Page 85 of Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming

“Girl, it’s no problem. The kids are at their grandparents. Ever since Lamar pulled his fuck shit, his parents are available 25/8. They’re embarrassed by their son’s assholery, so they make it up to me by taking the kids whenever I need alone time. The deadline for this manuscript is ahead of schedule anyway. Now what’s going on?”

“It’s Kofi. He wants to share something with me, and I have no idea what. But it seems to be something bad. He’s afraid I won’t take it well.”

“How do you know that?” Lyric asks.

“I overheard him talking to his cousin. I didn’t mean to, but now I’m worried. I really like him, girls. What if it’s something really bad?”

“Wait, didn’t you have a date tonight? Where is he?”

“I told him I didn’t feel well and asked him to leave,” Suchi confesses.

“Why in the hell did you do that? Why not just ask him?” Bridget asks.

“I freaked out, and I needed a girlfriends’ moment to figure out what to do.”

“Do what Bridge just suggested. Ask him. Tell him you didn’t mean to overhear his conversation, and you’re freaking out about what he wants to tell you,” Lyric suggests.

“But what if it’s something really bad?” Suchi squeezes her hand with worry.

“Okay, let’s go down the list of possibilities,” Bridget says. “He could be married.”

“That’s true.” Suchi pours herself some wine.

“He could have a whole gaggle of kids,” Aimee remarks.

“But why hide that? He told me he loves kids, why hide his own?” Suchi takes a sip.

“Probably because of the whole gaggle part.” Bridget moves around the teabag in her mug.

“What if he’s killed someone?” Aimee guesses.

“That would have come up in his background check,” Lyric states.

“What background check?” Suchi asks.

“The one I had Big Head do,” Lyric tells her.

“Look, we can speculate all night, but the only way you’ll know is if you ask, Sooch.” Bridget says.

“That’s true. Thanks, girls.”

“Always, we got you. You know that.” Lyric smiles.

Suchi lets out a breath. “Time to rip the Band-Aid off. I’ll call you all later.”

“Okay.”

“It’s going to be okay, Sooch. No matter what happens,” Aimee says.

Suchi nods and ends the call then sends a text to Kofi.

Suchi

Could we meet and talk?

Kofi

Sure, I’m near a park in Redondo Beach. Czuleger Park. Meet me there.