Coop shook his head. “Sandy, you can’t talk like that in front of customers.”
Sandy looked at Bernadette and then back at Coop. “Oh, my bad. I apologize. You know I get carried away sometimes. It’s been a long day and these feet is howlin’ like a dog in heat.”
Bernadette smiled because she didn’t have words.
“Sandy, we don’t need to know about your feet or dogs in heat,” Coop said with the gentle ease of a father trying his best to be patient with his clueless but well-intentioned child. “This is Ms. Bernadette Gibson, and it’s her first time eating at this fine establishment, so if you can get us started with our drink order I’d appreciate it.”
Sandy nodded. “Yes, sir, Coop . . . can I start y’all off with water, tea, or somethin’ a lil’ stronger to get you through the afternoon?” she said in Bernadette’s direction.
Bernadette couldn’t help but shake her head. “I’ll have water, please.”
Coop leaned back against the plush leather that lined the booth. “I’ll have an Arnold Palmer.”
“All righty, I’ll be back with your drinks in a minute.”
Once Sandy was out of earshot, Coop spoke up. “She’s a good kid, just a little rough around the edges and needs some training. But she’ll get there.”
“You must come here often.”
“Uh yeah, I do. How’d you know?” he said with a laugh.
“Lucky guess, I guess.”
“You’re a smart woman, Bernadette.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
“My nephew owns the place, and I promised my sister before she passed away a few years ago that I’d look after him. I come to support him and make sure things are goin’ all right.”
“Is your late sister the Sue of Sue’s Brown Bag?”
“You’re right again. It’s my nephew’s way of paying honor to her. It makes me proud every time I walk through the door.”
Bernadette saw a flash of sadness in Coop’s eyes. It was clear that he was emotional at the thought of his late sister and what she’d apparently meant to him. Coop cleared his throat as Sandy approached the table with their drinks.
“Y’all ready to order, or do you need more time?” Sandy asked.
“I’m so sorry.” Bernadette nodded her head and looked down at her unopened menu. “I’ve been talking since I sat down and haven’t even looked over anything.” She opened the colorfully designed menu and was overwhelmed—in a good way—by so many delectable-sounding Southern creations. She looked at Coop for direction. “I trust your judgment. What do you recommend?” Bernadette could see by the surprised but happy look on Coop’s face that he appreciated her comment.
“The fried green tomatoes is a great appetizer. We can start with that while you look over the menu, if you like?”
“Sounds like a great choice to me.”
“Aw’righty, I’ll get y’all’s appetizer started,” Sandy said before slowly hobbling back to the kitchen.
“So, how’s your day been goin’?” Coop asked.
“It’s been a usual, busy Monday. But all in all, I can’t complain. How about you? How’s your day been so far?”
“Mondays are pretty light for me because of my line of business, which is good because it gives me time to plan for the week ahead. I hope you can come to the club this weekend and check it out.”
“Like I said the other night, I’ve wanted to go ever since I moved here, but things have been really hectic with trying to adjust to a new job, new city, new home, and everything in between. But now that I’ve been personally invited, by the owner no less, I have an incentive to go.”
“I still can’t believe last weekend was your first time going out since you moved here six months ago.”
“I know. That’s pretty pathetic, right?”
“Not pathetic, just surprising. But I’m glad you’re gonna take me up on my offer.”
Bernadette and Coop talked straight through their appetizer of fried green tomatoes that was so good it made Bernadette hum. Then they moved on to crispy, golden-brown fried chicken, perfectly seasoned collard greens, and smack-your-mouth macaroni and cheese that made Bernadette pat her feet against the floor with each bite. “Coop, this food is out-of-this-world good! And the mac and cheese should have a place in the food hall of fame.”
“My nephew’ll be happy to hear that you enjoyed his cookin’.”
“Wait, your nephew owns this restaurant and he’s the cook?”
