“I was kind of nervous to ask you sooner. I know it’s still a few weeks off and everything.”
“Why? It’s just me.”
“Because I didn’t want you to say no, of course.” He laughed nervously.
“I would say yes, but I have to check with my parents first. Is that okay?”
“It’s cool. Mine are the same way. How about you give me a call after you talk to them tonight?”
He slipped her a folded scrap of paper from between his fingers and left her wishing for another hug as he caressed her hand.
“You’re really serious about this?”
“As serious as a heart attack.” He winked and then lifted her hand to his lips, causing Jordan to blush. A warm gust of air blew Jordan’s hair away from her face as she watched him leave. She then read and reread the seven digits scrawled on the paper in her hand, and smiled. She could still feel his kiss on her skin, and while they’d joked about a heart attack, her heart was working so hard she was sure she was coming close to experiencing the real thing for herself.
CHAPTER 11
“Mom! I’m home!” Jordan announced her presence as soon as she walked through the door. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and carelessly tossed her books to the floor. In her excitement, she had run all the way home from the bus stop despite the eighty-degree weather.
“Hey, baby, how was school?” her mother asked over her shoulder as she slid a pan of cake batter into the oven. She had an infamous sweet tooth.
“It was great! I got asked to Spring Fling today!”
“By who?” She had her hands on her hips before Jordan could blink.
“This boy named Warren Taylor.” She couldn’t contain her smile when she said his name.
“Do I know him?”
“No…but—”
“Then you’re not going.”
“Mom! How come?” Jordan groaned.
“Because if you’re going to be out with some boy, I want to know who he is and what he’s about. I’m sure your father would agree,” she said as she transferred her used dishes into the sink and rinsed them.
“Okay, well, if you guys meet him and like him, then can I go?”
“We’ll see.”
“Hey, Riq, wad up? Whatcha doin’?” Jordan walked over to Tariq, who was sitting at the small drop-leaf table by the window. He was hard at work on a sketch, and he didn’t bother to look up as she ran her hand over his fresh haircut.
“Drawing.”
“Drawing what?”
“A loser,” he mumbled with his bottom lip poked out.
“Tariq!” their mother exclaimed at her son’s sour attitude. “Why would you draw a something like that?”
“That’s me,” he said, pointing to the stick figure between vibrant streaks of crayon.
“You’re still upset about that game, aren’t you?” Jordan asked, remembering the humbling outcome of his latest basketball game. She’d cheered from the bleachers even as his team had formed a line to shake the hands of the winners. The one game he’d won so far this year she’d missed due to her escapade over Jadian Brown.
“I take it he’s still upset they lost that game on Saturday?”
“Well, from what I understand, the boys on his new team are blaming the loss on him.”
“Why? It’s not like he missed the winning shot or something,” Jordan said. Kids could be so mean. “He had playtime almost the whole game. He was only on the bench by the fourth quarter.”
“They said it was my fault we lost ’cause before I came along, they won their games,” Tariq interjected, shaking his head.
“I’m about to call their coach in a minute. I know your father will raise hell for this, but I really think Tariq would be better off just waiting until basketball camp this summer,” her mother said, washing her hands and drying them on her apron. “I need to go throw a load in the washer. Can you do me a favor and keep an eye on the oven?” She lifted an overflowing basketful of soiled laundry next to the cellar door and pulled the chain to light the stairwell.
“Sure.”
Jordan listened to her mother’s house shoes slap against the wooden planks and drummed her fingers on the table in boredom. Her eyes then fell on the cordless telephone next to her. She pulled Warren’s number from her pocket and memorized it, knowing that she was only procrastinating. You’ve got to tell him, so suck it up and call, she told herself. After making sure Tariq was still preoccupied, she quickly punched in Warren’s number and squeezed her eyes shut as she concentrated on the ringing in her ear.
“May I speak to Warren, please?” She covered her mouth in shock as soon as the words had left her mouth. She couldn’t believe she had almost stuttered.
“This him. Who this?”
“Hey, it’s me, Jordan.”
“Hey, what’s up, cutie?” His tone seemed to lighten once he identified her voice on the other end of the line. “I’m glad you called. I hope you have some good news for me.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I talked to my mom and she said I can probably go with you to Spring Fling.”
“Probably?”
“Well, I won’t lie. There is a catch.”
“What is it?”
Jordan took a deep breath. “Well, I don’t want to freak you out or anything, but my parents want to meet you first.”
“Uh-oh, time to meet the parents already?” he joked.
“I know, right.” She chuckled uncertainly. Was Warren really okay with this?
“Naw, that’s cool, though. When do they want me to come over?”
“How about you come over on Sunday around one?” she asked, unable to believe her luck. Warren was too good to be true. “My mom is going to make Sunday dinner. There’s always more than enough food for another spot at the table.”
“Sunday at one it is, then. I can’t wait.” Jordan twirled her hair around her finger and smiled. She couldn’t wait, either.
Jordan hummed as she rushed to get the door Sunday afternoon. The doorbell had chimed throughout the house, and Warren was waiting on the porch. She had successfully cleared his invitation to Sunday dinner with her family, and they huddled around the door, eager to meet the first young man who’d come calling for Jordan.
