What did she say?
I’m up working on my proposal last night on the phone with Ruby getting some much needed advice about how to structure the phases of marketing that I hope to implement. The subject shifts to my apartment hunting and the fact that i really want to experience the city life. I rarely go out and that’s because my friends are all homegirls just like me. We stay at home and talk on the phone.
Sweet Suezette is constantly inviting me to go out but I never make it because by the time I drive home after work I don’t feel like driving back downtown, finding parking, not being able to drink because I’m driving and blah blah… But Suezette is the chick to know because she knows so many party promoters and all the hot spots, man. I definately need to go out with her. But it’s not gonna happen if I stay up here in Smyrna. Soo….I’ve been looking for a place in the downtown area.
That area is hella expensive ofcourse. The one bedrooms I have found are $900 and up. I looked around midtown and they are even more expensive $1400 for a 2 bedroom apartment. BuT Suezette lives downtown and her complex is cute and it’s in a prime location. The best thing about it is it’s CHEAP, only $700 for a one bedroom and $900 for a 2 bedroom. I especially love the architecture, the way the building is designed.
But alas, when I told Ruby that I was thinking about living there she immediately vetoed the idea because…well….Dell lives there too.
“But Ruby, why should I make a decision about where I am going to live based on him? Who knows? We could never talk again. There’s a 99.5% chance that he and I will never speak again according to my track record. I’m gonna miss out on a great place to live because of some guy who may or may not be interested in me?”
“Tee, it’s messy,” she said. “It’s not a good idea to live so close to someone you like. You can find something else.”
I begin to get frustrated. I hate apartment hunting. I have one more month before I am homeless and I can’t find anything (really nice) in the downtown area for less than $800. I can’t believe that this man who barely calls me is even being considered in this decision.
“Ruby, listen. I already decided that I am not going to talk to him anymore. I deleted his number from my phone and my call log and I’m through.”
“Why?”
“Cuz.” I pause, afraid to admit the truth. “Cuz, I’m scared. I don’t think he likes me and I don’t want to go through that rejection shit again Ruby. I don’t want to start liking him a lot and then he tells me I’m not good enough.”
“I love you friend,” she says softly. “It’s okay. I can tell you already like him a lot and it’s okay because he likes you too.”
“DON’T SAY THAT! Don’t amp me up into believing that this man gives a damn about me. He barely calls! I don’t want to talk about this anymore! He does NOT even think about me!”
After I calm down I hang up with Ruby so that I can finish polishing up my proposal.
10 minutes later my phone rings and it’s Ruby again.
“Whats up chick?” I ask happily.
“Ok. I got the low down on D,” she says seriously.
“What do you mean?”
“I spoke to him and I got the skinny. Do you wanna hear it?”
I pause. “RUBY! Im in the middle of drafting this proposal! How could you call me with info like this while I’m supposed to be focusing?”
“Ok, call me back when you’re done if you want to know what I found out.”
“RUBY! STOP PLAYIN! YOU BETTA TELL ME RIGHT NOW!”
She laughs.
“Ok….” She pauses. “Girl, he likes you.”
“STOP PLAYIN RUBY!”
She laughs.
“Are you joking? Are you playing with me? What did he say?” I ask.
“Ok. So I called him to thank him for introducing you to the gentleman that you are trying to work for and before I could even finish my sentence he stopped me and said, ‘No, THANK YOU! Your girl is…wow…I can’t take anything away from her. She’s talented. She’s cool as hell. Thank you Ruby. I wouldn’t change a thing about her.’ “
“Girl,” she continues. “He was sounding so happy and he kept going on and on about how great you were. He wouldn’t stop- BUT- the only thing is he said that he doesn’t think you understand his lifestyle. Dell is a very driven man. He has told me that he is trying to make a million and he can’t make a million sitting on his ass so he puts in the hours. So Tee, if you can understand that he can’t call you everyday or see you every week, I think you’ll be fine.”
I’m quiet as she relays the conversation. I hear her but there’s a missing connection. Is she talking about me?
ME?
“Ruby are you joking?”
“No, Tee. I’m not. He likes you.”
“Don’t say that.”
“He does. You’re gonna be fine, friend. You’re gonna continue to get to know him and your relationship is going to grow and he’s gonna turn out to be exactly what you wanted and you are just the kind of woman he needed in his life too and everything will be fine. It’s happening Tee. It’s what you always wanted and it’s happening right now.”
I’m quiet. It still hasn’t connected. Is she talking about me?
Ruby begins to sing, “He’s a boy and he likes you..He’s a boy and he likes you!”
“Shut up hoe.”
“You’re going to be fine Tee. You can do this,” she encourages me. “You can like him and he can like you and it is possible to meet someone who actually likes you.”
I’m quiet. Is she talking about me?
“You’ll be fine, friend. I’m happy for you.”
We hang up and I finish my proposal. It looks nice, it’s very easy to understand and it’s only the initial content development, I can do that with no problem.
I chat on the phone with Kim for a while before wrapping myself in the comforter on the couch and closing my eyes.
All I can hear is Ruby’s song. He’s a boy and he likes you…He’s a boy and he likes you!
Is she talking about…ME?