Who Said It Would Be Easy?

by Cheryl Faye

  STEFÀN HAD A VERY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with his motor-cycle. When he and his friends had decided to buy and learn to ride them, he had always treated it as a very serious matter and attacked the endeavor with the same zeal he used when selling houses. Julian and a couple of other guys sometimes teased him about his unyielding tenacity. And, unlike his crew, Stefàn had never invited any of his women friends to participate in any of their biking events. He had never ridden any of them on his bike, either. Not even the ones who had asked. He’d always used the excuse that he didn’t have an extra helmet.

  Stefàn surprised himself when he invited Charisse to ride with him yesterday. He’d used his bike in an effort to keep her from walking away from him and out of his life. That’s why when she called this morning and told him she couldn’t ride with him, he’d felt more than disappointment. He’d been genuinely saddened. He had spent most of last night imagining their day together. It was seldom Stefàn swooned over a woman. Plenty of them had swooned over him, but even the most physically beautiful ones he’d hung out with had never affected him the way Charisse did. It hurt when she insinuated he was not the type of person she wanted to associate with. I’m not such a bad guy, he’d told himself. Yes, he dated several women, but he was a single man. He never led anyone on with promises of a future or any such thing. He didn’t allow them to get too close to him because he was not interested in anything permanent. He wanted to have fun. There would be time for all that other nonsense later.

  He was intrigued by Charisse, however. Yesterday, she had seemed unaffected by his suave demeanor and debonair looks. This morning, it was as if that self-assured, straight-talking woman had been a figment of his imagination. As beautiful as she was, too, she was so much more than her outward appearance. Her free spirit and uncanny sense of adventure piqued his curiosity.

  He wondered what had happened to cause the change in her this morning. Maybe someone had told her something about him. She didn’t strike him as the type to listen to anyone’s nay-saying if her mind was already made up.

  Cruising along the familiar roadway now with her holding him comfortably around his waist, Stefàn smiled. In spite of her erratic behavior this morning, he liked this woman behind him. Her personality was as refreshing as the cool wind that blew in his face as he raced along the highway. Despite the feelings he struggled to suppress, he longed to romantically pursue this new passion that jolted his senses. Knowing she had her guards up, he looked forward to the work he would have to put in to bring them down. Although he had no desire to change his lifestyle or give up his freedom, Stefàn, uncharacteristically, wanted to get to know her in a way that would also allow him to let his own guards down.

  CHAPTER 5

  WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

  Less than thirty minutes after leaving his house, Stefàn drove his motorcycle into the lot of Hamilton Park in Saddle River. Parking the bike in a space at the far end, he wasted no time dismounting. Turning to Charisse, he immediately asked, “So, what do you think?”

  Charisse couldn’t help but smile. “I liked it.”

  “You liked it, huh?”

  “Yeah. That was off the hook.”

  With a laugh, he said, “Oh, you liked it that much?”

  “Yeah, now I kinda wish we had gone to Connecticut.”

  “Well, there’s always next year,” he nonchalantly stated.

  Next year, she thought. Boy, he sure is optimistic.

  Cool and intense all at once, Stefàn watched her closely for a reaction to his comment. Although she tried to remain nonchalant, he’d picked up on her surprise. She’s going to be fun. I can see that already.

  When Charisse moved to dismount, Stefàn offered his hand in assistance. Standing before him, she looked up at him and said, “You probably think I’m a flake after the way I acted this morning, but I really appreciate you not holding that against me.”

  “So do you want to tell me what that was about?”

  She paused momentarily to consider how much to tell him. After a few seconds, she said, “I wasn’t sure if your intentions were…pure. I saw several women grinning in your face yesterday—one of them was my cousin—and I saw you reacting to them. I wasn’t interested in being one of your groupies.”

  Stefàn chuckled at her description. “Well, I knew after your scathing commentary yesterday that you weren’t the groupie type.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be mean by what I said. It was an observation I had made.”

  “Oh, so you were checking me out, too?”

  “No. Well….”

  He gave her a look which implied, tell the truth.

  “I wasn’t just sitting there watching you.”

  “But you were checking me out,” he smugly repeated.

  “No more than anybody else,” she fibbed.

  “Yeah, okay,” he murmured glibly.

  Unlike the clear sunny skies of yesterday, today was partly cloudy and quite muggy. Nonetheless, the park was alive with the smell of charcoal and barbecue, and the noise of people talking, laughing, playing and enjoying the day.

  “You wanna take a walk?” Stefàn asked.

  “Sure.”

  They left the parking area and started down the path that led to the lake. As they walked, Charisse removed her jacket and tied the sleeves around her waist so as to leave her one free hand unencumbered since they were carrying their helmets.

  “I’ve never been to this park before,” she suddenly said. “Do you come here a lot?”

  “Not really. I play ball here sometimes, but other than that, no.”

  “Why’d you decide to come here today?” she asked.