“Hello, how are you doing?” Warren waved and politely addressed her relatives.
“Mom, Dad, this is Warren, and Warren, that’s my brother I was telling you about, Tariq. We call him Riq for short.” Jordan began to ramble as she played hostess and introduced her guest. She was unsure how to act, and she was afraid he would notice her rattled state. She had never had a boy over to her house before, let alone much interaction with the opposite sex, period.
“Nice to meet you, Warren. I’m Olivia.”
“David.” Her father extended his hand and gave him a firm handshake. He seemed satisfied by Warren’s looking him in the eye, but he only showed it with a huff. Warren was poised, and Jordan admired him for it. Not too many people could look her father in the eye and remain undaunted by the experience.
“Mmm, something smells good,” Warren said, sniffing. The scent of a soul food dinner hung in the air.
“You got here just in time. I just took the greens off the stove.”
“Don’t you want to help me set the table?” Jordan asked as she bravely took Warren by the hand.
“Sure.” He allowed her to lead him into the dining room. She carefully passed him her mother’s best china from the hutch as he completed the task without being asked.
“So, what’s on the menu?” he inquired while in the middle of proudly examining his work.
“Fried chicken, gizzards—even though I don’t eat them. Do you like those?”
“Sure, I eat ’em.”
Jordan shuddered before continuing. “Baked mac and cheese, some greens, some sweet potatoes and corn bread.”
Just as Jordan described the feast they were sure to enjoy, her mother emerged from the kitchen bal
ancing several serving dishes in her arms.
Warren rushed to her aid. “Here, let me help you with that.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Thank you.” Jordan could tell that her mother was impressed by Warren’s manners as she watched him gently set the heaping platters on the table.
“Jordan, go get your father and Tariq.” Olivia snapped her fingers and shooed her daughter away.
Jordan returned from retrieving her father and brother from their place in front of the television set to see her mother politely offering a seat to Warren. So far so good, she thought.
Jordan scooted her chair closer to the table and caught a flirtatious smile from Warren, who was seated directly across from her. The corners of her mouth turned up only slightly as her father took his place at the head of the table and put his hands out for grace.
“Shall we begin?”
CHAPTER 12
“No! Don’t! Come on, Mom! Please! Stop!”
Everyone’s laughter tormented Jordan as she desperately tried to snatch the leather photo album from her mother’s hands. The night had taken a disastrous turn. One minute, they’d been sitting at the dining room table eating a delicious dinner, and the next, they were being entertained by her intimate baby pictures over brownies à la mode in the living room.
Her mother was quite the storyteller. Jordan glanced around the room to see her brother wiggling in his seat and Warren holding his fist at his mouth to prevent his food from spilling out when he laughed. She rested her head on the armrest of the couch. She had given up on stealing her mother’s spot in the limelight. Her mom was thoroughly enjoying her time as the center of attention, and she was using Jordan to do it.
“And here’s my little Jordan again. She was only three months old.” Olivia leaned closer to Warren and presented him with one of the most embarrassing photographs ever taken of her. Jordan was naked, asleep on a white sheepskin rug.
“Mom!”
“Hey, give that back!” Her mother began cracking up after Jordan escalated her tactics and managed to jump up and retrieve the source of her problem. She hastily creased the photo and stuffed it in her pants pocket.
“Ha, ha, I saw your butt!” Tariq teased.
“Shut up, Riq!”
He stuck his tongue out.
“You two, stop it. We have company.” Their mom looked each of them in the eye as she scolded them, but her voice turned sweet when she addressed their guest. “Warren, did you know that Jordan used to call me ‘the bestest mommy’? Isn’t that adorable!”
“Whatever. She used to be a daddy’s girl. I don’t know what happened.” Her father hadn’t said more than a dozen words that evening. He’d been speaking even less to or about Jordan lately, since his discovery of her treachery.
“I think I need some air. Warren, don’t you need to be getting home soon?” Jordan’s knees were so weak she was barely able to stand as she waited for Warren to catch the hint she was throwing his way. She didn’t quite know how to take her father’s comment.
“My daughter has no sense of hospitality, does she?” Her mother shook her head and shut the thick collection of priceless memories. “Oh well, you two run along, then. It was such a pleasure having you over today, sweetie. You take care.” She gave Warren a tender hug and kissed the air next to each of his cheeks.
“Nice meeting y’all. Thank you for having me. The food was so, so good.”
“Anytime, anytime.” Olivia waved off the compliment as though it meant nothing, but she took great pride in her cooking.
“So you’re kicking me out, huh?” Warren kicked loose pebbles along the walkway after Jordan led him outside. She linked her arm in his as she escorted him to his car.
“I can’t believe that just happened. I really used to say ‘the bestest.’” Jordan was feeling sensitive as she looked back on the embarrassing afternoon. She had always hoped her parents wouldn’t pull a stunt like that.
“Aw, it’s okay. You were a cute baby.” He grinned.
“Yeah, okay.”
“Plus, now I can say I saw you naked.”
