MAD BLACK WOMAN

L.E.

After her date, Nanti slips him her number and he takes it, smiles and she thinks to herself that this is fun.

The whole serial dating thing.

Having someone only know her for how she chooses to present herself and that is all, that is it. They don't see the scars or the unhappiness or the desire to be okay again, to have that love that she once had, as ripe and as ready as it was the first day it unfurled.

Nanti is a beautiful stranger to the guy across the table, nothing more, nothing less.

She is a smile, legs, and a short, short dress.

And as their eyes trace the slope of her neck, the miles of her legs, she holds her breath and thinks I could die for moments like this.

Maybe she does a little.

But needless to say, it's her new ritual now. They never come back with her.

They're never her type.

...

Conversation doesn't carry in the house anymore, it's obvious to Nanti that Élan is back but perhaps he's a ghost that disappears as soon as she's home, haunts her in her dreams, comes back then leaves.

Perhaps, perhaps.

She doesn't call him, and vice versa.

Peridot is what keeps her company, her walking ball of fur that stretches, cuddles, and purs like the daughter she's always wanted.

Not like that girl she ran into the other night, the one who was annoyingly cute, who wouldn't stop talking beyond acceptable volume, and petting poor Peridot, who looked absolutely miserable. She would never want a daughter so intolerable, (so adorable,) so verbose, (so advanced,) so messy, (so fun,) and so nosy. (Curious.)

It was obvious that the little girl with the name that was two initials- R.J.?- had never seen home training in her life. And that is why Peridot abhorred her flamboyant nature.

Her mother, with the name of a man, as gorgeous as she was, clearly spent too much time in the mirror instead of watching her rambunctious little child because if she hadn't interrupted at such a convenient time, her daughter-P.E.?- would have went on and on about some date her mommy had with a mystery man that sounded absolutely magical in her little girl eyes.

If she'd had enough time, Nanti would've told her "Keep dreaming, kid. Magical men do not exist."

But clipped for time, in a rush to return back to her bed, to plan her next date, to find satisfaction in appearances, to ignore all of her problems, to stop herself from thinking about Élan, she said, "She's cute," like little-S.E???.- was nothing more than a scarf.

And the mother, Barry, extended a hand to introduce herself, a tiny pretty woman with a physique that looked like it couldn't spell "baby", let alone carry one.

When their hands touched, Nanti gave her name then a smile that almost reached her eyes. Barry excused her daughter, complimented Nanti's shoes, and returned Peridot back to her from her daughter's indelicate grip.

Peridot purred.

And Nanti, well, she was holding her breath.

Maybe she died a little.