Page 9 of Someone Like You

Like his clothes, I had removed all his other belongings from the home we had shared and donated everything. I had brought nothing with me to the townhouse I had purchased in River Oaks, other than his pictures and a couple of memorabilia from his college days.

“You want me to come over and spend the night with you, sweetie?”

“No. I’ll be fine. Thanks for being here for me.”

“That’s what sisters are for.”

“You called me. I’m so sorry. Did you need anything?”

“No. You were just on my mind,” Genevieve stated.

She did a daily call to check on my parents and me, but she had already done her daily check-in earlier.

“You checked in on me earlier, though.”

“Yeah, and your voice sounded slightly off. Not much, but I just wanted to see about you. I’m glad that I did.”

“So am I, Genni. Good night. Love you, star,” I stated, calling her by the nickname I’d given her as a kid.

“Nite-Nite, moon. I love you too.”

We ended the call, and I rolled over onto my side.

Looking down at my hand, I stared at my wedding band.

I only wore it when I was missing him more than normal.

I had put it back on my finger when I returned home this evening.

In the early days after his death, it had been difficult to comprehend that my love for him had not been enough to pull him through.

Swiping at the tears in my eyes, I sat up, walked back to the bathroom, and grabbed the bottle of wine. Turning it up, I allowed the sweet but dry red wine to coat my throat.

It was time for me to move forward, I knew, but it wasn’t a decision I had come to easily.

It was a shame that a married man had been the one who unknowingly helped me realize that.

I could not have Casimir, but seeing his misery trapped in a life that was a lie made me understand that you only had one life, and you had to live it to the fullest.

When Elijah died, I had stopped living too. His passing had crushed me, making me believe that I would never love again. I really didn’t think my heart could ever take another loss like that one. Five years later, I knew there was nothing wrong with dating again. I just wouldn’t give my heart away.

“Sooo, he’s a doctor like you and—”

“Raegan. Come on. I just said I was considering it. I don’t need you to set me up with anyone. I can get a man on my own,” I declared to one of my best friends.

My decision to live life had led to me kicking my work aside the next day and having lunch with my best friends, Raegan Meadows and Eriss Merrill. We were at Eriss’s home.

“Oowhoo!” Raegan and Eriss squealed.

“Stop, you two!” I said, waving my hands at them. We were all laying out around Eriss’s pool in lounge chairs, soaking up the sun.

“I, for one, am glad you decided to return to the land of the living. No pun intended!” Raegan said, wiggling her eyebrows just above her shades.

“Raegan,” Eriss chided. “Really?”

“Whaaat?” Raegan cried out, sitting up on her chair and holding her arms out at her sides.

Raegan was the friend that said the shit that everyone felt but had too much grace and tact to say. Raegan didn’t really possess a filter for that reckless mouth of hers.

I shook my head and waved Raegan off. “It’s okay, Eriss. You know she doesn’t know any better. Besides, I really am ready to get back to doing something other than working day in and day out,” I confided.

“What brought about this change is what I want to know?” Eriss asked, turning sideways in her lounge, crossing one thigh over the other with a cheeky grin.

“Weeell . . . I just came to my senses, is all.”

I knew if I shared the attraction to Casimir, my friends would never let me live that down. Not to mention, he was married and my client, a double taboo.

“Okay, Miss Psychologist. I know you’re great and all, but spill the beans.

What made you have a change of heart? We’ve spent the last five years trying to pull you back into the world, and you’ve resisted every effort that Raegan and I have made.

I just want to know who brought about the sudden change.

What’s his name? And please don’t spill some psychological mumbo jumbo to me,” Eriss warned, wagging a finger at me.

I released a heavy sigh. “There’s nothing to tell, Eriss. I just sat down and had a heart-to-heart with myself. Listening to my clients all day, I realized I really don’t have serious problems, and I must stop being afraid to live. So, yes . . . I want to date again.”

“I’m so proud of you, Giselle. It takes a lot of courage to make this decision and step back into the dating world again. Who knows? Your Mr. Right might be just waiting in the wings.”

“No, Eriss. I’m not a character in one of the romance books you read. I simply want to enjoy my life. That’s all,” I affirmed.

“Girl, I know a thing or two about that. Besides, who has time to settle down with some joker who’s only out for one thing anyway?

Here you are, being faithful to him, and he’s out doing your girl and everyone else that spreads for him.

No, ma’am, . . . keep ’em closed, have fun, and just do you.

That’s my motto, Eriss.” Raegan chimed in, holding her Margarita up in the air as if she were toasting someone.

Eriss rolled her eyes. “That would be your motto. How does Gavin feel about that, Mrs. Meadows?”

Raegan smirked, tossed her drink down her throat, and collapsed against the lounge chair, closing her eyes.

