I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan Read Free Book Online Page A

shake my head again.
    “Then he’s probably in prison.”
    “I don’t want to think either one could be true.”
    “What would you have said to him anyway?”
    “I don’t exactly know.”
    “Yes you do,” she says.
    “I don’t feel like telling you, Wanda, especially since it didn’t happen.”
    “But you weren’t even in love with Abraham, if I remember correctly.”
    “I didn’t put that label on it back then, but I actually think I was. He scared me. And I scared myself. But so what? I’ll be forever grateful to him for generating my first orgasm. You don’t forget that.”
    “That’s for sure. Not to skip the subject, but I’m skipping the subject for a minute. Have you done anything about the house yet, or are you already getting cold feet?”
    “I can’t lie. Ever since I decided to do this, I’ve been nervous as hell, but I’ve been telling myself it’s normal to be scared when you’re about to make a major change in your life. So, to answer your question, I’ve interviewed three Realtors and think I’ve settled on one.”
    “That’s my girl!” she says, and gives me a high five right before she pulls into a parking space. Before us there are nothing but sexy white sailboats and fat yachts rocking in their berths. Behind us are steep green hills full of hip houses, some with giant windows jutting out and some on stilts that you couldn’t pay me to live in, views or no views.
    “Well, they all basically said what I already know. That because of the economy the real-estate market is taking a beating so it could be up to a year before the house sells. But I’m not in a rush. I’ve still got some other things to figure out.”
    “I think it’s exciting. That you don’t feel too old to do this. Seriously. I’m proud as hell of you, if you want to know the truth.”
    “Why, thank you, huzzy.”
    “Hurry up. Our reservation is in five minutes.”
    We finally jump out of the car and walk as fast as we can past shop after beautiful shop. I don’t bother looking. Wanda doesn’t either, because she wouldn’t dream of buying anything over here, since the prices are way too high for her.
    “So who do you want to look for next?” she asks.
    “Listen, I’m not thinking about men right now. I’m thinking about lobster.”
    “What about Brad?”
    “He doesn’t count.”
    “Why not? You lived with him for three long months!”
    I start laughing. “We were roommates.”
    “You slept in the same bedroom with that
roommate.
”
    “He stole money from me. Plus, I didn’t love him.”
    “What?”
    “I just never told you or Violet.”
    “You know we didn’t like his ass anyway. He was below you, and he looked sneaky. With those little bird eyes. He was a waste of a perfectly good summer.”
    “It was forty-eight dollars.”
    “Delete him from your list.”
    “I don’t have a list!”
    “Well, why don’t you make one?”
    “First of all, Wanda, I’m only interested in finding the men I was in love with, not the ones I just slept with.”
    “I’ll bet you a hundred dollars you can’t count the ones you screwed.”
    “You are starting to piss me off.”
    “You can’t even name them, can you? Because that list is probably too damn long. Ho.”
    “How many are on
your
list, huzzy?”
    “Two. Because I found what I needed early. Anyway, I know who you loved, but I want to hear you say them just in case I missed some, since you were so sneaky.”
    “Oliver. David. Eric. Carter. And Lance.”
    “See what I mean? Who in the hell are Carter and Lance?”
    “Well, like Ray, they didn’t know I was in love with them.”
    “Why not?”
    “Forget it, Wanda. Let me just say this, since you obviously don’t get it. You can fall in love in a nanosecond, and there’s really nothing you can do about it.”
    “Yeah, and how’s that work?”
    “I’m not even going to bother explaining it, but there’s a reason so many of us act like we’re possessed.”
    “Speak for