Page 22 of If I Had More Time

I occupied the chair he pulled out for me placing my crossbody in my lap. Tristan sat across from me and looked at me like I was unreal. His gazes were ones you couldn’t buy. I loved that I didn’t have to be told how he felt about me because his eyes showed it more than anything.

“Did you enjoy your gift, my love?” I inquired.

“I did. Was yours at least satisfying?” he countered.

“It was. However, the Dunkins are our last exchange.” He slightly cocked his head to the side with dipped brows. He needed clarification and I had no problem making my statement clearer. “We’re done with The Melting Pot and The Hideaway. Ithink eight years is more than enough. Plus, the Dunkins made this experience…”

“Awkward and uncomfortable,” he chimed, finishing my sentence.

“Exactly. Everything was cool until Alex proposed for me to be his side chick. It took everything in me not to hit him in his shit.”

Tristan’s face was tight, and he flexed his jaws several times over. I knew what was brewing but he had nothing to worry about. Neither Alex nor another man would have access to me ever again. This was the end of the road for us as swingers.

“Side chick, huh?”

“Calm down, baby. I handled it and got the hell out of there. What was the deal with Simone? You said you wanted to cut them off before the exchange even took place. Did something happen?”

“She’s too clingy and her feelings are involved. That woman told me she’d been waiting to feel me again not even knowing if we were going to double back or not. She wears the same perfume as you do now, and she went crazy on how she was the better woman. If you serious about giving all this shit up, I’m with it. I was lowkey starting to be over it anyway.”

“Why didn’t you say anything, baby? When I say you don’t have to do this, I mean that. Don’t ever do shit just to please me. It’ll always be you over anykeep the spicemoment,” I reassured him.

“I’m well aware of what choices I have. I did this because I was open minded and wanted to keep the spice as well. We were on the same page, Mama, so don’t overthink it. Those two dumb muthafuckas just irritated me into ending this shit altogether.”

“Cool. It’s a done deal then. Is there anything else on your mind?” Tristan always had the floor to express himself and speak on anything that he lingered on.

“Starting a family. We ready to expand, don’t you think?”

I blushed looking into his eyes. He asked for a child the year after we got married but neither one of us were in a place to be a parent. Now that time has passed, we were circling back to it. I didn’t mind giving him what he wanted. Besides, I was the only woman that could.

“I do.”

“Naomi? Tristan?” Our names were called out from a couple walking toward us. “We thought that was you. What in the hell are y’all doing here?”

I was nervous until I realized it was our college friends. Yasmine and Calico were together before Tristan and I, so seeing them together wasn’t surprising. It was the fact that they were on this island with us that caught me off guard.

“Enjoying our anniversary,” I answered standing from my seat. I hugged them both before relocating to the right of my husband while they sat across.

“Ha!You hear that, baby?” Calico spoke.

“I did. We are as well,” Yasmine chimed with a smiling face.

“We did always end up with the same ideas all through college, so I guess this makes sense. Well, what’s y’all count?” Tristan questioned.

“Twenty years today. What about y’all?” Calico threw back.

“Eighteen yesterday. The odds of this link is crazy. What’s y’all plans?” I asked.

“We have a few hours before we swap with this couple so we’re hanging out.” Yasmine’s answer caused Tristan and I to look at each other and laugh.

All of us were like peas in a pod all through college so the fact that we operated damn near the same wasn’t shocking at all. Tristan and Calico were the same person just in two different bodies. The way this was coming full circle was indeed comical.

“What’s so funny?” Calico inquired.

“Oh nothing. We just finished ours with a couple here maybe twenty minutes ago,” I voiced.

“You stealing my ideas again, nigga?” Calico jested. Tristan shook his head while releasing a hearty laugh.

Our anniversary was ending on a good note regardless of that small hiccup we had departing. Running into our friends lightened the mood a hundred percent. The Dunkins were defeated in their proposals, and we had no remorse for the cut off. To sit, laugh, and still have the same spark for each other was valued. The Malores were happy and always would be.

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