by M. J. Kane
He had no idea. “No, work is fine. I’d just rather be with you tonight.”
And still be with him in the morning, tomorrow afternoon…
“I wish you could be there too, but I understand. You have to sacrifice to do the things you love. Besides, it won’t be the last night we play.”
I eyed him. He honestly didn’t have a clue about the true meaning of my statement. Maybe it was for the best. If he knew what I really meant, he’d probably have me naked and in bed in record time.
“What time do you go in?”
“Five A.M.,” I groaned.
“I’ll probably be getting in bed by then.”
Alone, I hope.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Brian stopped running his hand through the ends of my hair. “Anything.”
“Jessica told me something, and well, it’s hard to believe. She said tonight was the first time you’d brought a date to practice. Is it true?”
He chuckled and glanced out the window. I saw a slight red hue appear in his cheeks. “Leave it to Jessica. Yes, it’s true.”
I studied him in surprise. “Why? I mean, don’t you take girls to your shows to impress them? You’d definitely be able to get laid.”
Brian’s head fell back against the headrest as he laughed. “I used to in high school and during my first two years of college.” He turned to face me. “I’m older now with goals and no time for games. When I invite a woman, correction, when I invite you to share an important part of my life, it means something.”
“Oh.”
“Which reminds me, do you have plans for the Fourth of July?”
I had a hard time wrapping my head around his last statement and barely let out an audible “no”.
“Good. I’d like to spend the day with you. There’s a barbeque at my parents’ house. It’s nothing major. We get together every holiday. I usually don’t invite anyone, but I want you to come with me.”
Somehow I managed to find my voice. “You want me to meet your family?”
“Yes, and I want them to meet you.”
I tried to hide my discomfort. A flood of ‘what if’ scenarios ran through my head.
What if they don’t like me because I’m black? What if I’m not pretty enough? What if nobody talks to me? What if…
“Hey.” He reached over and pulled my face back to meet his. “Don’t worry. I promise you’ll fit right in.” He chuckled. “Believe me, the last thing they’ll be interested in is the color of your skin.”
Oh great, now I was really nervous.
Brian leaned over and kissed me. His cologne was all male and ignited primal urges in me, making it impossible to think. I sighed against his mouth.
“Is that a yes?” he asked when our lips parted.
I looked into my private blue ocean that was his eyes. It was impossible to say no to that.
Chapter 13
I focused on the road as Ebony turned to me; she’d been asking questions the entire trip.
“Let me get this right.” Nervousness was in her voice. “You have four sisters, right?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re the youngest?”
I glanced over to see her expression. Priceless. “Yes.”
She stared out of the windshield, probably contemplating another question to ask.
I reached for her hand. “Don’t worry, they’re going to”
“Love me. You keep saying that. But, Brian, you have four older sisters. I only have one, and she’s extremely protective of my brother and me. I’m the same with women my brother likes.”
There was nothing else to say to reassure her. We were ten minutes away from my parents’ house.
“How’s work? You’re helping take care of a monkey, right?”
“It’s an orangutan. If you’re going to change the subject, at least know what you’re talking about.” She smirked.
“See, it worked. How’s it going?”
I listened to her go into detail about her daily work routine. Listening to her speak passionately about something she enjoyed made my day. Her enthusiasm reminded me of the way I felt about music. Women I’d dated before only talked about what they expected from me. It was refreshing to be with a woman with goals.
“Oh, God, we’re almost there, aren’t we?” Ebony said when we slowed down to turn into my parents’ subdivision.
“Breathe, Ebony, just breathe.”
“Easier said than done. You’re not the black girl coming to the party,” she muttered. “They do know I’m black, right?”
I sighed. “Ebony, let’s not do this now.”
“That would be no.” She pulled her hand away and put her head into her hands.
I ignored the comment and parked at the curb in front of my parents’ home. Ebony stayed rooted to her seat when I opened her car door. She stared at me with mixed emotions.
“Do you trust me?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?”
I leaned in to kiss her. “You look beautiful by the way. Come on so we can get this over with and you can relax.”
We walked up the winding walkway holding hands. Various cars sat in the driveway. The intoxicating aroma of the charcoal floated in the air. The sound of music and children’s voices drifted from the backyard.
At the door, I shifted the box of beer under my arm. Ebony gripped the cake she’d baked for the occasion tightly to her chest.
“Ready?”
“It doesn’t seem like I have a choice.” She plastered on a grin and squeezed my hand.
I tested the front door and found it unlocked. “Hello?” No response. We walked through the foyer, through the living room to the kitchen. Evidence of the meal’s preparations sat on the kitchen counters and table. Bags of chips, dip, desserts, and covered dishes made my mouth water. I sat the beer down.
I heard my father’s voice through the opened sliding-glass door, as he told another one of his corny jokes. Laughter erupted as we reached the doorway. Cody and Hannah ran around the backyard while everyone else’s attention focused on the center of the yard where my father stood. I squeezed Ebony’s hand.
“So this is where the party’s at.”
My family turned, startled at my voice. My mother got out of her seat.
“Brian!” She came over to hug me and kissed my cheek.
