Chapter 28 - Neha
“Oooo! You look cute!”
I looked up to see my sister standing in the doorway of my room, watching me as I looked my outfit over. Tonight, Kerrion and I were having our first official date. We’d gone out plenty times with the kids but had yet to have time to ourselves, and I was looking forward to it.
I smiled. “Thank you. You sure this dress isn’t too much?”
I was sporting a dark green slip dress that hugged my curves, with a split right up my thigh, and a pair of gold strappy heels. I added gold jewelry and a gold clutch to accessorize. My makeup was natural, and I threw on my favorite forty-inch wig before feather curling it to perfection.
“Bitch, that dress is gonna have you bent over somewhere by the end of the night! You said y’all were going dancing, right?”
“Yes.”
“Let me find out y’all are out here on some Usher and Beyoncé vibes, making love in the club.”
I rolled my eyes. “Dinah, please!”
She laughed. “Seriously. You look great.” She smiled. “You’ve been so happy lately, boo.”
I blushed. “I really have. Things have been good between me and Kerrion. I feel like I have my best friend back, you know?”
“I love that for you. And my niece gets her family, so it’s a win-win.”
I giggled. “She was plotting on that so hard.”
“And was! She knew what she wanted. I see the way she looks at you and her daddy together. She’s so in love with both of you, and I’ve never seen her so happy.”
“She really has been happier. I hate myself for keeping her from having this. I mean, even if Kerrion and I hadn’t stayed together, she deserved the relationship she has with him. That man loves her so much, Dinah. He looks at her like she and KJ are his entire world.”
“Because they are. He looks at you the same way. You two deserve to be happy, bullshit aside. I’m glad you could move forward.”
“Me too.”
Light footsteps approached us, and Nayelli appeared in the doorway. A smile spread across her face as her eyes settled on me.
“You look so beautiful, Mom,” she said. “Twirl for me, girl!”
I giggled as I obliged her as she snapped pictures. No doubt she picked that up from her auntie Shar.
“Daddy is going to be speechless when he sees you.”
“You think so?”
“Duh! Look at you, Mom!”
I blushed. “Thank you, baby.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Nayelli went off to answer it. For some unknown reason, nervousness settled in my stomach. It was crazy that I had butterflies right now like I wasn’t used to this man. Grabbing my clutch, I followed my sister out of my bedroom and down the stairs to the first floor.
Kerrion stood in the entryway talking to Nayelli, who was busy tickling her brother.
My breath hitched as I came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.
My man, my man, my muthafucking man! He was looking too damn good in his black button-up, black slacks, and black loafers.
Gold adorned his neck and wrists. He had a fresh lineup, and from where I stood, he smelled delectable.
“Damn,” he said, breaking me out of my trance-like state.
He licked his lips, and I couldn’t help but blush as his eyes perused my frame. Dinah smirked as she walked over and took KJ from him. We met in the middle of the floor, and he reached for my hands. Pulling them to his lips, he kissed my knuckles.
“You look . . . Damn, baby. You look good as hell.”
“Thank you, baby.”
“Bring your pretty ass here.”
He yanked me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me. His lips fell to mine with a nasty and sensual kiss. I got lost in him until his hand migrated to my ass.
“Kerrion! The kids!”
He pulled back and turned to look at the kids and Dinah staring at us. She and Nayelli were both grinning, while KJ was just looking at us.
“My bad,” he said, grinning. “Dinah, thank you for watching him tonight.”
“Of course,” she said, kissing KJ’s cheek. “Kay is coming over, and we’re gonna have a ball, right, Yelli?”
“Right.”
“I’m still not over you and my cousin.”
“What can I say? I like her. She treats me like a queen.”
I smiled because I was happy for my sister. Finding out that Kaylynn was the reason for this bright ass smile on her face made my heart swell. I wasn’t a person who judged the way others loved. As long as my sister was loved, respected, and cherished, that was all that mattered.
“Yeah, well, she is smitten. Y’all have started picking the cousins off, one by one.”
She laughed. “Well, the siblings can’t be the only ones getting happy endings. Now, you two, have fun, and don’t bring any babies back here. Have my sister in at a decent hour, sir. Come on, kiddies! Auntie Dinah has a whole night of fun planned!”
She walked off to the kitchen. Nayelli quickly hugged us both before following behind her.
