Page 28 of February

“Hey,” she replied.

“Hi, Mel. Jill,” Toya greeted both of them with a smile.

“Hey, Toya,” Melinda said.

“Long time,” Jill added.

“Yeah,” the woman said as she looked back at Bridgette. “Bridge, can I borrow you for a minute?”

“Uh…” Bridgette looked at Melinda, who gave her wide eyes. “Yeah, I guess.”

She stood and followed Toya, who walked them past the stage, where the pianist was in the middle of some slow jazz number Bridgette didn’t recognize, until they were at the staircase that led to the second story of the bar. Once there, they found a couple of comfortable chairs facing one another, and Bridgette sat down, with Toya taking the hint and sitting down across from her.

“Coincidence?” Bridgette asked.

“You know I work across the street. I could ask you the same question,” Toya replied.

“This is Melinda’s favorite bar.”

“I know.” Toya paused. “We ran out of cherries, so I was sent over here to get some, and I saw you. I thought we should talk.”

“Okay,” Bridgette said.

“What happened yesterday?”

“We had sex.”

“And you ran off.”

“Yeah,” Bridgette admitted. “I’m not proud of that.”

“Why did it happen? Are you starting to want–”

“No. The opposite, actually,” Bridgette interjected.

“The opposite?”

“Toya, it’s a problem that I just want to have sex with you and nothing more.”

“I thought that we both wanted that arrangement.”

“It wasn’t really an arrangement. There weren’t rules or anything. You wanted to call me ‘baby’ and talk. I realized that I can’t do thatandhave sex with you and not have it be more, but at the same time, I don’t want it to be more, either.”

“So, we’re somehow good? I guess I don’t know what’s going on right now. We’re good, right?”

“Yes, but not how you think,” she replied. “I was going to call you. I just needed a little time to figure it out myself.”

Toya nodded slowly.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, okay?”

“No good news has ever started with that sentence.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Bridgette sighed. “I don’t want to sleep with you anymore.”

“Okay. Got it,” Toya said as she ran her hands up and down her thighs rapidly.

“I want a real relationship.”

---