Drake took a seat on the couch in the office. It was the one El used when counseling his patients, and he had half a mind to stretch out and start the conversation with “I’m going crazy.” Instead he simply said, “You’re a shrink, but you’re also the closest thing to an older brother that I have.”
El was his father’s youngest brother, and technically his uncle. But he was only five years older than Drake, who liked to call him his uncle-brother. El had told him to drop the “uncle” from the title years ago, but Drake used it sometimes to get on his nerves.
“What’s going on, Drake?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. “You’re acting out of the ordinary.”
Drake slapped a dollar bill on the desk. “Now what I’m about to tell you is restricted under doctor/patient confidentiality.”
El smirked. “Really? You’re paying me a dollar? What the hell is happening?”
Drake leaned forward, his hands flat on the desk. “This is serious, El. What I’m about to tell you is a game changer. And I need your ear and your advice.”
El rubbed his chin and nodded. “I’m listening.”
Drake managed to get the sex and marriage thing out in one sentence. But it annoyed him that five minutes later El was still laughing. While his uncle-brother snickered at his expense, Drake grew more and more frustrated.
Tapping his fingers against the desk, he finally yelled, “Give me my damn dollar back. You’re no help.”
El coughed in an effort to stifle his laughter. “I’m sorry. I’m just… I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“Last I checked, me talking and you laughing is not a conversation.”
“You’re right.” El cleared his throat. “Let me get this straight. You had drunken sex with your best friend, married her, and now…”
“That’s it. We’re still married.”
“Why this trip to Vegas? Why now?”
“How the hell should I know? I’m not sure what happened to turn this into what it is. One minute we’re hanging out on the Strip and the next we’re married.”
“What did Love do?”s
“Freaked out. Especially when her mother announced it to the entire family reunion ,” he mumbled under his breath.
“What?” El blared. “When did Gloria find out?”
“She happened to be in the room when the damn concierge dropped by with the happy news and the receipt for the $15,000 ring I bought her.”
“Fifteen thousand!”
“I can’t talk about that. Man, if I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t believe it. What the hell was I thinking?”
“I’m wondering the same thing.”
“Thanks.”
“This is not like you, which leads me to believe that a part of you wants to be with Love in some capacity. Do you think that’s why you did this?”
Drake frowned. “El, what the hell? You know me. You know Love.”
“You’re not answering the question. Impulsive is not a word I associate with you or Love. Neither are sex and marriage after years of friendship. I’m just wondering if there wasn’t a part of you that’s always wanted to be with Love on that level.”
Drake thought about that for a minute. Love was beautiful, hands down. And not just physically, but her beauty radiated from within. For years he’d watched men try to get close to her, drawn to those special inner qualities. She was an exceptional cook, she loved sports and she loved him—flaws and all. That meant something to Drake, made him want to deserve someone like her. But he wasn’t the type to settle down. He wanted the high life and a high-rise in the city, women in every town and no expectations. Love wanted the small-town life, a husband who came home at a reasonable hour every night, kids, and family vacations. And Drake wanted that for her.
He was wise enough, though, to know that Love had ruined it for any woman he’d meet in the future. He’d always compared any prospective woman to her, and the other woman always lost. But that wasn’t something he’d ever shared with anyone else. It was his secret and he’d keep it that way.
“No,” he grumbled. “A relationship with Love will not work. We want different things in life. She deserves better than me.”
“Ah,” El said.
Sighing, Drake shifted in his seat. He hated that “ah” El pulled out during serious conversations. It meant that he surmised something about Drake that Drake would undoubtedly resent.
“In a perfect world, would Love be the one you want? I mean, you both have some weird codependency on each other. She’s your girl without being your girl. I know you’ve been friends for a long time, but it’s very telling that the minute your inhibitions were lowered, you slept with her and committed to each other officially. Have you asked yourself why?”