by Tiana Laveen
Denise entered first, wearing a pair of black flare slacks; fitted, white top; and vest. She accessorized with a gold and diamond choker and gold shoes. Tiana admired Denise’s outfit as she took a seat. A light scent of musky perfume filled the air. Jaivin closed the door behind him and took a seat next to his girlfriend.
“Welcome you two,” Tiana greeted. “Denise, you look stunning,” Tiana complimented.
“Thank you, Tiana. Whenever you’re in Manhattan, please come to my shop. I’ll give you a serious discount,” Denise smiled.
“I’ll take you up on that!” Tiana laughed.
“Alright, let’s jump right to it. Tell me what’s been going on these past two years.” Tiana crossed her legs.
“My company’s doing very well,” Jaivin began. “I know that wasn’t exactly the question, but that’s what led me to Denise,”
he explained. “Augusto and I are still working together. We have now signed nine bands to our label. All of them are thriving. Sometimes I can’t believe I get paid to do what I love.
Denise and I are living together. There was a situation recently, though, that could’ve put our relationship in jeopardy,” Jaivin declared.
“As you know, Jaivin and I first met at the club I own, Forbidden Fruit. The club was taking so much time away from our relationship that it started to strain it. Jaivin would be home waiting for me. I’d leave the store then go to the club, so he’d only see me for an hour. My Baby was lonely,” Denise said as she rubbed his leg.
“What did you do to resolve this?” Tiana asked.
“I sold half of the company to my friend, Tina. Now that she’s co-owner, she runs the day-to-day operations while I take care of logistics. I only show up for meetings and physical modifications such as repainting. It’s helped our relationship immensely.” Jaivin leaned over and kissed Denise passionately.
“Yes, it has,” he responded.
“I’m very happy for both of you. Where would you like your relationship to go in the future?” Tiana asked.
“We’re both content where it is,” Denise answered. “It works for us. There’s no need to get married and complicate things.”
“I don’t see marriage as a complication necessarily. I’ve spoken to Denise about this before.
I believe she’s afraid of marriage, but regardless, we’re both satisfied with the current state.
We’ve toyed around with the idea of matrimony, but in our hearts, we’re already married,” Jaivin clarified.
“That’s great. It’s good that you’re in agreement,” Tiana smiled.
“I want a child,” Denise said. “Not right now. I’m not ready, but eventually. Before we do that, though, we’ll discuss marriage again,” Denise stated.
“That’s interesting, Denise. You’re very unconventional in so many ways, but when you talk about future children, you think in a more traditional sense. Would you get married only for the child’s sake?” Tiana asked.
“No, that’s not what I was trying to say,” Denise smiled. “I’m saying that before I have a baby with Jaivin, we should discuss getting married first, not just for the baby, but for us. I’m not anti-marriage per se. I’m all about commitment. I don’t like how people treat marriage nowadays. They get married one week and are divorced the next. I think marriage is very serious, just as serious as our commitment right now. For some reason, though, it often changes people. That’s what I’m afraid of,” Denise said as she looked at Jaivin.
“You think it’d change me?” Jaivin asked, surprised.
“Possibly. That possibility scares me. I’ve seen it happen too many times,” Denise explained. Jaivin held her hand close to his heart. “If we get married, Denise, I vow to you, nothing about me will change.” He kissed her hand. Tiana nodded and smiled.
“It looks like you two have a topic to discuss later: fear and expectations of marriage,” Tiana added. Both Denise and Jaivin nodded.
“You both seem very sexually open from the information you gave me, Denise. Do you believe you’ll always be that way?”
“I think so. Jaivin and I complement each other well. I’ve always been sexually open, but not necessarily promiscuous. I love sex and helping others create their fantasies. I see it almost as a civic duty,” she laughed.
“Jaivin is also sexually expressive. He appreciates what I do, my vision. I’m about putting things together, whether it be people that want to make love or clothing for a fashion show. I like to make people feel good,” Denise smirked and nodded.
“You’re a very unique couple. Your dynamic definitely goes beyond the fact that you’re an interracial couple. What’s so wonderful is that your uniqueness doesn’t hurt your relationship; it blends together well. You both appear to want to be appreciated. You’re givers, so that helps the relationship stay balanced,” Tiana said. Denise and Jaivin nodded in agreement.
“Jaivin, have you heard from your ex-girlfriend? How did that relationship impact your future with Denise?” Tiana asked.
“Sheri has called me several times since Denise told you our story. I haven’t received any calls lately, but she was trying to get me to move back and give her another chance. She was miserable with Kevin because he traded her in for a younger model. I think I heard she’s dating some guy in the NBA,”
Jaivin shrugged. “Sheri was one of those women that’ll either break your spirit forever or help you appreciate a good woman.
For me, she did the latter. I knew what I had in Denise soon after I met her.”
“Have you spoken to Kevin since you caught Sheri and him together?”
“Only briefly. I went back to Vegas to get my things and turn in my notice. He tried to apologize and get me to stay. I knew he wasn’t sincere, and even if he was, that affair went on an entire year. It wasn’t like a one-time thing where he slipped up after drinking too much at a party. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
The company isn’t doing as well since Augusto and I left. I feel you reap what you sow,” Jaivin added.
