by Cheryl Faye
“Yeah. Charisse.”
“So, what was up yesterday? She got bent about that chick stepping to you like she did, huh?”
“Yeah, that and a few other things, but I can’t really blame her. I invited her there and I should have been more attentive,” Stefàn admitted.
“So you’re serious about her?”
“Yeah, Dub. I told her, too.”
“How’d she take it?”
“She’s open,” he said with a smile.
CHAPTER 13
AND SO IT BEGINS…
“Province Realty. This is Stefàn Cooper. How may I help you?”
With her heart beating like a bass drum, she replied, “Good evening, Stefàn.”
A broad smile lit his face and a warm sensation permeated his body as he pleasantly replied, “Charisse. Good evening to you. How are you this fine evening?”
Stefàn had called her that afternoon at work, but she hadn’t had an opportunity to get back to him. When Charisse finally made it home that evening, she had barely put down her pocket-book before she picked up the telephone and dialed his office number, which she had memorized. It was just after six thirty.
“I’m very well, thank you, and yourself?”
“I’m doing better now that I’m talking to you.”
“Flattery will get you almost anywhere.”
Stefàn laughed. The sound was contagious so she joined him.
“Are you still at work?” he asked.
“No, I’m home. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to call you back before I left.”
“Oh, that’s okay. Got out early today, huh?”
“No, just on time,” she replied.
“I heard that.”
“Are you going to be there much longer?” she then asked.
“No, actually I was about to lock up. I was hoping this wasn’t a client when I answered your call.”
“Do you have plans for the rest of the evening?”
His heart skipped a beat in anticipation of her next words when he answered, “No.”
“At lunchtime today, I was given a couple of passes to the pre-screening of a new Denzel Washington movie at the theater in Ridgefield Park. They said it’s a romantic comedy. I was wondering if you’d be interested in seeing it with me?”
“Denzel, huh?”
“Yes.”
“I guess you’re a fan?” he asked with a smile in his voice.
“Yeah, he’s okay,” she facetiously answered.
Stefàn laughed. “As long as I don’t have to compete with him, I’d love to go, Charisse.”
She was thinking, you don’t have to compete with anyone.
“What time does the show start?”
“Seven-thirty.”
He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “All right. I’ll lock up here and head right over to you. I should be there in about twenty-five minutes. Is that cool?”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you then.”
Stefàn wasted no time setting everything in order at his office, expediting his departure so he could get to Charisse. He couldn’t help but smile as he took the fifteen-minute drive from his job to her house.
Charisse smiled in surprise when her doorbell rang at a couple of minutes past seven.
Wow, that was quick. Is he as eager to see me as I am to see him?
She was still dressed in the sand-colored silk suit she’d worn to work, and had only removed her pantyhose and changed her shoes, putting on a pair of low-heeled mules. As soon as Charisse opened the door and got a look at him, she was glad she hadn’t changed because Stefàn was decked out in a beige suit and his brown hued multi-colored tie was still tightly knotted at his neck. Since he had been casually attired the last few times she’d seen him, she’d forgotten how resplendent he looked dressed in business apparel.
She warmly uttered, “Hi.”
“Hi, gorgeous,” he softly replied. As he stepped into her house, appreciative eyes took in her form from head to toe and were pleased by what they saw.
“You must have been walking out the door when I called you,” she said.
“Just about. I didn’t want to have you waiting for me too long.”
Looking up into dark orbs that adored her, she told him, “That’s okay; I wouldn’t have minded.”
A playful smile crossed his face, highlighting his solitary dimple and causing a shiver to race up her spine.
“Do you want to take my car or yours?” he then asked.
“You can drive.”
The theater was a fifteen-minute ride from Charisse’s house but when they arrived, there were only a few seats left in the crowded auditorium.
“There are two seats down front,” Charisse said in a soft voice, just as Stefàn took her hand and led her in the opposite direction.
“I see two seats back there,” he told her.
The vacancies were in the center of the very last row of the hall. Once they had squeezed their way past the people already seated, Stefàn leaned close to her and asked, “Is this okay for you?”
“Yeah, this is good. I didn’t even see these seats.”
“Would you like anything from the concession stand?”
“No, that’s okay. I don’t want you to have climb over these people again.”
“Would you like something from the concession stand?” he repeated, disregarding her concerns.
She smiled at him and meekly replied, “Some popcorn.”
“Butter?”
“A little, and a 7-Up or Sprite.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.”
About ten minutes later, Stefàn made his way up the aisle and through their row back to his seat.
“Did I miss anything?” he asked as soon as he sat down.
“Just a couple of previews. I was beginning to worry about you,” Charisse stated good-naturedly.
“I figured I might as well use the facilities while I was out there. The brother on the end didn’t look too happy to see me when I came back through. I’m not trying to get into anything in here,” he told her in a whisper. “I hope you don’t mind that I got a large popcorn and soda for us to share.”
