I said, “You’re my Baltimore girl” with authority.

“You didn’t meet me in Baltimore,” she reminded me.

What difference does it make? I asked myself.

“But you are from Baltimore,” I told her.

She said, “I live in D.C. now, I just keep my Baltimore number for family and friends.”

I nodded. She was taking things way out there, and I mean, literally. The whole idea had sparked her interest.

She said, “So you got somebody in D.C. already?”

Did she want the position? What was her angle? I was a little cautious with that. Women were crafty that way. One minute you think they’re agreeing with your game plan, and the next minute they’re calling you an asshole. I had no idea where Nicole and I were going.

I asked her, “Now what if I said I was bullshitting about everything? What would you say to me then?”

She stared into my face trying to figure me out.

“Why would you bullshit me like that?”

“I mean, you started it, talking about my cell phone,” I told her.

“Because you didn’t want to answer it. Not only that, but you didn’t even want to look at it. I mean, what does that mean?”

She had a point, of course. I said, “Because it’s rude to answer the phone while I’m out with you.”

That lie didn’t even sound good to me.

Nicole huffed and said, “Now that’s some bullshit right there. Because if a guy wants to answer his phone, he’s gonna answer his damn phone. Just like I would answer mine, or at least look to see who was calling me.”

“Well, that’s you,” I told her.

She said, “You know what, are you taking me to your house or what? Because if you’re not, and you really do have all these bitches running around and whatnot, then just drop me off downtown somewhere like a whore. ’Cause that’s how I’m feeling right now. Gon’ have me suck your dick in the car, talking about some fuckin’ fantasy.”

She said, “You really got me with that dumb shit. But I gotta give it to you though, ’cause I didn’t even see that shit coming. Motherfucker!”

That’s exactly what I was talking about. Women were viperous. She was doing exactly what I was afraid of. But fuck it. If she wanted to act like that, then the sooner I got rid of her the better.

I said, “If you feel that way, then I’ll drop you back off at the Hard Rock Cafe downtown.”

“Well, how the fuck am I supposed to feel? You tell me!”

I had already restarted my engine. She was going somewhere, but it wasn’t going to be with me.

“I mean, you acted like you did it before,” I mumbled under my breath. And she heard me.

“I acted like I did it before? Motherfucker, did I say that?”

She started reaching for her purse. I had no idea if she had a gun or a blade in there or what.