Page 33 of Krash & Bern

“You and Krash were a thing?” Toni quizzed as she merged onto the highway.

“You’re in my business,” I stated.

“My bad,” Toni giggled.

I leaned back and stared out the window. No longer in Krash’s presence, my body finally relaxed. I’d dodgedthe topic, but I knew, eventually, my past would come to bite me in the ass. I needed to have a game plan if I wanted to entertain the possibility of spinning the block with Krash.

“Girl,what?” Jaelyn gasped as we sat across from each other at the seafood spot.

After the long day of work, I wanted to eat some fried catfish, hush puppies, and Cajun seasoned fries. Jaelyn agreed to meet me at the spot and ordered a pitcher of margarita to go with the meal.

“Yes,” I admitted as I tore the hush puppy in half and popped the half-sphere into my mouth.

“I knew it would happen! I’m mad it took over two years, but I’m so happy! Are you going to go out on a real date?”

“Woah, slow your roll, girl. This one encounter doesn’t mean much. Heck, I don’t know if we’ll talk to each other again?—”

“Didn’t youjustsay he asked to see you again?” she recalled.

“Yes, but?—”

“No buts! You told me he was excited to see you and kept trying to initiate conversation. He missed you so much, and you know you missed him too. None of those Massachusetts nerds could compare to that black king!”

“Girl, please.”

“I’m just saying. Look, God brought y’all back together for a reason. He let your paths cross for a reason. Don’t put a question mark where He put a period.”

“I don’t know. I feel like too much time has passed. We’re both completely different people. I don’t want to try again and we find out we were better off letting things have fizzled out eight years ago.”

“You’ve been thinking about this man foryears. You’re not over him. Test the waters.”

I shrugged. “We shall see what happens in the future. I won’t stress over him. Now, let’s enjoy dinner and you catch me up on what’s been going on in your life.”

Jaelyn rolled her eyes. She took a bite of her hard-fried catfish and hummed. “There’s nothing new in my life. I’m still managing the customer service department of BerJam. My best friend put me on.”

I giggled. “You’re a mess.”

As soon as I could, I brought Jaelyn onto the team. She had her background in technology, too, and fell right in line with the rest of the company. Though we guaranteed quality security, technology did malfunction, and issues might arise. Jaelyn and her team did a stellar job of keeping the customers taken care of.

“We put a spotlight on my love life, but now it’s your turn. How’s the dating pool treating you?” I asked as I took a sip of the margarita in my cup.

“The dating pool has pee in it, but I found my diamond in the rough. His name is Michael. He’s six feet tall, full beard, faded hair, and has a dick sculpted by God. I got him saved in my phone as Captain Hook.”

“Oop! I know that’s right, girl.”

We finished our meals and drinks with light and comical conversation. Jaelyn was the type of friend to have my sides hurting from the wild things she said. She was a great listener and an even greater comedian. Her presence in my life had always been a blessing. She was a forever friend, and nothing and no one would ever come between us.

“Thank you for coming to dinner with me. I needed the company. Plus, it’s always great to spend some time with you.”

“Honey, it’s no problem at all. We actually need to start doing this more often. We’re both so occupied with work, it’s hard to take time out to really enjoy life,” Jaelyn added.

“You’re right. Do you want to set up a monthly friend date?” I suggested.

“Absolutely. On some months, we can set aside a full weekend to travel or something.”

I nodded vigorously as the excitement gathered in my heart. “I’d like that a lot! I’ll get with Malaysia to see what next month looks like and send you my schedule.”

“Perfect. Drive safe, boo. Let me know when you get home.”

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