7. Malik #3
“You want the real answer? You sure?” I was weighing my options because I didn’t want to scare her off, but I also didn’t want to lie to her.
I didn’t need to play games about what I felt.
Call it love bombing, call it simping, call it being reckless, but when it came down to it, call me Husband of the Year because that’s what I was gonna be if she kept looking in my eyes the way she was.
One look was making me want to skip all the games and get straight to forever. Fuck it.
“Always.”
“Because they weren’t you. I know that’s a lot to say on a first date, but I know what I know. And I’m the man that’s going to change your name one day.”
She sat with her mouth open, and I closed it with my pointer finger. “You gon catch a fly like that, beautiful. And you heard me correctly.”
She scooted closer to me and whispered, “Why do I believe you?”
I looked down into her bright eyes and almost fell into a trance. Her eyes swirled with beautiful hues of brown and gold, it felt like looking into the Milky Way. I kissed her forehead, and she rested it on my shoulder.
Another beat of silence passed between us, her head still resting against me, before she pulled back to look at me.
“You know we don’t really know each other like that yet, right?” she said, but she was smiling. “I mean, you just said you’re gonna marry me, but I don’t even know your middle name.”
“Jerome. Malik Jerome Holloway.” I grinned back at her. “What else do you need to know about your future husband?”
“First of all, Romy Rome, let’s pause there. Jerome?”
“Nah, let’s keep moving,” I said, laughing. “Yolanda was wilding when she named me Jerome. We went new school and then old school. A fucking mess.”
She laughed because she knew it was true. And I couldn’t help but smile while she relished in my pain.
“Well, at least your middle name isn’t a variation of your dad’s. Jonelle, John-Dale. You aren’t alone.”
We laughed together, as we joked about our names, “But yours is worse. Jonelle is cute.”
“Damn, it’s like that.”
“I’m sorry. I mean, that’s just part of being in a Black family. Right up there with being greased up before heading out the door. We do the most.”
She wasn’t lying. I had a flashback to a summer day in Alabama when that Vaseline almost cooked me alive.
“You ain’t lying. What you wanna know, LT?”
“I like LT. But you know I’ll be doing school, so I’ll only be volunteering at the firehouse. So, you gotta find a new nickname.”
“Girl, you’re still a lieutenant to me. That shit’s sexy as fuck, ain’t gonna lie.”
I looked over to see her blushing, looking down at her hands. “You’re something else. How did you grow up? I can tell your mama raised you right, but what else? Is work like your thing, or is it just something you do for money? Like Dr. Cain from The Resident.”
“What?” I laughed as she moved in between my legs and leaned back into my chest. I was shocked but also not tripping. I wanted her wherever she wanted to be.
“You don’t watch TV? What do you do for fun?”
“I work. But I watch sports. I don’t really do much. And I don’t really make friends easily, shocking, I know,” I joked, causing her to laugh. “But I ride the bike here and there. Hit the gym. You can tell me all about The Resident one day because I ain’t ever been big on TV. And I love what I do.”
“Yeah, we got a life sentence ahead of us, huh?”
“Exactly,” I said before my thoughts caught up to me. It was my turn to question her intentions. She gave in too easily for me. “Why you gassing me up though?”
“Malik, I like you, okay? And whatever happens, happens. I’m going to enjoy it and enjoy you. Next date is on me. Even if it’s just me cooking for you.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No. But back to the other question, I grew up on the cusp of struggle and middle class, but happy and blessed. I lived like other kids dealt with bullies, dealt with tryna go down the wrong path. Raised by a single mother in Alabama, who drove the school bus for fifteen years. My mom is my everything. She sacrificed everything for me, and I was blessed to return the favor.”
“How so?”
“She got into a car accident in my junior year of high school. I was a top football recruit, and it was then that I decided to give up my dreams to help my mother recover from a hip replacement and pelvic collapse. It was ugly. That’s how I came to this field, I studied and studied to help her do the work with fewer pain meds.
I was seventeen.” I paused, feeling her settle deeper into me.
“It’s how I know Samaj is gonna come around.
Be patient with him. This was a wake-up call for both of y’all. ”
She was quiet for a moment, processing what I’d told her. Then she turned in my arms to look at me.
“You gave up a football career for your mama?”
