Chapter 12

 

Trevor

 

Trevor took a small box from the range and carried it inside. Usually, his Saturdays were designated for leisure time, but since he was moving, there was hardly any time for leisure. Just work.

Reid was still looking around, giving himself a tour of his friend’s new digs. The three-bedroom flat was move-in ready, just what Trevor was looking for when he’d started house hunting. The living room had a brick fireplace, the focal point of the room. The master bedroom came with a walk-in closet, his and her vanities, a jet tub and newly tiled floors. The remaining two bedrooms were equal sizes. One, he’d planned to use for an office. The other, a guest bedroom. The kitchen came with a small island and plenty of cabinetry. One of his favorite features of the house was the large, screened-in back porch. The screen would allow him to enjoy the elements without actually being exposed to them – an option he didn’t have at the high-rise.

“This is nice, man,” Reid said after stepping inside the kitchen. He’d just toured the backyard. “That’s going to be a lot of yard to cut come spring, though.”

“I know. I’m going to either hire a landscaper or buy a riding mower.”

“Hiring someone would be more like it. You’re going to be too busy working at E-commerce Business Networks to be doing yard work.”

“Right,” Trevor said, taking a box from the island, lowering it to the floor. He stood up and wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

“You don’t seem too excited about that.”

“I’m excited,” he responded flatly. “I just don’t like the way it’s working out, you know. It’s like someone handing me something I didn’t earn.”

“Oh, you earned it,” Reid said, opening a bottle of water. He took a swig. “You asked that girl out, and that was the deal.”

“Yep, that was the deal,” Trevor said.

“There’s no need to feel bad about it, then.”

“You’re right.”

Reid handed Trevor a bottle of water. “You look exhausted. Did you go out kickin’ it without me last night?”

“Nah,” Trevor responded. He did go out, but it was with Elsie. And he had a nice evening sharing parts of his life with her. He hadn’t done that in quite some time – shared his life with anyone. It was like second nature with her. A part of him felt guilty about the deal he struck with Priscilla because Elsie was truly a genuine down-to-earth woman and he enjoyed her company. He enjoyed it so much, he was counting down the hours until he would see her again. A smile curved his lips at the thought of it.

Reid lifted a brow. “What are you smiling about?”

“I was just thinking about something.”

“Something or someone?” Reid probed. When Trevor didn’t respond, Reid came to his own conclusion and asked, “You’re seeing her, aren’t you? The girl?”

“Sort of,” Trevor admitted without hesitation. “I took her out again last night.”

Reid shook his head. “So, that’s why you feel guilty all of a sudden. You’re falling for this girl.”

“I’m not. We’re friends.”

“Friends,” Reid repeated, his eyebrows raised. “How long have you known this girl again?”

“Long enough to consider her a friend.”

“And you took her out last night.”

“I did, and it was my idea by the way.”

“So, are you throwing this whole celibacy reinvention nonsense out the window now, or what?”

“No, but I do like being with her and that’s just keeping it real. Last night, I had one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time.”

“Well, that’s good,” Reid said, and he meant it. Trevor had avoided women since Rachel so for him to make this statement spoke volumes for this woman. He must’ve really liked her. “Hey, I just got an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“You said you didn’t want to go to your parent’s place because of having to explain the Rachel situation, and they’ve never met Rachel in person, right?”

“Right. They’ve only spoken to her on the phone.”

“That’s perfect. Have the girl go with you for a visit.”

Trevor snapped his head back. “Elsie?”

“Yeah. You’re friends, right? Ask her if she can do you a solid and pretend to be Rachel for the weekend.”

Trevor laughed it off. “I couldn’t ask her to do something like that, Reid. She’s not adaptable enough to do that. If I was crazy enough to do something like that, I would need a woman who’s more outgoing.”

“Like Rachel was.”

“Yeah,” he answered dismayed. “I’ll probably just push my visit off again. I’m sure my mother will understand.”

“Yeah, she’ll understand that her only son, her only child, is avoiding her for some reason. Before long, she’ll begin to think she’s the reason.”

“I get it, Reid. I get it.” Trevor blew a breath of frustration. “I’ll think of something,” he said, then finished off his water.

“Any more boxes in the car?” Reid asked.

