The Final Play

by Shelly Ellis

  She smiled at him again, unaware of his carnal thoughts. “So how’s the job hunt going? Are you still looking, or did you find something?”

  “I’ve gone on a few more interviews. I got an offer yesterday, but I still haven’t decided if I want to take it.”

  “Really? That’s good news! What offer?” she asked, sounding excited. “Tell me! Where?”

  “It’s hard to describe. It’s with a consultancy group. But like I said, I don’t know if I want it anyway.”

  “Oh.”

  They fell into another awkward silence. They both looked around them, staring at the audience and the empty stage, looking at the playbill.

  “So what have you been up to?” he asked, taking his turn at making an attempt at chitchat. He figured he should. He had resolved that this would probably be the last time he would see her in person for quite a while. It was obvious that his emotions were still too strong and the hurt was too raw. But tonight, he could at least be cordial.

  “Not much. Looking forward to the kids taking Thanksgiving vacation in a month so I can finally have some days off. I’ve kind of been in work mode. I’ve been stuck in my apartment . . . just me and Brownie, working on my lesson plans and grading papers. I finally went out for the first time in weeks last Tuesday to this tapas restaurant on M Street. I’d never been there before but the guy who took me there said the food was good.”

  “A guy?” His ears perked up at that. “So you . . . you went out on a date?”

  “A blind date,” she clarified. “One of the teachers at my school set it up. He was nice, but I just didn’t feel anything.” She nudged his knee. “So how about you? You getting back out there? Met anybody?”

  You mean have I gotten over you? he wondered flippantly.

  He didn’t know why she was talking about this. Why the hell would he want to hear about her blind date, or tell her about his dating life? Did she forget what they were to each other, what he’d felt for her? But maybe this was her attempt to move on, to re-create the platonic friendship they’d once had. He’d play along for now.

  “Yeah, I went on a date last week. She’s a nurse that I met at the hospital center when I was shot. We ran into each other again, and I asked her out.”

  “Oh? What’s this nurse’s name?”

  “Samantha. Samantha Connolly.”

  “Samantha?” She nodded thoughtfully. “Let me guess . . . a pixie-looking type, right? Cute, blond, and petite?”

  He nodded and inclined his head, now surprised. “How’d you know?”

  “I just know you have a type,” she said with a snort. “Those are the kind of girls you’re usually attracted to. You’ve been that way as long as I’ve known you. You love you some little white girls.”

  What the hell is that supposed to mean?

  He also noticed that Melissa had conveniently forgotten that he’d been attracted to her. She didn’t fit that “type.”

  “And I guess you have a type, too? Tall, dark-skinned dudes with dreads?” he jabbed, alluding to her ex, Derrick.

  She side-eyed him. “Not really.”

  “Could’ve fooled me,” he muttered bitterly before slumping back in his chair.

  The house lights went down and the stage lights came up. The performance began.

  They didn’t talk again until intermission. It had less to do with how engrossing the Shakespearean performance was and not wanting to be rude, than feeling like unsaid words were piling up between them. He could feel the tension mounting as the night pressed on. When the house lights came up again and people stood from their chairs to head to the bathrooms in the lobby, he and Melissa stayed seated.

  “So what do you think of the play so far?” she asked.

  He shrugged and kept his gaze focused on the empty stage. “It’s fine.” He frowned when she loudly grumbled beside him. “What?”

  “Jay, are you sure everything is okay?”

  “Of course, I’m sure. Why do you keep asking me that?”

  “Because you’re acting weird. You’re not even talking.”

  “I am talking! Did I not just answer your question?”

  “Forget it!” She sucked her teeth in exasperation and shook her head. “Just forget it.”

  “Forget what? What is your problem?”

  “You really wanna know what my problem is?” She shifted in her chair to glare at him. “I asked you out tonight because I missed you and I . . . I thought we could be cool, that we could still be friends. But if you don’t want my friendship anymore, Jay, that’s fine with me.”

  “I never said that!”

  He hadn’t said it, but it was the truth. That’s how he felt. He’d be better off if he never had to see her again, if they never spoke to one another. He knew that now. He’d take her silence over this slow torture.

  “I know how men are,” she continued. “Now that we’re not fucking anymore, it’s deuces for you, and that’s fine. It won’t hurt my feelings. Just let a girl know though.”

  “What? What the hell are you talking about? You can’t just throw random shit out like—”

  He didn’t get to finish. Someone behind him loudly shushed him as the house lights went down again and the play resumed. By then, Jamal had to fight every urge not to get up and walk out on her. He didn’t need this shit. He certainly didn’t need a guilt trip from Melissa, of all people. She was the one who had crushed him, not the other way around.

  When the play finally ended and the cast took their bows, he and Melissa stood from their chairs and headed to the aisle. It turned out she wanted to get out of there just as much as he did. They walked into the lobby and heard the thunder outside. They gazed out the glass doors and saw the heavy downpour.

  “Did you drive or take the Metro?” he asked, staring at the rain.

  She blew air through her bubbled cheeks. “Metro.”

