Extraordinary Love

Chapter 12

Song: Put It In A Love Song by Alicia Keys

Aaliyah

I had been thinking a lot since my conversation with Chris the other night. I would never have known that Chris had been through all of that. He was a was strong man to remain level-headed and humble. His life could have gone down a completely different path had he have not met Trey. Who knows if Chris would be in prison himself or if he and his mother would even still be here. I told him about my family, too. My non-relationship with my father was a sensitive topic for me but when around Chris, I feel like I'm on truth serum. I know that I can trust him and know that he trusts me in return. We're in a good place right now. We talk every day, all day. I've only felt like this one other time in my life and it hadn't been for a while. We stayed up all night caking on the phone like we were teenagers again. It felt good.

"Aaliyah," Karrueche called, coming around to my desk. "You want to do lunch?"

I pulled myself away from my phone as much as I could. "Yeah, sounds good."

We went to our usual spot: some little restaurant down the street that served five dollar Frisco melts at lunchtime. We always ordered shakes too; Kae had a strawberry one, and I ordered mine chocolate, no whip cream, no cherry. Karrueche understood my financial situation and had a similar one of her own. Our jobs didn't pay much (though mine had a little extra for being Derek's assistant) and Kae was a single mother. It wasn't easy living off of our salary and providing for two, especially in NYC.

"So tell me how little Elijah is doing," I asked after we ordered. My phone was in my lap half covered by the table skirt as I tried to make conversation and talk to Chris.

Christopher : Trey seems to be in a really good mood today

Karrueche rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Girl, he is a handful but I love him. Little man is turning four this month and begs me every day for to this army green bike. 'Mommy! Mommy! I need it.' Aaliyah, he doesn't even know how to ride. I told him it doesn't have training wheels but he won't listen to me."

Aaliyah: Maybe he's just having a good day? lol

"Aw, I miss my little buddy. You'll have to let me know when it is so I can come."

Christopher: Nah this nigga been whistling Temptation's My Girl for a good hour. Something's up.

Speaking of, he made me put this in my purse for you," she pulled out a crude crayon drawn invitation. "I'll text you the details."

I nodded and stuck the invite in my purse, thinking I'd put it up at my desk when we got back.

"Have you had any luck getting ahold of his dad?"

"No girl, he's dropped off the face of the Earth again. I wouldn't be surprised if that nigga's locked up again though. He can't stay out of trouble to save his life. But if he was incarcerated at least then he'd have an excuse for not being there for his son. I swear some days I wish I would've never even met his sorry trifling ass but then again I wouldn't have my Eli if not. When I see my baby boy, I know that everything I went through was worth it."

"You just have to take the good with the bad, Kae. Think that he may not be shit but he was a door to your greatest gift."

"You're right, as always. I swear I don't know how you got so wise about all of this stuff," she smiled. "But what about you? I've seen that nice ass Lamborghini waiting outside the office for you. Who's the lucky guy?"

The waitress brought our plates over to the table.

With a full mouth of my first bite, I asked, "You mean Chris? I met him a few months back. He's a really great guy but it's not official between us. We're really just getting to know each other right now."

"Mm, okay." She cut her eyes away from me and sipped on her chai tea.

"What? We're really just friends right now."

"I don't know many guys who would do that every day for a 'friend' but alright."

"Just friends, for now, Karrueche."

She mumbled under her breath, "Just friends, my ass. I need to find me just a friend, shit."

The bell on the door chimed and I turned around to inspect the man in question. He was a cute brown skin in baby blue scrubs. He was also a familiar face. I waved and he made his way over. Chris was right; he did seem to have an extra pep in his step.

"Hey Trey. Trey, this is my coworker Karrueche Tran. Karrueche, this is Raven's boo, Dr. Trey Neverson."

He smiled and said it was nice to meet her. Turning back to me, he said, "Why don't you come over for dinner this Friday? The four of us can get together again and I'll cook."

"Sounds like a plan. Say, what's got you beaming today?"

He winked at me and bowed out. Karrueche watched him leave wistfully.

"Does he have any brothers?"