“Well…you know her better than I do. Hopefully she shows up. But for real, you waited outside her door for four hours?”
I laughed a little, something I hadn’t done in weeks. “And I’d do it again.”
“If I thought there was something I could do or say to increase your chances, I’d help you out, but she wasn’t exactly receptive to me when I called her yesterday.”
I stretched out on my bed and listened.
“I was asking her about where she’d been – asked her if there was another dude.”
The silence on the other end of the phone left me wondering. “What, you do think she’s with somebody?” I asked. Yeah, I’d considered it when I realized how much time she spent off campus, but…
“Naw, I‘m not saying that necessarily. She wouldn’t give me a clear cut answer, though…I just want you to be prepared, you know? That’s all. If there’s another guy.”
And there went my confidence. What if she didn’t show? Would she really choose some guy she’d just met over me?
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Terrell added when I didn’t respond.
Whether he said something or not, it wouldn’t have changed the facts, just my perception of the situation. “You know what? I’m just gonna stick to my plan. If I know Sam, she’ll be there,” I reiterated. Granted I was less certain than before, but there was still just this feeling of knowing that she’d be there.
“Well, you know I’m rooting for y’all. Call and let me know how everything turns out,” Terrell concluded just before getting off the phone to call Maisha. I was left lying there, wondering if I was making a mistake getting my hopes up. But that kiss, though. She had to have felt the same thing I did. I could tell that, even though she’s mad and doesn’t know how to take me right now, she missed me. She was supposed to be with me and she couldn’t deny that even if she wanted to.
By five I was jumping in the shower, trying to forget Terrell’s theory. Sam would show. She had to. When I got out, I picked out one of her favorite shirts to see me in and was ready and sitting on my bed fully dressed, a little nervous, and waiting a full hour and fifteen minutes before we were even supposed to even meet. It dawned on me that I shouldn’t be empty handed when she got there. I had to get her flowers, a gift, something. Checking the time again, I hurried out to my car with my heart set on showing Sam that I was still the same guy that she fell in love with over a year ago. It’d take time, but I fully believed that this was possible. The night had to be perfect, though. No half-stepping on the restaurant or the gift; everything had to be just right. After all, it’s not every day that a man has the chance to win back his girls’ heart. The thought of this all finally working out brought a smile to my face as I left the parking lot. I loved the way that sounded…my girl.
Sam
6:06 pm
I’d tossed and turned in my bed all night, going back and forth between being dead-set against meeting AJ for dinner, and asking myself what the harm would be in the two of us sharing a meal. Why’d he have to come over and make me doubt myself in the first place? Granted, I wasn’t exactly satisfied with the way things were going, but at least I was sure how I felt about the two of us being apart. It felt like I was doing the right thing, but now I wasn’t so sure.
After class, I came back to my room and showered again, put on my long-sleeve, black and white striped sweater dress that hit about mid-thigh, topped it off with a pair of black tights, black cinching belt, black knee-high boots, and silver hoop earrings with matching bangles. Of course AJ’s ring was still on my finger, too. A smile crossed my face at the thought of seeing him.