“Of course I don’t mind. I figured you would.”
Moving his mouth close to her ear, he said, “You know, you make it very easy to like you.”
Charisse could only blush. Inhaling the exotic fragrance of his cologne, her heart beat so loudly in her ears she wondered if he could hear it. She couldn’t believe how nervous she felt sitting so close to him. It wasn’t as if she’d never been to the movies with a man before. For some strange reason, the darkness of the auditorium and the closeness of their seats, in addition to sharing popcorn and a soda with him, made the whole affair seem so much more intimate.
Suddenly, to her chagrin, she realized that she had actually asked him out on a date. There was no mistaking it. Unlike their previous meetings, there was no other way to look at this. It was date. God, what is he thinking of me? He must think I’m one of those fast women who sees a man she wants and makes no bones about going after him. Oh, no. That’s not the impression I want him to have of me. At that very moment, without looking, she reached over to dip her hand in the popcorn bucket. Stefàn did the same.
“Sorry,” she muttered, pulling her hand away as if she’d been burned.
“No apology necessary,” he told her softly, lifting the bucket to make it easier for her to take what she wanted.
With a deep sigh, she said, “Thank you.”
“Charisse, would you do me a favor?” he whispered.
Turning her face toward him, she answered, “What?”
“Relax,” he gently urged.
She nodded as she faced forward.
“Charisse.”
“Yes?”
“As much as I’d like to, I won’t bite you.”
Looking over at him in surprise, she saw the glint in his eye through the darkness of the theater and his playful smile and couldn’t help but return
it. A chuckle escaped her lips as she thought about what he’d said.
Stefàn’s teasing had broken the ice and she was eventually able to relax and enjoy the movie, his company and his closeness.
Afterward, he suggested they have dinner. Stefàn drove them to a quaint Spanish restaurant not far from the movie house.
They ordered a carafe of sangria and Charisse allowed Stefàn to order her meal. He informed her that he frequented this particular restaurant quite often and knew the owner personally. As they awaited their meals and sipped their wine, Stefàn continued with his teasing.
“So, Charisse, should I be worried?”
“About what?”
“About you taking advantage of me?”
“What do you mean?” She hadn’t yet caught on to him.
“I mean, the other day you told me I didn’t have to worry about you trying to take advantage of me, and now you’re asking me out on dates,” he nonchalantly stated.
Mortified, her face took on a look of distress so prominent that he quickly reached across the table for her hand and said, “I’m just playing with you.”
When she didn’t recover quickly enough from his dig, he moved to the chair next to her from his position across the table. “Sweetheart, please don’t take what I said to heart. I was only teasing.”
“Yes, but you put voice to my fears. When we were in the movie theater I was thinking that.”
“And what’s so wrong with you asking me out on a date?” he asked.
“I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me, Stefàn.”
Affectionately caressing her digits, tenderness filled his tone as he spoke. “I don’t have any wrong ideas about you.”
She sighed.
“Can I ask you something?” When she nodded he continued. “Why do I make you so nervous?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered with her head bowed.
“Charisse, look at me.” Aligning his earnestness with her trepidation, he dialed up the candor when he touched her chin and reminded her, “You promised you wouldn’t lie to me.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me why you’re so nervous around me?”
“Because I like you.”
A warm smile played on his lips when he said, “I like you, too. More than a little bit.”
“It just seems…we’re so far apart in…how we live,” she tried to explain.
“We don’t have to be.”
“Stefàn, I’m trying to live a life that’s completely different from the way I used to live. I don’t party like I once did, I don’t drink like I used to. I don’t even….” She sighed.
“I don’t want to corrupt you, Charisse. I want to see you. I want to spend time with you. But I want you to be comfortable around me.”
Absently pulling her hand from his and nervously fidgeting with her utensils, she admitted, “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable around you, it’s more like…I’m too comfortable around you. You make me….” She sighed loudly. “I want to spend time with you, too.”
“Your birthday’s next week, right?”
“The Saturday after next,” she answered.
“Do you have any plans?”
“No. I already bought my birthday present,” she told him with a smile.
“Let me take you out for your birthday. I want to do something special for you. Will you let me do that?”
“You know what you can do for my birthday that would be very special?” she asked instead of answering his question.
“What?”
“Come to church with me.”
“Okay,” he easily replied.
“You will?”
“Sure. Now will you let me take you out for your birthday?” he asked, looking at her through inquisitive eyes.
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Are you going to deny me that?”
“No.”
“Good. Now do me one more favor.”
“What?”
He reclaimed her hand and clasped it between both of his. “Be yourself around me. I want you to be as comfortable as you please. I respect you, Charisse. I respect how you’re living and I promise I will never do anything to compromise you or your beliefs. Can you trust my word?”
“Yes.” She nodded.
Stefàn brought her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her palm. “You are very special to me. More than you probably know, and I just want to be with you, be around you.” Suddenly, he took the hand he still held and placed it against his chest. “Can you feel my heart beating?”
