, right before a counseling session to prepare me for marriage, I didn't really appreciate it.

"I'll see you tonight. I'm driving to the place they choose and you my friend should wear something not too flashy, meaning avoid the Jesus piece. That might give her flashbacks of last week." We both chuckled as he opened the door and dapped me up before leaving.