by Teneka Woods
It just wasn’t fair.
She said, “Now that I have your sister’s number, there’s no need for us to meet up again, right? And after what happened today I highly doubt she’ll still want me to work the wedding. Kaneesa will convince her to go with the photographer she’d chosen, I’m sure.”
“Stop,” Nate said. “Everything is cool. Don’t even worry about that.” He leaned down, resting his forearms on the driver’s door. “This has nothing to do with the wedding. I’m asking you… when can I see you again?”
She chuckled and threw her head back, looking up at the ceiling. “Nate… what is it? What do you want?”
“To get to know you.”
She looked at him. What did I do to deserve this? she wondered. The finest man she’d ever met wanted her and, because she knew there couldn’t be anything serious between them since he didn’t meet one of the main requirements she sought in a mate, she had to turn him down. But there was no way she could come right out and tell him he was wasting his time pursuing her because he didn’t measure up, so she said the only thing she could say to spare his feelings: “We can be friends.”
She thought he would be grateful and happy to hear she was giving him permission to remain in contact with her, but the half-smile, half-smirk on his face told a different story. “Be safe going home, alright?” was all he said before getting in his SUV and driving off.
TWENTY-ONE
Nate studied the images as he flipped slowly through the notebook, each charcoal sketch more impressive than the one on the page before it. He was amazed by the kid’s level of talent. If a stranger had shown any of the drawings to Nate he never would have guessed they were created by a fourteen-year-old. They were sketches of random objects and scenes: sports cars, reptiles, a messy classroom, video game consoles, a group of girls sharing French fries, superhero characters, kids playing basketball.
“These are really, really cool, man,” he said to Vaughn again as he sat across from him at the table. It was the attention to detail that fascinated him. But while most of the images were cute and innocent, a couple of them raised his curiosity. “Tell me about this one though,” Nate said. A kid was gagged with wadded paper in his mouth; a pencil gouged one of his eyes.
Vaughn shrugged. “Just what I felt like drawing.”
Nodding his head, Nate asked, “What about this one?” Another kid was lying on the pavement bleeding, his limbs violently contorted, with a crumpled bicycle nearby.
“I just wanted to draw that one, too.”
“How does your mom feel about your art? I know she must like it because, man, you are talented that’s for sure.”
“She don’t see all of it,” Vaughn said.
Nate closed the notebook and slid it back over to him. “What about your friends? You ever share it with them?”
Vaughn shook his head.
“Well, I’m going to tell you right now this is too good to keep to yourself. You gotta let people see this! I can’t even draw a decent circle, but here you are creating top-notch art like this. Man, if I were you I would be showing everybody I know. Because you never know who you’ll meet. Somebody might know somebody that can introduce you to other artists.”
Vaughn’s mouth twitched.
“And since you’re headed to high school it’s the time to start thinking about what you wanna do after you graduate. It’s not too early. That way you can take the proper courses or join clubs and really zone in on what you like to do. Man, I’m telling you, if I was as good as you, had this type of talent, I would be bragging, showing it off to all my friends.” Nate knew he was pushing it, but he felt he was on a roll since the kid was responding to him. “So what else do you like to do? What do you and your friends get into?”
Vaughn sucked his teeth in response. “I don’t talk to nobody.”
“Why not?” Nate asked.
“Because they don’t talk to me.”
Now we’re getting somewhere, Nate thought. “Why is that?
He frowned and shrugged his shoulders.
“Have you ever tried talking to them?”
“No.”
“Well, how do you expect to make friends if you won’t talk to people?”
“They always saying stupid shi—” Vaughn looked at Nate.
“It’s cool,” Nate nodded.
“They always saying stupid stuff about me,” Vaughn continued.
“Like what?”
“Calling me Big Bird or Chewbacca. And calling me retarded and that I can’t talk.”
Nate shook his head in disappointment. “Unfortunately, that’s just how a lot of kids are, man. They’re ruthless. And can say some of the craziest things. But I think it’s because they don’t understand you. You probably intimidate them a little, too.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Vaughn said, “I don’t care.”
“I used to be teased when I was in school,” Nate confessed. “I wasn’t always this fit. I was a skinny kid growing up, and there were these dudes that used to talk crap about me, and had something to say because I mostly hung out with my sister and her friends. I won’t lie and say it didn’t get under my skin, but I just had to realize no matter where you go people will say something—be it good or bad. And it turned out those same dudes talking smack had nothing to say to me when I was winning on the court or football field. I may have been skinny, but I was strong and fast. And they weren’t.”
Vaughn chewed on his thumb nail, saying nothing.
“Your mom worries about you, man. She wanna see you happy and socializing, hanging out with your peers. I think you should try. Let your classmates know you’re not crazy like they think you are. Somebody is probably waiting for you to start the conversation. You don’t want to go through another four years of school without friends.”
Leticia pulled into the parking lot and he and Vaughn got up from the table.
