Tegan
FIRST DATES – ONE WEEK LATER
“Slowly transition from downward dog into cobra,” Palmer instructed.
The sun beat down on us from overhead, and my body ached from head to toe. I felt that I was getting out of shape, and I didn’t like that one bit. What should have been easy movements for me placed a slight strain on my body.
We all moved in formation in sync as one. This was the advanced class, and almost all the class participants had been working out together, under Palmer’s instruction, for two years. Some of them had come in a year ago, but we all knew each other pretty well.
She called out a few other positions before she finally instructed us to transition into child’s pose. When she ended the class, I continued to stretch while everyone else gathered their things.
“You good, Baby?” she asked, kneeling beside me.
I stood, grabbed my yoga mat, rolled it up, and wiped my face with my hand towel before I responded.
“Couldn’t you have gone easy on us out here?”
She laughed. “Honey, it wasn’t everyone, just you.”
“Whatever.”
“You’ve been missing practices, Baby.”
“I’ve been working, honey. This money ain’t gonna make itself. Besides, the bakery’s been doing very well.”
I typically practiced yoga five days a week, but since the bakery opened, I had only attended one or two classes each week. Before the bakery opened, if I didn’t feel up to going out to the class, I would still practice at home.
“Honey, please. I know that this isn’t just about the bakery. Run that game on someone else.”
My mouth dropped open, and I stared at her in disbelief. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Only that you’ve had late nights with a certain someone. That’s why you’re tired.”
“No, it’s because of the bakery. I don’t get out of there until eight or nine at night sometimes, and I’m back in there by five or six in the morning.”
“You might be leaving at nine or ten, but you’re not going to bed until well after two or three in the morning.”
“Can’t tell some folks anything,” I muttered under my breath as we headed toward the parking lot.
Palmer laughed. “I’m just saying. Aren’t you two supposed to be going on your first official date tonight? Not one as part of the welcoming committee.”
“Yes,” I stated, swooning. “I’m so excited about our date. I can’t wait to see what he has planned.”
“Y’all have been dating every night. I’m just glad y’all stopped that welcoming committee act.”
“Not the same,” I replied, holding a finger up. “He was just escorting me home, making sure that he fed me, kept me company, and put me to bed. Those aren’t dates.”
“Girl, please. Those are dates. Did you end up with your ass in the air, or did he have his face planted between your thighs?”
I felt my cheeks grow warm as I shoved her in the shoulder. We stopped between our cars, having parked next to one another. “Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“We’re just taking it slow. Not rushing anything and allowing everything to come naturally. Aren’t you the one who told me to be careful in the beginning anyway?”
“I did. Although it may not have seemed like it before the coffee date, I really want things to work out for you, friend. You deserve all the love and happiness you can find. I want you to be careful, but not too cautious. It’s okay to lean into anything that feels good and great that he’s willing to give.
Just because you’re protecting your heart doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the journey. ”
“You’re right. Thanks, P. I love you, girl.”
“Not as much as I do you.”
We hugged each other, and I packed my items in my car as she did the same. We waved, blew our horns, and then we went our separate ways from the park.
“It’s so beautiful out here, Harlem.” I stepped out of the car as he held the door open. There were lights all along Covey Beach, and most of them were comprised of the stars in the sky and the fairy lights that strung along.
Several bars and restaurants lined the walk along the beach, and music poured from within their open doors.
We walked to the steps leading down to the beach, and Harlem stopped me with his hand.
“One minute, Baby.”
He kneeled in front of me and removed the strappy high heels that I wore. He carried them in one hand, as he reached for my other hand. We walked down the steps and slowly along the beach.
“Where did you learn to be so romantic from?”
He laughed. “My dad. Although he was from the hood, and street was in every part of him, he was a different nigga for my mama. He made her and her happiness a priority. He said the key to having a long-lasting relationship with a woman was ensuring her love and happiness.”
“I think my father might agree because he’s definitely worked hard to ensure my mother’s happiness, and he has proven his love to her repeatedly. How long have your parents been married?”
“Twenty-five years. What about yours?” he asked.
“Thirty-five. Do you want kids, Harlem?”
I held my breath, waiting for his answer.
As much as I liked him and enjoyed his company, that was non-negotiable for me.
It caused me to ask if a person could live without their soulmate.
I had figured out over the last few weeks that Harlem was my soulmate, but could I live without him if his dreams didn’t align with mine?
So far, everything we discussed had been in alignment, but we had never approached this subject.
We wanted to keep things light between us so that it didn’t feel like we were rushing each other.
“I definitely want kids. Family is important to me, and I can’t imagine a life without one.
I think about a lot of older people that I’ve seen in life who didn’t have kids.
It seemed like they lived such a lonely existence, unless they had nieces or nephews who visited them.
I don’t want to grow old alone. I want my woman by my side, grandkids climbing on top of my head, and my children all around me. ”
I laughed. “Wow. You’ve thought that far into it. I don’t think that I’ve gone beyond having kids and the type of education I want them to have.”
“I mean, if we can’t have any, I’m also open to adoption.”
“Me too. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I wouldn’t rule it out. Everyone’s journey is different, and I’m open to wherever the road leads me.”
“How many do you want?” he asked, eyeing me closely.
“Two or three seems like a perfect number to me. What about you?”
“About the same number.”
“Did you guys get whuppings as kids?” I asked.
“Yeah. My dad didn’t play that shit. If we got out of control, he didn’t mind putting a belt to our asses. My mama didn’t like it too well, so it didn’t last for long. We knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to do it, so for the most part, we toed the line. What about you?”
“My parents didn’t believe in that. My father may seem intimidating and grouchy, but he’s very gentle and patient with us kids,” I answered.