“Yep. He’s a talented young man.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. I know how difficult the restaurant business is, so the fact that he can run this place so well and also cook the food is phenomenal.”
“He got his bachelor’s degree in business from Howard University, and after that he went to Johnson and Wales and got a culinary degree, which is his true passion. It took him a while to settle into where he is now, and it ain’t been easy, but I’m proud of him.”
Sandy hobbled back over to the table. “You didn’t like the food, ma’am,” she asked, looking down at Bernadette’s half-eaten meal.
“I was just raving about how good it is, but it’s a lot more than I can eat in one setting, so this will be lunch or maybe dinner tomorrow night.”
Sandy smiled. “You a petite lil’ thing, so I can see why you couldn’t finish your plate. I wish I could say the same.” Sandy rubbed her large hands over the expanse of her equally large stomach. “I know you full, but do you want to take some dessert home with you?”
“Even though I have a treacherous sweet tooth, I’m so stuffed I can’t even think about dessert.”
Coop spoke up. “Get her a piece of pound cake to go.”
“Comin’ right up,” Sandy said with a light chuckle.
Bernadette looked at her watch. “I need to get going if I want to get home in time to greet my cousin.”
After Coop paid their bill, he walked Bernadette out to her car. It was cold and the wind was whipping through the air like karate chops delivering blows. It was only a little after five o’clock, but it was already dark outside, which made it feel even colder. She wanted Coop to wrap his strong arms around her and keep her warm, but she quickly dismissed the thought. “Thanks again for lunch, Coop. I really appreciate it and I’ll definitely be back.”
“It was my pleasure, and I’m hoping you will. I’m not sure how long your cousin’s gonna be in town, but bring her on by.”
“She’ll be here for at least a few weeks, so yes, I’ll definitely bring her by.”
Bernadette pressed the unlock button on her key fob and as soon as the mechanism clicked, Coop opened her door.
“Thank you, Coop. Again, I really enjoyed lunch.”
She was about to get into her car when Coop gently pulled her in close for a warm hug. “And again, it was my pleasure.” He gave her a little squeeze and then let go.
Even through their heavy wool coats, Bernadette loved the way Coop’s body felt against hers. She knew that if he could make her thighs tremble through several layers of clothes, she stood no chance of resisting him if she ever felt his bare skin pressed against hers. Bernadette couldn’t believe she was having the thoughts that were swimming through her mind right now, and she knew she needed to get into her car and drive away before she stood on her tiptoes and took things to another level, right there on the sidewalk, in the middle of the street. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Coop.”
As Bernadette drove away, she looked through her rearview mirror and could see that Coop was still standing in place, watching her until she turned onto the next street. She felt warm inside and a happy smile curved at the corners of her lips. She was about to turn up the volume on her radio when her car’s Bluetooth alerted her of an incoming call. It was Tess.
“Hey, cuz!” Bernadette practically sang into the phone.
“Hey, Bernadette! I’m here, in the dirty South,” Tess said through laughter.
“You’re crazy. Exactly where are you?”
; “At the airport. I landed a few minutes ago, but they just announced that our bags are delayed and won’t be here for another hour.”
“Oh, no.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I said. But since it’ll take a while I’m going to pick up my rental car and then circle back to baggage claim. Hopefully my bags will be here by then.”
“Okay, I’m on my way home now, so just come on and I’ll see you when you get there.”
“Okay, and Bernadette . . .”
“Yes?”
“I’m so glad I’m here and I can’t thank you enough for inviting me to stay with you. This means more to me than you know.”
“You’re welcome, Tess. I can’t wait to see you.”
After Bernadette hung up the phone she stopped by Trader Joe’s near her house and picked up a fresh bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine to welcome her cousin. She was excited about seeing Tess and she hoped this visit would be healing. Bernadette knew that her cousin was emotionally beaten down and was in need of love and support, just as she’d been five years ago when Tess had flown to DC to nurse Bernadette’s broken heart after Walter’s deception.
