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“She’s something spectacular, that one.” Poppa nodded toward Talitha.
“That she is, Pop.”
Smirking, Poppa shook his head and challenged, “I thought it was nothing.”
“It’s not. Talitha is playing a dangerous game and on the verge of losing.”
“What did you do?” he implied.
“What the fuck makes you think I did anything?”
“Come on, Dutch. I know you like the back of my hand. Last night she stared at you with admiration in her eyes. We’ve been at this table for over an hour and the two of you have shared what… maybe three words. She refuses to look at you and when she does, it’s not a pleasant one.”
“Like I said, I ain’t did shit.”
“She’s not Dahlia, and she for damn sure ain’t Adele. If you don’t watch yourself with that one Dutch, you gon’ find yourself in a world of fucking trouble.”
“And you gathered that from what? A few conversations with her.”
“Ain’t shit a conversation can tell me that your eyes ain’t already said. You want her. She’s different. She won’t submit, she’s stubborn, and she’s going to push you to the edge every time. She’s a challenge and yo’ ass ain’t used to that.”
“I hear ya’ talking Pop,” I dismissed him with a wave.
“You know what I think Dutch?”
“Nawl, I don’t… but go on and let me hear it.”
“I think you like that she’s none of the things you’re used to. It’s fresh and she’s refreshing. The way she ignores you fucks with your ego, got ya’ feeling tested in ya’ manhood. And all that shit is doing is making you want her even more. You like playing with fire, at least until it burns. You can’t make her into something that she’s not. If that’s your objective, you may as well quit while you’re ahead.”
Poppa saying that shit had me recalling the last conversation I had with Dahlia where I vividly remember her saying.“The woman you made me.”I could’ve argued with him and told him that his assumptions were wrong. I could’ve told him I was drawn to her trauma but now, I wasn’t so sure. And until I figured out exactly what it was about her, I needed to stay away from her. I couldn’t handle another situation ending up the way it did with Dahlia.
After dinner with Poppa, Talitha and I came back to the room so we could pack. The air surrounding us was still awkward and I was ready to get back to Atlanta to put some space between us. The conversation with Poppa was still playing over and over again in my head.
One of the things he mentioned was that after my relationship with Adele ended, any woman that I chose to date, I looked for her in them for some reason. He also mentioned that when it came to Dahlia, she was resilient when the two of us started dating but along the way she had changed into the woman I wanted her to be.
I didn’t see that, nor did I believe it. Dahlia had always been headstrong. That didn’t change in the six years we were together. What changed was her wanting more than I was willing to give. Poppa claimed she’d always wanted those things but let on like she didn’t out of fear that it would cost her me.
Dahlia abhorred Adele; the two of them never got along. Dah felt like Adele got pieces of me that I never gave to her and that was true for the most part. Regardless of how true it was, I never made Dahlia feel like she had to compete with Adele. Or at least in my eyes I don’t think I did.
When Adele and I ended, I no longer put her first. That’s the reason she knew something had taken place between me and Dah. Anytime we spent time together, I made sure Dahlia was either on vacation or back at home visiting her family. I never entertained Adele in the city as long as Dahlia was there.
The holidays were really about the only time the two of them crossed paths. When I did my business with Adele, Dahlia was never around. Of course, she knew of our history, I wouldn’t dare have Adele in her face without her knowing. So maybe Poppa called it right. Maybe she had wanted longevity all alone and settled out of fear of losing me.
Whatever the case was, I was in no way trying to turn Talitha into Dahlia or Adele. I was drawn to her trauma, her charisma, and that smile that she rarely showed. Talitha had something inside of her that drew me to her the day we had the conversation about expanding things at the youth center.
Even now, as pissed off as I was with her, I was forcing myself to stay away. The last thing either of us needed was to get into another spat. We were scheduled to tour the abandoned school when we touched down in Atlanta. Not only that but now that we’d secured a few investors, it was time to get the ball rolling and we had an application to submit.
The ringing of my phone had me snapping my gaze away from the window, into my room. Grabbing it off the pillow, I tapped on the screen, answering the call.
“Sincere, everything okay?”
“Not right now but it will be.”
“Anything I should be concerned with?” I asked, interrupting whatever he was getting ready to say.
“Nawl. I’m good this way. Listen, I got some shit I need to run by you. When you gon’ be back in Atlanta?”
“Flight leaves out in the morning. You sure everything good?” I didn’t like the tone of his voice. It sounded like he wanted to tell me something but was hesitant.