“Don’t get me wrong, at first I was constantly obsessing about our first anniversary spent apart. How I would feel? Would I get depressed? Would he call me? Ya know….questions like that. I mean I knew it was coming. I just wasn’t counting it down or anything. What I couldn’t figure out was why he even sent the damn things. I spoke to my girlfriend Denise and we kind of thought it could be some measly reconciliation attempt. Ya know…like he had either gotten dumped or had his fill of that tramp and wanted to come back to me.”

“Were you upset when you realized the flowers came from him and not from me?”

“Hell yeah …not because you didn’t send them, but I thought he was playing a game.”

“You know my opinion of Justin is not high, but he wasn’t playing a game. He ordered those flowers months ago. Michelle and I were at the florist when he did it.”

I pulled back and looked at him. My face became puzzled and screwed with confusion.

“When did he do this?”

“He did it in March, right before spring break. All three of us were having lunch together. Michelle was getting on him about never giving you flowers. So after lunch we went to a florist and he got you like two-dozen white roses. Remember?”

“Oooh…I remember that day. Interesting, Michelle commanded him to buy me flowers and he obeyed. That is very interesting.”

“Well, that day he also placed the order for the anniversary flowers. He probably forgot about it.”

I was relieved to know Justin wasn’t trying to toy with my emotions, but I was also a little disappointed when I realized that the flowers wasn’t an attempt at reconciliation. I want him to ask if we could get back together so I can tell him no. I want him to beg and grovel at me feet. Then, when I have heard enough, I want to crush him.

I began to pull away from Ty and drift off into my thoughts of revenge. Perhaps I should go after Skeeter. No, Skeeter would never go for that, he is too loyal. Maybe I should hire someone to break his legs...

All types of wild thoughts were darting across my mind with the speed of a supernova, and it seemed Ty began to notice my distance. He looked at me as if he was wondering what foreign place my mind had crept off to. I snapped back into the moment once I realized that he was looking at me. We began to make out, and then we went to his bedroom for another healing session (as I like to call them). He wanted me to stay but I told him I have to go to work in the morning. Besides, I don’t have any clothes at his apartment. He insisted on driving me home. Little did he know I wasn’t going to refuse him anyway.

When I arrived home I showered, threw on a sleep shirt, and called Denise. I could barely get out a “what’s up” before she began chastising me for not listening to her and going to Justin’s apartment. I told her that in the end I did listen to her and left before he returned home.

“Finally,” she said with a sigh, “But look how long it took you to listen. What if he would have came back there with Michelle? I would have to bail your half-crazy ass out of jail right now. And I’m trying to move off campus when I get back to Cali. I don’t have it like that killer.”

We both had a good laugh from that comment because both of us knew that if I saw them in our old place that I would have turned into a straight up lunatic. Lord knows what I would have done. Someone upstairs was watching out for all three of us. I told Denise that I had found out the real reason why I received flowers on our anniversary. With all the ideas the popped in our heads, nothing as simple as the truth ever crossed our minds.

She asked me what I did after I left Justin’s. I told her that I went to visit Tyriq and it was while we were talking on his couch that I found out about the whole florist visit with Michelle. Both of us thought it was interesting that Michelle was starting to grab hold of Justin’s mind even as far back as March. Would I have even received those flowers had Michelle not put a bug in his ear about being more romantic? Maybe she was just schooling him on what she wanted since I am convince that their dangerous liaison started right before our spring break trip.

Of course Denise would not be Denise without throwing some type of slick comment my way. “I’m sure all you rabbits did was talk," she said in a sarcastic tone. I replied with my usual ha-ha. Then she asked if I have been trying to meet other guys. I told her no and that I was cool with what was going on with Ty. I also assured her that I was not getting caught up. She quickly reminded me of my famous quote, “I am a relationship girl.” Knowing me as long as she has, she is well aware that jump-offs and multiple dating is not my scene.

Denise told me that although I might say I’m not trying to get caught up, ultimately I would because my actions show that I am getting too close too soon. She reminded me that Ty and I have been spending a lot of free time together and that we really muddied the waters because we are having sex. She suggested I should spread the wealth around and enjoy being a single twenty-something woman.

After we hung up I went to the family room to watch cable. I began to think about Denise’s advice. Maybe now is the time to break my “one man woman” pattern and get myself out there. After that horrible date with the Morris Chestnut look-alike, I have been reluctant to meet new guys. Aren’t they all freaks, thugs, gay, or cheating on their girlfriends anyway?

What is the point? I like Ty and he likes me. We were friends already and I have always enjoyed his company. I enjoy it even more now that he is opening up, and don’t get me started about the sex. Ty and I don’t talk about the future. Who knows where this will lead? Maybe we will out grow each other? Maybe we are each other’s soul mates? At any rate, he is comfortable and I don’t want to get out there and have to deal with the plethora of bad dates I know will be in store for me. The Sushi Samba incident was enough. I still can’t believe how much time I wasted talking to that fool.

My rambling thoughts were interrupted by a phone call from Ty. He must have felt my brain waves sending out thoughts of him. He told me he was thinking about me and was missing my presence. I told him ditto. He asked me if I would have lunch with him tomorrow. He wanted us to meet around one o’clock at his place. He said he wanted to give me a fifteen-minute shiatsu message. I laughed. I asked about his grandmother and he asked about my parents. Then we began talking about random things like Brittany Spears and Beyonce falling down the stairs. Since we both had to get up early we didn’t talk very long. We hung up and I went to bed.

The next morning all I could think about was meeting Ty for lunch. It was on my mind as I dressed, took the Path into the city, and while I was at work. The hours couldn’t pass by fast enough. Around eleven I got a call from Katrina. She said she wanted to see me for lunch today. I hadn’t seen her since the incident at the club and was a little miffed at her because I thought she was upset that Michelle and I got into it. Maybe she regretted showing me the pictures. Katrina knew Michelle longer than me. They had already had an established friendship when we formed the group. I thought she might have felt caught in the middle but still chose to stay close to Michelle because of their bond.

I wasn’t pressed to speak to her and told her that I already had lunch plans. She practically begged me to break them. She told me she wanted to talk to me, but felt that she needed to do it in person. Based on the fact that she did alert me to Justin’s shadiness, I decided to cancel my plans with Ty. I asked him if I could meet him after work. He was fine with the change. Now my one o’clock lunch date is going to be with Katrina. I am curious about what she must say to me in person. What is that old saying, curiosity killed the cat. Wonder what it will do to me…