“What’s with the mom vibes?” I ask, frozen at the threshold. I’m not sure I want to go in there.
Lawrence is the first to speak. It’s hard to take him seriously with his silver and black sparkle nail polish. “It’s time, man.”
My eyebrows rise. “That’s cryptic and ominous.”
Jamal smacks Lawrence in the chest. “This is why we didn’t want you to be the one to deliver the opening line.” He shakes his head. “He was supposed to say, It’s time to get your girl. He said it all wrong. It was going to be great.”
I try to hide my grin. “Do you want me to go out and come back in? We can start over.”
“Nah, moment’s over,” Jamal pouts. He hates when someone ruins his special moments. And there are many.
I’m already turning around. “No, it’s not. Come on, I’ll run it again. Let’s do it.” I leave the room, coming back in a moment later like someone trying to pretend they don’t know about the surprise party they accidentally learned about three weeks ago.
Lawrence is on his game this time. “It’s time to get your girl, man.”
A little bit of the spark has left Jamal’s eye, but it’s clear there’s a part of him that still wants to play this out. “And we’re gonna help you do it,” he finally adds in his commercial voice. Honestly, the impression was made.
I puff out a breath. “That was worth it, guys. Well done. I have chill bumps.” I appreciate what they’re trying to do, I really do, but it’s not gonna happen. “The problem is, Bree’s not into me like that.”
They all collectively shoot out a laugh. Price is the one to speak up first while dabbing his big toe to make sure the polish is dry before putting his sock back on. “Yeah. Women always curl up to me like a baby cub when they’re not into me. Whatever man. Get your head out of your ass. That woman is in love with you.”
I glance back toward Bree’s room. I want to believe them, but it’s too hard. We’ve had so many years to overcome the friend zone, and she’s never done anything about it. Any time I get close, she puts up an extra firm force field that pushes me back. “I’m telling you—she doesn’t want anything more than friendship.”
“Or maybe she’s just scared,” says Jamal, standing from the couch and rolling his pant legs down.
“Scared of what?”
“Making the first move and it not being reciprocated. Y’all are stuck in a vortex of fear and miscommunication. Someone has to break through it first.”
I know he’s right on my part. I’m terrified to lose her again. I got a taste of it all those years ago when I went off to college and she dropped out of my life, and I never want a repeat. But is the same thing happening on her end? I don’t have enough proof of that yet. “I don’t know how to figure that out without straight-up asking her. It’s too much of a risk. I don’t want to lose her, because she’s seriously the best friend I’ve ever had.”
Jamal slides his jacket on. “First, ouch. And second, you just need an opportunity to test the waters without there being repercussions.”
I’m all ears now. “How do I do that?”
He laughs and slaps my shoulder as he passes toward the door. “I don’t know, man. We can’t do all the work for you.”
“I don’t think you’ve done any work so far,” I tell Jamal, and he waves double birds over his shoulders. “We’ll have a whiteboard planning session soon.”
Price passes by next. “Sorry, I’m too sober to come up with good ideas tonight.”
“A little concerning to hear,” I tell him.