“Without hesitation. Playing wouldn’t have felt like love without her there. She was and still is my biggest cheerleader. If my mama couldn’t be there, then neither would I. Some things are more important than touchdowns.”
“And you don’t regret it?”
“How can I regret something that led me to you?” I twirled a curl around my finger before touching the tip of my nose. “Besides, I make more money now than most NFL players anyway. They come to me for physical therapy, and I see God’s hand in my life.”
She smiled, shaking her head. She was quiet again, and I could see her thinking, weighing my words against her fears.
“You scare me,” she whispered.
“Good. You ready to head out?”
“Good?”
“Yeah, good. You should be scared. This kind of love changes everything, and there’s no going back once you let me in. Ready?”
“Yeah, but can we take a long way? I want to ride on the bike a little longer.”
“Of course, anything you want. All you gotta do is ask.”
We packed our things before I helped her back into her helmet and pulled off.
Her wish was my command. I took the long scenic route to get her home.
I took her through downtown, past the riverfront, around the hills of Mountain Brook.
I showed her my crib, and we headed on the back roads.
She held me tighter than before, her cheek pressed against my back.
I could feel her giggle every so often when I’d do something a little safe but slightly reckless.
When we finally pulled into her driveway, neither of us moved for a moment. The engine ticked as it cooled, and I could feel her reluctance to let go. I was reluctant to let her go. I could’ve ridden around with her like that forever if it meant I’d have her body close to mine.
“Thank you,” she said after I helped her off the bike, her voice soft in the quiet of her neighborhood. “For everything. The flowers, the date, perfect food, making me remember what it feels like to just... live.”
I walked her to her door and found myself even more reluctant to let the night end. We’d had a good day, and I wanted more. But we had forever.
“What’s on your mind?” I could see her fighting with herself about something. The porch light cast shadows across her face, making her look even more beautiful.
“I don’t want this to end,” she admitted quietly.
“It doesn’t have to.”
I stepped closer, backing her against her door, my arms caging her in. She looked up at me with those eyes that had been driving me crazy all night, and I was trying so hard to be patient.
“Malik...”
I didn’t let her finish. I kissed her, thoroughly exploring her tongue. She melted into me, her hands wrapping around my waist. It was the kind of kiss that changed things. When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard and staring with fire in our eyes.
“Damn,” she whispered against my lips. “Uhm. Well shit.”
A laugh escaped her lips, and I lit up.
“Yeah. I gotta bounce before I’m begging to come in like Jodeci. And I don’t think you’re ready to meet a man about a horse yet.”
“Goodnight, Malik Jerome Holloway. You make me sick,” she chuckled while pushing me back. I shrugged at her and started to walk backward, not taking my eyes off her.
“You sure?” I called out.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” she winked, causing me to change my course and come back.
“Stop playing with me.”
“Sorry,” she whispered with a smile.
“You can keep fighting this, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got time, patience, and a whole lot of love to give you. Goodnight, future Mrs. Holloway.”
I kissed her temple, and she closed her eyes. I shook my head this time, leaving for real. Separation was needed; she looked good, she smelled good, and she showed me that I could do this dating shit.
She was still shaking her head and smiling as I rode away. Tonight, had been perfect. But now reality was heavy on my mind. I was still Samaj’s doctor, and this was probably wrong on multiple fronts. I sped off and rushed home.
When I made it inside, I had a message. It was a picture of her with the flowers.
LT: Today, I felt like a lady. Thank you for that.
I stared at that message for a long time, sitting in my kitchen with the phone in my hands. She felt like a lady. Damn. That made my chest swell with pride. “Treat Her Like a Lady” by The Temptations crossed my mind; she’d probably know that song word for word.
I thought about texting back something smooth, something that would keep the momentum going.
But honestly, I was still processing everything that had happened.
The way she’d opened up to me. The way she’d trusted me on the bike.
The way she’d looked at me when I told her about giving up football for my mama.
This woman was going to change my entire life. I could feel it.
Me: You are a lady. My lady. Sweet dreams, beautiful.
I hit send and headed upstairs, already planning our next date. Because there was definitely going to be a next date. And a next one after that.
Sametra Andrews had no idea what she’d gotten herself into. But I was about to show her exactly what it meant to be loved by a man who knew her worth.
The only question now was how to handle the professional side of shit. Because one thing was for sure, I wasn’t walking away from her. Not now, not ever.
I’d figure out the rest later.