Saving Her: BWWM Interracial Romance (9 page)

“Damn, you look good,” Raquel said as she peered in the bathroom from the doorway.

“You're on time. Thank you.”

“It's okay. I wasn't doing anything and I can use the money.”

“Can't we all.” I turned from the mirror to her. “You sure I look okay?”

“What kind of date is it?”

“Not a date really.”

Was it? I wondered.

“When you gonna be back?”

“It's Christmas Eve. We're not going to be out late. Thanks for coming over last minute.”

“I'm your girl.”

“You are...”

I smiled at her then walked out to the living room to spend a little time with Edward before Mike showed up. When he arrived and knocked on the door, I didn't feel nervous. Since we already knew each other, I felt comfortable about going out with him.

We went to the same Italian restaurant we'd gone to before. Strangely, I ordered the lasagna and he had the Chicken Parmesan this time. As we drank wine while waiting on our food, I broke down and told him about Ron suing me.

I knew it was not the right thing to say after calling him on Christmas Eve to take me to dinner – especially since we were the only two people in the restaurant at five in the evening – but I couldn't help myself.

“I think I can help,” he said casually.

My head tilted to the side. “Explain?”

“My brother is a lawyer. I can have him help you.”

“Really? You would do that for me?”

“For you? Yes. He owes me one anyway.”

“Why you doing all this for me?”

“Just being nice, I guess.”

“You wanting something, aren't you?”

“I just like spending time with you. I think you're a fascinating person.”

I rolled my eyes as our food arrived. The conversation slipped to other topics, like how his gym was going and the fact that I'd gotten my bachelor's degree and could take my RN exam to get certified finally. We both seemed to naturally know when to stop talking and just listen.

The food was good. When we were done, we left right away so that the restaurant could close and the employees could go home to their families. He drove through the nearly empty streets toward my apartment, and I wondered if I was going to invite him up.

Edward knew enough about Christmas and his waiting presents that he would probably be asleep already so that he could get up at the crack of dawn and have at them. The scene of him ripping wrapping paper was one I cherished.

“You want to come up and chill for a few?” I asked when he parked in front of my building.

“Sure.”

We walked upstairs. Raquel left quickly without saying a word, but she had a grin on her face as she slid out the door. Edward was asleep, so I headed into the living room and changed the television to an R&B station. Miraculously, a Jeremih song played.

He sat down on one end of the couch. I sat next to him then slipped my hand behind his back. We looked at each other, each knowing what was going to happen next. Our heads moved forward and our lips touched slightly. I pulled back briefly then pressed them against his again.

Music played softly as we kissed each other. When he moved his hand to my thigh, I thought I was going to die. I had to pull back because I was getting so hot. He looked at me as if he was trying to read my thoughts.

“I can't go any further tonight,” I said after a moment of silence.

I half expected him to react like Ron, who had always gotten upset when I wasn't in the mood.

“It's okay. You have a big day tomorrow. Do you have the paperwork on the custody thing so I can give it to my brother tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

I stood up and fetched the paper from a drawer in the kitchen. We had gone from sensual kiss to paperwork and favors in a flash. Had I ruined the moment? He appeared to be okay with me not wanting to go further, but I really couldn't tell. He was a man after all.

“Thanks again,” I said.

“My pleasure.”

After he left, I fell asleep on the couch. My dreams were sexual. Someone who could have been Mike made love to me in thirty or more cities around the world all at once. The dream was a strange one.

Six

A few days after Christmas, I got a call from Mike.

“The case is thrown out,” he said.

“That's great news.”

“I thought so too. I've been so busy with family the last few days.”

“I just have Edward, but I know what you mean.”

“You want to hang out tonight? Watch a movie or something?”

“Raquel is gone to her dad's, but you can come over and watch a family movie with Edward and me.”

“That sounds great. You got popcorn?”

“Yeah. You seriously wanna come over and watch a movie for kids?”

“If I get to spend a little time with you, yeah. I do.”

I felt a smile bubble through my body and spread across my face. “We'll be here.”

“Give me a few, but I'll be over. Bye.”

“Bye, Mike.”

A little while later, he knocked on the door. Edward ran to the door with me.

“Hi Mike,” he said as Mike looked down and smiled.

“Hey, little guy. You ready for a movie?”

“Yeah. Nemo!”

“What's that?” I asked, pointing to the plastic bag he was holding. “Come in.”

He walked in then reached in the bag and pulled out something that looked vaguely like a salt shaker.

“Popcorn salts,” he said. “I'm so addicted to these. They're not super healthy.”

“Ooh,” I reached into the bag and pulled out another. “White Cheddar. My favorite. How'd you know.”

“Lucky guess.”

I rolled my eyes then took the bag and other popcorn salt from him. “I'll make the popcorn if you can start the movie?”

“You're gonna miss the beginning,” he said then smiled. “Sure.”

As the popcorn popped in the microwave and I took the plastic off the popcorn salt shakers, I heard Edward excitedly telling Mike the entire plot to the movie. I was sort of surprised he had taken to him so quickly, but I wasn't complaining.

I emptied two bags of popcorn into two medium sized plastic bowls. “What kind do you want, Mike?”

“White cheddar,” he replied.

