Chapter 14 Chanel
Chanel
“Okay, Mrs. Orson, you’re all done.” Chanel assisted the older woman off the X-ray table.
“Thank you.” As they walked back down to the women’s changing area, Mrs. Orson asked, “Do you know how long it will take for
my doctor to have the results?”
Holding the door open, she said, “She should have them in about three to five days.”
“Okay.”
“After you change into your clothes, just leave the gown in here.” She smiled and indicated the basket near the exit. Once
the woman entered the dressing area, Chanel headed toward the front to drop off the chart. Fifteen minutes, and I’m out of here. She had her date with Vincent tonight and still had no idea what to wear. He’d mentioned dressy, and she should’ve taken
her sister up on the offer to go shopping yesterday.
“Girl, did you hear Vincent is seeing someone?” Freda asked quietly the moment Chanel stepped into the area.
“No. I don’t get into his business like that. Who told you that?” Had someone seen them holding hands on the way back from
the café the other day?
She leaned forward. “I invited him to go to a party at a club this weekend, and he told me he didn’t think the woman he was dating would appreciate him stepping out with someone else.”
Chanel breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it would be just a matter of time before someone there found out about her and
Vincent, but she hoped it wouldn’t happen until she knew for sure the relationship would work out. “Sounds like he respects
the women he dates, and that’s a good thing because there are a lot of men who might’ve taken you up on the offer.” Including
a guy she had dated. He figured that since it had been a onetime thing, it shouldn’t have mattered, and told her that he and
the other woman only danced and had drinks. However, Chanel refused to put up with that kind of disrespect from any man—or
any person.
“True. I wonder what type of woman he’d date. Anyway, I was going to ask if you wanted to grab some dinner tonight with Maxine
and me.”
“Can I have a rain check? I already made some plans.” Her gaze strayed to the wall clock. “And I need to get out of here so
I’m not late.”
A smile curved Freda’s lips. “Oooh, a hot date?”
“I wish.” Chanel hated lying but had no intentions of being included in the next round of gossip. Again. The craziness caused
by her mother at her last place of employment had people questioning her character and assigning her mother’s behavior to
her, and a couple had even gone so far as to suggest that her chaotic “home” might affect her job performance and productivity.
That had been the last straw, as there had never been one complaint from anyone. She shook her head to clear the negative
thoughts and shifted her attention back to taking care of her last tasks. Finished, she threw up a wave and left.
When she got home half an hour later, she went straight to her closet, pulling out one outfit after another before shoving them back in place.
“Chanel, you home?”
“In here, Jada.” A moment later, her sister appeared at the closet door.
“I’m betting you’re thinking you should’ve gone shopping with me like I suggested,” Jada said with a smirk.
“Whatever. I’m not saying anything. By the way, is Mom still calling you?”
She blew out a long breath. “Yeah, but I’m not giving in this time. Aside from buying the car, Gina and I are planning a weekend
trip to Vegas next month.” Jada and Regina had been best friends since elementary school. “And I can’t believe she just up
and quit her job again,” Jada added with a shake of her head.
“Me either. But that’s been her MO for the past couple of years. I’m done bailing her out.”
“Same here. Okay, okay, enough of that. You need to be in date mode, not worrying about Mom.”
Chanel chuckled and held up a black mid-length, one-shoulder, long-sleeved dress.
“You wear that, and I guarantee you’ll have a good time during dinner and after. That bare shoulder gets them every time. Not to mention the way it accentuates your curves in all the best ways,” Jada added
with a chuckle and stretched out on the bed, propping her head in her hand. “I can’t wait to meet this guy. I don’t think
I’ve ever seen you so nervous about a date.”
Chanel couldn’t deny her sister’s observation. “Maybe. I don’t recall ever feeling like this either. Vincent is a great guy,
and I don’t know, he’s just . . . different.” She laid the dress on the bed and went back to the closet for her black peep-toe
pumps.
“Hopefully in a good way.”
“So far, but this is only our first real date. I’m not really counting lunch the other day because we just happened to be
going to the same place at the same time.” Of course, he’d been adamant about it being a date. And he’d paid. If she were
being truthful, everything about him seemed to be too good to be true. Yet after a year of knowing him, she hadn’t seen anything
remotely negative about him. Sure, he mentioned he had faults, but he also mentioned not liking drama, a big plus in her book.
