Wednesday Writing Prompt #3

Writing Prompt 3# His best friend sets him up on a blind date, but he’s surprised when he shows up for a date and his best friend is sitting there.

THE REAL

Damn. I would be at least thirty minutes late for a blind date I didn’t even want but I promised Tish I would be there. She’s the only reason I even agreed. My console lit up signaling a call. Perfect. It’s Tish, probably wondering if I’m running late per usual. I debated whether to answer and hear her mouth about my selfishness and lack of respect for people’s time.

I increased my speed hoping to cut down my time of arrival as I clicked the button on my steering wheel. “Hey.”

“Why does it sound like you’re still driving?” Her soulful voice traveled throughout my car.

“Just tell your friend, I had a meeting that ran late. I would’ve told her myself, but you refused to give me her number.”

She snorted derisively.  “So, you can cancel behind my back? And how charming you are, you would do it in such a way, she would think it was her idea. Besides, I’m not lying for you when I know you were watching the Wizards game.”   

“You know how I feel about the Wizards. Why would you set a date up for tonight?”

“Umm…you agreed to meet her tonight.”

I slipped in between two cars trying to make up some of the time. “Stop busting my balls and let her know I’ll be about ten minutes late.”

“You mean thirty?”

I countered, “Twenty-five.”

“Aaron. I can’t believe you.”

“Tell her whatever you want to tell her but just let her know I’m running late. Fuck, Tish. I shouldn’t have agreed to even go on this date. I can get a woman.”

She remarked, “The world knows that Aaron Youngblood has no problem getting a woman.  But none of them are of substance.”

Old resentments and regrets resurfaced as I grumbled, “I had that, and I fucked it up.”

“It’s been two years since the divorce. Just because you fucked it up, doesn’t mean that you can’t get it right the next time. You’ve become a much better man. I couldn’t stand your ass and now you’re my best friend.”

I tapped my steering wheel. “If I’ve changed so much, why are you and I still just friends?”

She responded softly, “Aaron, you know why.”

I did but it didn’t stop my incessant dreams of being with her. “You still seeing that dude?”

“It’s complicated.”

“With me, it would be simple.”

Her laughter warmed my heart. “You and I would never be simple.”

I answered promptly, “Our love would be.”

Switching lanes, I let my words sink in.

Tish sighed deeply. “We are not a good idea.”

I gripped the steering wheel tighter. “Have you texted my date, yet? She’s probably thinking I stood her up.”

Silence again on her end.

“Tish?”

She finally replied, “Having second thoughts.”

I drawled, “About us?”

“About setting you up. Maybe I should tell her to leave.”

“Jealous?”

She squeaked, “Jealous?”

“Why is there an echo?”

“Your ego is way too big.”

I teased. “Then admit you don’t want me to meet this woman because of the way I make you feel.”

“You don’t make me feel anything. The blind date was my idea.”

I chuckled. “Why do you keep lying to yourself?”

“I’m not.”

I shook my head as if she could see me.

She repeated, “I’m not.”

“Admit you’d miss me if I stop calling you?”

“Of course, we talk every day.”

“Okay…admit that I was the best sex of your life.”

“Aaron that was one night.”

Confident of my sexual prowess, I replied, “Your point?”

“That night was a long time ago and you needed me.”

“You ran after me that night, remember?”

“I couldn’t stand to see you so hurt. I didn’t plan to sleep with you.” She paused. “I didn’t want to be a rebound…and then you are my oldest friend’s ex-husband.”

“As you said yourself, Kam is happy and isn’t concerned about who I’m with anymore and I wouldn’t care if she did.”

“It’s just crazy that I even allowed myself to be attracted to you.”

“Was it crazy how my dick made you feel? How my tongue enjoyed every bit of your body. How you were ready for me again within seconds of screaming my name. That I still dream about that night and how we made love for hours. You really want me to be with another woman when you know you want to be my woman?”

“That night was fucking amazing, but you didn’t call me for three months. I thought I did something wrong or that you used me.”

“I tried to explain, but you wouldn’t let me. You wanted us to forget about that night and move on as friends.”

“You didn’t try hard enough to explain.”

“Why would I do that when you made it clear when you woke up in my arms, crying, and apologizing that it was all a big mistake?”

“Because it was, Aaron.”

“Making love to you made one of the worst nights of my life, the best. You made me feel like I had a tomorrow, that there was hope for me to find love again. I didn’t contact you because I wanted to be sure of my emotions…sure that what I felt for you was real.”

“Aaron it was the worst night of your life because you still loved Kam.”

“When I signed those papers, I was done. It took me a long time to see that if she and I were meant, I wouldn’t have kept so much from her. She fell in love with Kari because he’s always been true to himself.  I was dealing with a lot of shit, feeling sorry for myself. Hating that I lost to my little brother, hating that a part of me wished he stayed gone. He was a reminder of how much I’d fucked up.  But you’ve always been hard on my ass. You saw through me. Made me be real. And that night we spent I’d never felt so close to another human being. I only settled for friendship because it’s what you wanted.” I pulled into the restaurant lot and parked. “Do you still want me to go out on this date?”

“She’s already there, Aaron…I don’t know…”

“Don’t know what? Listen, spend the weekend with me in Chicago and if you’re not in love with me by Sunday, we forever remain friends. I’ll fly you up.” I parked my car, waiting for her response. “Tish…”

She sighed. “Let me think about it. I better go.”

“Wait…can we talk more after this horrible date?”

“How do you know it’ll be horrible?”

“It’s not you.”

“Bye, Aaron.”

“Seriously, give me one weekend.”

“Maybe…”

I smiled as I disconnected the phone, already thinking of an escape plan to ditch my date, anxious to call Tish back. I jumped out of my car and practically ran into a woman.

“Tish?” I blinked quickly to make sure that she wasn’t a figment of my imagination. “What are you doing in Chicago?”

Tish placed her hands on her tight jeans-covered ample hips and tilted her head flirtatiously. “I told her to go home, that I wanted you for myself.”

Smiling so hard, my jaws already ached, I pressed her soft body into mine. “And she wasn’t upset?”

Circling her arms around my neck, she asked, “Why you worried about a woman you never met?”

“I did drive all this way. At least I can meet her.”

She grinned and kissed me with her luscious full lips. Before I could deepen the kiss with my tongue, she pulled back. “Name’s Latisha.”

“I heard good things about you.” I caressed her beautiful heart shaped face, shaking my head in wonder that she’d planned such an elaborate ruse to get my attention. “I’m thinking we’re not going to need the whole weekend.”

**Aaron and Tish first appeared in Forbidden.**

*For readers who wanted to know what happened after Tish went after Aaron in Forbidden Hearts*

Have you ever dated a man who started off as your friend only?

Would you date one of your guy friends?

Once a man is in the friend zone, does he typically stay in that zone?

Now…the fun of this writing experience is to read how each of us used the same prompt to create very different shorts…Enjoy!!!

Delaney Diamond delaneydiamond.com

J.L. Campbell joylcampbell.com

Nyora René nyorarene.com

S. Taylor staylorromance.com