Teach Me Tonight

by Jacquelin Thomas

  “Tamara, I’d like for you to be honest with me about this. How do you really feel about being pregnant with my child?” Micah asked.

  “I would’ve liked to have been married first,” she admitted. “But, Micah, I want this child, and I’m glad that you want him or her, too. I guess the big question is how we’re going to raise the baby together. We haven’t really discussed it.”

  “We’ve had ten years to make up for,” Micah responded. “Tamara, I’m not trying to avoid the issue or anything. I just don’t want to overwhelm you. We love each other. All I know is that we are going to work this out.”

  When they pulled into the parking lot located north of Hollington College, Micah commented, “The stadium looks nice. Too bad we didn’t have it when we were here in school. Cushioned seats and backrests in the VIP section—nice.”

  “It’s very nice,” Tamara agreed.

  Micah smiled. “I flew down last year for homecoming. I thought I’d see you there.”

  “I didn’t go because I was sick that weekend. I’ve only missed two homecoming games since we’ve been out of school. It’s the one game I don’t like to miss.”

  “I need to get a sweatshirt,” Micah stated. “I bought one last year, but I have no idea what happened to it.”

  “I have a couple, but they’re packed up somewhere,” Tamara announced. “I looked last weekend for them.”

  “How long have you lived in your apartment?”

  “Almost six months. I haven’t finished unpacking because I’ve been so busy with writing assignments, and I mentor a group of girls at church. I’m not complaining though.”

  “How do you like working with the girls?” Micah asked.

  “I love it,” she responded. “These girls need to know that someone cares—that they are loved. Most of them don’t have fathers in the home. A couple did but were going through the same thing I went through. I’ve been able to heal by helping them.”

  He wrapped his arms around her.

  Kyra walked by them and then backed up, grinning from ear to ear.

  Tamara smiled. “Hey, soror.”

  “Wow,” she murmured. “It’s good to see you two together like this, but I’m a little confused. When did all this happen?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Micah stated with a chuckle. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s about time.”

  He kissed her.

  Kevin gave him a thumbs-up as they walked over to the area where the rest of their class members gathered.

  Tamara caught sight of Beverly and waved. She sat down with a few of her sorors while Micah took the hot dogs to the men standing around the grill. He stood with them for a moment to chat.

  She could feel the eyes of everyone on them when Micah joined her, but she didn’t care. Tamara was with the love of her life and that’s all that mattered for now, other than Hollington winning the game against the Greenville Rangers.

  “I am so ready for this game,” Tamara stated when he sat down beside her.

  “You still love football?” Micah asked as he handed her a plate containing a hamburger and chips.

  “You know it.”

  “Got any favorite NFL teams?” Micah inquired. “I hope the Falcons aren’t one of them.”

  “I love my Atlanta Falcons. I like New Orleans Saints, the Panthers and the New England Patriots.” Tamara bit into her burger. “What about you?”

  “I like the ones you mentioned, but I’m a big Dallas fan.”

  Tamara shook her head. “Ooh, not me.”

  Micah took a long sip of his drink. “So what do you think of our team this year?”

  “They had a pretty good season so far,” Tamara stated. “I think Terrence Franklin as head coach will be a good move on Hollington’s part. Everyone really wanted to see Coach Neal succeed but emotion wears off. Football isn’t an easy game—it’s like construction work. Those boys have to put in work to get this done, and they need a more hands-on coach. A lot of the talk about the game today surfaced around the offense, but during the last game, the Lions defense staged a stellar goal line stance late in the fourth quarter for a 14–8 win.”

  Micah broke into a smile. “Have you considered a career in sports journalism?”

  She nodded. “I thought about it, but I like what I’m doing much better. I’m not sure I could always be objective.”

  Tamara bobbed her head to the music playing in the background. “Do you remember this song?” she asked Micah.

  He grinned. “I sure do. I sang it in the talent show my junior year.”

  “And you won first place.” She took a sip of her soda. “I love to hear you sing. You have a very sexy voice.”

  He grinned. “You think so?”

  She nodded. “I do, so I expect you to sing to our baby all the time,” she whispered.

  After they finished eating, Micah and Tamara went into the stadium to claim their seats.

  As soon as the game started, Tamara was on her feet, cheering on the Lions.

  When she sat back down, she told Micah, “I have a good feeling about this game. I really believe that we’re going to win.”

  “The Rangers have a pretty good team this year,” he told her.

  “So do we,” Tamara countered. “I’m telling you the truth—the Lions are going to walk all over the Rangers this day. If you don’t believe that, then maybe you need to sit over there.”

  “Baby, you’re fired up, huh?”

  “Don’t mess with the Lions,” she uttered. “You know how I feel about my team.”

  Micah laughed.

  The first two quarters flew by, and it was time for the halftime show. The Marching Lions put on a stellar performance, playing musical hits from the mid-to-late nineties.

  Micah and Tamara stood up and began dancing to the music along with several of the alumni.

  In the third quarter, the Rangers scored their first touchdown. Two plays later, the Lions scored on a four-yard touchdown.