  “Well, I figured it wasn’t too far, since you were nervous about riding, but by the same token, it was far enough for you to appreciate the experience.”

  They strolled along in silence for the next several minutes. As they passed a playground with children running, jumping and swinging on the different apparatuses, Charisse noticed an ice cream truck.

  As she turned to mention it, Stefàn asked, “Would you like some ice cream?”

  She smiled. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

  “Great minds think alike,” he lightly replied.

  Turning in that direction, Stefàn led her to the queue formed at the side window.

  “What would you like?” he asked as they stepped behind the folks ahead of them.

  “A vanilla-chocolate cone. What are you getting?”

  “I think I’ll have a sundae,” he answered.

  When they reached the front of the line, Stefàn tucked his helmet under his arm as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

  To assist him, Charisse reached for his helmet. “Let me hold that for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Her unselfish nature touched his heart, prompting Stefàn’s lips to curl in a sideways grin.

  Once he had purchased their frozen treats, he suggested they sit down at a vacant picnic table nearby to eat them. While Charisse took a seat on the wooden bench, Stefàn stepped up on the bench and took a seat on the table top.

  After a few seconds of shared silence as they enjoyed their desserts, Charisse said, “This is really hitting the spot,” and licked the ice cream running down the side of her sugar cone.

  He chuckled. “Yeah, it is.”

  They resumed their quietude for the next few minutes as they enjoyed their ice cream.

  Breaking the silence, Stefàn asked, “Do you go to church every Sunday?”

  “Unless I’m sick or not in town,” she answered. “Do you go at all?”

  “No, it’s been years…. Well, with the exception of weddings and funerals, I haven’t been to church in years. It would probably go up in flames if I walked in on a Sunday,” he stated.

  “Don’t say that. That’s the great thing about God. He forgives everyone who asks.”

  Stefàn glanced down at her with a slight smile. “You’ve been a c
hurch girl all your life, huh?”

  “Oh, no. I’m a baby Christian. I’ve only recently begun to grow my relationship with Him.”

  Finding that information surprising, he inquired, “What happened?”

  “You mean to cause my change?”

  “Yes.”

  Charisse had finished her ice cream by now and rose from the bench to sit next to Stefàn on the table. “Well, at the beginning of the year I joined a co-worker on a spiritual retreat and over the course of those three days, something in me changed. I can’t even tell you specifically what caused it, but being with so many God-fearing sisters and experiencing the love and fellowship I did, let me see there was something missing from my life. I came back and went to Sunday service the following week with my friend, and a month or so later, I joined her church. Before that, I hadn’t been in church since I’d stopped going to Sunday school when I got out of high school. And it wasn’t that I was ever living…you know, like…loose or anything. But things I did before my change, I’m making a conscious effort not to do anymore.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like using foul language, drinking—”

  “You weren’t drinking yesterday?” he interrupted to ask.

  “I had two glasses of wine at the reception, but that was it. I used to drink hard liquor—margaritas, screwdrivers or Long Island iced tea—until I was tore up. I can’t do that anymore. And those two glasses of wine I had yesterday, I didn’t even finish the second one. My taste for alcohol has diminished.”

  He nodded his understanding. “What other things have you given up?”

  “I don’t listen to certain types of music anymore. It’s funny, but things that just a year ago didn’t bother me at all, I find offensive now. I guess it’s because now I realize my true worth. I finally know who I am and Whose I am.”

  “So I guess you can quote me Scripture and everything, huh?”

  Charisse chuckled and said, “Not really. I mean, there are a couple of verses I know by heart, but that’s because they have a special meaning to me. Like, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ That’s Philippians, chapter 4, verse 13.”

  “I can understand why that would be memorable,” he noted.

  “Yeah, but I don’t know the Bible yet. I’m only just reading it in its entirety for the first time.”

  “Is it hard? I mean, the changes you’ve made?”

  “Yeah, it is. Well, I should say, some things are harder than others. It hasn’t been difficult for me to stop swearing. I made the decision that as a child of God, I can’t talk like I live in the gutter anymore. I’m trying to live as a reflection of Him.” Charisse paused momentarily before adding, “The hardest change will involve my sexuality.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I’ve made the decision that I won’t be intimate with a man again until I’m married.”

  “Whoa, really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “When you say you won’t be intimate, what exactly do you mean? I mean, besides intercourse?”

  “Well, there’s a lot that can be done before a couple ever gets to the intercourse stage,” she said with a sidewise glance at him. “But basically, unless he’ll be my husband, I won’t leave myself open to the possibility of anything more than a kiss happening. And I’m not talking about French kissing, either. And it’s easy to say I’m going to do that right now, since I’m not seeing anyone, but that’s going to be a struggle because I’m very affectionate when I truly care about a man. I’ll have to stay in prayer about that,” she candidly admitted.

  “Why do you have to give up sex?”