A chorus of ‘hellos’ came in response as all eyes left me to focus on my date.
“Hey, everybody, I’d like for you to meet Ebony Campbell. Ebony, this is my mother, Laura, and my father, Winfred.”
My mother shook her hand. Dad stayed at the grill, but smiled warmly and waved a pair of tongs.
“I made a cake,” Ebony said, holding it out to my mother.
“Oh, thank you. I’ll just put it in the kitchen.” Mom took the plate inside.
“This is my sister, Lisa, Cody and Hannah’s mother. And this crazy girl is Bridget.”
Both came to shake her hand. Ebony’s voice remained warm despite the fact she squeezed the heck out of my hand.
Lisa sat back down, but Bridget remained next to me, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
“Where is everybody? I see cars out front. Where are the bodies?”
“Andrea and Caroline went to the store to grab a few things. Tim and Randall are working so they’ll be late,” Bridget informed me while studying Ebony.
“Andrea and Caroline are my other sisters. Tim and Randall are their husbands,” I said, turning to Ebony to fill her in.
“Jackson is on the way with Josh and Sara. They went to pick up some fireworks. Aunt Gina and her boys should be here soon.”
I groaned. “Tell me Dad isn’t going to be in charge of lighting them again this year.”
“After last year’s fiasco? Hell no.” Bridget leaned around me and spoke to Ebony directly. “Last year, dad burned down the gazebo. He shot off a rocket that went sideways instead of up in the air, and poof,” she demonstrated with her hands, “instant fire.”
> “Oh, no.” Ebony covered her mouth to conceal her laughter.
“Fortunately, Tim and Randall are both fire-fighters. They got it quickly under control.” I pointed to the gazebo’s remains. “He’s supposed to rebuild it, but Mom refuses to let him start until after tonight’s fireworks.”
Bridget’s contagious laughter kept Ebony from being able to continue to contain her own.
“Hey, are you kids talking about me over there?” my father bellowed.
“No,” Bridget and I said in unison.
“I might be getting older, but I’m not deaf. Brian, bring your lady friend over here.”
I winked at Ebony as we walked over to the stainless-steel giant we’d chipped in to buy him on Father’s Day. The savory smell of hot dogs, steak, and chicken permeated the air.
“Dinner looks great, Dad.”
“Me and this grill are a match made in heaven.” He took a moment to flip a row of steaks. “The kitchen is for the women. But this…” He pointed with pride to the grill. “This is man’s work. It’s like the caveman days of cooking over a pit fire.”
“Winfred, cavemen didn’t know how to make fire,” Mom said.
Everyone laughed.
“Look, woman, go grab me a beer,” Dad said. He glanced at Ebony. “So, you’re dating my son, huh?”
My heart dropped to my knees. I should have seen this coming. My dad had no problem getting to the point. We hadn’t been here for more than ten minutes and he’d already jumped to the wrong conclusion. Even though the sexual attraction was there, the only thing we’d done was kiss. I wanted more, damn, I really wanted more. But I didn’t want to push and risk the chance she’d decide we were doing too much. Bringing her to meet my family was more than I thought would ever happen. The last thing I needed my father to do was
“Yes, sir, I am his girlfriend.” She squeezed my hand.
Holy. Shit. My heart started beating again. I studied Ebony to make sure I heard her correctly. Her smile said it all.
“How did you guys meet?” Mom reappeared with a beer.
“She picked me up at the bar,” I joked.
“Brian!” Ebony poked me in the ribs with her elbow.
Bridget laughed. “And he’s the only thing you could find? Girl, I have to take you out sometime and show you where to find a real man.”
“Ignore her, she’s got a few screws loose,” I warned.
Ebony giggled. “I like her.”
Annoyed, I decided to mess with my sister. “So, Bridget, what happened to the last guy you dated? What was his name, Raul? Wasn’t he like twelve years younger than you?”
Bridget’s eyes shot over to our mother who eyed her questioningly. “His name was Francisco, and he was not twelve years younger.” She held her head high. “He was five years younger. I broke up with him a few months ago because we couldn’t agree on the terms of our relationship.”
“Which were?” I pushed.
Her eyes narrowed. “He wanted to get married. I’m too young for that.”
I howled.
“Bridget, you’re nearly thirty-two years old. It’s time to settle down,” Mom supplied.
“You can say that again,” Lisa muttered, joining in the conversation.
Lisa was my second oldest sister. Ever since we arrived, she’d been watching Ebony. For her to finally speak meant she must have formulated an opinion.
“Ebony, where are you from? You don’t have a California accent.”
“Charlotte, North Carolina,” she replied.
“Wow, you’re a long way from home. How did you end up here?”
The moment Ebony dreaded had arrived. I decided to give her some space, confident she could handle my sisters. I kissed her hand and continued to stand next to my father while she followed them to sit in the patio chairs. I stood in silence, listening to the flow of questions and answers between them. Lisa was obviously filling in for our older sister, Andrea, and would give her and Caroline a detailed report in private once they returned.
“Hand me a plate, will you?” Dad removed the hot dogs from the grill. “She’s a looker, son.”