Kerrion chuckled as he turned to me. “You ready?”
“Yes.”
He grabbed my hand and led me outside. I shook my head as he made me walk in front of him, instantly slapping my ass. Just to tease him, I added a little extra umph to my walk. Behind me, he whistled and barked, causing me to break into a fit of giggles.
“Please, sir!”
“Doesn’t that song say bark like you want it?”
I rolled my eyes as he opened the door. “You don’t have to bark. It’s yours.”
I cupped his face and kissed him before climbing into the car. He closed the door as I settled into the seat with a smile on my face. Once he was settled in the driver’s seat, he cranked up, put on some music, and pulled onto the street.
The drive downtown didn’t take more than fifteen minutes. We spent that time singing and rapping along to the playlist he had going. It took me a second to realize that it was a playlist I’d made him in college. Whenever we were together, we stayed jamming.
“I can’t believe you still have this,” I said as we pulled into the parking lot.
“I couldn’t find the CD, but I remembered every song, in order, when I made the playlist on my phone.”
“That’s how you know we ran this shit into the ground.”
“That was you. It was always, ‘Baby, play our mixtape,’” he mocked me.
“You complaining, but who put the mixtape on? Oh, okay.”
He chuckled as he shut off the car. Climbing out, he came around to retrieve me.
Hand in hand, we walked into the building that looked like a little hole-in-the-wall spot.
I wouldn’t complain because I loved these.
Back in college, we spent a lot of time chilling with old heads when we didn’t hit up a campus party.
When we walked in, there was already a small crowd.
Kerrion slapped hands with more than a few people.
As he introduced me, he told me they were friends of his father and uncle, and this was a place they frequented quite often.
We headed to the bar to order some drinks before claiming a table.
A server immediately came over with menus.
We took a minute to look over it before placing an order.
As I sipped my drink, I could feel my man’s eyes on me.
“What?” I asked, setting it down.
“I can’t look at you?”
“I mean . . . you’re staring.”
“I’m admiring you. You look so fucking beautiful tonight, love.”
I blushed. “Thank you. You forgot yourself back at the house. Grabbing my ass like that in front of the kids.”
He chuckled. “I couldn’t help myself. Besides, Nayelli should see us loving on each other.”
“Oh, she’s eating it up.” I poked out my lip. “Is it sad that I miss them already?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I miss them too. We really are together all the time these days.”
“We are. I love it, though. Just us and our babies.”
He smiled. “Can I ask you for something?”
“Anything.”
“I um, . . . I want to take you to meet Donna.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
“I know it’s a little weird—”
“No. No, it’s not weird at all. I’d be honored to meet her. I um, . . . I actually have a question about her. Something her mother said at the water park.”
He took a long sip of his drink like he knew what I was going to ask. When he placed it down, he stared at me.
“Yes. You two look alike. I mean, not just a like, but you could be related. Anyway! That’s not the reason I was attracted to her. Donna was beautiful in her own right, and I loved her personality. In that aspect, you two were completely different. I love you both for different reasons.”
I nodded. “It wasn’t weird for you?”
“No. When I was with her, I didn’t think about you in that sense.
I never compared you two. Never wished she was you or that she and I had what you and I shared.
I’d learned to live without you, Neha. While I coped with not having you in unhealthy ways at times, I’d accepted that what we had was done. ”
“Only it wasn’t.”
“Nah, . . . it wasn’t.”
I sniffled. “I’m so sorry, Kerrion. I—”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, love.
I don’t have the capacity to be upset anymore.
I forgive you, and forgiveness to me means not bringing it up again.
I’m not gonna lie and say it doesn’t still sting at times, because it does, but I don’t want to live in that anger.
I don’t like the person I am when I feel like that.
You and I are good in this moment. I promise. ”
I nodded. “Okay.”
He leaned over and kissed my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Now. Come dance with me.”
He stood to his feet and pulled me to mine before leading me out to the dance floor.
The DJ dropped a classic by Aretha Franklin, “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man.” Older couples flooded the dance floor.
Kerrion pulled me into him and wrapped an arm around my waist while holding my hand.
I rested my head against his chest and allowed him to sway me to the music with my eyes closed.
The scent of his cologne engulfed me like a warm hug and made me smile.
“This takes me back,” I said softly.
“Good times.”