“No. I brought the last one in.”

“Are you planning on unpacking any, or—?”

“Nah. We’re good for now.”

“Then let’s go shoot some hoops. I see the house came with a basketball goal.”

“I don’t have a basketball,” Trevor told him.

“I got one in the trunk,” Reid said. “Be right back.”

Trevor sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for basketball, but today the temperature was in the low sixties and he could stand to blow off some steam. He went on outside when he heard Reid close the trunk.

Reid dribbled as he came up the driveway, then threw Trevor a no-look pass.

“What’s the game?” Trevor asked after catching the ball.

“Let’s just say the first to knock down five baskets win. And there’s a catch—if I win, you have to ask Elsie to go along with you to visit your parents.”

“As Rachel?”

“Yes. As Rachel.”

“What do I get if I win?” Trevor asked.

“If you win, I’ll cut your grass for a month.”

Trevor smirked. “Deal.” He shot the ball and made the first basket – a three-pointer. “One down. Four more to go.”

“A’ight. I see how you want to play,” Reid said, running after the ball. He grabbed it, dribbled the ball between his legs, then pulled up and launched a shot that was nothing but air.

“You’re a lil’ rusty, Reid,” Trevor said, chasing the rebound. “Get ready to gas up my mower, bruh.”

Reid chuckled. “You trash talking, but the game ain’t over yet.”

Trevor took another perimeter shot. “Swoosh…nothing but net,” he touted.

“I see you, Steph Curry,” Reid joked. He dribbled the ball, then ran up for a layup. Finally, he had made a basket. “So, Elsie, huh?”

“What about Elsie?” Trevor asked.

“You tell me,” Reid said, jumping to block Trevor’s shot. “She must be something if she got you out of your dating funk.”

“We’re not dating. We’re friends,” Trevor clarified.

“This from the man who said shy women got under his skin.”

“And I also told you I could work with her.”

“Yeah…sure…” Reid said, making another layup.

Trevor rebounded and made a quick layup of his own. Now, he was up, three to two. “What I’m finding out about women like Elsie is, they thrive off of individual attention. She’s just like my mother.”

“Did you just compare this girl to your mother?” Reid asked breathily as he began to run to the goal while dribbling again.

Trevor swiped the ball away from him and tossed it up. “One more, and that’s game,” he warned Reid. “And yes, I did compare her to my mother. They have similar mannerisms. My mother has always been a little on the quiet side.”

“So, that’s why shy women get on your nerves. They remind you of your mother.”

“No. They remind me of how my mother allows my father to walk all over her. Seeing that over the years made me want a woman who could stand up for herself. I don’t have anything against my mother. I just wish she had a backbone. She’s too nice. Too forgiving.”

“And I thought those were good qualities when it came to settling down,” Reid commented.

Trevor hit a jumper near the three-point line and said, “That’s game. Get ready to mow my lawn, boy.”

Reid chuckled, nearly out of breath as he leaned forward, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Trevor fought to catch his breath, too, peeling off his sweaty shirt, then using it to wipe sweat from his forehead as he walked back toward the house. Once in the kitchen, he took a bottle of water from the fridge, tossed it to Reid, then took another for himself. He drank half the bottle, found his breath, then said, “And those are good qualities when it comes to finding that special someone,” he said continuing their conversation, “But a woman should never accept disrespect from a man. My mother has accepted my father’s years of infidelity as normal. I love her dearly, but I hate that she allows him to do this to her. That’s always been a problem for me. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t want marriage to begin with. I don’t want to be like him and I don’t want someone to love me so much that they would allow me to do that—to be unfaithful—not saying that I would be. I’m just saying…it’s what made me take marriage and commitment off the table. Then Rachel came along.”

“Yep, then Rachel came along,” Reid said. “I still think you should try to reach out to Rachel.”

“I’m not wasting my time tracking her down, man.”

“Okay, then if you’re not ready to face facts, stick to fiction. Take Elsie to your mom’s. That way, you’ll get her off your back about meeting Rachel and buy yourself some more time. I’m certain Elsie can pull off a Rachel impersonation for a few days.”

Trevor contemplated it for a moment. The idea wasn’t all that farfetched – okay, it was – but he couldn’t see Elsie agreeing to it. But he wondered...