My Grandmother Died – Episode 1, Part 3
While I’m lounging in bed enjoying my 3-day reprieve from the real world, the phone rings. I stare at the number and contemplate ignoring it. After a few seconds, I make my choice. I swipe right to answer and put the call on speaker.
“Hey Trevor.” I try to make my voice sound as bored and disinterested as possible to deter him from talking too long. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to call and offer my condolences. I heard your grandmother died AGAIN. I’m really sorry for your loss, Robin.”
“Ha-ha, very funny.”
He laughs. “Does your grandmother know that she has nine lives, and that you’ve pimped out all of them?”
“Please. Who do you think taught me how to pretend kill people? I died so many times as a kid that I lost count. She even told someone that I had smallpox, and the person believed her.”
“But smallpox wasn’t around when we were children.”
“Exactly. That’s why I call her the master manipulator. She can make anyone believe anything she tells them.”
“I know someone else like that,” he mumbles.
“What did you say, Trevor? I didn’t hear you.”
“Nothing. So what was your grandmother’s reason for repeatedly killing you?
Hmm…I think I heard what he said, but I’m going to let it go. “Because once I started school, she no longer had anyone to watch her soaps with her. She’d “kill” me or say I was sick whenever something exciting was happening on one of the shows so I could stay home and watch with her.
“Oh my God! You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. I’m not. If a story took over two days to wrap up, she’d say I died because I needed a doctor’s note to stay home for three days or more, and of course she didn’t have one.”
“That’s possibly the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, especially since I’ve never seen a soap opera in my entire life.”
“You missed out, Trevor. I was like 5 or 6 watching infidelity, love triangles, and murders, and loving every minute of it.”
“The fact that you were exposed to that stuff at such a young age is probably why you became a mystery writer.
“Yeah, my grandmother definitely planted that seed for me.”
“I’m glad she did because you’re a terrific, talented writer.”
In that moment, my heart grew three sizes like the Grinch. “Thank you, Trevor,” I whispered shyly.
“There’s no need to thank me, Robin. You know I’m your biggest fan.”
“I know. And I appreciate your support.”
“And you’ll always have it…no matter what.”
Those last three words sound a bit ominous, which makes me nervous. “So what’s going on, Trevor? I know you didn’t call to talk about my grandmother.”
“You’re right, I didn’t. But before we change the subject, I need to know what happened when it was time for you to go back to school? I mean you couldn’t stay dead forever. And what did your mom do when she found out?”
“That’s a really funny story. My mom explained to the school that my grandmother had Alzheimer’s, and that she didn’t realize what she was saying or doing. And they believed her because my mom was an excellent storyteller too. #Liar. But then it was time to confront my grandmother, and honestly, I thought it would be World War III. My mother yelled at her, and it looked like the two of them were about to come to blows. However, my mom backed down because she didn’t want that kind of smoke. My grandmother’s an old G, and she would have kicked my mom’s ass.”
“So your mom’s scared of her?”
“Absolutely. And with good reason. My grandmother was married three times and all three of her husbands died under mysterious circumstances.”
“What? Are you serious?”
“Yep. And she used the insurance money from two of the dudes to buy her own bar, and a few fur coats.”
“Wow. That’s unbelievable. I’d be afraid of her too though, particularly if I was a man over 65.”
“There’s no reason to be. My grandmother is a sweetheart. She’s a real-life Madea, except she carries a knife in her purse, instead of a gun. Oh, and for the record, she likes her men young – 50 and under.”
He laughs. “I’m not surprised. I would love to meet her one day. She seems like an interesting lady.”
“She most certainly is. That’s why she’s the love of my life.”
“I’ve heard you say that before. And it’s actually the perfect segue into why I’m calling you, Robin.”
Shit. He’s going to tell me that he loves me, and I’m not ready to hear that. “I was wondering when you were going to stop stalling and get to the reason.”
“I have something to tell you, but I’d rather talk to you in person so I’m on my way to your place.”
“What? You’re coming here?”
“Yes. I’ve been driving this whole time. I’m about 10 minutes away.”
“You can’t Trevor. I’m writing right now, and I’ve already let you distract me enough.”
“That’s not true, Robin. You only write at night,” he says matter-of-factly.
See, this is what happens when you try and lie to friends. It blows up in your face. And Trevor knows me better than anyone, even Carmen. That’s one of the reasons I refuse to date him. The idea that he can see straight through all my BS scares the hell out of me. And that’s especially true after what happened the last time we were together.
“You really get on my nerves, Trevor.”
“That’s why you love me.”
That’s a loaded statement. “I guess I’ll just see you when you get here then.” I hang up and hop out of the bed. I quickly remove my pajamas as I walk towards the closet. I rummage through the bottom looking for clothes that aren’t too wrinkled or dirty. Hey, don’t judge me. I plan to do laundry and clean before I head back to work. Well…maybe. I choose a pair of jeans and a black shirt. I can hear Trevor’s car pull up as I’m getting dressed. The doorbell rings, but instead of answering it, I rush into the bathroom to brush my teeth and comb my hair. And I need to make sure the rest of me is good too, if you know what I mean – just in case something jumps off.