“Yes.” It was racing.
“That’s you. You excite me on a level so deep…” He chuckled lightly. “It’s scary. I’m not talking about physical excitement either. I feel…I feel like there’s permanence between us. Like there’s some greater destiny in store for us. Together. I’ve never felt that with anyone, but that’s how I feel with you.”
Charisse was speechless. Like wildfire, an overwhelming feeling of joy spread through her.
Stefàn smiled that crooked smile he had and said, “You don’t have to say anything. It’s blowing my mind, too.”
She couldn’t help but laugh with him. “I’m glad you feel that way. I would let you feel my heart, but you already know.”
“I can feel your pulse.” Stefàn leaned in closer and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’ll save the real one for another time.”
Charisse could only blush.
Tenderly caressing her hand as he held it, he asked, “What size do you wear?”
“What size clothes?”
“Yes.”
“Six.”
“What size shoe?”
“Eight.”
“Do you like to go the theater?”
“Yes.”
“What about concerts?”
“I like old school groups; the ones that sing those sweet love songs.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. What’s your favorite color?”
“Orange. Bright orange.”
“Yeah? What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?”
She giggled. “Stay at home and watch movies.”
“Alone?”
“Well, I don’t really have a choice there. I live by myself and I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Well, the first part of that’s true,” he casually stated.
She smiled.
“Do you like the beach?”
“Yes, but I really like sitting on the beach more than I like swimming in the ocean. I love to swim, but I prefer pools. I like picnics. Like yesterday. I really liked that.”
“You like walks in the park?” he asked.
“Yes, and rides on motorcycles,” she told him with a big smile.
He laughed. “Okay.”
At that point their food was served, breaking into their shared peace. Stefàn offered to say a blessing over the meal, causing Charisse’s already growing ardor to soar.
DURING THE FOLLOWING WEEK, Charisse and Stefàn got together, if only for a little while, each day. Tuesday and Thursday they shared late dinners at restaurants in neighboring towns and Wednesday they double-dated with Julian and his friend, Robin.
Stefàn, who had already made up his mind that he wanted Charisse to be the lady in his life, found with each day, his affection grew stronger and stronger. Still, he had made no attempts—upon greeting or leaving her—to kiss her more intimately than the pecks they shared on each other’s cheeks. Several times when he was alone, he found himself daydreaming about her, about making love with her but he immediately suppressed those urges. That was a dream that would only be fulfilled if they walked down the aisle together.
He often found it funny that only weeks ago, if someone had suggested anything in the neighborhood of commitment or marriage, he would have loudly balked at the thought. Now, he looked forward to Charisse one day becoming his wife. Stefàn wanted to take care of her. Materially, she was fully self-sufficient; after all,
she had a great career, her own home, car and probably a pretty good bit of money in the bank, considering the field she was in. But he wanted to be the man who supported her in any way she wanted or needed. He wanted her to be his family, the mother of his children, his life mate. She was everything—his sun, moon and stars. The love he felt for her was so strange to him; he’d never known a feeling this engrossing. He had been in love before, but his selfish nature had ruined the relationship he had with Janine Taylor, his first real love. Never fully recovering from her rejection, Stefàn had made the decision to let no other woman get close to him. He had lived for so long in his protective cocoon, a self-imposed state of emotional exile, that it had become a way of life. Then Charisse came along, and like a tornado, blew all of his defenses down. In truth, he had to admit, he had never felt better. Like he’d told Julian, he felt as if he was high all the time. Charisse had him flying; she made him feel as if he could do anything and he was looking forward to doing it all with her at his side.
CHAPTER 14
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
The following Friday, Stefàn left his office at seven-thirty. Heading straight home, he quickly showered and changed since he had managed to visit his barber earlier in the day to freshen up his haircut. A friend from his childhood was getting married on Sunday and was having a bachelor party that evening at a club in his old neighborhood in Queens. Despite not really wanting to attend, Stefàn felt obligated to make an appearance, at least for a couple of hours.
He had spoken to Charisse earlier in the day and invited her for dinner at his house on Saturday evening. When Stefàn was active on the dating scene, he took pleasure in wining and dining his lady friends. However, that usually entailed taking them out to a restaurant or some other venue. For Charisse, he wanted to do something special; something he’d never done for anyone else.
When they’d gone riding this past Sunday, he had personally fried the chicken and made the salad they’d eaten. That was no big deal for him; he’d been frying chicken since he was fifteen years old. Now he wanted to prepare a romantic, candlelight dinner for Charisse so she would know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the depth of his feelings for her.
The bachelor party wasn’t scheduled to begin until ten o’clock, but Stefàn hadn’t seen his parents in a few weeks, so he decided to pay them a visit before heading to the club. The elder Coopers lived in a two-story Colonial-style house in Baldwin, Long Island, twenty minutes past the location of the party.