“I really appreciate you letting me see your artwork,” Nate told him. “I can’t believe you’re hiding all that talent!” He walked Vaughn to the car to meet his mom. After giving Leticia a brief rundown of their workout, he waited until she drove off before he returned to the track. He did a few leg stretches and high jumps and then took off down the lane. He ran two eight-minute miles before getting in his SUV and driving home to his apartment.
* * *
“She put me in the friend zone.”
Kevin spluttered in laughter while Jamal shook his head.
“So if that doesn’t tell you that you’re wasting your time chasing this woman, I don’t know what will,” Jamal said.
“I think she got a man,” Kevin said. “You sure it ain’t Chauncey’s chick? It’s a small world… you never know.”
Nate shook his head and waved his hand. They were sitting at a table in BJ’s watching the game. Nearly three days had passed since Sunny’s engagement party and Tora was all he could think about. She hadn’t even given him a chance to take her out on a proper date and he was already in the friend zone. “Why do women do that?” he asked his boys. “If I approach a woman, I’m not trying to be her friend.”
“Control,” Kevin said. “She don’t want you, but she don’t wanna give you up completely either. Just in case she doesn’t get the man she really wants, then you’re the backup plan.”
Jamal said, “Man, forget that. She basically told you from the start that you were wasting your time. So… what? You didn’t believe her?”
Nate waved his hand again, dismissing him even though what he said was the bitter truth. Tora had let him know that day in the park her stance regarding his pursuit of her. So either he was going to settle for a platonic relationship with the woman who stirred a deep lust within him, or he was going to swallow that bitter truth and forget he ever met her.
“We’re always hating on Chauncey,” Kevin said, “but women practically throw themselves at him. Married or not. He’s out here having fun and we’re sitting on the sidelines missing all the action.”
Ja
mal said, “Yeah, but you know Chauncey has never really been about quality. He gets with those types of women because he doesn’t have to work hard to be with them. They meet up a couple times a month and do their sneaking around and then go their separate ways until the next month. But he doesn’t have to deal with the every day responsibilities of maintaining a relationship. There’s nothing appealing about that if you ask me. I want the whole nine. I wanna watch my woman while we get dressed together in the morning for work, send her flowers during the day, cook dinner and take a bath with her at night. Extended vacations. Sit down with her while we plan our fiscal moves in life. Kids. All that.”
“And how long have you been waiting for her?” Kevin asked.
“Well… I’m being patient. I know how hard it is to find a good woman out here, but that doesn’t make me think about settling for just any old thing in the meantime though.”
Kevin nodded his head. “Man, you’re right. And maybe I’m just a little bitter about things, but it shouldn’t be this hard. I’m a good dude!”
Nate and Jamal laughed at him again.
“And you’re starting to sound kinda whiny about it, too,” Nate said.
“It just pisses me off sometimes when I think about it. Women are out here ruining themselves with these losers, and then when they’re left heartbroken and burdened with kids they wanna wisen up and get a good guy.”
Jamal patted him on the shoulder. “Dude, what’s in your drink ‘cause you’re being extra sentimental right now? Everything’s gonna be okay. Your queen will be here sooner than you think. I promise.”
Kevin laughed and pushed his hand away. “I’m just tired of meeting women that don’t know what they want.”
“The one that wants you as much as you want her is definitely out there,” Jamal told him. “Keep the faith, brotha.”
Kevin looked back at him. “Man, you always try to have the perfect thing to say,” he laughed.
“So…” Jamal asked Nate, “what do you plan on doing about your situation? You settling for the friend zone and taking your position as her shopping and movie buddy?”
Nate shook his head, taking a sip of his drink. “Naw, I’m definitely not settling for the friend zone.”
TWENTY-TWO
“I don’t like it.”
“Why not? It looks fine to me.”
Tora stood with Candace outside the store looking at the window display she’d just completed—a beach replication to showcase their newest swimwear collection. “Maybe if I swap that floral suit for the solid blue on her, and then switch his swim trunks to the floral. I think that would be better, don’t you?”
Candace shrugged. “I give up. You’ve changed this thing three times already.”
Laughing, Tora said, “I know, but it has to be the right color combination. And I’m feeling the blue suit versus the red. It makes the white cat-eye glasses stand out more.”
Candace turned her head quickly as a sneeze overtook her.
“Okay… are you sure you’re cured because I have a date tomorrow night and don’t need you getting me sick.”
Waving her hand, Candace said, “I told you it’s not a cold, it’s my allergies.” She sneezed two more times.
“Uhn-huh. Well, I don’t need you giving me allergies, either.” She walked back into the store to change the mannequins’ attire again.
“I still can’t believe you turned Nate down,” Candace said. She had been home sick all week, so Tora filled her in on the fiasco that was Nate’s sister’s engagement party when she finally made it to work for the day.
“Girl, believe me, it was hard because he’s so damn fine!” Tora stomped her foot and shook her head in frustration. “His whole family’s gorgeous! And paid!”
“I’m still tripping on the things you said about his mama though. Sounds like Ruki’s mama and how she is with me.”