  “Because fornication is a sin. And I’m not about to tell you I’m not a sinner, ’cause we all are, but I’m trying to be more Christ-like in the way I live. And when you willfully do something that goes against His principles, then ask for forgiveness…that’s hypocritical, and that’s something I’ve always tried not to be. Even before I became a follower of Christ.”

  Stefàn was thoughtful, digesting what she had said. “Sounds like you have quite a struggle ahead of you.”

  “The funny thing is, I feel more at peace within myself than I ever have before. I don’t worry about things I can’t control anymore. God is to going bless me as long as I’m trying to live right. But really not just ’cause of me but by His grace. The things I need, He will give me. When the time comes for me to settle down and get married, He will put that special man in my life. I feel a sense of joy like I never have before because He’s going to take care of me.”

  Stefàn smiled thoughtfully. What she revealed about her faith and her feelings were very personal, but she didn’t seem to have a problem sharing. The glimpse of her he’d gotten yesterday let him know she was not like the women he was used to associating with, but today, witnessing this very spiritual side of her solidified his earlier opinion. He felt at peace just sitting with her.

  “I’m talking too much, right?” she said, interrupting his thoughts.

  “Huh? No! No, I was thinking about what you were saying. I admire you. It’s great you feel the way you do.”

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” she suddenly said.

  “Sure.”

  “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”

  “You mean, that He died on the cross and rose from the dead?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Stefàn pondered her question for a few seconds before saying, “Yeah, I can believe that.”

  “Do you believe He died to save you?”

  His mouth turned up in one corner for a brief moment. “I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it like that.”

  “He did, you know?”

  Stefàn smiled but didn’t comment.

  “Okay, I’m done,” Charisse said as she playfully nudged his shoulder with her own. “What about you? What do you like to do?”

  “It’s funny you asked me that. My favorite thing to do in all the world is ride my motorcycle. In truth, I’ve always felt very close to God when I’m riding. Probably because one wrong move and I could be standing before Him in the blink of an eye. But I could get on my bike and ride for hours. I love the freedom and peace it affords me.” After a brief pause he continued, “Truth be told, you’re the only person I’ve ever ridden on my bike.”

  Stunned by that revelation, Charisse asked, “Why?”

  “Because riding my bike is something I consider very personal and private, and I don’t let many people get close to me.”

  “But why me?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.” After a moment he admitted, “When you started to walk away from me on the dance floor yesterday, I had to think of something quick to stop you. I had to be different, at least as far as keeping your attention.” With a chuckle he added, “My usual smooth-talking wasn’t going to fly with you and since you’d already told me you liked fast cars, the first thing that came to mind was my bike.” He couldn’t tell her he felt that if he’d let her get away yesterday, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.

  “So you wouldn’t ordinarily have done this?”

  “No, but I’m not sorry I did. I’m glad I asked you and I’m glad you reconsidered.”

  “You scared me,” she conceded.

  That surprised him. “Why?”

  “You have a lot of sex appeal. I don’t need to tell you that, but I’ve never been one to hold my tongue, which I’m sure you realize by now. But I felt this…attraction to you that made me think.… I don’t know.”

  “I felt it, too, Charisse,” he softly intoned.

  “More than just physical, though,” she clarified.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “What do you think that is?”

  In the same tender tone he said, “Maybe it’s our destiny to be friends or something. They say everything happens for a reason and that people are put in your life for a purpose. Who knows?”

  “God does,” she softly uttered.
<
br />   With her beauty, charisma and honesty sending explosive sensations through his body, Stefàn’s heart skipped a beat as he affectionately glanced at her. What is this I’m feeling?

  Charisse had been able to discern upon meeting Stefàn yesterday that he was something of a fitness buff. The way his suit had framed his tall, slender physique accented his broad shoulders and slim waistline. Seeing him today with his muscle shirt defining the exquisite musculature of his arms and torso hammered her assumption home. She asked him about it and he admitted he was steadfast in his routine.

  “I work out every day in some way. If nothing else, I do one hundred and fifty crunches and push-ups every morning as soon as I get out of bed. I work with weights, either at home or at the gym, but that’s usually with my friends. I play basketball on a regular basis, and I box. I’m also a black belt in karate.”

  “How long have you been studying martial arts?” she asked.

  “Since I was a kid. My father made all of us study. It kept us out of trouble.”

  “Do you participate in tournaments?”

  “Not anymore. My brother, Devin, and I were an awesome team in our day,” he said proudly.

  “Is he older than you?”

  “No. Two years younger.”

  “Is it just the two of you?”

  “No, we have a sister. Nikki. She’s the baby. What about you? Do you work out?”

  “Yeah, but not as regularly as you. I have to admit, I’m a little vain. Got to keep the girlish figure tight, you know,” she said with a chuckle as she nudged his shoulder again.

  Grinning slyly, he said, “There’s nothing girlish about your figure, Charisse. You’ve got the woman thing down pat.”

  Blushing, she murmured, “Thank you.” Continuing, she added, “I go to a health club, but not all the time. I love to swim, too. Sometimes, I’ll go to the gym just to swim.”