“You’re a freak for that one.” She giggled.
“How about this? I won’t say anything about what just happened in there if you can score one basket against me.”
Warren stopped at the brand new basketball hoop her father had bought Tariq to lift his spirits about being removed from the rec-and-ed team. He picked up the basketball resting on the lawn and began to dribble it down the limited area of driveway already shared by two vehicles.
“Yeah, right. You have got to be joking.” Jordan peered up at the rim as though she were standing next to a giant and then looked down at her girly attire. She scolded herself for trying to look cute for him. Now she didn’t stand a chance.
“Come on, one basket ain’t nothing. I mean, if you’re scared or something…”
“Pass me the ball.” She held her hands out and bent her knees to play defense, but without warning, she signaled for a time-out. “Okay, wait.”
“What now? The game didn’t even start yet and you up here calling a time-out.” Warren laughed.
“If I do this, you swear you won’t tell anybody about what happened in there. Ever.”
“All right. Isn’t that what I said?”
“Say you swear.”
“I promise.”
“Pinky promise.” She held her curled pinky out to confirm their pact.
“All right, all right.” Warren took his time coming near her, and he continued to dribble the ball. Jordan was suspicious of his intentions as she watched him eye the hoop from the corner of his eye. Before she could react, he had charged past her and performed a slam dunk. “Gotcha!”
“You cheater!” Her voice screeched as she watched him swing on the rim.
“Hey, you got to get it how you live,” he said as he landed on his feet.
“Don’t start nothing you can’t finish. I don’t want to make you feel bad about yourself.” After retrieving the basketball from where it rolled into the grass, she felt confident and powerful with it in her hands.
“Bring it on!”
Her wisecracks provoked him to pass her the ball, and she aggressively tried to drive it to the basket. Warren was a fierce guard and forced her farther from the hoop, causing their bodies to press against each other. Panicked and greedy for points, Jordan awkwardly hurled the ball at her target.
“Brick!” Warren’s curse was paired with the sight of the basketball bouncing off the edge of the metal rim, but giggles coming from the doorway of her home caused him to refocus his energy. “Looks like we have an audience.”
“Come here, Riq!” After catching the ball, Jordan looked up to see Tariq standing at the screen door. He had been discreetly watching their game, and Jordan knew he longed to use his oversized hoop. Their father had had the best intentions when he made the purchase, but Tariq was still too short to touch the rim like his idol, LeBron James.
“Can I play with you guys?”
“Do you want to be on my team?” Warren’s voice was kind as he crouched to be level with Tariq.
“Oh, I see how you are. Trying to outnumber me? Somebody must feel a little threatened.”
“You’re still losing, remember?”
“That shot doesn’t count!”
“Who says?”
“I do.”
“You’re making the rules now?”
“Damn right.”
“Oooh, you said a bad word!” Tariq teased.
“Shut up before I tell Dad you’ve been playing with his model cars!”
“Ah, there’s nothing like a bond between brother and sister, is there?” Warren sarcastically interjected with a chuckle. Obviously guilty of the crime Jordan had accused him of, Tariq had been silenced in an instant.
“You don’t know the half.”
“Oh, trust me, I do. I have an older sister out at UCLA. She used to pick on me all the time. Does Jordan pick on you, Riq?”
/> “Mmm-hmm.” Tariq folded his skinny arms across his chest with attitude.
“Come here for a second.” Warren took Tariq by the shoulder and led him a few feet away. As he whispered something in his ear, Jordan advanced toward the pair. “Ah, ah, ah. No eavesdropping,” Warren scolded her.
“Whenever you two are done running your mouths,” Jordan taunted the duo as she bounced the ball. Never having been the athletic type, she could barely dribble while standing still, but her mouth ran away with her. “Just say when.”
In one simple maneuver, Warren took Tariq in his arms and rushed Jordan for the ball. Tariq’s small hands stole it from her almost effortlessly, and Warren lifted him to victory.
“I made it! I dunked like LeBron!” Tariq was full of giggles and smiles as Warren set him on the ground to celebrate.
“Yay! Go, Riq! Go, Riq! Go, Riq, it’s your birthday. Give me some love, give me some love.”
As Warren and Tariq carried on, Jordan stopped the ball from rolling with her foot. She was undeniably entranced by the heartwarming scene before her as she smoothed her best outfit and used the basketball as an improvised chair. Something in her wanted to smile as she recognized their bond as well as the one forming between her and Warren.
Jordan wobbled and struggled to maintain her balance on the ball, but one charming smile was all it took to replace her fond thoughts with something indescribable. The strange feeling touched her deeply, so deeply its pressures caused her to lose her equilibrium and sent her crashing to the ground. As a concerned Warren rushed her way, she was delirious with laughter. Jordan was falling hard.
“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Jordan whispered into the phone from where she sat in her windowsill. She could hear the hum of the rain pelting the pavement below as the hours she had left to sleep dwindled away. Tonight, the sky was absent of lightning and without thunder, but the winds were vicious.
“Naw, I’m actually up over here thinking about you.” The sound of Warren’s voice failed to subdue her wild emotions. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he’d left.
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