“In retrospect, how do you feel about your falling in love with two different women, Jaivin?” Tiana asked. He smiled.
“I had the best of both worlds. What man doesn’t want a lady in the streets and a freak between the sheets? That’s what I got, and I love it!” he laughed.
“I definitely want to keep up with you two. Thanks again for coming. In five minutes I’ll meet you and the others in the large room where we met earlier today.” Tiana shook Jaivin and Denise’s hands and watched them leave her office.
* * *
“All parties here for Tiana Laveen’s book retreat, please return to Conference Room C.” Tiana heard small chatter amongst the people as they all reconvened. She brushed her hair, freshened her make-up, and joined them, seating herself comfortably in one of the plush chairs.
“Greetings again, everyone!” she smiled widely. Everyone in the room responded. “I’ve now completed all the follow-up interviews regarding the question I posed online and in several major magazines two years ago. That question was: Are you an African-American woman in an interracial relationship? If so, I want to hear your story for an upcoming book. ”
“Here are the books.” Tiana held up the two novels. “‘Cross Climax I’ and ‘Cross Climax II’ – you all are in them. The discussions we had today will be in the rerelease of ‘Cross Climax II.’ I’m extremely thrilled to be here with all of you. It’s both and honor and privilege to meet so many people from all walks of life. All your stories are so different, yet you share a common thread.”
“Race in this country, simply put, is a big deal. You can’t go one day surfing the web without seeing a racially derogatory remark about African-Americans from bloggers on any of the major news websites. I know that so many of us in society feel safe behind our computers.
We either don’t understand or don’t care how our behavior affects other people. Luckily, none of you allowed society to stop you from being with whom you loved.”
&
nbsp; “Nyko and James fell in love at very young ages. James suffered from racial identity issues due to lack of a maternal figure when he was young, as well as his ambiguous physical appearance. They managed to reunite, and now their bond’s stronger than ever.”
“Monica and Antonio are two attractive people who got paid mega-bucks to be two attractive people! They left their lucrative careers in the adult film industry to build a life together that would be more wholesome for their daughter, Simone, as well as the son, Zion.
They’re now facing a challenge, as all marriages do, but I believe in my heart they’ll survive.”
“Arashi and Angel represent one of the least common unions, that between an Asian man and African-American woman. As everyone can see, Angel’s pregnant. They’re madly in love and expecting their first baby together, regardless of Arashi’s disapproving family and Angel’s meddling brother. I’m thrilled for them and wish them much success.”
“David and Patricia are our royalty here this evening. They’re pioneers of what you’re sitting here enjoying fairly freely. They went against all odds and built a life together back when it was very unaccepted. David discovered that his first wife was bi-racial, and like our friend James, here, didn’t look it.
Unfortunately, David’s wife didn’t know the truth until she was an adult. David got a second chance at love and met Patricia.
They fell head-over-heels for each other and are deeply in love to this day.”
“Stephen and Sandra are socialites. Stephen’s constantly in the NFL limelight, and, though Sandra isn’t on television, she has a stellar reputation as one of Atlanta’s top sports physicians.
They met coincidentally, but didn’t form a relationship until fate intervened. Sandra experienced heavy trauma as a little girl.
It affected her adversely as an adult and bled into her relationships. Stephen, through love and patience, helped her learn the steps to move forward.
Love can sometimes be the best medicine. I’m sure Dr. Bell can attest to that.”
“Aaron, ladies and gentlemen, is the most shocking of all.
He’s an ex-Nazi. He has a violent past and feels he has to fight for his life in order to keep his family safe. Aaron ended up falling in love with his wife, Mia. He didn’t know she was Black because he was in prison when their relationship began, and they were only exchanging letters and speaking on the phone. Once Aaron realized the truth, he chose love over hate. They now have three children together and are very much in love. I wish them peace and the ability to live a normal life, one free of fear.”
“Lastly, Jaivin and Denise met similarly to Monica and Antonio, through the sex scene, only this time it was at a club that Denise owned. The beauty of their story is that Denise portrayed herself as two different people. She became smitten with Jaivin, and through their bizarre yet extremely sensual courtship, he realized what was going on. The rest is remarkable history.
They now reside together, building a life based on trust, honesty, respect, and genuine love.”
“I have one question to ask all of you before we leave for dinner. I would like all of you to answer it. The question is: How have your racial differences impacted your relationship? ” Tiana passed a microphone to Nyko.
“It hasn’t affected our relationship at all. I only saw Jamie as the man I’m in love with.” Nyko passed the microphone to James.
“We have no racial differences as far as I’m concerned.
Despite how I may look, part of her is me, and vice versa. She’s my heart.” James passed the microphone to Monica.
“I admit in the past I had issues with my husband’s race. It was different and scary. Now I don’t give a care in the world about that. I love him so much.” Monica began to sob. “His race didn’t affect anything. My fear did.” Monica passed the microphone to Antonio. His bloodshot eyes told the whole story.
“I never cared that my wife’s Black. Her color wasn’t important to me. I fell in love with her because she was beautiful on the inside.” Antonio kissed Monica and passed the microphone to Arashi.
