Page 9 of Crash

Chris yells a loud yes and reaches across the table to fist bump Troy. Jake says nothing, but he leans in and whispers something in Sandy’s ear. She bites her bottom lip and nods at him.

I get Troy’s attention and point my head towards Jake. Troy rolls his eyes and throws his hands up in frustration. We both know Sandy will end up in New Orleans, which means so will Tash and most likely Tracy. Eventually, Troy shrugs and puts his arm around his wife and gives her a kiss.

“The girls can do some girl shit while we be men,” I whisper to Troy.

“Hey, everyone. Can you please convince Sandy to let us buy the house we saw on Maple?” Jake asks.

“I love this house,” Sandy says.

“But it won’t always only be the two of us. We’ll need space. Tash, talk to your sister.”

“First of all, Tash and I grew up in a house much smaller than this and we turned out fine,” Sandy says.

“I don’t know about Tash, baby, but you turned out perfect,” Jake says.

The men groan, and I throw my napkin at Jake.

“Aww. Thank you, baby,” Sandy says. She tries to kiss his cheek, but he turns his head and kisses her on the lips. We all grumble at the display.

“Tash is okay,” Chris says, shrugging his shoulders.

Tash pretends to be offended, but Chris pulls her to him and kisses her on the forehead.

“Well, I grew up in a house much bigger than this and I turned out okay too,” Jake counters.

“That’s debatable,” Troy says, and everyone laughs.

“Troy and I went to New Orleans a few years back,” Tracy says, her voice still tentative. “I know a great spa we can go to while the guys do whatever.” The women all turn to Tracy as they discuss the spa.

“I want to go since I missed out on New Orleans when you went, Dee,” Tash says. She immediately gets my brother’s attention.

“When did my wife go to New Orleans?” he asks Tash, but it’s Sandy who answers.

“Before she became your wife. I did have a life, you know. I went to Mardi Gras with Ebony and Diana about a year before we met,” Sandy says.

Jake grumbles something, and Tash quickly pulls out her phone to show pictures from the trip. Sandy throws a roll at her sister.

“Seriously?” Jake says, scrolling through the pictures. “Who let you wear these tiny little dresses?”

“Nice legs, Dee,” I say without even looking at the pictures. My words work and my brother reaches over and tries to slap the back of my head.

“You know, baby, I’m going to have a talk with your mother about this. I don’t like that you had a life before me. She should have sent you to a convent until we met, not leave you to go out looking like this,” he says as he looks at more pictures. “Can you text these to me, Tash?” He hands the phone back, and a few seconds later, Jake’s phone starts to vibrate with the incoming texts.

“Oh, really, caveman,” Sandy says. “You should go talk to her about that, then, if you dare. And when should I have come out of the convent? A month before we met? Six months? A year?”

“Are you nuts? Six months to a year? Hell no. Same day. You leave the convent around lunchtime, then we’d meet up six hours later and get married the next day.”

“Tell me,” Sandy says, looking from me to Troy. “Has he ever been committed? You can tell me.”

“His psychiatrist wanted to, but our parents would never do it,” Troy says. “It’s up to you now, Sandy.”

“Don’t make me call the men in the white coats, Jacob,” Sandy warns my brother as she eyes him up and down.

As I stuff my face with meatballs, I look around the room and smile at my family. Despite having to go to work, my family life can’t be any better than this. My brothers are back to being friends and their wives get along.

My life is without complications. My family members are my best friends. I have no place in my life for a romantic relationship with a woman or even a male friend. I had all of that and it all went to shit. Never again.

This life right here is perfection. Women bring nothing but heartache and complications into my life.

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