“Yeah, it was crazy. She basically looked me up and down like I was a ten-dollar hooker. ‘Who are you and how do you know my son?’,” she said, mocking Victoria.
“So where is this big date you speak of? Where is Eric taking you?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. He said it’s a surprise. And that I need to wear my best dress.”
“Sounds exciting. I remember me and Ruki’s first date.”
“He’s been trying to get me to go out with him all week, but I was busy working on the party photos for Nate’s sister.” Tora pulled out her phone. “He doesn’t hold a candle to Nate looks-wise, but he’s not bad. And seems sweet so far. Look at the texts I’ve been receiving from him every morning.”
Candace nodded as she peered at the messages on Tora’s phone and said, “I love a thoughtful man. My Ruki is like that. A call just to ask me how I’m feeling or to wish me a beautiful day. I’m counting down the days until it’s official and we move in together. I’m so looking forward to waking up to my baby every morning.”
“How is the wedding plans coming along?” Tora asked. “Have you finally decided on the number of bridesmaids you’re having?”
“It’s a struggle because you know Ruki has five sisters and I feel obligated to include them as bridesmaids, but if I do that there will be no room left for me to include my own sisters and friends.”
“Who says you have to include them in your wedding party?”
“Well, I thought it would be rude if I didn’t include them, especially since my brother is one of the groomsmen.”
“Just select the one you like the most and it’s a done deal.”
Candace laughed. “And have the others looking at me sideways because I didn’t choose them? I can just hear Ruki’s mom now.”
Tora shook her head and wrapped a sarong around the standing mannequin, readjusting the arms to rest its hands on its hips. “This is your wedding. The bride chooses her bridesmaids while the groom chooses his groomsmen. His mother should have no say-so in any of this.”
“Girl…. I just don’t want any problems going forward. It’s bad enough she doesn’t like me simply because I’m from the wrong side of the globe.”
“Well if I were you I would choose none of them and go on about my merry plans.”
Candace suddenly put on a broad smile. “Maybe after your date tomorrow night you’ll be planning your own wedding this time next year. And I can be your matron of honor.”
“Whoa,” Tora looked at her. “Now, while I do anticipate my big day, I’m not getting ahead of myself. This is only our second date.”
“You know me,” Candace giggled. “I love love. And I just want to see everybody else in love.”
“Yes, I know,” Tora rolled her eyes playfully.
* * *
She sat on her couch Friday evening, absentmindedly watching a Real Housewives show, waiting for the call from Eric. They’d spoken on the phone earlier and he reminded her to be prepared to have the time of her life because Whitney had done a great job planning a special night on the town for them.
She picked up her mobile phone to call Myles, but quickly hung up, realizing he would still be asleep before his night shift. She called Sharon instead. “Hey, Mommy. What are you doing?”
“On my way out the door for a quick break with a coworker. How are you?”
“Good. Just wanted to call you now because it will be late when I get home tonight.”
“Oh. Tonight is the night that you meet with…?
“Eric,” Tora reminded her. Sharon had laughed, calling the situation strange and funny at the same time the day Tora told her about her first date with Eric and Whitney.
“I hope you have a good time.”
“I do, too. What are your plans for the weekend?”
Sharon chuckled. “Sweetheart, you talk as if you’ll be showing up here this weekend to hang out with me.”
“I’m just asking, Mom.” Every now and then Sharon still made it known how sad she was about her daughter being so far away from her, however subtle in the message.
“I don’t have any plan
s at the moment. Your Aunt Kit may call me up to go someplace with her. She’s been doing that a lot lately.”
Tora’s phone beeped, signaling an incoming call. “This is Eric on the other line, Mom. I have to go.”
“Be safe and enjoy yourself.”
“I will. Talk to you tomorrow. I love you,” she said, and they hung up.
Oh my god, Tora thought as a pearl white S-class Mercedes-Benz slowed in front of the curb where she stood. The wide-body vehicle gleamed and sparkled as if it was fresh off the showroom floor.
She’d told Eric not to bother trying to enter through the gates of the apartment complex, that she would meet him at the entrance. Giving him her apartment number so soon was out of the question. It was bad enough she’d let him convince her to come this far versus meeting him at the place where they were going, but he insisted, saying he wanted to treat her to a proper date, acting as her chauffer.
“Wow!” he said as he got out of the car and came around to open the passenger door. “Look at you! I swear you are the sexiest, most gorgeous woman out of all the ones I’ve been with.”
“Thanks,” she said, surprised when he kissed her cheek. “You’re looking good this evening, too.” He wore a navy sports jacket, white knit shirt underneath, with blue jeans.
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered as she slid onto the leather seat. “Your hair. Your dress. Everything.”
She was awake until one o’clock in the morning working on her hair, deciding to add some extensions for length and volume to create a ponytail updo. It turned out perfectly for the red off-the-shoulder skater dress she’d chosen as her outfit, complete with gold caged sandals and accessories.
Eric reached into the backseat once he settled on the driver’s side. “I got these for you,” he said, producing a bundle of assorted roses.