“Racial differences caused my family to treat my wife badly.
I never thought about Angel’s race except when I believed she may reject my advances. When I look at her, I only see a stunning woman. We have no time for other people’s concern about our racial differences. It’s not our problem, and we refuse to own it,” Arashi said as he passed the microphone to Angel.
“I was fine with Arashi’s race until I realized people were treating me differently. I became self-conscious. Arashi was understanding and told me to follow his lead, which I did. It made me appreciate my husband even more. He really didn’t care what other’s thought, and that helped give me strength to endure the stares and questions. I’m intrigued by my husband’s race and culture. To me, it enriches our relationship; it doesn’t diminish it.” Angel passed the microphone to Patricia.
“Our interracial relationship brought with it a flaming cross in our front yard. It gave us a moving date from the house my husband grew up in and loved. We moved back into it years later, but not while our children were young. Race showed brutality, intolerance, and hatred. I don’t give a damn about race.
When I look at this guy here, this handsome devil, I see my husband who’s literally moved heaven and Earth for me. That’s what I see, and that’s what I know.” Patricia passed the microphone to her husband.
“Patricia’s a rainbow. I love every single nuisance about her.
That’s all I have to say.” David smiled and passed the microphone to Stephen.
“No one believes me when I say this, but I honestly never gave much thought to Sandra’s being Black. I just knew I was attracted to her. It wasn’t something I worked through or weighed.” He handed the microphone to his fiancee.
“I agree with Stephen,” Sandra said. “It’s not something that either of us really put much thought into. Of course I noticed he was White, especially since I’m into my culture; however, it didn’t enter my thought process when I initially ran from him.
You can be into your culture, love yourself, and still date outside your race. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. I ran away, but his love brought me back.” Sandra handed the microphone to Mia.
“Race, unlike for so many of you, was the biggest issue of our relationship and still is. Had I been White, Aaron would’ve never stopped what he was doing, so in some sense, my being Black actually helped him. Race was Aaron’s entire identity. He thought about it morning, noon, and night. I couldn’t imagine living that way. Race affected everything, but it didn’t stop anything. Love prevailed. We still fell in love and got married.
If a die-hard Nazi like Aaron can fall in love with a Black woman and not be ashamed, there’s hope for everyone.” Mia passed the microphone to Aaron.
“Like my wife said, race affected us in every way possible. It affected how we met, why we met, and why we’re together right now. I’m deeply ashamed of many of my past philosophies.
Now that I have children that are half-Black, I can’t imagine anyone hatin’ ’em just because they were born. I know that one day, I’m gonna have to tell my three sons what I did and that I was part of a group of people that hated ’em for somethin’ they have no control over. I’m gonna have to tell my sons that before I met their mother, I felt it was wrong for ’em to even exist.
That’s heavy, and it’s gonna be the hardest thing I’ll ever have to do. Racism’s a disease.
It’s a sickness, a societal illness. People like me that dwelled on it did so because somethin’ was missin’ in our lives, and we needed to fill that void. Blamin’ other people’s so much easier than takin’ accountability for one’s self. Race brought us together, but it didn’t keep us apart.” Aaron passed the microphone to Denise.
“Race had little to no impact on us. Like Angel said about her husband, Arashi, if anything, our cultural differences gave me a greater appreciation for Jaivin. He’s taught me a lot, and it only en
riched our lives.” Denise handed the microphone to Jaivin.
“I’m attracted to all types of women. I’ve been asked from time to time, ‘Why Denise?’ I have to say, ‘Why not Denise?’ I love her skin. It’s not a fetish. I just like how it looks and feels against mine. I love her. I love her as a person and for the way she makes me feel. Her race is as important to me as what lipstick she’s wearing. I notice it, but it means nada, nothing.”
Jaivin got up and handed the microphone back to Tiana.
“Thank you all for answering that last question. I think it’s important for people to understand that many times, despite what our eyes see, interracial relationships don’t focus on differences. These relationships are similar to any other, with the same conflicts, issues, challenges, and affinities. It’s been a true pleasure, an absolute joy, to meet all of you. Thank you for allowing me into a part of your life. I look forward to seeing you all this evening at dinner. God bless!” Tiana and the others slowly stood up, talking amongst each other and shaking hands.
Tiana disappeared into her office and read the mantra on her desk: Here is the problem we as a society face when dealing with affairs of the heart: God never promised us that our soul mate would be our mirror image. He never said that the person designed for us, would come gift-wrapped in brown, beige, cream, or deepest ebony. We have to expect, accept, and never neglect the unexpected. Thinking outside the box sometimes can afford you a much better prize. Limitations are for sugar and salt intake, not love. –
Tiana Laveen
Tiana grinned and made a couple of phone calls. When she emerged from her study, she saw Monica and Antonio still sitting in the conference room, holding each other securely, crying and kissing passionately. Tiana walked away, giving them their privacy. She grabbed her jacket and made her way to her car, smiling from ear to ear, gripping her notes from the follow-up interviews, and tightly clasping the written responses from new couples for the next set of stories to come.