  The theater was about five blocks from the nearest Metro station. He couldn’t let her walk in this—no matter how pissed she’d made him.

  He held up his car keys. “Come on. I’m parked up the street. I’ll drive you home.”

  She stubbornly shook her head. “Nah, that’s okay. I’m good.”

  “Let’s not argue. It’s raining cats and dogs out there, Lissa.”

  She pulled out her cell. “It’s fine. I’ll just catch an Uber.” She tapped a few buttons on screen. “I can have one here in . . . shit!”

  “What?”

  “I guess it’s busy tonight with the rain. The nearest ride is about twenty-five minutes away.”

  “So I’m driving you home then?”

  She looked like she wanted to mount another argument but instead looked again out the glass doors at the heavy downpour and dropped her phone back into her purse. “I guess so,” she murmured.

  Chapter 32

  Jamal

  They did the twenty-minute drive in strained silence, not looking at one another. When Jamal passed the entrance of her apartment building, Melissa turned to look at him. She pointed to the car window. “Aren’t you . . . aren’t you going to pull over so I can hop out?”

  “It’s still raining. Besides, I should walk you upstairs,” he murmured, making her close her eyes and slump back against the leather headrest.

  “You don’t have to do that, Jay.”

  “I know I don’t have to do it, but it doesn’t feel right to just shove you out the door and gun the engine. Okay? Just let me do this,” he said tightly.

  He might be irritated with her, but he was still a gentleman.

  “Okay, it’s up to you.” She opened her eyes and sighed. “Thank you.”

  He didn’t reply. Instead, Jamal made a right, to turn into the building’s parking garage. He pulled up to the yellow and black gate and lowered the car window to press the glowing button to receive a parking ticket.

  A minute later they were walking to the garage elevators. They were both silent. Only the sound of their shoes thumping against cement and echoing against the
cinderblock walls filled the space where their voices would usually be.

  It felt wrong to be so stiff and awkward around Melissa. When they were alone, their conversation usually flowed easily, but it hadn’t tonight. All they’d had were biting words for each other and he wasn’t sure why.

  Because you’re still angry and hurt, a voice in his head said.

  So what was her excuse? Why was she so hostile?

  Jamal pressed the up button, shoved his hands into his coat pockets, and they both waited for the elevator to arrive.

  “Thanks for coming out tonight,” Melissa ventured a few seconds later.

  “You’re welcome,” he said, keeping his eyes on the elevator’s steel doors.

  “You didn’t seem like you had a good time though.”

  “You didn’t seem like you wanted me to have a good time. You took shots at me the whole night.”

  “I just asked you why you were acting so weird. I didn’t take shots at you.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Yes, you did, Lissa!”

  “No, I did not!”

  He finally turned to look at her. “You love you some little white girls, don’t you?” he said, mimicking her voice, recalling her words from earlier. “Now that we’re not fucking anymore, it’s deuces for you.” He barked out a biting laugh. “What kind of shit was that? You had your foot on my neck and you wouldn’t let up.”

  She slowly exhaled. “Okay, you’re right.”

  “Thank you!”

  Suddenly, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened. She stepped inside the compartment and he followed. The doors closed behind them. It began to ascend to the fourteenth floor.

  “I didn’t mean to act like an ass all night,” she whispered.

  “So why did you?”

  “Damnit, I don’t know!” she huffed, ruffling her hair in frustration. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but this is all new to me, Jay. I’ve never been through something like this before. I’m not sure how to act . . . how to handle . . . well . . . everything. I guess I’m just being overly sensitive.”

  He glanced up at the digital readout. “Yeah, well, it’s hard for me, too.”

  She scrunched up her face, making her nose wrinkle. “It is?”

  “Of course, it is! Why wouldn’t it be? We were . . . close. Then we weren’t anymore. I needed space to come to terms with everything that happened . . . how it played out. I realized I have to move on.”

  The elevator came to a halt. The doors opened and he gestured for her to step out first. She seemed to hesitate before doing so, but she finally stepped into the hall and he followed her onto her floor. He watched as Melissa crossed her arms over her chest like she was warding off a chill despite the wool pea coat she wore. They walked down the carpeted hallway to her door.

  “So that’s what you’re doing? Moving on?”

  He nodded. “I’m trying. That’s why I went out on a date with Sam.”

  Melissa came to a stop beside him. “So you really like her?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I guess she seems nice. She’s cute. Funny. We had some chemistry. Seems like we have potential.”

  She resumed walking. “Were you going to ask her out again?”

  “Yeah, I was thinking about it. I should probably do it soon though. I don’t want too much time to go by and let her think I’m not interested anymore.”

  Melissa went quiet again. She dropped her eyes to her ankle boots as they neared her door.

  “What?” he asked again, laughing. “What’s with the face? Is me dating another white girl really that annoying to you?”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not that. I just brought up the white stuff to be petty because I . . .” She didn’t finish.

  “Because you what?”

  “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” She shook her head and waved him off. “Look, take my advice. If you really like her, call her. Do it ASAP if this looks like it has potential. Don’t keep fucking around and let her pass you by.”

  He stilled, surprised to be getting this advice from her. “Really?”