“Yeah, that’s the type of dad I wanna be. I mean, don’t get me wrong; I love my pops, and he did what he needed to do at the time he had to do it. I just don’t want to take those routes. Communication, respect, and understanding go a long way,” he expressed.
“You said you guys went on a lot of vacations when you were kids. I’d like to have my kids’ passports at an early age, but I also want to take road trips. Long ones where we take days to get to our destinations, and we stop along the way to enjoy the sights.”
“I like that, sweetheart. I like that a lot,” he stated. He turned to look at me as he slowed his steps. Then he looked away from me. I followed his gaze to pink rose petals strewn over the sand.
A few feet ahead were tulip petals on the sand, a large tower of red and white roses surrounded by tealight candles, and there were more candles surrounding the white tablecloth-covered table.
Three tealight candles and another bouquet of roses were on the table, along with dome covered dishes.
A light, brown-skinned woman with long braids sat in the distance, playing a harp, and a man dressed in jeans and a tuxedo jacket and dress shirt, played the violin.
Tears sprang to my eyes at the sight before me. I turned to Harlem and saw him smiling at me.
“My God, do you get any more romantic than this?”
He winked and kissed my forehead. “Try me.”
I slanted a firm gaze his way. “I hope that you don’t do all these sweet things to get me and then stop once you have me.”
He pulled me against his hard body and stared down at me.
“Tegan.” His voice was firm. I knew that he was serious because he never called me by my real name anymore when it was just the two of us.
If it wasn’t Baby, then it was sweetheart, my love, or beautiful.
“You’re not gonna keep questioning my intentions.
I told you that I’m not him, and you said you wouldn’t keep comparing us. ”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, because you don’t deserve it, Harlem.”
He brushed his lips against mine, and I opened my mouth for him to deepen the kiss. His hands rested at my waist, and we danced slowly to the music playing. Our kiss was all teeth, tongue, and lips as we consumed one another’s mouths, unable to get enough of each other.
“Our relationship will be a never-ending journey of surprises, and I won’t ever stop cherishing and pampering you,” he explained when he ended the kiss.
Harlem pulled my chair out for me. When he sat down, we prayed over our meal before we dug into our parmesan chicken.
“What type of woman are you in a relationship?” he asked.
“I love being connected, but I also need the independence of still maintaining my identity. I cannot afford to lose myself completely in a man and a relationship, because I’ve done that before.
I allowed Carl to push me to a place where nothing existed beyond him except for my job.
I need to have my hobbies, friendships, and familial relationships that I nurture and nourish.
You will be my priority, but there will be other important variables in my life. ”
“I can respect an independent spirit because I cherish my freedom to be who I am; alternatively, I enjoy being a protector, even if that means protecting your independence and your need to maintain your identity. I’m all about sacrifice in a relationship.
There’s nothing I won’t give, no limits I won’t go to protect my woman and the relationship, and nothing I won’t do to ensure that you’re happy.
That’s why it’s important for me to have a partner who will protect my heart and not allow me to go out completely. ”
“I’m willing to give that when I know that my man has my best interest at heart. I don’t mind being a soft woman to a man who wants to appreciate, love, and pamper me, because I’m willing to do the same.”
“As long as you know. I respect your time to be with your family and your girls, because I’ll have that same time.”
“You’ll be with your girls?” I teased, lifting an eyebrow and narrowing my eyes at him.
“You know what I mean. My boys and I will still have our time, but you will always be my number one priority. My time will mostly be spent with you, and I expect the same. That doesn’t mean that I won’t understand and respect your need to be with your peeps too.”
We ate our meal and enjoyed the music as the waves washed up only a few feet from us. When we finished and dessert was served, the sun started to set.
The moment that dessert was served, Harlem pulled me from my seat and set me on his lap. I giggled but affectionately cuddled up to him. He sliced the pie in front of us and fed me.
“Mm. This is delicious.” I moaned.
“Is it really?”
“Yes, you should try it.”
He leaned in and kissed me, licking my lips and sucking them until the remnants of the whipped cream were gone.
I pulled back and smiled. “You really should try it.”
“I think I like it better from your lips.” He moaned and kissed me again.
We sat that way for a while, watching the sun slowly descend over the western horizon and Harlem feeding me. The spray of the ocean breeze kissed our face every now and then, and sometimes the soft mush of the sand would rise to tickle our toes as the waves crashed against the shore.
“You know what?” I asked after a while, licking my lips clean of whipped cream.
“What’s that?” he asked, pausing with a forkful of chocolate chip turtle mousse pie halfway to my mouth.
“I don’t think that I’ve ever truly appreciated the beauty of a sunset.”
“You know why that is, don’t you?”
“No.”
“You haven’t had the right nigga with you to appreciate it with. When you’re in a place of happiness with the right man, the world takes on a different perspective.”
“You’re right.”
After the sun finished setting and our dessert was finished, we stood, and he led me to another spot on the beach.
It was much further down from the table where we enjoyed dinner and dessert.
When I glanced back, I noticed a couple of servers cleaning up after us, and the musicians had packed up their instruments and were heading off.
I leaned against Harlem, and he placed his jacket around my arms, and then wrapped his arm around me. I relaxed in his embrace, and he kissed the top of my head.
“This is the perfect night, Harlem, the perfect first real date.”
“Glad you liked it.”
I looked up at him. “I loved it.”
He covered my lips with his, watching me as he kept his gaze pinned on me. We sat down in the sand and continued kissing underneath the rising moon and the stars glowing overhead. For the first time in forever, I realized that I had met someone who I was comfortable sitting in the silence with.