After putting a good amount of the white cheddar goodness on the popcorn, I took the two bowls into the living room. Mike was parked on one side of the couch with Edward next to him. I sat down on the other end then passed one of the bowls to Mike.

The movie played with Edward explaining every single scene to us. I had to give Mike points for suggesting the idea. Movie nights were usually a boring and mundane affair, but with him on the other side of the couch with Edward between us, it was a whole new experience. One I liked.

When the movie was over, I told Mike to stick around while I put Edward to bed, which was a lot easier than usual thankfully. I walked back to the kitchen where Mike was sitting at the table. He stood up and stayed in place.

“We should do this again sometime,” he said.

“I'm so pressed for time right now.”

“I understand.”

By the look on his face, I could tell that he didn't understand at all.

“No, it's not like that at all. I want to spend more time with you, I really do, but I have to find a job first. I hope you understand.”

He nodded. “I do.”

“Where you been all my life?” I asked.

We laughed together for a moment then he left. The next week, I put my nose to the grindstone and was able to find a job as a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Room at the local hospital. While it wasn't my dream job, it paid a hell of a lot more than I was making as a CNA. Mike said he had a night of fun planned for me to celebrate. That was even better news.

Seven

A week after I got the job, I finally called Mike and told him I was ready for another dinner. I specifically called it our third date, hoping he got the hint. The next evening, he arrived at my apartment right on time.

“I have some surprises planned for tonight,” he whispered to me in the kitchen as we waited for Raquel to show up.

“Yeah? Good one?”

“I think so.”

Our eyes were locked on one another as I tried to read his soul and figure out if he was a truly a good man or not. He looked like a bad boy and had the body of a bad boy, but he had been nothing but sweet, kind and understanding since I had first met him at class a few months earlier.

“Do I need a babysitter for the whole night?” I tilted my head slightly as I studied his face.

“Might be a good idea,” he said. “Can do?”

I nodded. Just then, Raquel arrived. Mike and Edward sat at the kitchen table and talked about the life of the African Hippopotamus as I went into the living room to talk to the babysitter, my savior. She didn't give me too much flack about asking her to stay all night, which was nice. Could she tell I needed to get laid?

“Be sure to call if anything happens,” I said.

“I know.”

“Even if you think it's stupid and you don't want to bug me.”

“I know.”

She sighed deeply. I went back into the kitchen.

“You ready?” I asked Mike.

“Where go mommy? No!”

Edward began to cry as he latched onto Mike.

“We'll be back, baby. We're going to dinner.”

“No! Wanna go too!”

Raquel rushed forward to pry them apart. Mike headed quickly to the door. We slipped outside, the sounds of my son crying slowly fading.

“He'll be okay,” I said as we got into his ride.

“He's a good kid.”

“I like to think so.”

We drove to the interstate and headed downtown. Jeremih played from the speakers. I wondered briefly if he had it on purposefully because of the time we'd taken a nap together, but I really didn't care. The present moment was enough for me. Edward constantly reminded me that I was a mother, but Mike made me feel like a woman.

After pushing my need for companionship and company to the side to concentrate on Edward and my career for so long, I felt as if I was finally ready to open up and let another man into my life. The fact that it was Mike, another white guy, didn't surprise me at all. My friends and family would moan and roll their eyes when they found out, but all that mattered to me was the man beside me driving the low-rider Cutlass.

We went downtown to the Italian restaurant where we'd dined together twice already. My life seemed so much different than when he had first taken me out to eat. To mix it up, we both ordered Fettuccine Alfredo. I added a bottle of Chardonnay, which we broke into as we ate pieces of fresh baked bread from a bowl in the center of the table. The conversation was light all through dinner, with each of us trying to make the other laugh and succeeding.

Then, after we both turned down desert, his expression changed. He looked like he had something heavy on his mind. Part of me wondered if he was going to say he didn't want to see me again. With my luck in men, the one I liked and got along with really well wasn't going to want anything to do with me. I took a big drink of wine then sat the glass back down on the table.

“What are you thinking about?” I asked.

“You.”

“Yeah?” I took a deep breath and prepared myself mentally for what I was sure was coming.

“I love you.”

My eyes widened in surprise, which I quickly realized wasn't the reaction he was expecting.

“I love you too. Or I think I'm falling for you. I don't know how to label it.”

We stared at each other. His eyes were so beautiful.

“I thought you were about to say you didn't want to be with me because of Edward or something.”

“What? No. Not at all. I love kids.” He paused, as if more heaviness was on his mind.

“Say it.”

“I don't know if it's the right time.”

“If we're about to do what I think we're going to do, it's the perfect time.”

“I can't have children on my own.”

“I'm so sorry...”

“It's not your fault. Just luck of the draw. I've come to terms with it.”

I smiled at him, suddenly realizing that I did love him.

“You ready to go?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well, we can go to a night club or back to my place.”

I knew I wanted to go to his apartment. I hadn't been with a man in almost a year, and I was yearning for some close physical contact. I'd seen Mike's naked chest before, but I wanted to see the rest of him too. I was ready for more with him. The whole night had been leading up to this moment.

“A.T.G.”

I spelled out the letters as I nodded my head up and down slightly while staring into his eyes.

“Huh?”

“Above the gym it is.”

“Alright, then.”