  A Ranger fumble gave the Lions the ball at their forty-two but were successful in stopping the senior linebacker from Hollington for a two-yard loss.

  The Lions ended up with a 27–11 win over the Greenville Rangers.

  Tamara jumped up and down, squealing with delight.

  Micah smiled to himself as he watched the mother of his unborn child enjoying herself. Her love for football still rivaled his love for sports. When the Lions scored that final touchdown, he had never heard Tamara scream so loud. She was ecstatic.

  At one point, Tamara turned around to find him watching her. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Micah uttered. “I was just thinking of how much you love this game. I’m glad we won’t have to fight over the remote on game days.”

  Tamara laughed. “We definitely won’t have to worry about that,” she stated.

  Micah surprised himself when he kissed her.

  “Wow,” she murmured. “You’re not one for public displays of affection. I guess you must really love me.”

  “I do,” he whispered in her ear. “I love you more than I love my own life. I have always loved you.”

  “It never should’ve taken us this long to get together,” Tamara stated. “I’ve loved you for a long time, too.”

  “Maybe we just weren’t ready,” Micah commented.

  Tamara stifled a yawn.

  “Are you tired?” Micah asked.

  “Getting there,” Tamara replied. “I’ve gotten used to taking a nap every day.”

  Micah rose to his feet. “Let’s get out of here. We’ll go to my place so that you can get your nap in before the dance tonight.”

  “I thought you wanted to spend some time with Kevin and Chloe,” she pointed out. “Micah, you really don’t have to stay home and babysit me. Go on with your friends and enjoy yourself. You haven’t seen most of them in years.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he replied. “It’s more important to me that you get some rest.”

  Hand in hand, they m
ade their way out of the stadium, caught up in the crowd of students, alumni and others in attendance.

  Tamara fell asleep in the car during the ride back to Micah’s house.

  “Wake up, sleepyhead,” he whispered.

  She awoke with a start.

  “I’m so sorry,” Tamara mumbled. “I really didn’t mean to fall asleep in the car.”

  “It’s fine. Why don’t you go on upstairs and lie down for a while,” he suggested when they entered his house. “I’ll give you a tour of the house after you wake up.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Micah led her upstairs to the master bedroom. “You can lie down in here. I’ll be downstairs if you need me. You can just use the intercom.”

  Nodding, she sat down on the edge of the king-size bed and removed her jacket. She then kicked off her shoes.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Micah offered. “There’s bottled water, juice and some soda, too.”

  “Yes, please,” she responded. “Bottled water is fine. Thanks.”

  Micah left the room and went down to the kitchen.

  When he returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, Tamara had fallen asleep.

  Pleased, he eased the double doors closed and descended the stairs. Micah navigated to his office to make a couple of phone calls.

  While he was on the phone with Bette, he opened a drawer and pulled out the bag from Wyndham Jewelers.

  Micah eyed his purchase and smiled.

  He came up with an idea that propelled him out of his seat. He needed to run an errand before Tamara woke up. Micah scribbled a quick note and left it on the counter in the kitchen.

  He grabbed his keys and headed out through the garage.

  Micah left Tamara a note but he hoped to pick up one last gift and get back to the house before she even realized he was gone. He knew that deep down she still had some doubts about them, and it was his plan to erase them from her heart.

  Chapter 15

  It was almost seven o’clock when Tamara woke up from her nap.

  Tamara assumed Micah was downstairs in his office.

  Since she didn’t want to disturb him, Tamara reached for the remote control and turned on the television.

  As she scanned through the channels, her mind was on Micah. Tamara was deeply in love with him, but she couldn’t stop from wondering if Micah truly felt the same way.

  Sure, Micah had said the three words she longed to hear, but did he really love her or did he just say them out of obligation to his child?

  She generally tried not to be so pessimistic, but when it came to matters of the heart, Tamara faltered.

  I won’t accept less than I deserve.

  She would not allow herself to stay bound to a man just because she was pregnant.

  Tamara felt loved by Micah; there was no denying that. However, she was now filled with the fear that this was just too good to be true. Something would go wrong, especially with her being on the East Coast and Micah on the West. Tamara didn’t want to worry about women like Sunni going after her man. She wanted her pregnancy as stress-free as possible.

  Now she understood why Callie wanted to wait until after her first trimester. Jillian would stress her out enough once she found out that Tamara was pregnant.

  She decided not to say anything to her mother until she and Micah sorted out their relationship.

  My mother and I need to work on our own relationship, as well, Tamara thought silently. I know that I have to forgive her.

  Deep down, she knew that Jillian loved her daughters and only wanted the best that life had to offer them.

  Tamara knew that her mother loved Lucas and had been hurt by his actions. In her anger, Jillian wanted to fight back in the only way that she knew how, and that’s what she did.

  She made sure that her daughters would never have to suffer financially. Jillian could’ve spent the money like it grew on trees, but she didn’t. She sought out advice from professionals and invested wisely. Callie was in possession of her money while Tamara refused to have anything to do with her trust fund.