  “Yes, really!” She nodded. “If it makes you happy. I want you to be happy, Jay. I always did.”

  Funny, the one thing that would’ve made him happy was the one thing she wasn’t willing to give.

  Melissa licked her lips and cleared her throat. “Thanks for bringing me home. I appreciate it. Drive home safely. Okay?”

  She then turned and walked to her apartment door.

  It was so abrupt. Melissa didn’t even hug him or say goodbye, which wasn’t like her.

  He stood awkwardly in the hallway, watching her pull her keys from her purse. He heard her sniff. “Lissa?”

  She didn’t answer him but instead accidentally dropped her keys to the carpeted floor and cursed under her breath.

  “Lissa?” he said again, walking toward her. She fell to her knees to retrieve her keys and stood. She mumbled something he couldn’t hear. “Lissa, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine!” she shouted. He could see now that there were tears in her eyes, that her hands were shaking. “I said, I’m fine. Please just go!”

  “You’re not fine! You’re crying. What’s wrong?”

  Tears spilled onto her cheeks despite her attempts to wipe them away. “Shit, I didn’t wanna do this. I promised myself that I wouldn’t.”

  “Do what?”

  “I wanted to be a good friend to you, Jay,” she rambled. “You’ve been a good . . . a good friend to me. You deserve that! And you’re in a good place now. You’ve moved on. You seem so . . . so much better now. I—”

  “Lissa,” he said, grabbing her shoulders, “what are you talking about?”

  She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Her nostrils flared as she took another shaky breath. She opened her eyes again. “I’m in love with you. That’s why I asked to meet up tonight. So I could see you again.”

  He stared at her in awe.

  “That month we spent apart, when I couldn’t see you or talk to you. I kept wanting to call you. I promised myself that I wouldn’t.” She gave a sad laugh. “Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to make up an excuse to do it, so I came up with the tickets for the play. I just couldn’t stay away! I realized why the ache for Dee had disappeared. It wasn’t because I wasn’t in love anymore; I was just in love with someone else—with you.”

  “You’re . . . you’re in love with me?”

  “Yes!” she shouted, sounding irritated. “And now I’m in this crazy-ass situation where I’m telling you to go on a second date with another chick because she seems right for you and she doesn’t have all my goddamn baggage. Now I’m vulnerable again and I hate it! I hate this shit, Jay! I’m—”

  “Where I used to be,” he finished for her. “You’re exactly where I used to be when I was confessing my feelings to you. I was vulnerable, too, Lissa. Shit, I still am!”

  She stilled. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I made you feel this way. I never wanted to hurt you. Why would I want to hurt you? I love you, Jay.”

  He didn’t need to hear anything else. He brought his lips to hers.

  Jamal could taste the saltiness of her tears on his lips and tongue. He eased her apartment door farther open and pulled her inside, yanking out her house keys and slamming the door shut behind them. They fell back against the door as her keys tumbled to the floor with a loud clatter. They yanked off their coats and began to tear at one another’s clothes. Buttons popped. One of her bra straps ripped off its plastic hinge. She hiked up her leg and wrapped it around his waist. He cupped her round bottom, squeezing it as he dragged her toward him, keeping his mouth glued against hers.

  It was the same frantic intensity as the first time they’d made love, but this time, it wouldn’t be a fifteen-minute tryst on a sofa arm. He’d make sure of that.

  “Come on,” he said, grabbing her hand. He turned and almost
stumbled over Brownie, who meowed softly, flopping onto his side.

  “Sorry, Brownie. I missed you, too, buddy. I swear, I’ll give you all the attention you want in about an hour,” he said as he walked around the cat and led Melissa down the hall to her bedroom. “Maybe two.”

  He dragged her into her bedroom and shut the door behind them. She tugged him toward the mattress and sat on the edge of the bed. She gazed up at him. “I missed you so much,” she whispered.

  He stroked her face and hair. “Show me how much you missed me.”

  She lowered the zipper of his jeans and tugged down his boxers. She held him in her hand and took him into her mouth and he groaned and buried his fingers in her hair.

  He didn’t know how long he stood there while she licked and sucked. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t speak. When he felt himself drawing close, he yelled for her to stop and she pulled her mouth away.

  “What?” she asked licking her lips. “What’s wrong? You didn’t like it?”

  “The opposite. I liked it a lot,” he said breathlessly, with a grin. “But we’re not finishing this way. Not tonight.”

  He eased her back onto the bed and pushed her skirt up her thighs. She raised her hips so that he could tug off her panties and toss them aside. He pulled down one of her bra cups and held one of her breasts. He massaged the nipple before lowering his hand between her legs. As their tongues danced, he felt her go wet underneath his fingertips. She whimpered against his lips. Her hips began to buck rhythmically. He couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled his hand away and plunged forward, gliding inside her with one swift stroke.

  As he pounded into her, Melissa fisted the bed sheets in her hands. She whined and moaned. She begged him to go faster, not to stop. Her screams got louder and louder. They were so loud that he was sure her neighbors could hear. She turned and buried her face in a pillow, trying to stifle her yells.