Once she arrived home, Bernadette put her delicious leftovers into her refrigerator, clipped the flowers and arranged them in a decorative vase, and chilled the wine and sat out two glasses from her collection of Waterford crystal. She was getting more excited by the minute about seeing her cousin and she’d even taken the rare step of clearing her calendar for the first part of tomorrow morning because she knew that she and Tess would most likely talk into the wee hours of the morning, catching up on life.
Buzz, buzz, buzz. A call was coming through on Bernadette’s phone. “Tess is probably lost, even with GPS,” Bernadette said to herself. She looked at the caller ID and was surprised to see that it was Coop. “Hello,” Bernadette said, trying to control the smile in her voice. “I thought you were my cousin.”
“She hasn’t arrived yet?”
“No, her luggage was delayed so she’s running late.”
“Good, I mean, not that her luggage was delayed, but I’m glad I called before she got there. I just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed your company, and I realized that I let you get away without asking you out on a proper date.”
“A proper date?”
“Yes. Dinner and a movie, or whatever you want to do. I’d really like to take you out, Bernadette.”
Bernadette bit her bottom lip. Coop had once again made her feel as giddy as a schoolgirl. “Dinner and a movie sound good.”
“Just tell me when and I’ll make it happen.”
“Hmmm, that’s going to be tricky. The weekend is better for me, but I know that’s your busiest time, with the club.”
“If you say the weekend is best for you, then it’s best for me, too. I’ll call you later so we can work out the details.”
Bernadette didn’t want to admit it but she liked Coop, a lot, and she wanted to explore the possibilities of romance after her five-year drought. She’d already embraced forgiveness and now she was ready to embrace love, but a part of her was still admittedly cautious. She still wasn’t sure that she could trust her judgment, and that reality scared her. Then a thought came to Bernadette. Although Tess had a spotty track record when it came to her own love life, she’d always been able to peg Bernadette’s on the dot. And truth be told, if she’d listened to Tess about Walter from the very beginning, she would have saved herself time and heartache. She knew she had to introduce Tess to Coop before she went any further with him. For now, she’d go out with Coop this weekend, just the two of them.
Chapter 14
ARIZONA
“No, Chris. Like I told you last night, I need some time to think about things.” Arizona rubbed her temple with one hand and turned her steering wheel with the other. She was on her way to pick up Solomon from after-school care and she didn’t want him to see her upset when she got there. She was frustrated with Chris, and they’d only been talking a few minutes. “I have to get my mind straight before I pick up Solomon, then I have to go home, make dinner, get him down for the night, then work on the color palette for a client, make some changes to my business plan, and pray that I fall asleep before the sun comes up.”
“I can come over and help you, Arizona,” Chris responded, nearly pleading with her. “I can cook and take care of Solomon while you work.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
Arizona replaced her words with a loud sigh.
“Baby, I know you’re upset with me, but we need to talk. The only way we’re going to work out issues before they become problems is to talk about them.”
“Please stop saying I’m upset with you. I already told you that I’m not.”
“Your actions don’t support your words.”
Chris’s rational tone and logical thinking had always been one of the things that Arizona found very appealing and downright sexy about her future husband. But now, his pragmatism irritated her no end. She wanted to hang up the phone, but she knew that would be rude, so she tried to remain calm in order to deliver what she had to say. “Trust and believe, you would know if I was upset. So just take it from me, I’m not.”
“Then explain why you’re giving me the cold shoulder?”
Arizona let out another loud sigh.
“Okay, I know that ever since we made love last Thursday night you’ve been acting differently, and like I said before, I take full responsibility for that.” Chris paused and then cleared his throat. “I came too quickly the first time, and the second time . . . well, you excited me so much, and I was already tired from a long day, and . . . well, I’m sorry. You felt so good that I got caught up in the moment. But I promise I’ll make it up to you, baby. We’ve got a lifetime ahead of us.”