“That’s what I thought,” Eriss concluded, turning back to me.

I shook my head and giggled at my best friends. “Seriously, Eriss. I’m not thinking about love. My heart can’t take it. Right now, I just want to get out and live again. Do a little socializing. I’m not thinking about marriage, serious relationships, or even sex for that matter, just—”

“Now, wait a second!” Raegan shouted, sitting back up and pushing her rose-colored sunglasses on top of her head.

“That’s your problem, girl. You need some sexual healing.

Just a little something to clean out those cobwebs, and you’ll be all right again.

You know . . . find a chimney sweeper,” she said, holding her arms above her head and working her hips side-to-side.

Eriss grabbed a pillow from behind her and tossed it at Raegan.

“Hey, you know I’m telling the truth,” Raegan declared.

“She can’t be out there with guys like that. She needs one man to come and love and take care of her,” Eriss disputed.

“Hey, I didn’t say she had to be with several guys. She just needs one good one to sweep her chimney. What do you think keeps me faithfully committed to my husband? Not just love, but that pipe he’s laying down every night.”

“Every night, Raegan?” I asked, twisting my lips.

“Damn near.”

“Okay, what about that time of the month?”

“Honey, it’s all about him then. I grab that microphone, blow into it, and make him sing like James Brown.”

Raegan jumped up from her chair, swiveled her hips, and dropped to one knee. “He be up in there singing ‘Baby, please don’t go. I love you soooo,’” she crooned in her soprano voice.

I hollered with laughter. I laughed so hard tears fell from my eyes, and Eriss joined in too.

When we finished laughing, I looked at my friends. “Seriously, girls, I just want some time to get out and have some fun and do me. No restrictions, no regulations. Just me. That’s all I need right now. When it’s time for more, I’ll move forward another step.”

“The doctor has spoken and prescribed her remedy. I will not interfere,” Raegan proclaimed, holding up a hand in a declaration of oath, with the other on her heart.

“Thank you, Raegan,” I stated, smiling at my old friend. We turned to Eriss.

“I just really want you to find love and happiness again, sweetie. You were meant to be a wife. You were so amazing in your relationship with Elijah. I always admired what you two had,” Eriss stated.

“Yeah, well, everything wasn’t so perfect now, was it?” I asked in a soft voice. I tilted my head back and willed the tears to remain in check.

Eriss reached out and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry, sweetie. You’re right. I will leave well enough alone and trust you to manage your life.” She pressed her lips into a tight smile and squeezed my hand tightly.

“Thank you,” I whispered, choking down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way,” Raegan remarked, “where are we going for our next girl’s night out?”

“I’d like to go rock climbing or maybe canoeing,” I suggested.

“Yeah, we haven’t done an adventure outing in some time,” Eriss agreed.

“Then maybe we can top it off with dinner at Soldier’s,” Raegan proposed.

“The new African restaurant on the west side?” I asked.

“Exactly. Gavin and I went there one night and not only is the atmosphere amazing, but the food is to die for. I’ve been wanting to go back, but with his busy schedule, we just haven’t had time,” Raegan replied.

“Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s shoot for next weekend,” Eriss suggested.

I pulled up my phone and scrolled to my calendar. “It’s a date.”

“Can you get away from Aydan’s fierce loving long enough?” Raegan teased.

Eriss waved her hand. “Actually, he’ll be at a conference for the magazine next weekend. He wanted me to go along, but I decided to skip this one. Speaking of my baby’s fierce loving, I don’t think we’ve got anything on you and Gavin, Ms. Once a Day.”

Eriss and I giggled at Raegan’s stricken expression. “Well, I’m a high-maintenance woman, and I have needs too. Gavin knew what he was getting into after chasing me down. I’m not an easy one, I know, but I’m necessary,” she said, winking at us as she pulled her sunglasses back down on her face.

I lay back on the lounger and closed my eyes. I reflected on our conversation. I had been lying when I told them I did not want a relationship. There was nothing I wanted more than to be married again, but I was certain I could not handle it. Not now at this stage of my life.

Losing Elijah had been too much for me to handle. If I were to be honest, I wasn’t sure how I would handle dating again. It had been far too long since I had played the games, and I doubted if I had the patience or energy to do it again.

Yet, when I looked at what Eriss and Aydan had, my heart jumped for joy at the possibility of once again sharing a love and commitment so deep.

When I looked at what Raegan and Gavin had, I was mesmerized by the possibility of a man so protective and nurturing toward me the way Gavin was with Raegan.

I wasn’t certain what it was, but I prayed they would work their way through it. After all, the two couples were the only reason I held onto the little bit of hope that I did. The couples coming into my office weekly didn’t give me much reason to hope. Especially not Casimir and Bethany Perez.