Her Good Thing

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“If you want to find a man quickly, we need to advertise. As a matter of fact, we are getting ready to sign you up on BlackPeopleMeet.com.”

Danetta began shaking her head. “I don’t think I can do that, Ryla.” She stood up. “I don’t know, maybe this is too much...too fast.”

Before Ryla could respond, an instant message popped up on Danetta’s computer from someone named Frank. He said hello and informed Danetta that he liked her new picture and would like to get to know her better.

Danetta’s mouth hung open as she looked at the message. “What is wrong with this man? He doesn’t even know me.”

“Welcome to the digital age. This is the way people meet in the twenty-first century.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve met men at the grocery store or in a parking lot,” Danetta replied.

“And how’s that working out for you?” Ryla could barely keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “How many dates have you been on with the men you’ve met in parking lots or at the grocery store?”

Danetta thought about that for a moment. When she came up with a big fat zero, she leaned in to her computer and checked out Frank’s picture. “He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”

“Sure is. Can I respond to him?”

Being more decisive, Danetta said, “Yes, ask him where he works.”

Ryla shook her head and rolled her eyes at that suggestion. “That’s something you can ask later. Right now we want to know if he lives anywhere near Houston.” So, Ryla asked if he lived in Texas.

Frank turned out to be an Ohio resident, and Danetta felt that he was just too far away. So, they logged out of Facebook and went to BlackPeopleMeet.com. Ryla uploaded Danetta’s picture and filled out her profile. She then turned to Danetta and said, “Okay, you should begin getting some hits on Facebook and BlackPeopleMeet.com tonight or tomorrow. All you have to do is decide which of the respondents you want to go out with.”

Danetta bent over and gave Ryla a hug. “Thank you so much, Ryla. I don’t think I could have done any of this without you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You could end up married to some brother who can’t even see the letters j-o-b without having a panic attack.”

Danetta laughed. “Go on somewhere with that kind of talk. My Aunt Sarah spends too much time praying for me for something like that to happen.”

Chapter 5

“My girl has another friend who wants to hook up with you,” Kevin Underwood said as he and Marshall jogged on the treadmill.

“The last friend of your girl’s that you hooked me up with keyed my car... No thank you.”

Kevin hit the stop button on his treadmill, jerked to a stop and turned to face Marshall with openmouthed disbelief. “Veronica keyed your car?”

Marshall nodded but kept his jog going.

“When?” Kevin asked as he reset the treadmill so he could walk fast and talk.

“This past weekend. She got mad because I changed my mind about taking her out of town with me.”

“Did you call the police?”

“Naw, I thought about it but—” Marshall paused as he puffed out his chest and slowed his jog. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold...can’t be running to the police like I’m scared of some girl.”

“Yeah, I feel you,” Kevin said as he laughed at the thought.

They finished up on the treadmill and then hit the showers. Marshall and Kevin had been working out three days a week together since college. They normally lifted weights, but this morning, neither man had the energy, so they elected to do a cardio workout. Not that skipping the weights would hurt either of them; both men had broad shoulders, washboard abs and muscular arms and legs that caused a lawd-have-mercy from a few women as they walked by.

Once they were dressed in their business suits, looking like they were ready to take on the world, Marshall headed toward his Lincoln SUV, while Kevin headed toward the black on black Lexus parked next to it.

“So are we going to the club tomorrow? It’s ladies’ night,” Kevin offered.

Marshall shook his head. “Naw, man, I’m getting tired of clubbing.”

“Since when has a club full of hoochies ever tired you out?”

“I’m getting too old for hoochies and my mama always used to tell me that if I want something different, I have to do something different.”

“Boy you sound like Forrest Gump... M-my mama said...my mama said,” Kevin laughed.

“Chuckle it up, homeboy, but I’m serious. These last few knuckleheads that I’ve dated have caused me to realize that I need a stable-minded woman, rather than these flakes I’ve been dealing with.”

For the second time that morning, Marshall said something that caused Kevin to stop in his tracks. “Say it ain’t so. Don’t tell me that Marshall Windham is getting ready to turn in his playa card?”

“Nobody said anything about turning in my membership. I’m gon’ keep my man cave...just looking to hang out with a woman who has common sense.” Marshall would never tell Kevin about the woman he ran into at the business retreat, but her words had really gotten to him. Marshall looked into that beautiful woman’s eyes and saw how much he had hurt her. Truth be told, it bothered him to know that his actions had caused such pain to another human being.

Kevin snapped his fingers. “You know who would be perfect for you?”

Shaking his head, Marshall said, “I don’t need a hook-up. I can handle mine.”

“Shut up, fool, I’m not trying to hook you up. I’m talking about Danetta.”

Marshall stopped, stared at his friend. “Danetta who?”

“Danetta Harris, your business partner...who do you think I’m talking about?”

Marshall shook his head and started walking toward his SUV again.

“What’s wrong with Danetta? You and her get along, you like the same things. Heck, she even roots for the same sorry sports teams that you do.”

“That’s the exact problem. Other than you, Danetta is the best friend that I have. I can’t mess that up by getting into a relationship with her.”

Kevin thought a moment. “You’re probably right. Most of your women do become disgruntled by the time they leave.”

“What you talkin’ ’bout, man? I leave my women happy and satisfied,” Marshall said with a little extra swag in his walk.

As they reached their cars in the parking lot, both Marshall and Kevin stood there for a moment looking as if their favorite dog had just been run over while they stood and watched it happen. Then as if Marshall’s head exploded, he began jumping up and down as he ran around his SUV. “She flattened three of my tires! Didn’t I tell you...didn’t I tell you, man? That woman is ten kinds of crazy.”

“Dawg, naw!” Kevin put his hands over his mouth and kept staring at the destruction before him.

Marshall flailed his arms back and forth. “What am I supposed to do now?”

“This ain’t happy and satisfied, man.” Kevin shook his head. “It’s time for you to say something.”

Lowering his head as if lowering his pride, Marshall asked, “Can you give me a ride to the police station?”

* * *

Heads swiveled and twirled around as Danetta strutted into work on Monday morning.

“You look really nice today, Danetta. I love the haircut,” Monica, her assistant, said as she passed her in the hallway.

“Thank you.” Danetta pulled her oversized Coach bag over her shoulder and continued toward her office like a woman on a mission.

By the time Monday morning rolled around, she had grown comfortable with her look and knew she looked good. The hair and makeup were positive changes and Danetta owed Ryla big time for helping her with it. But she still wasn’t so sure about the new clothes. Danetta had a strict “no cleavage” policy when it came to the workplace. But she had listened to Ryla and ignored her best judgment; now she was being ogled and stared at like she was a work-on-your-back kind of girl. She rushed to her office and dialed Ryla’s number. As the phone rang, she noticed the single red rose in the crystal vase that had been placed on her desk. She shook her head as she frowned at the rose that Marshall sent to her. He gave her a single red rose every February 13th. Years ago, she had asked him to stop sending her that single red rose the day before Valentine’s Day because it only served to remind her that she didn’t have anyone special in her life. No one had ever sent her the full dozen on the most romantic day of the year. Marshall had assured her that someone would come along and outshine his single red rose, but until they did, he would continue letting her know that she was cherished.