And therein was the problem. No matter how much Arizona loved Chris, she couldn’t imagine a lifetime of unfulfilling sex with a man who possessed a nonexistent penis and no sensual moves to speak of. She knew she needed to be blunt with Chris and tell him that not only was she turned off by his micro-size penis, but neither his touch, his kiss, nor his caress turned her on. She’d tried to take Bernadette’s advice, but she could see that she and Chris were not physically compatible in any way.
She’d thought that after his disappointing performance Saturday night, he’d surely known he hadn’t satisfied her and that she was unhappy and concerned. But when they’d awoken the next morning, he’d kissed her, jabbing his tongue around her mouth like a rookie, and told her that he was sorry he’d fallen asleep and that he’d do better the next time. Arizona had been so shocked and disappointed that all she could do was deliver a puzzled look that Chris had either ignored or misread, given that his response had been to order room service because he’d said she looked hungry. He’d proceeded to order them breakfast entrées complete with coffee, juice, muffins, fruit, and mimosas.
Arizona had watched her fiancé with an odd mixture of shock and deep gratitude. She’d been in shock because he was literally oblivious to his sexual and physical shortcomings. But she’d felt a deep well of gratitude because when Chris had ordered their food, he’d made sure to tell them to scramble her eggs hard, cook her bacon to a firm crisp, and put a slight burn on the edge of her pancakes, just the way she liked them. From their first date, Chris listened to, watched for, and anticipated Arizona’s needs. His love was evident in his kind words and actions, and as she’d listened to him place her order, she’d heard care, patience, and devotion in his voice, and it was all because he loved her, which made her heart fill with thanks. In that moment, Arizona had known that she needed to give it another try.
Once again, she remembered Bernadette’s advice about finding other ways to achieve pleasure with Chris. After he’d hung up the phone she’d sauntered over to him with a mischievous look in her eyes. She took the receiver from his hand and put the hotel phone back on its cradle. She straddled him on the edge of the bed. “
Let’s pick up where we left off last night.”
They fell back onto the bed and Arizona rested her body atop Chris as she thrust her pelvis against his in a grinding motion. But he was quickly becoming overly excited, so she slowed things down because she didn’t want him to have another premature orgasm. She wanted to see what Chris could do between her legs that didn’t require his penis, so she moved his fingers to the spot between her legs that should have been wet but wasn’t, and she prayed that Chris’s touch would generate some heat. But instead of feeling excited, Arizona became frustrated.
“Chris, you’re rubbing me too hard,” she said.
“Oh, I’m sorry, baby.” He panted, changing his rhythm and touch. “How about now, do you like this?”
“It actually hurts worse.”
“I want you to feel pleasure, not pain.” Chris slowed his hands to a turtle’s crawl. “How does that feel?”
Arizona couldn’t believe that Chris’s large, soft, well-groomed hands had the same effect as sandpaper against wood. What the hell? She screamed inside her head. She wanted to tell him that it felt like her vagina was being slowly attacked by a wild animal. She was dismayed that her loving and attentive fiancé was so inept when it came to sexually pleasing her. He knew exactly how she liked her food, but he didn’t have a clue about how she wanted to be touched, kissed, or caressed.
Luckily, room service knocked on the door and saved her from what could have been another catastrophe. And even though she’d completely lost her appetite for the breakfast that Chris had so thoughtfully ordered, she was grateful for the distraction of food. She tried to eat a forkful of eggs that were cooked exactly the way she liked them. But when she placed them into her mouth they tasted like fluffy plastic. Suddenly, the very thought of food made her queasy. And as she thought about it, she hadn’t had much of an appetite since last Thursday, when they’d broken their vow of abstinence and ventured down a path that now had her second-guessing their pending walk down the aisle. Before last Friday she couldn’t have imagined anything that would have made her rethink her decision to marry Chris. But now calling off the wedding was a very real possibility.
The Other Side Page 14