“Sis, I know you’ve dated some losers—haven’t we all?—but give Vincent a chance. The fact that you’re having two dates in
one week makes me think he’s not a guy who’ll string you along, but one who will do what he says.”
“I am giving him a chance. I said yes to the date, didn’t I?” She hadn’t told her sister about his other invitation, but she
really wanted her opinion. “He also invited me to his parents’ house for a family dinner while we were at lunch. Apparently
one of his brothers is in the military and will be home, so his mother is planning to have the family over. She called while
we were eating.”
Jada bolted upright. “Whaaaaaat?” She held up a hand. “Wait. Let me get this straight. Not only did the brother ask you out to dinner, but he also invited
you to a dinner where you’ll meet his entire family?”
“Yep. And my expression was just like the one on your face now. Actually, I choked on my drink.”
A smile curved her lips. “Hey, I probably would have too. He isn’t wasting time.” She stood and shooed Chanel toward the bathroom.
“Hurry up and get dressed. I’m definitely going to hang around to meet him.” Jada headed for the door.
Chanel burst out laughing. “Girl, get out of my room so I can get dressed.” After the door closed, she continued to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She’d just pushed her feet into her shoes when she heard the doorbell.
“I love a brother who is on time,” Jada said, appearing in the bedroom door. “You look amazing, sis.”
“Thanks.” Taking a deep breath, she picked up her purse and wrap, then made her way to the front with Jada on her heels. Thankfully,
her sister hung back instead of rushing to the front door like she typically did when a guy came to pick up Chanel. Jada’s
excuse had always been based on whatever Chanel shared about the man. If her sister sensed any type of bad feeling or red
flag, she had no problem meeting the date at the door with Chanel and proceeding to grill him like a steak on a spit. More
than once, Chanel had had to convince Jada to back off. Tonight, however, it didn’t look as if it would be a problem.
Chanel opened the door and could only stare. Vincent looked good in jeans or khakis paired with a shirt and his lab coat,
but tonight, wearing a navy suit that fit him like it had been tailored especially for him, he looked as if he’d just stepped
off a runway. She shook herself and finally found her voice. “Hey, Vincent. Come on in.” She stepped back so he could enter.
“You look absolutely beautiful.” Vincent placed a soft kiss on her lips and handed her a beautiful vase of pink roses. “These
are for you.”
“Thank you. They’re gorgeous.”
“They are, but they don’t hold a candle to you.”
As if on cue, Jada strolled into the room on the tail end of his comment and sidled up next to Chanel. “Honey, I really need
for this relationship to work because fine men run in packs, and this brother right here . . .” she whispered.
Chanel cut her sister a look, then placed the vase on an end table. “Vincent, this is my sister, Jada.”
He smiled. “Nice to meet you, Jada. You two look like you could be twins.”
“It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, Vincent,” Jada said. “And although we look alike, old meanie here”—she gestured toward
Chanel—“always has to tell everybody she’s three years older.”
“Girl, don’t you have something to do?” Chanel asked with a hand on her hip.
Vincent laughed. “My second and third oldest brothers are the same way. Tariq never lets Austin forget he’s older.”
“And neither will I.” She glanced up at Vincent. “Ready?”
He nodded and gestured her toward the door. “After you.”
“I won’t wait up,” Jada called out.
“I can’t with her,” she mumbled, closing the door behind them.
“How old is Jada?”
“Twenty-three and a pain in the butt sometimes. Being the older sister is rough.”
“At least you aren’t the youngest.”
They shared a look and burst out laughing as they walked to his car. “Yeah, you have a point. The youngest always gets teased
the most, huh?”
“Pretty much. I like your place. How long have you lived here?”
“Almost two years.” She’d lucked out on the two-bedroom duplex rental in Culver City after saving every penny to finally move
out once she’d gotten herself through college. Chanel had known she would have to pay for pretty much everything until Jada
graduated. Now that her sister had been working for the past six months, she had some breathing room, and they’d been able
to splurge on a couple of weekend excursions to San Diego. “Where do you live?” she asked after they were on the road.
“I have a condo in Santa Monica.”
“Are you close to the beach?”
Vincent smiled and slanted her a quick glance. “Why? Do you like the beach?”
“I love the beach, and as soon as these temperatures warm up a little more, I’ll be there. You don’t like going to the beach?”
“I do enjoy hanging out at the beach. To answer your other question, I’m close enough for a six- or seven-minute drive, but
far enough away from those beach prices.”