Page 32 of Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming

brIDGET

A n hour later, Bridget enters the Sunny Side Up diner.

She could kiss Lyric for picking a place so close to the gym and her home.

She was even able to shave her legs and armpits before meeting him.

Searching the establishment, she secretly hopes not to see him.

No such luck. There he is, sitting in a booth, looking moisturized and sexy as hell.

He gives Larenz Tate energy. His fineness and confident aura are a mix of his characters O-Dog and Darius Lovehall.

He looks up and sees her. She shyly waves at him. He waves back and follows it up by crooking his finger, beckoning her to come closer. Bridget walks over to the booth and sits opposite him.

“Hi,” Bridget says.

“Hello, Bridget.”

“In all the craziness, I wasn’t sure if you caught my name.”

“Kind of hard not to. You threw it at me pretty hard,” Silas jokes.

“I’m sorry about your shirt.”

“It’s cool. It was covered in sweat and needed to be washed anyway.”

Bridget lets out a nervous giggle. Just thinking about it makes her face heat up.

“So”—he continues—“your friend said that I’m your gym crush. I have to say I’m honored.”

“She told you that. Damnit, Lyric.” Bridget covers her face.

He snickers. “No reason to be embarrassed, baby. It’s nice to be the chosen one.”

She looks up at him, “the chosen one?”

“Yeah.” Silas searches her face. His eyes grow large, and he looks close to having a realization. “Did you not know how many niggas have tried to shoot their shot?”

“What are you talking about?”

A few men have been nice to Bridget—and a few have even helped her when she first started going to the gym—but no one has ever hit on her. At least not to the best of her knowledge.

“I haven’t noticed anyone flirting with me, but then again, I’m pretty bad at flirting myself. So, I probably just didn’t notice.” Bridget shrugs.

“Wow, well then, let me inform you, Bridget, that you are the one many men have tried and failed to holler at.”

“Did you ever hit on me?”

“No, I was actually going to say something to you today, but I chickened out, ironically.”

“Really? You don’t strike me as the type of man who gives up easily.”

“I’m not. But you’ve turned down a lot of dudes, and I wanted to give myself more time to think of something to say.

I was so deep in thought about what I would say to you next time we were at the gym that, when you yelled your name, it scared the shit out of me.

I’m Silas, by the way.” He extends his hand.

She takes his hand and tries to ignore how soft his skin feels.

Bridget clears her throat, “again, I’m so sorry. And I know your name. I heard the smoothie person say it. Did you know your name means ‘of the forest’?”

“I didn’t. I’m pretty sure my mom just liked the name. What does your name mean, Bridget?”

“It means power, strength, vigor and virtue.”

“Damn! That’s dope, and I got saddled with this weak-ass name meaning trees and shit.”

Bridget bursts out laughing. “It means ‘of the forest.’”

“Exactly. Trees and shit.”

The server comes to their table. “Welcome to the Sunny Side Up diner. What can I get you folks to drink?”

“I’ll have a beermosa made with Blue Moon,” Silas answers.

“And I’ll have a regular mimosa,” Bridget replies.

“May I please see your IDs?”

They each show her their IDs. “Thank you. I’ll be right back with your drinks.” The server exits.

“I can’t remember the last time I got carded.” Bridget puts her license away.

“Me either. I’m forty-nine, so I?—”

“Wait, what? You’re how old?”

“Forty-nine.”

“You have to share your skincare regimen with me.”

“Please, like your fine ass needs one.”

Bridget blushes and looks down at the table and glances back up when the server returns with their drinks.

“Are you two ready to order?” the server asks.

“I’ll have the breakfast special displayed on your window,” Bridget answers.

“Me too, but no meat,” Silas says.

The server nods and exits.

“Are you a vegetarian?” Bridget asks.

“Naw, I don’t eat pork, and not for religious reasons. I’m just not a fan.”

“Got it. Where were we?” Bridget asks.

“I was telling you how fine you are, and you blushed.” Silas smirks.

Bridget blushes again. “Stop.” She giggles. “Oh, my god! You’re making me all giddy.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I suppose, but the last time a guy made me giddy, I married him.”

“Why aren’t you still together?”

“He left me for a younger woman.”

Silas frowns and shakes his head. “I’m always telling my daughter to stay away from niggas like that. Fools that don’t respect their ladies and see them as replaceable aren’t the type to change. They remain selfish and do nothing but cause harm.”

“Amen,” Briget agrees. “How old is your daughter?”

The server comes back with their food and places their respective plates in front of them. They each thank her, and she exits.

Silas adds jam to his toast. “I have two. My oldest is thirty, and my youngest just turned twenty. It was the twenty-year-old I was warning,” he answers.

“You do not have a thirty-year-old kid. I do not believe you.” Bridget unfolds her napkin and lays it across her lap.

“Believe it, baby. And I’ll tell you something else. She had her first child a year ago. I’m a pop-pop.”

“Was that the little chubby-cheeked cutie you were looking at on your phone?” Bridget asks.

“You were watching me while I was on my phone?” Silas grins.

Bridget averts her eyes. “Uh … kind of.”

Silas chuckles. “Yes, that’s my grandbaby Summer.”

“She’s adorable. She has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?”

Silas blows out a raspberry. “Pfftt. Her, her momma and her auntie. I don’t stand a chance with my girls. I give them everything they ask for and more.”

“That’s so sweet. I was a daddy’s girl, and I always wanted Tanya to have that type of relationship with Lamar. But he just was …” Bridget trails off.

“Selfish. The word you’re looking for is selfish. Lamar wasn’t interested in being a father or a husband unless it benefited him.”

