“Oh, I mean, like, on a different piece of paper. I wanna tape it up on my wall.”

I looked at Corey, who was already shaking his low-cut head. I had gotten a haircut that day myself.

“Yeah, I can do that. Get it before we leave,” I told our starstruck waiter.

“Oh, thank you very much. Thank you.”

As soon as he left us, Corey smiled and said, “You get that a lot down here, don’t you? It’s a gay man’s heaven in Atlanta.”

I said, “You know you’re still on top of your game when the lollipop patrol likes you. ’Cause they don’t lie to you. If you’re not lookin’ good, they gon’ let you know in a heartbeat.”

Corey laughed and said, “The lollipop patrol. I’ve never heard that one.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to worry about me though,” I told him. “I mean, I’m flattered by it, because it’s the nature of the business, but God knows I love me some pussy.”

Corey continued to laugh, but I was just being frank.

On cue, my cell phone went off. I was expecting the phone call. I flipped it open and looked down at the number. Then I smiled back at Corey.

“See what I mean? Here comes pussy right now. Hello,” I answered.

“Where are you?”

It was Danyel Addison, a young model in her early twenties. Her agency tagged her “Danni,” and she was definitely on her way up the ladder. She was sexy, slim, and yellow, with light brown curly hair, and gray eyes. And she was already spoiled like a budding supermodel.

“I’m over at the Cheesecake Factory,” I told her.

She got excited. “Oh, I’m close by. Are you with a guy or a girl?”

I wondered for a second how she would have responded had I said a girl. Instead of thinking of a cat fight fueled by jealousy, I automatically thought of a night with two women. Danni was experimental that way. That’s why I liked her. But instead of cooking up my fantasy, I mumbled the truth.

“I’m with an old buddy of mine from Chicago.”

“You mind if I crash the party?”

I smiled and thought about Corey. I didn’t mind showing Danni off to him. I was sure that he would like her. The girl had an infectious hold on men of all creed, class, and color. But the thing I liked about her most was that very few men could fuck her. I was one of the few who could.

I told her, “Come on through. My boy would love to meet you.”

“Okay, I’ll be there. And I’ll let you see my new ride.”

Danni liked to show off. She had me wondering what kind of new car she had bought.

As soon as I ended the call, Corey smiled at me and shook his head again.

Out of the blue, he hit me with a sledgehammer.

“Whatever happened between you and Andrea, man? I saw her recently in the Big Windy with some of the biggest assholes in Chicago. Seems like she took a few steps backwards. I got a chance to talk to her for a minute, but she seemed out of it. It was like she was embarrassed to see me.”