The Single Life with Zola Patterson - Danielle Allen Page 0,1
my new place,” I admitted. “But this won’t fit in my car and I’m not renting a van. We’ve already agreed upon three hundred dollars and this is way bigger than we discussed. And it’s Wednesday and I still need it for this weekend.”
She nodded knowingly. “It’s still just three hundred dollars and I can have it delivered tomorrow after six o’clock.”
I eyed her suspiciously. “What’s the catch?”
She held her hands up. “No catch. Just make sure to tag me in the photos on social media.”
“I can do that.” I stuck out my hand and she shook it.
“It’s been a fun project to work on,” she returned. Stuffing her hands in her pockets, she lifted her shoulders bashfully. “I have to admit something. I’ve been following your blog for the last couple of years. Something you wrote last year got me through a funk so the upgrade”—she nodded her head toward the art— “was a thank you.”
“Oh wow. I’m glad I could help,” I told her.
She gave me an appreciative smile. “It more than helped. It changed my life, Zola.”
Swelling with pride, I put my hand to my chest. “You should come to my release party. I’ll email you the details.”
“Oh my God! Thank you!” she exclaimed as I emailed her the date, time, and location from my phone.
We said our goodbyes and I left the workshop. Driving across town, I thought about everything I had to do before Friday’s photoshoot and Saturday’s housewarming dinner party. By the time my phone rang, I was convinced I had a handle on my to-do list.
“Hey Kia,” I answered.
“Zo, do you know how mad I am right now?” my best friend asked abruptly.
“What’s going on?” I wondered. “Did your boss make you—”
“I just found out Owen has a wife.”
My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. “What?” I screeched, not expecting those to be the words that came out of her mouth. “Your boyfriend Owen? The Owen who has been pursuing you and asked you to officially be his girlfriend while on a weekend getaway? The one that took you on a weekend getaway? That Owen?”
“That’s the one. According to her, they’ve been together for five years and married for one.”
“What?” I was still reeling. “You talked to his wife?”
“Yes. Shelly. Shelly called me at work when she found a second cell phone she didn’t know about and started going through it.”
“Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.”
“Yeah, so for the last three months, I’ve been dating a married man. And get this—she’s pregnant! Shelly is five months pregnant.”
“I’m so sorry, Kia.” I shook my head. “What did he say?”
“He didn’t answer the phone,” she grumbled, before letting out a deep breath. “I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve listened!”
I made a face as I turned off the main road. “Well…” The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it. “It doesn’t matter. He’s in the wrong. He’s the asshole. He’s the problem. Listening to me wouldn’t have changed those things.”
“It would’ve saved me three months of my life.”
“Yes, it would’ve kept you from wasting your time. But don’t blame yourself for choosing to believe someone who went out of their way to convince you they weren’t a lying asshole. You didn’t do anything wrong. You are a victim. Shelly is a victim. He’s wrong and he lied to you both.”
“It’s not that I loved him or anything. It’s just infuriating that he lied and put me in this situation. He pursued me and made me like him. For what? To play games with me? It just doesn’t make any sense.” She let out a loud growl. “Fuck Owen. Fuck boyfriends. Fuck marriage. Fuck relationships.”
“Fuck it all,” I agreed.
“I’m serious. I’m done. No more relationships for me. I’m going to adopt your lifestyle and keep a rotation of men.”
“A rotation of men makes it sound like a never-ending cycle of dick coming and going from my life.”
“But isn’t it?” she quipped.
I laughed. “Shut up! You know it’s not!”
“I know, I know. But you always seem—wait, Zo,” Kia interrupted herself. “Let me call you back. This is Owen on my other line.”
“Okay call me when you’re done,” I replied as I turned into my parking spot just as my neighbor was getting out of his car.
Grabbing my bag, I exited my vehicle. I didn’t have the time or energy to get into it with Darius, so I kept my vision focused on my steel front door. We hadn’t even been neighbors for a month, but I was already