Unsuitable Men Read Online Free

her eyes out.”
    “You only see that because you know me so well.”
    “Ah, so you do want to scratch her eyes out,” Riley said, raising an eyebrow.
    “The thought did cross my mind,” Tracy admitted.
    “Well banish it,” Riley said firmly. “Right now.”
    They both laughed and Tracy nudged her friend in the shoulder.
    By the time the festivities got underway, they had been joined by two other couples, the closest neighbors of Shawn and Riley’s and a young attorney who had once represented Shawn and become a friend along with her husband. By default, Tracy was thrown together with Chris who, though he was pretty amusing company, did not adequately distract her from Brendan and Meghan sitting apart from everyone else, near the pool talking and eating from the same plate.
    Riley and Shawn intermittently mingled with their guests and sat on a chaise together, Shawn’s legs wide apart, Riley reclining against his chest. Watching them together Tracy was reminded that men could change. If they loved you enough, and you were willing to hang in there through the growing pains, they could become the man of your dreams. Rarely, but it did happen. And the Lord knew , few if any came ready-made.
    Shawn certainly hadn’t. Though he was the one who’d pushed the whole marriage agenda, it would be fair to say that he’d been dragged kicking and screaming into the whole monogamy thing. But now that he was there, even Tracy would stake her life that he never even looked at other women in the way he now looked at his wife. Like she was the only one of her kind in the history of womanhood. Because for him, she probably was.
    As the sun set, everyone gathered under the loggia for a good-natured argument about politics. Riley was always the instigator of these discussions. She’d started a new publication a couple years back that was quickly building a reputation as the African American community’s version of The New Yorker . While Tracy was proud of her friend, it was all a little too intellectually high-brow for her. She liked to think of herself as having exhausted her brain cells for only as long as it took to graduate from college and get a high-paying career started. Riley on the other hand liked to think about things because she, well, liked to think about things.
    Tracy stayed at the edge of the conversation, not quite a part of it, sipping her fourth glass of wine, feeling a mellow sleepiness begin to overtake her. It was almost nine o’clock and she didn’t much relish the idea of driving back to Brooklyn. She could probably crash in one of Riley’s spare rooms and head out early in the morning if it came to that, or maybe she could say her goodbyes now. She looked up, trying to make eye-contact with Riley, hoping to signal how tired she was when she instead met Brendan’s gaze.
    Tracy gave him a half-smile which he returned. Next to him, Meghan was leaning in, engrossed in the conversation, listening to Chris talk about some campaign Riley had roped him into joining to include get out the vote messages on all his artists’ new CD jackets.
    “C’mon walk with me,” Brendan said to her. “Let’s get a drink.”
    Tracy stood and followed him as he went over to the bar, going behind it to look through Shawn’s considerable array of alcohol. Tracy leaned forward, watching him as he did. Brendan held up a bottle of tequila, his eyes questioning.
    “No thanks,” Tracy laughed. “As it is, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make the drive home.”
    “Then don’t,” Brendan said. “From the looks of Riley she could go into labor any second and Shawn might need you to bring him hot water and towels.”
    “Hmm. I’m pretty sure all he’ll need is someone to call 911 since he’s going to be a nervous wreck.”
    “Yup,” Brendan agreed, laughing. He glanced over at where Shawn was walking around the pool, sipping on a beer. “I don’t think he’s figured out yet that this means he’s actually