I turned my attention back to Ebony. “Yeah, she is.” I grinned with pride.
“Have you slept with her yet?”
My attention broke. I faced my dad as he casually took a long sip of his beer. He remained cool, calm, and collected. You’d think he just asked me to pass him the barbeque sauce.
“Uh…no, not yet.” I buried my hands deep in my pockets.
My dad and I talked about everything. From my first wet dream, to the first time I had sex. It was a rare occasion for him to ask a question that made me nervous. This was one of them.
“What are you waiting for?” He paused to study me. His expression was serious. “Everything still working? You’re not sick are you?”
“Yes, Dad, everything works just fine and no, I’m healthy.”
He continued to watch me. “Ah, I get it. You’re serious; don’t want to mess things up, eh?”
I looked back at Ebony. She seemed to have settled in. “I don’t know, Dad, she might be the one.”
His eyebrows rose in question. “Does she feel the same way?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about that. We’re still in the beginning stages. We’ve kissed, but, I don’t want to rush it.”
He nodded. “What about her family? You know, your mother and I could care less if Ebony were purple, as long as she’s a good woman and you’re happy. But if her parents are from the other side of the world”
“They live in the U.S.”
“You know what I mean. Things are different in the South. They may not be as liberal as we are. That’s all I’m saying, son.”
“We’ve talked about it…some. But we’re here, not there. We’re both consenting adults capable of making our own decisions.”
“Whoa, boy, hold on. I’m not trying to tell you what to do.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “After what happened with the last woman you dated, can you blame me? I’m just looking out for your best interest. Be sure your thinking with your head and not your Johnson.” He paused when I laughed. “I’m serious. You should know from experience a man’s heart is a fragile thing. We try to hide behind the macho façade, pretending we don’t get whipped. But deep down, when we find our own personal Eve, we’re done. And if your Eve breaks your heart, well, it’s hard to recover.” He took a long pull on his beer before flipping the meat.
My own Eve. I’d never thought about a woman that way. It wasn’t hard to understand where he was coming from. I studied the curve of Ebony’s lips and the small crinkle in the corner of her eyes when she laughed. The relaxed pose of her body as she talked to my sisters. My heart warmed.
“What about you, Dad. Has your heart been broken by an Eve?”
His eyes followed my mother. “No. My Eve, my paradise, is right here.”
Chapter 14
Brian’s sisters were an interesting group of women.
Bridget, by far, was my favorite. Not only did she favor Brian, she had a magnetic personality. Petite in stature, her hair wasn’t blonde, and her eyes were nearly gray, a direct contrast to Brian’s deep blue. She’d stayed by my side the entire time, rolling her eyes at some of the questions her three older siblings threw at me.
Andrea, the oldest and most conservative of the sisters, had two teenage children. For the most part, she observed me in silence, commenting when necessary, allowing Lisa to ask the questions.
Lisa, by far the most talkative next to Bridget, asked me everything she could think of. It was obvious by the smile that popped in the corners of her mouth when she approved of my response. If I won her approval, the others would surely follow suit.
And then there was the sweet, and very pregnant, Caroline. My heart went out to her. With two weeks to go until her due date, she looked as if she were about to burst. She smiled and shook my hand, but her main focus was getting her baby to come sooner than later. ‘Damn t
he party, I need to have this baby tonight,’ she’d said.
The only people I hadn’t had a one-on-one discussion with were her parents.
I leaned against the back porch column and sipped my soda, enjoying the view of the landscaped backyard. Mrs. Young and her daughters migrated into the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal. I offered to help, but they told me, as a guest, I needed to relax. Personally, I thought they were taking the time to talk about me in private. The idea was unnerving, but it was bound to happen.
“That wasn’t so bad, right?” Brian’s deep voice startled me. He stood behind me and slipped his hands around my waist. “Mm…you smell good,” he whispered. His lips found a spot below my ear that made my body quiver. He’d never done that before. I desperately wanted him to do it again.
“Hey.” I angled my head around and shared a quick kiss. “What are you doing?” We locked our fingers together. The heat of his body seduced me. I couldn’t contain the nervous laughter and looked around to see who could be watching.
“They’re all inside, and the kids are too busy playing to notice. Besides, I’m kissing my girlfriend,” he murmured and oh yeah kissed the spot again. “Was that an official proclamation or something done for my father’s benefit?”
I honestly didn’t know where the remark came from. But somehow, it felt…right. Brian introduced me to a side he rarely shared with other women. He wasn’t the type of man to bring just anyone home. Once I got over being nervous, it felt like I belonged here. Maybe even to him.
“Do you want me to take it back?” I teased, looking over my shoulder.
“Hell no, I want you to be my girl.”
“Yeah, I figured you did.”
His chuckle went deep, vibrating in his body as I rested against him.
“Why don’t we do something to make it official?”
His whisper filled my ear making every nerve in my body go on standby. My heart beat a mile a minute at his invitation.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Hmm, I could think of plenty of things we could do to”
“Ebony, could you come here for a moment?” Mrs. Young’s voice floated out the open sliding-glass doors as his sisters filed out of the kitchen.