After one last glance in the mirror, I head to the front door. The idea of seeing Trevor again makes me nervous. I’d avoided his phone calls and texts for weeks, but deep down I knew he wouldn’t allow me to continue evading him. He wanted to discuss what happened between us last month, and I never wanted to talk about it. Like ever.
I take a deep breath and open the door. The man standing before me is gorgeous with his chocolate skin and radiant smile. His navy blue suit with the yellow polka-dot tie makes him look like he just stepped out of a GQ magazine spread. He reminds me of Morris Chestnut when he appeared on the screen for the first time in The Best Man movie. Trevor has the same confidence and strength as Lance, minus the arrogance. And just like the women in that movie, I’m tempted to throw myself at him.
“You know Carmen is mad at you, right? If your new boss finds out that you lied about your grandmother’s death then that will make her look bad.”
Did I mention that he has a deep voice too, which I find sexy as hell. “Hello to you too, Trevor.” I step aside to let him in my apartment. “And Carmen will be fine. Everyone at the Colorado Bank of Foolishness loves her.”
He smiles. “Did you tell her about the name change?”
“I’m sure she knows.” I glance at the clock on the living room wall. “It’s Wednesday. Shouldn’t you be at work?”
“Yes. I’m about to meet a potential buyer a few blocks away. Fingers crossed that she’ll purchase the property. This is the fourth one I’ve shown her.
“I know you need the commission so that you can get your own real estate company off the ground so I hope she likes the house.”
“Uh…actually, she’s the reason I’m here.”
“Why? Do I know her?”
“No. But I thought it would be a good idea if you heard this from me instead of Carmen.”
This is about to be some bull. “Is everything okay, Trevor?” I ask with feigned concern. I know everything is okay, but that’s what I’m supposed to say to a friend. But eff that. He’s about to hurt me, I can feel it in every fiber of my being. So like any superwoman, I have to put on my full armor to shield myself from the onslaught of emotions that’s about to assault me. I can’t let him see my anguish. Not now…not ever.
“Everything is fine, Robin. I just wanted to tell you about the woman I’ve been dating for the past six months. She started out as just my client and friend, but it didn’t take me long to realize how amazing she is. So last night I asked her to marry me, and she said yes.”
Shit. It’s worse than I thought. “But you were just with me last month, Trevor, or did you forget that?”
“I could never forget it. I was one of the best nights of my life.”
I roll my eyes. “So good that you decided to ask another woman to marry you a month later.”
“I can’t wait for you, Robin. I’ve done that enough. Your lack of response to my calls and texts said more to me than any words ever could. You don’t want me. That night was a mistake.”
And just like that, the knife is entrenched in my heart…the pain excruciating. “I didn’t even know you were dating someone. Does she know that you cheated on her?”
“Yes, I told her all about you.”
Hold it together, Robin. Don’t cry. “And she was okay with it?”
“She trusts me and knows that it will never happen again.”
My tone is mocking. “Did you ask her to marry you so that she could forgive you for your indiscretion? I mean diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right?”
“Why does everything you say have to be sarcastic or hurtful, Robin? I know that’s a defense mechanism, but we’ve been friends long enough that there shouldn’t be any walls between us.”
I need those walls now more than ever. “I’m not trying to hurt you, Trevor. I’m just being honest. You’ve only known this girl a few months. She’s just trying to secure that real estate bag.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say, Robin.”
“I just trying to understand how you could ask her to be your wife instead of…”
He interrupts me. “Instead of what? Asking your permission? Waiting for you to finally see me as a real man? Hoping that one day you’d actually fall in love with me?”
“That’s not what I was going to say.”
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Robin. You’ve enjoyed having me running behind you like some lovesick puppy for the past 15 years, but you had to know that eventually, I’d move on. I’ve watched you date hundreds of losers and still I waited around hoping you’d give me a chance after seeing what those light-skin, pretty boys were doing to you. But you never looked my way. Not even once.”
“That’s not true…last month…”
“You were feeling vulnerable because your publisher and manager had just dumped you. I just happened to be a shoulder to cry on that turned into more. And of course, a few drinks helped. I’m surprised you even remembered it.”
I remember every word, every touch, every sensation. “I get that you’re hurt, Trevor, but that’s no reason to marry the first girl you meet.”
“That’s not what I’m doing, and I’m offended that you would even think so. Not everything is about you.
But this is about me. “Trevor…I…” Shit, this really hurts. “Can we just talk about this before you move any further?”
“You’re too late, Robin. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“But…”
“My fiancée is waiting for me so I need to leave.”
Is this what dying feels like? I’m pretty sure it is. “Can you at least tell me her name before you go?”
“Her name is Becky.”
With that final insult, he opens the door and leaves. And all that’s left behind is the Beyoncé song that’s stuck in my head.
“You only want him when he’s not there. So he called Becky with the good hair.”
Stay tuned for part 4 as I go out on a date with Julius in an effort to forget Trevor, and my entire world explodes… Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it does turn into my version of the Fyre Festival. If you don’t know what that is then look it up because chile…