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“I know far too many men like that. What happened between you two?” Silas asks.

“Let’s see, he cheated on me with the heffa he’s now marrying. And she’s only eight years older than our son.”

Silas sips his beermosa before his face turns sour. “Yikes.”

“I know, right? We were married for seventeen years. We have two kids; seventeen and fifteen. And for a large portion of our marriage, I was the breadwinner. Then he just tossed me aside when he found someone who would worship him instead of support him.”

“Are your kids going to the wedding?”

“Nope. They’re staying with their grandparents that weekend.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ll be there. I’m flying out next month,” Bridget says.

Silas furrows his brows. “For closure?”

“Revenge.”

Silas smirks. “I’m intrigued. Please explain.”

Bridget adds Tabasco sauce to her eggs. “Lamar and I are both authors. We bonded over our love of words. I started getting some attention as an indie author, and it led to bigger things. I’m now a traditionally published author.

He felt entitled to some attention of his own.

So, I helped him, and he let it go to his head.

Until one day, he decided he didn’t need me anymore. ”

“You want me to kick this nigga’s ass?”

Bridget laughs. “No, that’s not necessary. My revenge plan will do just nicely. He hasn’t seen me in a while, and I want to walk in and make him feel like the fool he is.”

“What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Aside from me looking radiant, I have to walk in on the arm of a fine-ass man. I know Lamar, and me walking in alone says, ‘Fuck you, I’m good,’ but me walking in with another man says, ‘Fuck you, I’m good, and oh, look! It turns out you’re easily replaceable.’”

Silas lets out a hearty laugh.

Bridget joins him, then continues, “He’s a competitive, insecure asshat. It’ll kill him to see me with another man.”

“Is that where I come in?”

“Honestly, I was hoping so, but I didn’t want you to think that was the only reason I was crushing on you.”

“I’m in.”

“Damn, really? Just like that?”

“Just like that. You mentioned flying earlier.”

Bridget nods. “The wedding is in Montana.”

“Is that where him or his fiancée is from?”

“Nope. It’s a location that plays a role in his books.”

“So, he’s taking a special day that’s supposed to be about him and his fiancée, and he’s making it purely about him?”

“Yeah, basically.”

“Okay. This actually gives me an idea. Now, I want you to keep an open mind about what I’m about to suggest.”

“Alright,” Bridget says with apprehension in her tone.

“You see, you’re not being open-minded already.”

“You’re right. Go ahead.”

“Two words. Road trip.”

“Two other words. Hell no.”

Silas looks at her incredulously. “Really?”

“Yeah, negro. I barely know you.”

“And yet you wanted me to attend a wedding with you.”

“Going to a wedding, then coming back and continuing to see where this goes is one thing, but a road trip?”

“What better way for us to get to know each other than on the open road? We can stop in Utah, see Zion National Park and end up in … which part of Montana?”

“Missoula.”

Silas takes a second to think about it. “Right, that’s a seventeen-hour drive. We can stay at hotels, separate rooms, of course, and eat at greasy spoons. It’ll be fun, Bridget. I promise you that.”

“What about my safety?”

“You’ll be perfectly safe with me, baby.

I’ll tell you what, let me take you out.

Then, if you still enjoy my company, you can take my number, my business address and home address and send them to all your people.

I have nothing to hide because no harm will fall upon you in my presence.

I’m the last nigga who would ever hurt a woman.

” Silas looks her in the eye and speaks with conviction.

“That was pretty convincing,” Bridget replies.

“So tomorrow, meet me at Runyon Canyon.”

“Hiking? That’s not a date.”

“It will be with me.”

So here I am, at eight in the morning, hiking because a fine-ass man convinced me to .

It’s not as if Bridget doesn’t work out already but hiking and jogging have never been her thing. When she and Silas reach the top, they stand next to each other and look at the view of downtown.

“I started reading your book last night. I already hate King Rodrick.”

“Pace yourself.”

“What made you become an author?”

“Mary Jefferson.”

“Was she a teacher of yours?”

“Nope. She’s the author of The Adventures of Melody Lee , my favorite book when I was a kid.

It was about this little Black girl named Melody Lee who checked out a book from the library, and it ended up whisking her away to a faraway land.

She goes on an amazing adventure and defeats the Nightmare, a dark entity that brings evil to all that encounter it.

She’s hailed as a hero and sent back home. ”

“That made an impression on you.”

“A huge one. What about you? What’s your thing?”

“Cars. My dad took me to a car show when I was a kid, and I became obsessed. I learned everything I could about cars. That led me to work for Leroy as a mechanic. He passed away when I was twenty-six and left the business to me. I was a young man who went from being a mechanic to being a business owner seemingly overnight. It was overwhelming—and it still is—but I managed to grow the business and buy out a neighboring car wash, which I have expanded into a customization business as well.”

“Go ’head, Mr. Silas … I’m sorry, I don’t know your last name.”

“Magrady.”

“Go ’head, Mr. Silas Magrady.”

He laughs.

“My girls want to buy my son a car for getting into all five of his top choices for college.”

“Let me know when. I know some car dealers who will give y’all a good price.”

“Why, thank you. You’re just filled with chivalry, aren’t you? You’re willing to help me get revenge on my ex, volunteering to make sure my son gets the right car—what’s next?”

“You’ll find out once we hit the road.”

“I’m looking forward to it. You’ve actually made me look forward to a road trip.”

“One of many miracles I plan to work on you.” Silas smirks, then kneels. “Now hop on, I’ll take us down.”

Bridget hops on his back. “If you drop me or we roll down the hill on some Jack and Jill shit, the deal is off.”

“I got you.” He heads down, with her clinging on to him.