  Now that she had a child on the way, Tamara reconsidered. She would have most of the money placed in trust for her children. With the other, she planned to donate to the center for sexual abuse as well as a sizable donation to her church in memory of her grandmother.

  Micah peeked into the room. “I was just checking to see if you were awake.”

  “I am,” she stated. “I was in here thinking about my mother and the money. Micah, I realized something—I could’ve taken the money and done something positive with it.” She told him about the trust for the child and donations.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” he told her.

  “I’m going to talk to my mother on Monday. Actually, I’m going to apologize for the way I’ve treated her over the years and ask for her forgiveness.”

  “She loves you, Tamara. That much I know for sure.”

  “I love her, too.”

  “Hungry?” Micah asked.

  Smiling, she nodded. “Always.”

  “I made scallops and pasta with a creamy garlic sauce.”

  Tamara climbed out of bed. “Okay, now you’re just showing off, Micah. I see now that I’m going to have to enroll in a cooking class or something.”

  He laughed. “Don’t hate….”

  She stood up for a minute, her hand to her stomach. “Do you have any crackers instead?”

  Micah was instantly by her side. “You okay?”

  “I’m nauseated.” She groaned as she sank down into a nearby chair. “You made one of my favorite meals, too.”

  “I’ll save it for you,” Micah promised. “I think there’s some soup in the pantry. I’ll heat that up for you.”

  “You’re being so good to me.” Tamara was touched by Micah’s obvious concern for her. He made her feel loved until he said, “You’re the mother of my child.”

  Her insecurities rose as Tamara began to suspect that he was acting this way because of the baby. Hurt, she looked away from him and said, “I’m not real hungry right now.”

  “Maybe you should lie back down,” he suggested.

  Tamara shook her head no. “I need to start getting ready for the reunion dance.” She tried to keep the disappointment from her voice.

  Micah was watching her. “Tamara, is something wrong?”

  She pasted on a tight smile. “No. Everything is fine. I’m just waiting for the nausea to pass.”

  “You lie down. I’m going to grab a bite, and I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”

  “Take your time,” Tamara stated. She wanted a few minutes alone to gather her thoughts.

  Despite the vomiting, Tamara was a vision of beauty when she walked out of the bedroom. She had chosen a chic drop waist dress with an ostrich feather skirt in black. She paired it with black opaque hosiery, open-toe patent leather shoes with a matching clutch purse. She undid her twists and wore her hair loose and full of waves.

  He could tell that something had changed between them after they arrived at his house. Micah didn’t press her because he wanted to be sensitive to the fact that she wasn’t feeling well at the moment, and it was possible that she was feeling a bit moody.

  The dance started at eight o’clock but Micah and Tamara did not arrive until shortly after nine. She had another bout of nausea right before leaving the house.

  Micah initially tried to convince her to stay home, but Tamara wasn’t going to miss it or Justice Kane’s performance.

  This was around the tenth or eleventh time that he had come to Bollito, the trendy nightclub in South Atlanta owned by his best friend Kevin Stayton. The popular club was comprised of several levels housed in a large, warehouselike building.

  They walked through the large double doors.

  Kevin greeted him and Tamara seconds after their arrival.

  They paused for a moment so that he and Kevin could discuss business. Micah liked that each level featured different colored
accents on each dance floor while the club was decorated in the school colors of navy and white. Each floor was devoted to a different genre of music, making it a club that appealed to almost everyone.

  Micah escorted Tamara down to the main floor where the stage was positioned against the back wall. They sat down on a plush velvet loveseat in one of the private balconies.

  “This is very nice,” Tamara murmured. “How many of your artists will be performing tonight?”

  “Two,” Micah responded. “Justice and Blue Silk are singing tonight.”

  He wrapped an arm around her. “How are you feeling?”

  Tamara looked up at him and said, “Much better.”

  More of the class of 1999 arrived. She got up to chat with some of her sorors and former classmates while Micah went down to check on his performers. She seemed happy, but he couldn’t escape that feeling that something was bothering her.

  Micah already knew she was capable of hiding her emotions behind a smile.

  He would find out what was going on with her when they returned home.

  Tamara glanced over her shoulder to see if Micah had returned.

  When she couldn’t locate him in the growing crowd, she returned her attention to the women grouped around her.

  Beverly arrived wearing a form-fitting black dress that looked stunning on her. She and Tamara embraced.

  “You look absolutely beautiful,” she told Tamara. “I hope that you’re feeling better.”

  “I am,” Tamara stated. “I have to tell you how much I love this dress you’re wearing, Beverly.”

  The chatted a few minutes about fashion before Beverly moved on. Tamara waved at a couple she hadn’t seen since college. It was nice to see that they were still together. She was shocked to hear that they were also proud parents of seven children.

  Micah came up a few minutes later and escorted her to the dance floor. The DJ played all of her favorites. Putting a large hand to Tamara’s waist, he drew her body toward him. The warmth of his muscled arms as they danced was so bracing; she felt like she was dreaming.