That was the first dud of my Friday.
I’d just come from getting a quick manicure and pedicure on my lunch and pulled into the closest parking space I could find near the practice. The sky had cracked over SoCal and the rain was coming down in buckets. I turned off the ignition when I saw Azmir’s black Range Rover near the side entrance of the rec center where he typically entered and exited the building. Considering the smoke from the exhaust pipe in the rear, I could tell the truck was running and wondered if he was inside. I waited to see if I could catch a glimpse of him. As I sat there arguing with myself about being a glutton for punishment, I debated making a dash for the building although my toes were exposed in my flip-flops. That’s when I saw the side door burst open with two women coming out of the building, holding up umbrellas and laughing excitedly. It didn’t take long for me to notice they were Dawn Taylor and Shayna Bacote, getting into the truck.
Seconds later, Azmir appeared behind them, using his raincoat—that he donned so well—to cover his head. Man, does he drip sexiness in everything he wears? Brett was on his heels as the four of them piled into Azmir’s truck. What in the…? Were they double dating? I knew that thought was incredulous, but the searing pain in the pit of my belly felt otherwise. I sat in my car—the car that Azmir had given me—and bawled my eyes out again.
The rain ran into the following day. I stood at my living room window and watched it come down through the blinds. It was six in the morning and I had to get over to Adrian’s for my hair appointment. I needed pampering to help lift my spirits. Pastor Edmondson’s admonishment for my lack of prayer in the course of this breakup rang in my mind. So, before heading out I fell to my knees there in my living room and spoke a few silent words that eventually turned into pouring out my fears, disappointments and requests audibly through tears. It was very cathartic. When I was done, I washed my face and hit the door.
It was still there. The black sedan with tinted windows was still parked near my house. It was at the same radius, but certainly in clear view. I jumped into my car and sped off to Long Beach City for the salon.
While under the dryer, I’d gotten a ping from my phone for my calendar. I went into the app and saw that some time ago I’d scheduled a reminder to visit my brother, Akeem. He had visiting hours on Fridays and I hadn’t seen him in months. Considering my current gloomy state, it would be nice to take a short trip over to Jersey and surprise him with a visit, but a projected Friday would be best, insuring a better state of mind for me. I’d just sent him money a week or so ago so I knew he understood that I still had his back, but there’s nothing like a visit. I booked my flight, hotel, and car rental there in the salon.
After making the flight and car rental arrangements, I sulked. I couldn’t get Azmir out of my head. His smile. His company. His attentiveness. His love faces. His betrayal.